Chapter Two
A/N: I don’t think I will be making many of these, I hope, but I think its needed. In this, Luna looks like Nightmare Moon, but has Luna’s personality. This is mostly because, lets face it, Nightmare Moon looks like she could kick a dragons teeth in. Luna... doesn’t. Anyway, there's really nowhere in the story to explain it, so there you go. And regardless of the countless discussions on the topic, we are assuming that ponies age and mature the same as humans.
PS: By the Light, please tell me what is wrong with it if you downvote. I want to fix problems, not let them revel in anonymity.
“Twilight Sparkle, what manner of shrews are thine courtiers? They see fit to garb themselves in such darp attire. Have they taken a vow of modesty, or some other such ilk?”
Princess Luna stood in the entrance to the Great Dining Hall near the center of the Heart. Framed by the heavy marble pillars garlanded with wildflowers, roses, and all manner of petaled dancers. While normally quite beautiful to behold, the creeping vines and magically maintained blooms now seemed to writhe, moving in an unseen breeze, only enough to draw the idle eye.
“What? Oh, do you mean their clothes?” Twilight paused just inside the door, frozen by the whispered query and the sudden knowledge that she had left her charge behind, if only slightly.
“Verily, what is the meaning of this oddity?”
“Well, its just what they wear. Nopony ever really gives it much thought.”
“Hast thine people never heard of fashion? Such mundane wear, do they not grow tired of the monotony?”
“I don’t think so, at least I haven’t heard anypony complain about it. Are the nobles of Selene different?”
“Quite.” Luna’s tone quirked up, like her small smile, the droll amusement evident. “They take their dress quite seriously. Thee would hardly know them to be the regal, powerful ponies they are, if thee were to see them quibbling over the latest attire as birds over a worm.”
Twilight giggled, then turned away from the Princess. “Please Princess Luna, follow me. Princess Celestia has asked that we join her for the morning meal, and I believe there she will make the formal introduction.”
The visitor stepped forward, following in the unicorns wake, her eyes wide as she stared about herself, looking over each and every face as they passed. Remembering herself at the curious stares of the nobility, Princess Luna paused for a moment, correcting herself. Proud and tall, the Princess of the Night strode down the long aisles between the long, polished wooden tables.
In their turn, the many nobles stared unashamedly back as she moved among them. After all, this was not only a visitor from the mysterious and beautiful Selene, this was the very Princess of the land herself, walking among them as if this were her own court.
“Ahh, my good friend. Welcome to our Court this bright day.”
They had reached the high table, the smaller table running perpendicular at the far end of the great hall. Lit from behind by the massive windows, the light of the rising sun seemed to sear through the windows themselves, sending spears of light into the room.
It may have been chance which sent these beams cascading into Princess Celestia at her seat on the high table. Twilight doubted it though. Now, in the brilliant light of ‘dawn’ as the sun cleared the high peaks to the east of Helios, she seemed to be little more than a vague shape.
As she rose from her seat to greet her guest, the light splintered, her elegant shadow flaring out throughout the hall, spread by the glorious light of the morning sun. To Twilight, and all those directly before her, she was a black shape surrounded by the white light, features lost amid the radiance of the moment.
Altogether, Twilight thought, too perfectly impressive. Twilight smirked.
There was little doubt in her mind that Celestia had engineered the entire event, and she could not deny that it was impressive. It was a perfect show both of power, and it was incredibly beautiful, to see the splintered patterns of light thrown on the walls. The light seemed to shimmer, rebounding from the stained glass lining the walls back into the room, filling the white splendor with a multitude of colors.
Then the moment passed and the sun truly rose, the spell broke. Slowly, the glare faded from the eyes of every pony in the room. As the light faded, each pair of eyes sought the source of the shadow, though there was no doubt in any mind who lay at the center.
Celestia slowly came into view, the white blur resolving itself into the regal body of the Princess of Helios, fully bedecked in the golden armor she normally reserved for formal balls and times of war.
“Princess Luna Nocturnus, I welcome you into the Heart, and into our hearts as well. We hold hopes that you find your stay both pleasant and productive. As the Sun rises eternally, I bid you to sit with me, and break your fast at my table.”
Princess Luna bowed her head low, a formal indication of both her thanks, and the respect given by one powerful ruler to another. “We ask you not to trouble yourself on our behalf, though we sit at your table, let no food leave the mouths of the hungry, though we lay by your hearth, let no subject go cold. May you find us a boon, not a weight, and spare us not from that which we deserve. Like any traveler, we ask that you treat us and no more.”
In her turn, Princess Celestia bowed her head, slightly less deeply, and smiled at her guest. “Then I must insist that you join me. I imagine that there is much you wish to speak of.”
Princess Luna nodded her head, and walked around the table, Twilight trailing along behind her. For the most part the young unicorn was ignored, just another servant. It was treatment which, by now, Twilight was accustomed too.
The one exception to her otherwise lackluster reception was a pair of baby blue eyes glaring at her from one of the long tables. Lord Blueblood sat on the gleaming wooden benches lining the tables, and fires burned in his eyes as he glared at her. Evidently, he not only remembered yesterday, he held her directly accountable for his disgrace.
As she sat to the left of Princess Luna, who in turn sat to the left of Princess Celestia’s own great seat at the center of the table, Twilight glanced at the platters. While they had walked the long line between tables she had not truly seen what lay beneath piles of food weighing down the tables. Now, confronted with the barren dishes, Twilight was momentarily stunned. Rather than the usual gold, the plates before her gleamed silver in the morning light.
The silver reflected the light perfectly, creating a mirror on the table of what almost seemed to be fluid metal. Looking into the polished surface, Twilight could see her own reflection, wide eyes and all as she leaned forward.
The face that stared back out of the plates was her own, though so altered that it bore almost no resemblance to her own face. Where her own face bore the remnants of filly fat, cute in an infantile way, this face was lean, hard edged, and beautiful. In the reflection, her horn was not the short, blunted protrusion like it was in reality, it was long, and narrowed to a razor point. Her mane lay long, thick and lustrous, cascading down her neck, bangs covering half of her face. From the other half, the eyes of the strange mare gazed calmly back at her, deep burgundy looking out from the violet coat.
Twilight jerked back, startled by the visage. The motion was so violent that she nearly toppled wholly off the bench. Her fall was halted by a strong black hoof which shot out from the side of the Princess next to her. Princess Luna pushed her back into her seat, without so much as glancing at her, allowing the unicorn to retain what dignity she might. Too the room at large, even the brooding stare of Blueblood, it seemed as if nothing had happened, save a twitch from the purple mare.
“Celestia, we think that your Mirror-ware has frightened your maid.” Princess Luna spoke, slowly selecting her own meal from the array before her, accepting with a nod the glass of red wine offered her by a passing waiter.
“Twilight, it is alright. These are enchanted, given to us by Ryais many years ago. They show what the future may hold to those who gaze into them. But don’t be afraid, the future is no more solid than the air itself. Please, eat, you will feel better when you do.”
Twilight shook her head, and reached a hoof out to place some of the salad nearby onto the silver platter before her, anything to block that image. As she did though, she saw the reflection of her hoof. The violet fur continued to her hooves, were suddenly it met shoes of a black metal which appeared to devour all light which touched it.
Shivering, Twilight grabbed for the salad, hastily covering the image. In her haste, several leaves of lettuce scattered, one landing on the plate of Princess Luna. There, the fresh green leaf quickly stained red as the thick curry sauce the Princess had drizzled over a steaming slice of bread a moment before.
“Oh, I am so sorry Princess, please let me clean that up. I don’t know what came over me.”
Before Twilight could reach out and clean the wayward leave, Princess Luna ducked her head, and ate it. Smiling at the petrified mare, she giggled. “Please Twilight, do not trouble thyself with such trivialities. The Mirror’s have done more than disturb many who see it. Do not trouble thyself, thee can change thy fate, never forget this. Now, what dost thou call this scrumptious condiment?”
“Princess?”
Twilights soft call broke the spell which seemed to have lain itself over the room. The cozy bedroom appointed to Princess Luna was situated only a short way from the hall from where Princess Celestia rested, sleeping her afternoon nap.
The suit faced the west, letting the warm golden light of the setting sun shine into the small chamber, illuminating the lavish decor. The large bed dominated the room, thick and plush, the circular affair was almost half the size of the room itself. Down pillows lined the upper edge of the bed, while a large, deep blue blanket lay draped over it.
Twilight lay near the foot of the bed, resting on a large cushion, the book on pegasus anatomy propped open, leaning against her crossed hooves. Occasionally, the weak light of Twilight’s magic would appear, turning the page before her, the thin paper trembling as she struggled to maintain the simple spell.
Further back, resting in a lazy sprawl across the head of the bed, Princess Luna whiled away her idle time by by casting spell after spell, apparently oblivious to the occasional glances of the unicorn. Her spell sent the small objects in the room dancing above her in a complex, intricate routine, weaving about each other, dipping and rising, spinning and reversing direction, all in time with the soft humming tune to which the Princess gave voice.
The humming stopped after a moment, the quiet words slowly sinking through the peaceful morass of the daydreaming Princess’s mind.
“Oh, we beg thy pardon Twilight. What has thee asked of us?”
“Umm, yes. See, I was wondering, um. How do you do that?”
Twilight blushed a furious crimson. Luna froze, as did the twirling cascade above her, before they sped back to their original places. She twisted, turning her neck until she could see Twilight, her hooves hanging limp in the air above her.
“Did thine mother never teach thee?”
The words were spoken slowly, carefully. Since time immemorial, magic had been taught in the home, by the family. Often, the mother, thought sometimes the father, would set aside time each day to help the young unicorn harness and grow the gift of magic within them. They would nurture their latent powers, letting the small bloom become a towering tree. They would prune it, and tend it, ensuring that it grew straight and true.
Because if they didn’t, that power could drive a pony to madness. Bone Shard was one such, a unicorn of exceptional talent, and little training. Largely self taught after the early death of his father, his natural gift for magic began to bloom another way. It had become gnarled, twisting about itself, binding power into power, feeding on its own energy. He quickly grew from a gifted unicorn to one of the most fearsome magical talents in history. It had taken the cumulative effort of not only Helios and Selene, but of Ryais to stop the necromancer, and his army of the walking dead.
Like all things though, there was an element of good to his evil. Dragons had killed his father, the only family he had ever known. They were the heart of his madness, and they soon came to fear him more than any other. Bone Shard had been methodical in his early research on the dragons, and creative in his spellwork. He had created a spell which came to be known as Dragon’s Bane, one which not only crippled dragon, infecting them with a virulent disease, but upon the death of the wyrm, would ensnare their soul, resurrecting their corpse to add to his forces.
If Twilight were like him...
“My mother died when I was very young. I don’t have anyone else.” Twilight looked away, her voice soft and calm. As she did though, Princess Luna hear the pain so close the the surface. She knew what it was like to live without a mother, and it wasn’t easy, even for a pegasus filly. But to be a unicorn without any family, that had to be much worse than anything in her own foalhood.
“We are sorry for thee Twilight. Thou hast nopony to teach thee the use of thine magic?”
“Only Cadence, but she’s so busy already, I didn’t want to bother her. She’s always so busy. She has so many duties to attend to, and she’s always away on a diplomatic mission or something.”
Princess Luna paused for a moment, the name ringing a distant alarm in some far off corner of her mind. Brushing the thought aside, she looked at the mare on the other side of the bed. Should she try to comfort her? Or simply give her time to collect herself, to pretend nothing had happened.
“What?”
“Shh, it will be okay, we promise thee. All will be well soon.” Luna murmured into the purple mane. Silently, she had slid next to the depressed mare and grabbed her, holding her against her own warm body. The feel of another body, of the gentle touch was too much for the unicorn. The tears stained the black fur of her chest, leaving small damp spot which would have become chill had more tears not kept them moist.
Princess Luna sat there for a short time, before Twilight began to pull away. She gave a gentle squeeze, before easing away from the unicorn. She rested her hooves on Twilight’s sides, staring at her for a silent moment, while the last of her tears dried on her purple face. Then softly, she pulled Twilight in and kissed her forehead, as her mother had always done for her.
“We promise thee. It shall be better. Wouldst thou wish us to teach thee?”
“Yes Princess. I... I need to learn. And I don’t know who else to ask.” Twilight shook herself, forcing the tears away. This was not a time to be crying, not in front of a Princess.
“We are not an easy teacher, thou may come to regret thine decision. Art thou certain?
Twilight nodded, and the last traces of sadness left her face, replaced by a fierce determination. Fire blazed in the lavender eyes, where Princess Luna could see her own reflection gazing back at her.
“Very well. Catch”
Without even the glow of magic appearing about her horn, Twilight saw a small marble lift from the counter, coated in a translucent coat of magic, flat and smooth, rather than the sloppy, wavey lbur she could create. The marble was made of metal, the iron ball heavy and dense.
“EEP!” Twilight yelped. The iron sphere had collided with her ribs, hard. It would doubtless leave a bruise, and Twilight glared at the ball as it rolled away as she scrambled to her hooves, stopping with a click as it struck the black hoof of the Princess.
“Catch the marble.” Princess Luna said, while the marble lifted once more into the air. The Princess was calm, her face expressionless as the ball began to move back and forth before her.
Once more it flew forward, hurtling at Twilight’s side. Eyes wide, the mare threw herself to the side, rolling off of the bed onto the marble floor. Behind her, the marble stopped abruptly in midair, whizzing back at Twilight. She squeaked as she felt it land a stinging, bruising blow to her posterior.
“Catch it.” Without waiting for Twilight to stand, Luna grabbed the ball once more in her telekinetic grip. Twilight rolled to her left, dodging the ball as it pinged off of the floor where she had been, ricocheting towards the wall. Sensing danger, she rolled again, dodging the return volley.
“CATCH IT!” The Princess roared, and suddenly light began to show about her horn, black energy which seemed to absorb the light that came near it. The ball too began to glow darker, energy pouring into it. This time, it sped at Twilight with enough force to reduce the marble floor it struck after her dodge to disintegrate into powder.If one of those hit her now, it would do more than bruise.
Luna raised three more marbles, each one glowing with that ominous light. They circled Twilight, spinning about her faster than her eyes could follow, leaving trails of darkness in their wake. The room grew steadily darker as the spun faster and faster about her.
Before, Twilight had been afraid. Now, as the room became truly black, she was terrified.
“CATCH THEM!” The balls hurtled at the blind mare.
With a burst of violet energy, the balls meet a wave of power emanating from the mare.. As they touched the energy, they iron disintegrated, falling apart into nothingness.
“Very good Twilight. We commend thee.”
As the Princess spoke, Twilight’s shield flickered, and died about her, leaving only a blackened circle on the marble where it had touched the stone. Twilight was revealed, panting, sweating, and looking as though she could barely stand.
“Now, catch.”
Luna tossed the last sphere gently to the exhausted mare, smiling as it stopped in midair, sheathed in thin purple energy, before it fell to the ground, landing with a click as it bounced off of the polished stone.
“Art thou certain that this is acceptable? There is so little, and we are not convinced that such plain accoutrements are befitting a meeting of this caliber.”
“Princess, I can assure you that they are adequate, if anything, they are likely too formal.”
“Too formal? Thine customs astound us once more. If that is so, then would we be better dressed in nothing at all?”
Twilight blushed at the puzzled Princess standing before the large gilt mirror. Princess Luna was twisting and turning, in an attempt to determine what exactly this dull dress was meant to accentuate. In Selene, as she had told Twilight several times, there were several ponies who did nothing but design and create clothing, from dresses to suits, for every occasion. In Helios, while it was not unusual for the nobility to don such formal wear at court, many ponies, Twilight included, wore little more than the neckpiece which denoted their position and rank, and the shoes which marked her as a personal assistant to the Princess. .
The golden band Twilight wore was bare of such idle decoration that flowered so many of the servant’s chokers. Instead, hers bore the small emblem of the rising sun, the heraldry of the Princess of Helios herself.
Even so, used as she was to wearing little more than her fur, Princess Luna’s talk of going bare seemed almost scandalous.
She shook her head, staring into at the mirror. “No Princess. You had better be dressed as formally as possible for your first meeting with the council. You need to impress them, or they will never listen to you.”
“If thou art sure. Would we be better suited wearing a Helian garment, or one of our own countries make?”
“Umm, well. I don’t actually know. The only other pony from Selene I’ve ever met was Chancellor Evergreen.”
“Oh, art thou friends with Chancellor Evergreen? No, she never was one to wear anything ‘too fancy’ as she called such garb. Well then Twilight, we insist that thee sees us in our best.”
Luna shimmied her hips, letting the thick woolen fabric slid down her legs to the ground, something Twilight tried not to watch too closely. Try as she might though, the sight of the moving rump was something a hormonal mare was incapable of ignoring.
Catching sight of the distracted mare, Princess Luna grinned, giving her rump another shake, flicking her tail to the side for an instant. “Dost thou find us... distracting?”
This time, Twilight’s blush was almost tangible, the heat radiating from her scarlet face. “I umm, I’m sorry Princess. I don’t know what, I just, I’m sorry.”
“We apologize as well Twilight, it was not kind to do that to thee. Though we must say, it was quite amusing” The Princess laughed as she spoke, eyes twinkling with mischief as she looked at Twilight in the mirror. Twilight, for her part, was fastidiously looking anywhere in the room, other than the Princess standing before her, almost flirting with her.
“If thou would prefer to leave our presence for a moment, we would not take it remiss.”
Jumping at the opportunity, Twilight bolted, fleeing the room as quickly as she politely could. It was all she could do to keep her pace steady and calm, and not the furious gallop she felt she needed. Her heart was pounding as she walked through the halls, panting breaths coming hard and fast from her lungs. Reaching the end of the hallway, she stopped.
Here, near the peak of the Heart, the walls were lined with colorful stained glass windows, magically reinforced against weather and impact. There was little to see outside, the glaring light of the sun drowning out any color that might have been on the ground. A few pegasi could be seen above the wispy clouds which circled the Heart in lazy grace, shapes which darted in and out, around and around as they whirled and spun.
Watching them, Twilight felt her pulse slow, her breathing even out. Suddenly, a shape flashed past the window, leaving only the faint impression of orange in blue as it flickered out of view almost before her mind could register its existence. Looking down, she saw the blur once more, leveling out at the end of a dive, shooting off to the south.
“Twilight?”
At the sound of her name, Twilight turned, searching for the source of the voice. When she saw Princess Luna, she froze.
The clothing she had worn earlier had been thick wool, black and warm. It was not something unseen in court in the recent months, in fact it had been one of the more popular forms of dress.
Compared with her current attire, that woolen dress was little more than a monstrosity. Soft and supple, her dress flowed about her as she walked towards Twilight. The fabric was glossy, and a blue so dark as to be almost impossible to distinguish from her black body. It lay smooth against her back, before cascading down her legs, hugging her body invitingly. Just before it hit the floor, the glossy blue cloth flared out, ending in a pool of deep red and violet which trailed behind her as she walked.
“Dost thou believe we are properly attired now?”
Twilight nodded, unable to look away from the Princess. The afternoon light flooded through the window behind her, landing on the Princess, taking the already beautiful appearance and making it something truly stunning.
“Well?”
“Oh, um, I’m sorry Princess Luna. Would you care for me to show you to the Council Chambers?”
“I would like nothing better.”
The interior of the council chambers where the select nobility of Helios met to discuss policy was stifling at the best of times. Those times where in the dead of winter, while matters of such tedium as the decision as to which fields in a certain lord or lady’s estate will be growing what crop. On such days, the warmth of the circular room was almost pleasant, indeed, it was a welcome relief after the walk through the chilly halls leading to the room at the very center of the Heart.
The council of Helios met in a large room situated in the center of the Heart. The room was set around a massive semicircular table, carved out of a dark red wood. In fact, the whole room carried a red motif, from the crimson silk curtains lining the walls, to the fireruby set into the back of the throne where Princess Celestia met with the council.
Normally, only Celestia, Twilight, and one or two nobles would attend a meeting in the early fall, most would be occupied with feasts and balls. Today though, the room was filled with nobles, as every pony who could concoct a reason was in attendance, waiting for the arrival of Princess Luna.
Twilight was sandwiched between the wall and General Stormfront. The old pegasus was a veteran of almost forty years, until Princess Celestia personally told him that she would no longer allow him to fight. An advisement he completely ignored, though he did accept that he would be better suited to training and strategizing, rather than leading the charge at his age. He was the greatest tactician and one of the best soldiers Helios had produced in the last century, a comfortable peer to such names as Lord Northwind, General Silent Night, and Captain Greenwing.
Normally, the grizzled pegasus would be given room, in honor of his many achievements, and sterling record. He sat counter to Twilight most days, just to the right of the Princess, while she sat on her left. Today though, all honor and respect were seemingly forgotten, and the two ponies were pushed into the corner by the crowd. In fact, Twilight was being crushed into the corner, her body pressed hard into the stone wall behind the curtain until General Stormfront saw her. Now, she stood in the small space he had carved out for her, huddled in the corner in the clear space protected by the armored flank of the soldier.
“Light damn them all.” The pegasus growled low, eyes glaring sullenly about the room. “Least they could do is be polite. Pushing you back here Miss Twilight. Just isn’t right. Lady like yourself is good as any of them, ungrateful rude little foals. Better, I’d say.”
The General turned his head, and smiled wanly at her. Twilight smiled back, blushing slightly at the compliment. No matter how often it was said, she always felt awkward when reminded that, even as a servant, she was the equal in rank to anypony here save the senior council. Indeed, for years she had suffered the slights and insults of both the ponies who desired her position and their families. All because of the close contact she had with the Princess..
The room was filled with a sudden hush which spread like a plague from pony to pony, along with a whispered “Here she comes.”
Twilight stretched her neck, just able to peer over the strong, armored back of the pegasus. “Hop up.” The gruff voice made Twilight jump, blushing as she came back down. General Stormfront turned his head, winking at the mare. Twilight blushed again, nodding shyly to the old pony. She reared back in the small space, hooking her front legs over the armor clad back, resting with a clear view over the crowd.
Princess Luna’s entrance was a spectacle, regal and slow. She had dispensed with the flowing dress, and now wore only her silver armor, which took on a bloody hue as it reflected the light in the red room. Behind her walked Princess Celestia, resplendent in her own golden garb. The ponies moved back, clearing a small pathway for the Princesses.
The pair slowly walked forward, Princess Luna in the lead, following the small path until they at last reached the head of the table, turning to face the crowd of anxious, reserved faces.
Princess Celestia stepped forward, smiling at the assembled ponies. Many of them relaxed, having known that smile since birth. If there was one thing that they knew, it was that they could trust their Princess. She was as sure as the suns rising
“Hello, my little ponies. Today is not a formal meeting of the Council, for one because with so many attending, the introductions alone would take all night. So instead of the normal monotony which you will doubtless pay little heed to, let us simply allow Princess Luna to speak.”
The Princess of the Sun stepped back, bowing slightly to her counterpart. Princess Luna stood, striding forward a pace, until she stood in the center of the room, where each eye gravitated to her as though by some archaic spell. Her wings came up to a half mantel, a regal cloak shrouding the proud mare.
“We bid you good tidings this day. We have spoken with Princess Celestia, and she has deigned to allow us to speak with the council.
“We do not come to you out of war, nor of need. Indeed, it is our hope that the end of this meeting will spell the end for any need, nay, end the very possibility of such conflict. Lords, ladies, we bid you to hear our proposal, and know that our hopes are high that you shall look upon it with favor.
“We come to you to ask that together, we form a treaty. Not a treaty of necessity, nor one of alliance in war. Those treaties stand as they ever have, strong and able. Yet they are weak. Should one nation seek their own solution, or ally themselves with the dragons or gryphons, then what? Her sister shall be left exposed, ripe and begging to be plucked.
“So we offer our solution. We will form a union between our countries, and to ensure this alliance, we shall follow the accords of our long ago forbears, and bind this treaty in the joined blood of our two great nations. We offer our hoof in marriage to one of your nobility, and take them as our partner, and rule over Selene with them.”
Princess Luna stepped back, letting her black wings fall back to her sides from their half mantel. She returned to her seat, resting on the soft cushion placed next to the one Princess Celestia sat upon. The room was silent, to the point where Twilight was quite sure that she could hear the rustle of the curtains as they moved in the breeze of the joint breaths of the assembled nobility.
After years of watching the sly maneuvers of the court, Twilight was not so easily fooled. Many of the ponies did seem surprised, and all affected to appear so. But a flick of the eyes of Lord Rum Runner, a twitch of Lady Chrysanthemum’s ear, all the little tells she had learned over the years. Most knew nothing of this plan. But some did. Which meant that some ponies were intercepting royal missives. Twilight made a careful note of who the ponies she suspected were, Princess Celestia would like to know later, she was sure.
“Well, I do believe that we shall have nothing else of merit to discuss today, so this council meeting is dismissed. And please, do not speak of this. I urge all of you to hold your confidences, and to think long about how we shall act in this matter.”
Later that same night, so late in fact that the moon was nearing the horizon, when time met in that strange light where all is still and time has stopped. The grey light of predawn was slowly creeping over the high mountain peaks, seeping into every home and house.
Those who rested in the Heart were no different. Ponies tossed and turned in the restless atmosphere, trapped by dreams vile or fair, until such a time. Then, their movements stilled, and at last, they drifted on that downy soft, the rest of the dreamless. Where before, lovers minds traveled separate paths, now they converged, joining each other as dreams had for time immemorial. Hooves sought mates, lovers, friends, family. Anything and everything nearby, for at such a time, something as pure as love could never be hidden.
High in the monolith, Twilight rested as well as ever she had, laying still, almost without motions, even breath, to stir her from her repose. For her, there was nothing, she was free from the terror which gripped her, forcing her to dance on the whims of her nightmares. Now, curled beneath the brown woolen blanket, she lay still, her mouth slightly open.
Not a thing moved at a time like this, not birds nor bats nor ponies. All sought their rest, or lay ensconced within those pillowy halls. Only one creature stirred at a time like this. In the shadows of Twilight’s small room, the figure paced forward. She looked down on the young mare, hardly more than a filly, and felt a soft smile tug at her lips.
Slowly, gently, she sat on the floor beside the slumbering mare, watching her breath slowly in and out. The smile widened, though the longing in her eyes was palpable. She loved her, the way nopony else ever could. It was unfair to her, to have done this, to have hurt her like this. She had tried to make amends, quietly, from the shadows. She had tried to be her friend, her confidant, even now was unable to stop herself from being a mother to the young mare. It hurt her to see the naivete in those soft purple eyes, to see the hurt and desire whenever she saw families together. To know that she couldn’t tell her, ever.
Slowly, she began to sing. The lullaby was soft, her voice sliding fluid over the syllables. Her own mother had taught her the song long ago, whispering it to her as she fell asleep every night. It spoke of soft things and kind things, of things past and things yet to come. There were no lyrics to the song, save those she made on the spot. That was not the point of a song so sweet, so tender. It was meant to come from her heart, not her memory, as it had so many nights before now.
The song slowly died away, the final words trailing off into empty space as she turned back to the sleeping mare. “I love you, Little One, my Little Star. Greet the day with a smile.”
On a level far removed from that of conscious thought, the filly heard her. Her face clouded, worry coming to the fore as she frowned. “Momma?”
The word cut her to the bone, tearing at her heart. The sadness, the longing in the slumbering voice hurt her. It was all she could do to stop herself from grabbing the little pony, wrapping her in hugs and showering her with kisses. But she couldn’t. It would put her in danger. And she could never allow that.
Tears slowly welled in her eyes, leaking one by one down her face, leaving wet trails through the soft fur. She leaned down, and kissed the mare, her daughter, on the forehead, just above her horn. Twilight’s face smoothed, the worry and sadness gone with the simple touch. The suddenly, as the light of true dawn broke over the valley, flooding into the small room, she vanished, just as Twilight opened her eyes.
Stats
Page generated in 0.037 seconds
Total duration
731 users online
773,143 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Sorry about how long this took to get up. I wrote two short stories, messed with another idea, and rewrote this, all before deciding to post the original. hopefully the next chapter wont take 22 days.
Hugs and Kisses.
Nadake
PS: Here, have a pic, which I stole with neither the knowledge nor consent of the creator, SierraEx on DA.
fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/028/c/3/woona_stuck_by_sierraex-d4nuvqf.png
That chapter, and this story on the whole, is bloody brilliant.
Really fantastic.
I have so many questions. I love your prose, but it's still far to early to get any sort of handle on the general plot of the story or the world your building.
I'm curious as to a few things though, Twilight is rather poor at magic, having never had a teacher? Yet, she is highly placed due to being handmaiden to Celestia. Why would that be a position of nobility? Traditionally, handmaidens (handmares I guess?) would simply be a higher class of servant, but nothing more than that. But regardless... nobody could teach her magic? Do ponies still have cutie marks in your world?
A good chapter for, so far, a good story. Here's to hoping for more such chapters.
Hmm.
Hrm. A great alternative universe you're building here.
Okay, it feels like we're going down the "Celestia is Twilight's mother" road. (the last part really seemed suggestive.) Although wouldn't it be wild if Luna actually turned out to be the mother? I really like this theme in stories, not explored enough if you ask me. Keep it up!
Luna's also opening the floor for suitors to court her? Y'know, this is an idea that I haven't really seen done before. (The whole concept of courtly love.) So this is gonna be a hoot to watch.
As to how Twilight fits into all of this we have yet to see, but you can be sure I'm liking what I'm reading and await the next chapter :D. Excellent job!
Oh my!
I love your style! Your fiction is a special one.
Although the story is AU, three main characters (PL, PC, TS) still keep their good personalities.
I'll keep reading. GJ!
I'd lean towards Luna being Twilight's mother, except for the flirtatious way she acted before the council meeting. So, for the time being, I'm leaning more towards Celestia being Twilight's mother, and Cadence a guise she assumes in an attempt to spend non-princessy time with Twi'. This is based on the idle thought Luna had when Cadence was mentioned.
Good story and an interesting AU. I look forward to more!
My thought is that Cadence is Lunas daughter.
For Twilight i really am not sure, is there some chance that the child of an Alicorn is born mortal or not, if yes then i would say Celestia being Twilight's Mother. Why would a Princess take on an orphan, the nobility complaining and it causing instability the first year(s) is the issue. So there must be some reason.
It was not specified what race the mother is thought so it could be anyone, maybe Evergreen.
I like the way you wright it's an old style that I haven't seen in a long time and you're doing a very good job of it.
Anyways this is a very well executed idea and I look forward to more
So the question is who is Twilights mother, I am betting it is Celestia, because Luna was giving off some shipping vibes earlier, especially in the very amusing plot wiggling scene.
an upadate?
this is one of the best constructed au's i have ever seen. keep it up!
I'm curious as to who Twi's mother was supposed to be too. Both Celestia and Luna would be good contenders. Though, the 'to keep her safe' bit seems to imply that the situation is a bit more volatile. From the story description, it seems like Luna's realm is more volatile than Celestia's. Plus, they both kissed Twilight's forehead in the same way, and Luna's teaching Twilight magic, like a 'mother' should. The vague shipping/attraction bits do through a wrench in that though.
I still don't understand why Twi wouldn't have learned magic from Celestia if she's been with her for a long time. There must be more to their relationship if that's the case.
OH GOD!
My feels like where this is going.
Story: Awesome, can't wait for more.
Woona Stuck: Daaaaaaw!
I'm betting on it being neither sister as her mother but a person of similar rank or at least of grand influence. I get the whole hostage vibe from things concerning Twilight.
It took me a little bit of time to try and remember the story, I should have gone back and reread the 1st chapter but that's my mistake, not the authors. Anyways, I'm very much enjoying the story and looking forward to reading more of it. Don't worry about it taking a long time to get a chapter out, just get it how you want it.
Personally I'm suddenly really interested in who Twilight's "mother" is, the character whom the chapter ended with. I, like many others am at the moment guessing Celestia. However, I haven't ruled out anyone at the moment. I am looking forward to reading more of this story though, and I think the idea of "Courtly Love" is a great idea to explore seeing as how it really hasn't been explored by FiM writers I think. At least I haven't seen any.
1330532
Glad you posted though, even if late. I just need to reread the first chapter to get an idea of ages. Also, the subtle hints that Luna is Twilight's mother but possibly could not be has my brain running in circles. Especially since Shining Armor and Twilight are not related in your universe.
I also noticed some grammar errors and missing words, I can reread through this to see if I can find them again.
This universe it's so alternate that I believe it should get it's own tag...
Of course Twi is Celestia's daughter... And she saw the vision of finally growing into an Allicorn.
And Luna will marry Twilight. And Helios will merge with Selene. And that's how Equestira will be made!
So much hinting at future plot development!
Nice chapter and I look forward to the rest.
I agree with Fragnostic, hit the proverbial nail on the head. Can't wait for the next chapter!
my thoughts on how this is playing out:
bloody brilliant!!! keep up this level of writing and you may very well set a standard for writing. a good standard. a masterful standard. you capture the minds eye, you paint a picture on your canvas of words that inspires the imagination.
now, that said i have to ask a few questions.
Twilight being the bookish mare that she is has not delved into magic? and yet in the all too brief interaction between herself and Luna we see a hint of what might be. will she in fact aspire to be the mage we know and love? and what of a certain hatching dragon that as until now remained AWOL from the story?
Luna herself is also intriguing. opening the floor to the possible alliance of Selene and Helios by courtly marriage is something quite unusual. i would ask however that you please not go down the road of shipping. there are plenty of those already. far to many in fact and non of them well written.
twilight's parentage is clearly hinted at in the scene with the mirror plates. Celestia's attempt to brush off twilight's shocked reaction is also a clear tell. the question is, what does Celestia fear? and why does the description of the show on twilight's hoof that she glimpses in the plate make me think that it is not Luna who will become 'Nightmare Moon' but in fact will be Twilight? the description of the one called bone splinter, a necromancer no less seemed to allude to the idea that this would be the fate of anyone who was not carefully taught the ways of magic.
1330694
I was mixing the little I know of English society around the time of Henry VIII, and my won views. A noble would jump at the chance to have what amounts to a direct line to the royal ear, both to deliver their agendas, and to report back on what they find out from that proximity. The fact that Twilight has no familial bias, and needs report to nopony other than the Princess herself is Celestia manipulating the system.
Im not sure about the Cutie Marks, they way I see them, they are actually very, very bad things. But Im working (lol, yeah right) on another story which will explain that in detail, so you'll have to wait.
Hmm. I wonder why nopony taught her magic though.
1330725
Mhm?
1330981
Yeah. I was trying to be more Tolkien than Meyer. I think I suceeded marginally.
1331574
Okay. I have a few extra beds. But all Ponyswag must join my shrine. We must all bow to the plot. All hail the plot.
1332144
14-20. I don't really have their exact... oh. Damn. either you are very clever, or the most unintentionally helpful person ever. Thank you again source1.
1332635
Who, little Spikey-Wikey? I wonder.
Oh, and setting a standard? I wish. I would be more than thrilled if the author who's stories inspired me actually write at all would read it. Or use one of his infamous blogs to rip it apart. But he left Fimfic, so
. Oh well.
1332833
I could tell
once again great job 
1332635
The tradition of parents training their children could very well have resulted in magical texts being quite few in number.
1332948
this is quite true. only such beings as Star Swirl the Bearded would have left anything written down, and even then i would imagine those would be personal note books and the like. or books written about him via second and third hand sources.
ugghh. my typos are atrocious. i really need to find a better way to manage my arthritis.
1333011
Indeed, big magic researchers are likely to write things down; however, it is unlikely a unicorn that lacks knowledge of even the basics could do much with that kind of text.
Not done reading the chapter yet. Just posting to mention that I can't help but imagine these reflecting food as poop.
I'm not sure if i would rather see Twilight as the bride to be or advisor to the (bride or husband) to be.
hmmmmm ... Twily thinks Luna has a sexy flank ... Bride It Is Then!
just need someone to convince Twilight that it was her own idea ..
1333536
Only if the food has eyes, and that is rare in a pony banquet hall. Otherwise, it cannot see its own reflection (and it said nothing about showing the futures of others).
Yay.
I think that Luna was casual about the attraction in order to avoid creating suspicion for both Twilight and anyone who might somehow be observing. If she were akward about it, that would instantly create suspicion. She would also probally have a hard time acting stern, given the (hypothetical) relationship.
Another pointer toward Luna being Twilight's mother is her extreme confidence in Twilight's raw magical power. If Luna had truly never seen her before, she wouldn't be launching marbles at Twilight with potentially lethal force.
Of course, the "evidence" could be easily discarded by the explanation that Luna can sense power or was informed by Celestia.
It can go either way (no Cadence doesn't count because she's a nobody), and both options appeal to me in different ways. The obvious downside of Luna being Twilight's mother is the fact that my mind doesn't sit very well with the idea of Luna being married to someone who isn't Twilight, especially not some noble. (The same goes for Celestia, really. It's of the many selfish reasons I have for hating most Alicorn OC stories.)
That pic and this story... so many manly feelings!
1332430
*looks at your profile pic
1336650
It had that kind too, in the scene of Luna trying on clothing.
I'm halfway through the second chapter and i had to stop to post this.
Do NOT abandon this story! Please go on!
Them characters, them interactions, them conversations, i love it so much!
Dude. This is amazing! Keep it up, I look toward to seeing where this goes!
This ceases to amaze me, the writing has an eloquence I find little of anywhere anymore. I wish we had more people with this level of skill.
1344336
13445444
It didn't, you may have misread how I wrote that. I was saying that it hasn't stopped amazing me yet
1330532
There are plenty of ways to hint at it here and there without resorting to a cheesy direct approach within the framework of the story itself. Examples pulled out of my ar--brain:
[...]
At this, Twilight paused in thought as the black mare continued down the corridor. Not wanting to lose sight of her charge, she cantered to catch up.
[...]
Princess Luna carefully extracted an ancient ledger from its hiding place atop the bookshelf and chuckled to herself as Twilight leaned in with newfound interest. With an absent gesture of willpower, she removed her helmet and set it on the desk before cracking the tome gently open.
[...]
It had honestly been a long night of reading with the Night Princess. While the material was admittedly dry, it nonetheless had captured her interest. Twilight wasn't sure why she was suddenly allowed within a section of the library she'd been previously denied, but apparently Luna had free reign of the place. She spent her next waking moments trying to devise plausible ways in which she could ask her princess for access to that...particular...section...
She had just gotten to sleep when her eyes suddenly shot open at the sound of her door creaking ajar. She flipped over in bed and spotted a pair of familiar slitted eyes glowing softly in the still-shadowy corridor.
"Come, student of Celestia," a voice resounded inside her head. The eyes drew closer as the form they belonged to resolved itself into the shape of Princess Luna. "There is more to show thee, away from the prying eyes and prattling muzzles of the castle staff."
[...]
The point is, you shouldn't have to rely on an author's note to convey physical appearance. Not that I've ever sat down and wrote fanfiction myself...
Anyway, liked, and I'll keep an eye on this.
I just thought of this (and I'm sure a great many have, too but..)
To Twilight's mother:
So to keep others from hurting her physically, you hurt her emotionally yourself? Nice one
Way too much telling and too many info dumps for me.
myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/tdomf/174374/I%20see%20what%20you%20did%20there.jpg
Twimare Spoon is best ship! Yes it is the best name for a ship ever. This fic is way too good. I'm afraid the author sold his soul to become the best ponyfic writer, and what's more, I feel he got his money's worth.
"Luna shimmied her hips, letting the thick woolen fabric slid down her legs to the ground, something Twilight tried not to watch too closely. Try as she might though, the sight of the moving rump was something a hormonal mare was incapable of ignoring."
Translation: I like big plots and I do not lie
This story is terribly, terribly good.
quickmeme.com/img/17/1758c5bbe5944daa4419f086e7ec4813aaac6730b6d500091b9550e640238ba4.jpg
Did you feel that "Luna Eclipsed" didn't go far enough?
I believe thee should be changed to thou. Thee is an object pronoun, where as thou is a subject pronoun. Correct me if I'm wrong. It also just doesn't seem to read right.
Do not trouble thyself, thee can change thy fate, never forget this.
"Thou" can change thy (or thine) fate.
Should be thou