A Return to Form

by dracolord85

Chapter 3: Confirmation

Disclaimer – I own none of the cannon characters, settings, or locations contained herein. All ownership credit goes to Hasbro/Lauren Faust respectively.

Chapter 3: Confirmation

An unknown amount of time later, Luna stirred in her sleep and regained consciousness with a slowly increasing pace. As she opened her eyes and extended her senses she could feel that it was late in the night, perhaps naught but a few hours until the dawn was to begin. Raising her head she took stock of her surroundings and immediately recognized that she was not in her own chambers, but her sister's. Specifically, she was tucked into her sister's large, rounded, and pure white bed. Said sister had noticed the movement from the bed and was now approaching Luna with a relieved smile on her face.

“Luna you are finally awake! I was starting to think you would sleep the whole night away. Are you feeling any better?”

“Aye Tia, we art as hale as can be expected…”

Silence reigned between the two alicorns they both regarded each other. Thoughts of the night’s events and the implications behind them were raging through the divide. In Celestia's corner were apprehension and anxiousness, that her sister was not well and Nightmare Moon was still with her. For Luna's part there was fear and fatigue, she needed her sister to trust both her and Nightmare before it was too late. When Luna saw the dam of her sister's will about to burst with the questions held within, she decided to preempt her.

“Tia, I know that thou must have many questions for me, but first and foremost thou must understand, and believe me when I tell you, that Nightmare Moon is not evil.”

Before Celestia could refute the claim, a sudden rumble emanated from the young alicorn’s stomach. With her ears splayed back and a dark red shade tinting her face, Luna smiled shyly. This prompted Celestia to smile and raise an eyebrow at her sister.

“Perhaps we can continue this after a certain young alicorn has had something to eat. Hmmm?” Celestia teased gently.

“I-Indeed sister.”

Climbing from Celestia’s bed, Luna joined her sister at a small table that had been laid out with various foodstuffs upon request. Luna hungrily loaded a plate with various fruits and pastries until a small mountain had formed before her. For her part Celestia merely selected a muffin and sipped her tea. In a matter more befitting a young colt than a cultured princess, Luna tore into her food as though she had not eaten in weeks. When the barrage of crumbs and fruit peels finally began to subside, Celestia sat levitating her half eaten muffin, completely slack jawed. After sighing and fluffing her wings in satisfaction Luna noticed her sister's staring.

“What? We were quite hungry. Besides food consumption is the most efficient method of restoring any of mine magic reserves these days…”

“Ok then. Perhaps a bit more table manners next time Lulu.” Celestia teased gently.

Both sisters lapsed into silence again. Neither was sure of how to brooch the topic they both knew weighed upon the other. Finally, Celestia broke first and came straight out with her foremost pressing concern.

“So, it is true then, what Nightmare Moon said earlier?”

“Aye sister, the Elements of Harmony seem to have performed a more thorough version of what I did by myself all those many years ago as a filly.”

“Why did she not simply get swept away from you and purified? It makes no sense why the Elements would spare a mare such as her!”

“Tia, please, you must understand. Nightmare Moon is not strictly evil, no more so than you or I. Before my imprisonment, I was bitter and saddened by the apathy that ponies displayed for my night. Nightmare felt my pain, sympathized, and advised me to take the love that I felt I deserved by force. We both made our choices, and we had a thousand years to reflect on them. Did you not forgive me for making the same bad decision?”

“Luna, that’s not fair…”

“Sister, there is something else you should know. The Elements were not quite so merciful as you make them out to be. The binds of Harmony that entrap her are slowly growing tighter and will soon drag her down unto oblivion. Should she be allowed to fall, my control over the night would fall with her… as well as my divine spark.”

“Luna, no…”

“Yes Tia, to lose Nightmare would mean I would become no different than a mortal pony. I would have the same lifespan and vulnerabilities as any of your subjects, an alicorn without the immortality or power.”

Celestia now saw clearly now that leaving Nightmare to her fate, however deserving she felt it was, could not happen. Looking at her sister, she saw the fatigue in every fiber of her being. She was fading into mortality, and the harder that she fought and searched for a way to rescue Nightmare, the faster she would succumb. Resolve strengthened in her heart, she would not lose her sister again, even if it meant saving her enemy. She would rather watch Equestria itself crumble and burn to the ground around her before she lost her sister!

“Luna, it is almost time to raise the sun, but I promise you we will get through this. We will come up with a plan of restoring your divinity. Is there anything I can do before I have to go?” Celestia said with a pleading look.

Luna looked up at her sister while thinking. After a moment her face suddenly transitioned from one of sudden inspiration to utter doubt and embarrassment. Rubbing her left foreleg with her right, she could not look at her sister directly while replying.

“Well there is one thing… but I know thou shalt not like it. May I appropriate some of thy magical reserve? I have not dared to attempt it for fear thy guards and servants would begin to fear me… even more…”

Celestia steeled herself for the worst and would not let her resolve to help waver.

“Lulu, I will do whatever I can to help you, no matter what.”

“Thank thee sister.” Luna said with a genuine smile.

Luna stood before her sister and motioned for her to bring herself down to the smaller princess’ level. Luna craned her head forwards and brought her horn to rest in contact with Celestia’s about halfway up each. Celestia blushed at the contact, as nopony had touched her horn in the past few centuries. Although between unicorn family members it was more an expression of familial bond and love than anything intimate.

“Now be still a moment, this shan’t hurt… I think…”

“Dark Siphon...” Luna muttered as her horn flared up with dark energy.

Celestia felt her entire body go tingly like a limb that had fallen asleep as the aura of Luna’s power enveloped her own horn. The sensation that followed could only be described being tossed into a vat of ice water and not being able to breath. Just as she was about to lose it and cry out, Luna cut off her spell, leaving Celestia to slump over on her side. For her part Luna had closed her eyes as she licked her lips.

“Hmmm, lemony… Oh dear! Tia! Did I overdo the spell!?” Luna now had a panicked look on her face.

“I-I’ll be fine. Just give m-me a moment to make the r-room stop spinning…” Celestia moaned as her eyes spun in opposing circles.

“Art thou certain?”

“Y-yes, see? Back on my h-hooves already.”

Celestia tried to reassure her sister as she rose to her fore hooves in a sitting position. The illusion was broken somewhat as it was easy to see she had her wings pressed to the ground for stability. Luna could tell she was just trying to make her feel better about accidently draining so much of her magic.

“Now, I bet you are still tired hmmm? Why don’t you get some rest for the day. Oh, and please tell one of the guards to step inside on your way.”

“V-very well then, Tia, I bid thee good day. Ah, and before I forget, please meet me in my atelier after you retire this coming eve.”

As Luna cantered out of the room and out of sight Celestia shivered across her whole body and held a hoof to her head.

“Just as well I was thinking about a diet soon, breakfast does not seem appealing anymore.”

With a polite knock on her door a guard poked his head in.

“Your majesty, you summoned?”

“Yes. Please inform the court that I shall be running a bit late this morning.”

“Princess, are you feeling ill? Shall I send for the royal physician?”

“No no, I am fine, just a late night up doing some sisterly bonding.”

“Understood, your majesty. I shall inform the court of the delay at once.”

As the guard withdrew from the doorway, Celestia couldn’t help but feel as though it was going to be a long day. What Luna had planned for that night, she could only guess at, although Nightmare’s involvement seemed inevitable. The day had to begin before anything else would come to pass, and since the urge to vomit was now slowly subsiding, she figured she may as well get on with it.

--- Later that same day ---

Fatigue always made anypony cranky. If the fatigued pony just happened to be the alicorn Princess of the sun, then the normal beatific smile on her face was but a paper thin veneer. The last petitioner of the day just happened to be the closest pony besides Nightmare Moon in the last thousand years to making her snap. The unicorn noble simply would not stop prattling on about tax rate reductions for the richest of Canterlot.

As her patience waned, Celestia began to entertain thoughts of using the solar version of Luna’s magic siphoning spell. She needed a recharge and could not afford to fall asleep on the throne, despite being very close. There were only two things stopping her from attempting the spell on the stallion. Firstly, she was fairly certain that leaping up, glide tackling the noble-stallion, pressing their horns together, and forcefully consuming his magic in front of a busy throne room would take no less than four centuries to fade from pony memory. Secondly, she did not know of the solar magic equivalent to Luna’s siphon spell.

With a protracted mental sigh, Celestia’s mind once again entered the present situation, only to notice the stallion gearing up for another long winded diatribe into why the nobles deserved the tax break and all the good they would supposedly do with the spared income. It was then that inspiration struck her and her smile suddenly became a bit more real, and a lot more mischievous.

“And that is why, your Majesty, as I will outline through the next ten examples, the overall tax rate on those making a million bits or more must be lowered to no more than ten percent.”

“Thank you for that informative presentation, Duke Penny Pincher. But I am afraid the matter of tax rates and laws are not handled by me.”

The stallion stood somewhat dumbstruck for a moment before responding.

“Your Majesty, what pony other than you could possibly have greater wisdom or authority on this matter?”

“Not anypony greater, but certainly equal. Did you know that the tax code we use today is the same as the original design adopted back during the founding of the Equestrian government? Everypony from the richest to poorest pays the same flat rate of 15 percent. I am fairly certain that my sister said she designed the system that way so that every pony was held equally accountable according to their means.”

“Your… Sister…” The sea green pony turned a noticeable shade more pale.

“Indeed. It seems to me that matters of tax law should be taken up in the Night Court, which is held by the tax law architect, Princess Luna.”

“The Night Court? What is that?”

“I will have to ask her when she intends to start her court again, it is taking her some time to adjust to modern customs.”

“Your Majesty, surely you could just-”

“I shall inform her at the switch this evening that the nobility wishes to discuss a tax matter with her. Now if there is nothing further you wish to discuss, I believe that will conclude the business of the Day Court.”

Summoning as much bravado as he could scrape together, the Duke bowed low and turned to leave the throne room. Celestia herself felt so happy she almost did a little jig after descending the throne. If the Duke was greedy and or stubborn enough, Luna would have a grand kick off her Night Court, where she would certainly strike his ridiculous notion down with a passion! Yet if his fear took hold then his ridiculous ideas would still die!

With a radiant and genuine smile that spread to every subject she encountered, Celestia made her way to her royal apartments to attend to the paperwork that was waiting in her office. Magical fatigue would just have to be ignored for now, nothing so simple would keep her from her duties. Besides, if worse came to worse, she could simply take a direct, supercharge from the sun itself. Although seeing the sun flare up and send a pillar of fire to slam into and be absorbed by their princess would likely incite some form of panic.

Only a few hours of paperwork until dinner time and then Luna would be awake so she could see her again. She was eager to hear if her sister had any ideas on how to solve her problem with Nightmare Moon. Ideally, she could get her sister back and rid the world of Nightmare’s corruptive existence. As firmly as she wanted that scenario to pan out, a small voice in the back of her mind told her that wouldn’t be happening.

Now in her office and sitting behind her desk, Celestia marveled for perhaps the billionth time at how much could stack up over the course of a day. Not unselfishly, her thoughts drifted towards the urgency of revitalizing her sister so she could help spread the load. Sighing once more, Celestia picked up her quill pen and centering the first petition before herself she prepared to get to it. Unfortunately she never got that far. As her head hit the desk next to her dropped pen, the only sound remaining in the office was the soft sound of her snoring peacefully.

--- Concurrently on the other side of the castle ---

High in the Lunar royal apartments, the princess herself had not actually rested more than taking a short nap after she returned from her visit with Celestia. After siphoning off a large portion of magic from her sister she felt well enough to skip any meaningful sleep beyond a short nap in favor of research. And the results certainly showed throughout her atelier. Including last night’s spell seal, now two of the walls and even the ceiling were also marked out with additional and no less complicated seals. Luna herself stood to the side and traced over the diagrams with her eyes, seeking any flaws or miscalculations.

“What do you think? Will it work?”

Seems like it. I would boost the conversion rate of the step up magi-transformers in the support seals. You may have gotten a boost from Celestia, but you still can’t risk depletion.

“I know. I still feel somewhat remorseful for taking so much magic from her.”

I don’t. That expression on her face as she attempted to hold back the vomit was excellent!

“You know we need her cooperation, and thy antagonistic behavior is not helping.”

I started out nice just like I promised. She was the one that attacked me. I demand retribution for what she did to me!

“Hmmm. Very well then. I have the perfect plan for thy reparations.”

…I don’t like that you are hiding your thoughts about that.

“I promise it shall be unpleasant for her.”

…seeing as I have little choice it will have to do. Now, the augmented seal is done and we have nothing further to prepare. I insist that we get some rest so we can be at full power for this evenings coming activities.

“I am not tired Nightmare, and I am not a little filly that can be ordered around as such either!”

Really? You look like a little filly to me. All tiny and powder blue, cute as a button I say!

“I am not! Cease thy accusations immediately! I am staying awake!”

And now I hear the whining of a little filly. How did that old saying go? Ah yes, If it looks like a filly and whines like a filly, it must be a little filly!

“Hmph! I shall begin ignoring thy mindless prattle. There is work yet to be done.”

You leave me with no choice then. Either you go and get some rest before the moon needs to be raised, or I will tell Celestia that you sleep with your abacus still.

“Thou wouldst not dare…”

Try me little filly. I know we are working with a time limit, but I will not let fatigue ruin anything after how much work you have put into this. There is no point in it if you fall apart before the goal can be realized.

“…Fine. But I am not going simply because you said to.”

With a final pouting sigh, Luna turned and began to trot into the hallway towards her bedroom. Entering the darkened hallway, she saw the solar guards posted at regular intervals up to the door leading out of the area she had taken over. Pointedly ignoring the guards, she marched into her pitch dark bedchambers and began removing her regalia. Though it should not have bothered her so much, the presence of her sister’s solar guard in her hall was one of a few things that needed changing once her power was fully restored.

As she lay down and settled into her bed, Luna had visions of everything she would do once she was merged with Nightmare once again. She would start by renovating her section of the castle to properly fit the night. The solar guards that watched her every move would be replaced with her newly reformed and beloved Shadow Sentinel guards. Her Night Court would convene, and she would be given the same authority as her sister. All of her dreams were within hooves reach, all she needed to do was break the binds of Harmony. Lying on her back under her bed sheets, Luna had a nagging doubt that prevented her from fading to sleep.

“Nightmare?”

Yes Luna?

“Thou shalt never… abandon me… right?”

Sleep now Luna. We will always be together, one way or another.

In the back of her mind Nightmare watched and waited until Luna was well asleep before whispering softly in her mind.

You will have these things Luna, as is due to you by right of royalty. You will be loved and respected as you have always deserved. Though you may want us to always be together, I suspect the binds of harmony will not allow for that. Rest easy knowing that I am ready and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to see as many of your dreams fulfilled as possible.

Comments

[-Brutus]

This is seriously underrated story, you rightly deserve a favorite and thumbs up.

[Attemborough]

I agree what Morfonious said.
Although the concept of two personalities or two souls in Luna's body is not complete new.
But I love your words and the body of this story.
The last sentence from NMM in this chapter is pretty good!

Fav it and love it. GJ and I'll keep reading.

[dracolord85]

1330722 I appreciate that! Thanks Much!
1331030 Thanks as well! I was concerned my technique had faded since I havn't written like this since college. I agree that the base concept is not very original, but hopefully the way I wrap it up will be.

[Terra Tithorea]

I'm going to go spam this to a bunch of people, it deserves more fame than it has.
Excellent story by the way. I love a well written Nightmare. :3

[Kita Aldrin]

This story is very well written. Not sure yet, but I get the feeling I'll be favoriting this by the time I'm done reading. Also, I always enjoy a fic depicting a good Nightmare Moon (even if she is a bit .... can't think of the right word so for now I'll just say "prankish" and hope you know what I mean).

[Yubella]

You will have these things Luna, as is due to you by right of royalty. You will be loved and respected as you have always deserved. Though you may want us to always be together, I suspect the binds of harmony will not allow for that. Rest easy knowing that I am ready and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to see as many of your dreams fulfilled as possible.

Yeah you're gonna be erased from existence like Chara.