The Spark to Light a Candle

by SPark

Chapter 2

Someone was watching.

The midnight alicorn sensed it. Of course there were often eyes on her. Her subjects regarded her with fear, and those who ventured into her throne room usually stared at her, if they weren't so cowed that they looked only at the floor at least. This was different, though: these were magical eyes, looking from afar.

A glimmer of dark light issued from her horn as she seized on the trace, but try as she might she could not follow it back to its source.

She cursed, making the guardsponies flanking the door to her throne room jump. For a moment she considered having them punished for moving without being commanded, but her continuing efforts to trace back the spell that still watched her were too distracting. She would have them disciplined later, perhaps.

Her inability to trace back the watcher was... unsettling. She had not felt fear in some time, but a flicker of it went through her now. There were many reasons why she might have failed. They could be watching from very far away, but she could reach as far as the moon, and even to the stars. Something that watched from beyond the stars was nearly unthinkable, and such a being would be an alien and quite likely hostile creature, to dwell in the chaos past the crystal sphere of the sky. That thought was bad enough, but if the being was not far away, if it was nearby... it must be a creature of immense power. Power perhaps even greater than her own, to block her and hide itself.

She did not like that idea at all.

Of course there were other possibilities. A unicorn with a special talent that had to do with concealment might manage to hide, even from her. She knew of none such, but then she might not, for they would of course have been able to hide from her agents as well.

Or the watcher could be watching from another dimension, that also would prevent her tracing the spell back. Given how rarely one dimension affected another, though, that seemed unlikely. Some other being of power from outside Equestria, or even beyond the stars seemed much more likely. She would have to prepare. If some alien or foreign power came to challenge her, it would not find her sleeping!

"Do you hear me, you foal?! Do you know what you meddle with here? I know you are watching! When you come I will be ready!"

One of the guards jumped a second time at the dark mare's sudden shout. Snarling, the alicorn commanded the second guard, "Go have him flogged for moving!"

And then, as suddenly as it had began, the sensation of being watched ended. The eyes had closed, or looked elsewhere.

---

"I'm not sure we should keep looking," said Twilight, a shudder of fear and uncertainty going through her.

"No. I want to know," said Luna. "I need to know what I did... what I would have done."

"Luna..." Dale came up behind her and peered into the bowl. He saw Nightmare Moon there and sighed. "You're not the same person. You're not Nightmare Moon."

"But I was. It's not like some other entity took me over, I chose to take up that name. I chose to bring the night. I did those things, and I need to know... I've always wondered, and now I can see, what would have happened if Twilight hadn't stopped me. If she and my sister's love hadn't saved me, what would have happened?"

Twilight looked torn. "I want to know too, but I don't think we're going to like what we see. I should just end the spell now, and forget all about this."

"But you won't, will you?" asked Luna quietly.

They exchanged glances, and Twilight nodded. The same horrified curiosity filled her. What would have happened if she'd ignored Celestia's wishes and just studied the way she had wanted to? "No, you're right. Now that I know this world exists... I already know too much to go back. I need to know more."

In the bowl Nightmare Moon's lips moved silently. Luna didn't offer to cast the spell that would add sound. She wanted to know, but she wasn't sure she could bear hearing that voice again. That voice would be too much.

"Can you aim the viewpoint at a pony?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Yes. Just will it, and it should happen."

Twilight shook her head. "I tried. Just now, I willed it to show me, but it didn't change."

Luna felt a chill. Knowing what she had once intended towards Twilight Sparkle, she had a horrible suspicion. "Try somepony else."

"All right."

Twilight picked the first pony who came to mind, her friend Rarity. Immediately the scene changed. It was, if anything, darker than before. The only light was a faint wisp of a glow coming from a white unicorn's horn. For a moment Twilight thought that the spell had gone wrong. The rough-coated, filthy creature with the raggedly cropped mane and tail could not possibly be Rarity, but it was. She wore not a stunning gown but a heavy hauling collar, though she looked thin enough that hauling any load ought to have been utterly beyond her strength. The glow of her horn led her down a dark tunnel, and after a moment she paused and began digging. Her worn and cracked hooves scraped at the rock. Every so often she struck the tunnel wall with her magic, cracking the rock, and then digging the pieces away with her hooves. Soon a sparkle was revealed, a gem. She picked it up in her mouth, and stumbled wearily back the way she'd come, to a cart half-filled with glittering stones. She dropped her find in, then resumed her search.

Twilight felt her heart nearly breaking to see Rarity's plight. She almost ended the spell then and there, but she had to know. The need was beyond reason. This wasn't her world! They weren't her friends! But somehow they were, and somehow it was, and she had to know just how bad it was.

"Pinkie Pie," she whispered, and moved the spell again. Surely Pinkie Pie would still be laughing? The new image was dark as well, even darker than the mine where Rarity had labored. Twilight peered at it for a long time before finally making out a darkened forest, lit only by a crescent moon. The bushes and trees were rotten skeletons. Mushrooms grew plentifully among them, some reaching gigantic proportions. Among the mushrooms, huddled under the caps of the largest, were a handful of ponies. They were sleeping, and the nearest one was Pinkie Pie.

She was not quite as horribly changed as Rarity. She was still the same pink pony, with the same wildly curly mane. But it was held back with a practical headband, and her face, even in sleep, was care-worn and lined. She looked like a mare twice her age, and she slept with a knife next to her hoof. She's not doing that just to be ready to cut the cake at her next party, thought Twilight with a pang.

Quickly she shifted the view again. Applejack this time. The orange cowpony was standing in a stall. A familiar enough sight, except that this Applejack was not mucking out a cow's stall or tending to any other such chore, she was chained there as if she herself were an animal. She wore a bridle, with a bit in it. Twilight had seen pictures of the old slavery devices in books, but never thought to see a real one. And she doesn't have her hat. You know it's bad if Applejack has lost her hat! The thought was almost hysterical. Twilight kept the view there for a moment more, but Applejack just stood, head down. Twilight shuddered and moved the scrying spell once more.

Rainbow Dash. The brash pony seemed the best suited of all of them to dealing with hardship. Would she be well? Would she be smiling? The scene steadied and Twilight's heart fell. Rainbow Dash was walking along a nighttime street in some city. It might have been Manehattan, or possibly downtown Fillydelphia. She was hitched to a fine carriage, but she too was wearing a bit, and she walked with her head down and heavy, plodding steps. The driver was a young unicorn in black livery with a white moon on it, no doubt in some way associated with Nightmare Moon, but that wasn't what drew Twilight's eyes. The harness was obviously meant for an earth pony, it shouldn't have fit Rainbow Dash at all. But it did. Horrifyingly, it did. Oh Celestia no! Twilight almost whimpered out loud. Where Rainbow Dash's wings should have been there were two horrible scars. The scene kept moving as Twilight gaped in shock. The driver yanked on the reins, halting the carriage. Two well-dressed and well-fed fillies stepped out; both had little badges on the shoulders of their gowns, black with the crescent moon mark. Some ponies were apparently thriving under Nightmare Moon's rule. But not my friends. Not poor Rainbow Dash. Twilight felt sick. Luna was crying, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Twilight almost shut the spell down then and there, but there were still two more friends left to see. Twilight bit her lip as she shifted the spell once more to Fluttershy. She didn't know what she would do if that soft, gentle pony had been tortured as well.

Once again it was dark. Of course it's dark, it's been night for a whole year. Everything is dark everywhere. This time there was only the barest sliver of light. Finally Twilight made out a small, yellow form, curled up against a huge, dark one. She puzzled over it for a long time before figuring it out. Fluttershy was sleeping in a cave, curled up with a manticore. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but she looked somewhat ragged. Her hair was in tangled dreadlocks, and she seemed perhaps a bit thin. But as Twilight squinted into the dark she made out more shapes: Fluttershy was surrounded by animals. So whatever else had happened she had kept that much of her freedom, at least.

One more, thought Twilight. She sent the spell seeking Spike. But once again it stayed focused on Fluttershy. She swallowed. "What... what does it mean if the spell can't find the person you're sending it after?"

Luna said softly, her voice thick with tears, "It means that they are surrounded by powerful magics or... that they are dead."

Dale moved to nuzzle Luna, who leaned against his broad side, still crying. "That wasn't you," he said. "You didn't do those things."

"Only because I was stopped! Only because Twilight Sparkle and Celestia rescued me, otherwise I would have. I meant to! I meant to kill her, and in this universe I succeeded."

"It still wasn't you. Luna... we've had this discussion before. Yes intentions matter, but so does what really happened. You meant a certain amount of harm. But I think it was an innocent kind of malice."

Luna blinked at him. "What? How can malice be innocent?"

"Have you ever killed anypony?"

"No..."

"Then you have no idea what killing actually is. You don't know what it means. What the weight of such a deed is. We all say, in moments of anger or hurt, that we wish somepony or other dead. That's all you did, is wish. You may have acted on the wish, but I still don't think you really meant it."

"But in this other universe... the things done there, the things I'm sure I did, they are not innocent things!"

"That Nightmare Moon has walked much further down the dark path than you did. After you kill once, that innocence is gone. You can choose to regret and change, but you can't choose to undo. And you know how hard it is, to change."

"Yes," said Luna, very softly.

"And think on this too... Twilight?" Dale turned to the unicorn.

"Yes?"

"You've told me this story before. Celestia ordered you to oversee the celebration, and that's how you made your friends, and defeated Nightmare Moon. Have you ever directly disobeyed her?"

"Well... no. Not directly."

"Do you think you could? Can you imagine doing so?"

"I... not really. I've thought about it, but when it comes to acting I just can't bring myself to, even when I want to! She's my teacher, and my ruler,” Twilight's nose wrinkled, “And she always turns out to have been right.”

"Exactly. The pony who disobeyed, and made no friends, and lost the battle with Nightmare Moon wasn't you. It was some other pony, no doubt very like you in a great many ways, but in one little way she wasn't you at all. She did something you could never have done. This is a different world. The Nightmare Moon there will be different from our Luna. The other ponies may be different too."

"I still can't help but feel somehow responsible, as though I ought to do something about it."

"Like what?"

Twilight shook her head, "I don't know! The thing is that I know with my head that it's not my fault, but my heart... My heart aches for those poor ponies, and it feels like it's my fault. You're right, it wasn't me. But it's so close to being me that it seems like I should do something!"

"I don't think you can though. The Elements of Harmony are destroyed in that world. There's nothing and nobody to make things right."

"There might be," said Luna.

Dale eyed her, "This is not your responsibility. This is not your fault!"

"Equestria wasn't your responsibility either, once, but you chose to stay here anyway."

"That's very different. Listen, Luna... I'm not going to tell you what to do. That's not my role. But I want you to think about what you're doing before you do it. There are infinite worlds. Every possible thing can happen somewhere. Somewhere there's a world where I came through that portal in black power and I killed you, instead of Chose you. Somewhere there's a world where I came through and met a Luna, not even a Nightmare Moon, who killed me anyway. Somewhere there's a place where you and Twilight are allies against a Evil Daymare and her scorching eternal sun. Somewhere there's a place where you and Twilight are bitter enemies, and somewhere there's a world where you are keeping the world in darkness with Twilight reigning at your side! Do you see? Everything happens somewhere. This dark world you see is one of a million different dark worlds. They're all out there, and there's no way you can make any real difference. Even if you made it right somehow in this one place, and I'm not sure you can, there will be infinity more just waiting."

"But we know about this one," said Twilight. "We haven't seen those other worlds. We've seen this one, and the suffering there. And if we can make it better for just one pony there, isn't it worth trying?"

"I will have nightmares about it," said Luna quietly. "I can already tell. I'll have nightmares where I am the one doing those things. Where I am the one who makes my friends have to hide, who enslaves and hurts and mutilates them."

"The nightmares will fade in time."

"Will they? I do not know. I suppose guilt can fade... But guilt fades best when you know you did all you can. I still wonder, sometimes, if I have done all I can to make up for Nightmare Moon; now I'll wonder even more. I tried to bring that horror that we've seen into the world. If I can stop it, is it not up to me to do so?"

"And can you stop it?" asked Dale quietly. "Your power..."

Luna sighed, "I know. I have yet to take up my full power. My sister still raises the moon. She always was wiser than me, if not more powerful." Luna smiled suddenly, a halfhearted thing, but the first smile she'd had since the scrying spell had begun. "And given that wisdom, before we do anything, we should discuss this with her. I shall not run off like the heroine of some ponytale and do something stupid without first asking for advice. She may be able to tip this decision one way or another."

"I agree," said Dale and nuzzled Luna again.

---

"I'm glad you brought this to me, sister." Celestia's normally serene face was troubled. "This is a difficult issue."

"It is," said Twilight. "We've argued over it several times now, on our way here. Luna and I both feel responsible, but..."

"But you're not actually responsible at all, and you may not be able to change things. This Nightmare Moon is very entrenched in her power, it seems, and the Celestia of that world would have no doubt acted by now if she could. You cannot count on her to save you."

Luna glanced at Twilight. Then she looked at her sister. She felt within her for the bond she had with Dale, a deep foundation she could always lean on. She took a deep breath. "I could fight her. I could at least fight her to a standstill."

"Luna..."

"I am ready to take my power again, sister. I have been resisting all this time because I was afraid of being tempted by it. Power made me jealous and bitter once; I was afraid that power could do the same again.” Luna's voice dropped to just above a whisper, “And every time I saw you make another beautiful night, I worried that once I raised the moon again I would be jealous of your nights as well as your days. I was so afraid that ponies would not find my nights as beautiful as yours. But that does not matter now. Do you not see? I know too much! Before today I let jealousy turn to hatred, and hatred turn to action, and the action even led me to try to kill. Because I did not know where it would lead me in the end. All I knew was that I wanted power and praise. I wanted to make everypony love me! And I still wish they did. I still wish it so hard sometimes! But that's not what it's about anymore, because I have seen what I would actually get! The Fluttershy here is my friend. That other Fluttershy hiding in a cave does not love Nightmare Moon! The Rainbow Dash here is my friend too. And that Rainbow Dash..." she swallowed, a lump coming into her throat, "That Rainbow Dash no doubt hates Nightmare Moon with every last bitter fragment of her soul. Before I saw this I could still contemplate taking power and trying one last time to make it work, to make them all love my night. But now... no. I could never do it. And that means I am finally free! I no longer need to fear my own self! I can take my full power, and fight this other me, and even if we both annihilate each other, that world will still be an infinitely better place!"

Celestia's serene mask slipped for a moment, allowing a wince to show at Luna's self-destructive exclamation. She reached out and laid a hoof on her sister's shoulder, "But this world will be a much poorer one. I don't want to see you go off to fight a battle you can't win. You are evenly matched in power, but as a ruling tyrant Nightmare Moon has other resources you can't draw on. You will quite likely lose, and die, and I would miss you. It was hard enough having you gone, sister. Having you dead? I couldn't bear it."

"I can't just sit here, knowing what's happening there, and do nothing. I can't do it!"

"Isn't there some other magic we can bring?" asked Twilight. "Could... could you come with us?"

Celestia sighed. "No. I wish I could! I'm sure that with my sister at my side, we would surely win. However, if we both go, neither the sun nor moon will rise while we're gone. This world here, that we are responsible for, will be trapped in eternal night as well. Or in eternal day, which might be even worse! I can't go. Though..." She stopped and considered thoughtfully for some time. Twilight, Luna, and Dale all watched her with hopeful apprehension. "Twilight? You said that all five of your friends are alive on the other world."

"Yes."

"Then perhaps you might be able to raise the Elements of Harmony there. They by themselves could defeat Nightmare Moon, as you well know. Coupled with Luna's power your victory would be almost certain."

"But in that world Nightmare Moon destroyed them, didn't she?"

Celestia smiled. "No, my student. The stone spheres were never the real Elements, only crude symbols. She destroyed those in this world too, after all. Your friends were the true bearers of the Elements, even before they followed you to the ruins.” Celestia hesitated before continuing, “It is no accident that you all gained your cutie marks in the same moment, you know."

"What?" Twilight looked confused.

"You were always destined to be together... though sometimes destiny needs a little nudge. I worked very carefully to draw the other five into one place. I had hoped to draw them here, to Canterlot, to you, but Applejack in particular was tied too tightly to Ponyville. So in the end I sent you there instead, where I knew that the Elements within you all would bring you together, if only you would let them. And you did. You made friends of your own free will, but it was the Elements that made that choice possible for you at just the right place and time."

"I never knew..."

"You never needed to know. But now you do. Because if you are to defeat this other Nightmare Moon, you will need the Elements once again."

"Does that mean that her friends from here could go, and face Nightmare Moon with us?" asked Luna.

"No!" said Twilight instantly. She shuddered. "I couldn't do that to them! They'd want to know... they'd want to know why, and I'd have to tell them... It's horrible enough that I know what happened to them. I can't possibly put them through that. I'm the one who went and pried into it , and I still kind of hate myself for doing it. They'd hate me for showing them the things I've seen. They'd hate me for just telling them! I couldn't possibly bring them there."

"I understand," said Celestia gently. "Though they might prove stronger than you think. But the five in this other world almost certainly bear their Elements as well. If they are still true to loyalty, laughter, generosity, honesty, and kindness, and if you can gather them together, and feel that spark of friendship and magic once more, the Elements of that world will be restored."

"The first thing I thought when I saw Rarity slaving away like that was that I wanted to rescue her. A plan that involves rescuing them all sounds like a very good plan to me," said Twilight fervently.

"I agree," said Luna.

"Then you're determined to go ahead?" asked Celestia.

Both nodded solemnly.

Celestia bowed her head with a soft sigh, "I am sad and proud at once. You have both grown so much in such a short time. I could wish you would both stay home, and be safe, but then you wouldn't be the brave, strong, caring ponies that you are. So go with my blessing, and with any help I can send you." She paused and then added, "Although please don't go right away. Luna, you have raised your power just once in a thousand and one years. You need to practice, and particularly to practice combat magic. I will be happy to help you, to give you a near-equal power to practice against. And Twilight," Celestia smiled fondly, "I'm sure you'll want to study all sorts of things in preparation. I suggest studying the history of the neighboring kingdoms in particular. Here in Equestria we've never known an absolute tyrant, though a few have accused me of being such. They wouldn't if they knew what tyranny was like. We're spoiled here, a bit, but in other places it has happened. Read about them, about what they do, and how they've been brought down. You can break her power with the Elements, but first you'll have to rescue these other-world versions of your friends. That will take knowledge."

Twilight nodded. "Thank you, Princess."

"Just don't make me regret this. Study hard, go carefully, come back safely."

"I will."

"And you too sister. Prepare every way you can, and take care. I couldn't bear to lose you so soon after regaining you."

---

The sky was painted with glorious colors above the lonely hilltop where four ponies stood. Luna hadn't wanted a huge audience for her first moon raising and the traditional spot on top of her palace tower was visible to every pony in Canterlot. So she had come here, where the painted sky contrasted with the darkening land beneath and where there was no one but her chosen friends to see or laugh if it went wrong somehow. She watched as the stunning sunset progressed, feeling that Celestia had put forth an extra effort, just for her. Pale yellow that was almost white at the very horizon faded through orange and red and an incredible twilight purple into pure indigo blue above. A few perfectly positioned clouds caught the last few rays of the sun and shone a gorgeous gold against the darkening sky. The first hints of the stars were already appearing high overhead as the light slowly faded.

It was time to raise the moon.

Luna's heart was racing. It had been so long. She had raised it only once in all this time, and that was as Nighmare Moon. The thought filled her with a wash of terror. Irrationally she imagined that raising the moon would bring the Nightmare back, return her somehow to the self she'd been. Then Dale took a step closer and nuzzled her shoulder, and she relaxed. Nightmare Moon was dead and gone. She was only Luna now. She closed her eyes. She didn't need to look in order to do this work. She could see the moon with senses other than her eyes.

She reached out to it hesitantly, and it was there. Cool and yet warm with power. More subtle than the sun, but hardly any weaker, despite its dimmer light. Joined with her own natural unicorn's magic it was strong indeed, and that strength poured into her, making her mane flow and sparkle with starlight. She spread her wings, and in one glorious leap she was aloft, arrowing straight up into the sky.

And the moon rose, answering her leap, meeting her above the horizon. For an instant that was all eternity she hung there, bathed in power, and then the moment ended and she landed gracefully. Twilight Sparkle stomped her hooves against the ground, applauding Luna. Celestia and Dale joined in, and Celestia cheered. Luna blushed.

"Beautifully done!" cried Celestia.

"Yes, bravo!" said Twilight.

Luna blushed more. "It wasn't anything. I mean you've been raising it for a thousand years, even though moon magic isn't natural for you."

"We are sisters. Our powers are more alike than different. You have affected the sun without too much trouble, after all."

Luna smiled wryly. It used to hurt so much, to think about holding back her sister's sun. But she'd been forgiven. It was in the past. And somehow, talking about it helped. Speaking about it turned it from a secret shame to a simple fact. "It was very easy the second time, certainly. You didn't fight at all."

Celestia chuckled softly. "I had a master plan that worked out much better than fighting you directly, my dear Lulu."

Luna wrinkled her nose at the nickname. "If you call me Lulu, I'm going to start calling you 'Celly' again."

Celestia laughed. "Not that! Anything but that! I am not a celery stick!"

Luna began to break out in giggles. "I don't know... maybe you are delicious and crunchy on the inside. I could find out!"

"Nooooooo!" Celestia was laughing almost too hard to speak. "Elder sisters are not for crunching!"

"How do I know until I try?" Luna advanced on her sister, miming exaggerated chewing motions. "Going to eat a crunchy Celly stick!"

Celestia laughed so hard she fell over, which started Luna laughing as well, and soon both were rolling on the grass, giggling like madponies. Dale and Twilight exchanged amused glances.

"Are you two finished reverting to foalhood?" asked Dale as the laughter started to die down.

"Oh, for the moment, I suppose," said Celestia, looking up at Dale from where she was still sprawled on the ground. She rolled over and got to her feet with a sigh, "Back to the adult world of responsibility." She smiled down at Luna, who was picking herself up out of the grass as well, "And I suppose we should get back to Canterlot, sister mine. Now that you've done it here, raising the moon from your tower shouldn't be hard. But it was nice coming out here away from everypony. And nice to have a laugh, even if we did behave like fillies." Her smile turned wistful, "I should thank you for that, by the way. I didn't have a childhood when I was a filly. Not with how things were back then. But raising you let me experience childhood in a way I never could have otherwise."

Luna looked up at her sister, having to blink away a hint of a tear, "Really?"

"Yes, really. And as much as I might wish we both could have been raised by our parents, in a way I'm very glad that we weren't. Raising you was special. You're special. And I should say so more often. If I had, all those years ago, maybe things would have been different."

"The past is past, as Dale keeps telling me. We can only go on into the future. But I think... I think I'm glad too, that you raised me, that we could be sisters. I do love you, 'Tia."

"I love you too."

---

"All right sister, hit me."

"You're sure..." Luna was trembling with nervousness as she looked at her sister.

"I'm ready, don't worry!" Celestia's horn glowed with magic, which was forming a shimmering bubble around her. Luna swallowed and fired off an attack spell. It was a narrow dart of magic that shattered in a shower of sparks on Celestia's shield.

"Lulu.. if you fight like that, Nightmare Moon is going to clobber you."

Luna wrinkled her nose, but otherwise let the goading nickname pass. "Sorry."

"Try again. Harder. You may be a little bit stronger, but I'm much more cunning. I promise, you can't hurt me." Celestia smiled, as serenely as always.

"Okay..." Luna concentrating, her horn glowing brightly. This time a massive fireball shot across the barren ground between the sisters and engulfed Celestia's shield. The fire faded away, and Celestia was still standing there. Not even her smile had changed, despite the scorch marks all around her.

"That's much better! That's probably a good level of power to work with today. We can make our way up to stronger things later. Now, why don't you try something a little more subtle than fire?"

Luna took a deep breath. She had never been hugely into combat magics, though she'd used them at need. Her opponents had usually been mortal, though, and easily beaten; now she needed every possible advantage. If she could be confident in the strongest of combat magics she would have an edge over Nightmare Moon, who would have never had such a chance to hone her skill against an equal opponent, so she steeled herself and reached for the moon power once more. This time she filled the air with a swarm of magical needles that rushed at Celestia's shield from every direction at once.

They shredded the shield away, and for a moment Luna's breath caught. She was going to hurt her sister! Then they were stopped by a second shield layered inside the first, and Luna nearly went limp with relief.

"Very nice! Now try something else." Celestia looked as unruffled as if Luna had done nothing. It was aggravating! But Luna took a tight grip on her temper. She knew where unbridled anger led! Instead she focused on crafting her next spell. She didn't want to hurt her sister, but she was going to damn well ruffle her unflappable composure!

By the time Celestia called a halt several hours later she was still smiling serenely. Her hair looked just a little bit wilted, so Luna considered it a victory.

"How did you get so good, Tia?" asked Luna. "Last time we fought I beat you easily! By the end there I was putting nearly my full power into the spells, and you looked like you were hardly trying."

"I have cultivated an unflappable expression." Celestia smiled, though it was a little bit sad. "Also, the first century or so after I banished you, sister, I let a little bit of anger into my heart too. I was determined that when you came back I would be able to beat you. I vented quite a lot of that anger against various hapless practice targets before realizing that not only was I doing harm to innocent mountains and forests, but that beating you wasn't really what I wanted."

Luna felt touched by this glimpse into Celestia's heart. They'd been very close once, but it had been so long since those days... It felt good. "So you probably could have fought me to a standstill at the Celebration last year."

"Yes, but we would have leveled Ponyville. And if I had beaten you, how would you ever forgive me for banishing you? How would Nightmare Moon's anger have been broken to free the Luna I loved? I needed a better way, and eventually I found one. It was hard, letting you banish me, knowing what might happen to you and to our world if Twilight failed."

Luna nodded. "But it worked. Here, at least. Hopefully that other world will have a happy ending as well."

"I hope so too."

Luna shook herself from the reverie. "So, shall we practice again tomorrow?"

"Yes. I want you to get so used to casting attack spells that you don't need to think about them. Then we'll work on defense spells, and then a few proper duels, using both together. You're already doing very well, so I don't think that will take more than a couple of weeks. And then," Celestia sighed softly, "it will be time for you to leave on your quest, dearest sister."

---

Luna's desk was strewn with papers, books, used quills, and the other detritus of a project left half-finished. She regarded it with a sigh. She had so much to do here! She'd barely begun putting down the ideas sparked by the strange ponies who'd visited here last month, but all that would have to wait. It was hardly urgent, after all. She turned to where her saddlebags lay on the bed. Her horn glowed and they settled into place on her flanks.

A knock on the door revealed her sister Celestia, "Ready to leave, sis?"

Luna surveyed the room one more time, then nodded, "Yes. As ready as I am going to get, anyway."

Celestia suddenly hugged her, "Be careful, Lulu."

"I will, Tia."

"I'll miss you."

"I will miss you too."

Their goodbyes said, Luna trotted down the hall to get Dale. The inscrutable earth pony was waiting for her in his rooms next to hers. His saddle bags were twice the size of hers, and looked stuffed full; he'd obviously come well prepared.

"Looks like you're ready and then some," said Luna.

Dale smiled. "I've packed mostly food. With no sunlight I don't know what everypony there is eating, but we shouldn't have to worry about it for a week or two, at least."

"Good thinking." She glanced out the window, where the sun was just touching the horizon. "I guess I should go raise the moon once more, before Celestia takes it over again."

---

Luna trotted easily down the road towards Ponyville, Dale following behind her. The moon was just a hoof's-breadth above the horizon in the east, and the last fading purple of sunset still stained the horizon to the west. A soft breeze fluttered through her mane, the night around her still and serene.

Inside, her stomach was tied in knots and her heart felt like it was in her throat. Practicing against her sister had been difficult enough; the idea of actually physically battling Nightmare Moon grew more terrifying the longer she thought about it. On the heels of those horrible images she and Twilight had seen it had been easy to swear they'd make it all right; now that the actual conflict was mere hours away, she felt much less enthused about the idea. But she couldn't possibly back out; the desire to right those wrongs still burned in her. And Dale and Twilight would be with her--her two closest friends. That thought was both strengthening and actually quite alarming; they would be fighting a goddess at the peak of her powers! Luna was a goddess too, but the other two ponies were merely mortal, and the more Luna thought about it, the more they both seemed so very fragile. The combat spells she and Celestia had traded could easily kill a normal pony casually, in passing.

Luna tried not to visibly shudder at the thought. Dale was bonded to her, deeply and intensely. It would be like losing part of herself, to lose him. And Twilight... Luna still wasn't sure what to think about Twilight. A month ago, in the midst of an emergency, they had touched horns. Luna didn't know what it had been like for Twilight, but for her it had been intense. The touch of Twilight's soul against hers had burned itself into her memory. Luna longed to have that kind of intimacy with the purple mare again. But Twilight was her best friend. If she said anything about wanting more and Twilight didn't feel the same way Luna might lose that, and that thought was unbearable. Anyway, Luna wasn't even sure what "the same way" was, because she wasn't sure what she felt. It was all very confusing and complicated. Friendship was still new to her, and drawing the lines between friends and... other relationships was difficult. Luna definitely cared for Twilight, but was that just because Twilight was the closest of her friends? Better to avoid the whole thing entirely, which was exactly what she'd done since then. They still stargazed together frequently, but Luna had kept their discussion on safe, scholarly topics. Which I should be sticking to now, she told herself. Or rather I should be sticking to practical concerns about what we're headed into. I don't need to have my mind wander off on some philosophical and personal meanderings about eros and philia and all that.

"You're troubled," said Dale as they neared Ponyville.

"Of course I am troubled," snapped Luna, embarrassed by the direction of her thoughts. "I am sallying off to face a mad version of myself from another world and dragging my two best friends with me, no doubt to our mutual grisly dooms!"

Dale chuckled, and for a moment Luna wanted to bite him. Or smite him with divine power. Or something. But the imperturbable earth pony projected a mental warmth at her through their bond, and Luna calmed. She could never actually hurt him.

"That's not really what's worrying you, I suspect. Or not the whole story, anyhow."

Luna sighed. "I suppose not, but it is enough to worry about right now. We do not have time to deal with my other issues. This is more important."

"Almost there," said Dale, allowing the subject to drop as they entered the town itself. This early there were still a few ponies about, and the lights were on at the library.

When Luna knocked on the door, Twilight answered it immediately. Inside the clutter of books and papers was even worse than usual. Twilight had obviously been researching very hard.

"Did you find what you needed?" asked Luna.

"I don't know!" said Twilight with a pained expression. "There weren't any books helpfully titled 'How to bring down a tyrant in five easy steps'. I've read as much about historical tyrants as I can, but the history books don't even agree on who is a tyrant and who isn't. Some rulers are called tyrants in one and heroes in another. There are even a number that consider Celestia to be a tyrant!” This obviously outraged Twilight on several levels, and Luna had to school her face carefully to keep from chuckling as the purple mare's tirade continued, “And there aren't really that many books on other nations in the library, it's very Equestria-centric. I even looked through the archives at Canterlot, but I didn't find anything specifically on tyrants and repressive government. To really get into the subject I'd have to travel outside Equestria to get my hooves on a few specific books I've heard of that may or may not actually help, and I don't think we have time for that! I compiled some lists of what information I could find, and I guess it's just going to have to do."

"You have done your best," said Luna.

"I hope so." Luna realized now that Twilight was just as afraid as she was.

"Twilight... we do not have to do this," said Luna. "You do not have to do this."

"Yes I do. We've been over this already. Our knowledge of the conditions there makes us obligated to help if we can, and you need me. Alone, you and Nightmare Moon might be evenly matched, but with me you can use the Elements of Harmony and bring her down. So I do have to do this, Princess." Twilight's face was set in an expression of grim determination. Luna had seen that expression before, when she'd been Nightmare Moon and Twilight had fearlessly charged at her. With even less certainty of victory than they had now, Twilight had been willing to face Nightmare Moon alone. How could Luna be afraid, when a mere mortal unicorn was willing to face down her fear and fight? She sighed.

"You are a remarkable pony, Twilight. All right. Are you tired? Do you wish to sleep first, or shall we go?"

Twilight glanced upstairs, towards her bedroom. Then she looked at the mess around her. Suddenly she yawned. "I guess I should sleep. Owloysius, would you please pack my notes into my saddlebags? Put in that notebook and a spare quill as well." Her avian night assistant hooted in reply, and flew down from his perch to begin gathering the scattered notes. "Thank you," said Twilight. She yawned again. "You two can stay as usual, and we can set out in the morning."

---

Luna woke with the sunrise. She could sense her sister's power as the sun edged above the horizon. The first warm beams felt like a blessing. For a moment she felt a tear in her eye. If this went badly she might never feel the sun again. Is it any wonder ponies always loved my sister's sun? It is a wonderful thing. I don't think I ever really appreciated it before. I was too busy resenting it.

"Good morning," said Dale quietly from where he had slept standing next to her. No matter how often he explained that he'd grown up without even the thought of sleeping in a bed, and preferred to stand or at most to lie in a pile of bedding, Luna still found it strange. But he had lived a very different life, training and preparing to be the mount and special partner of an alien being on another world, before a cosmic accident had made him Luna's special partner instead. She was very glad of the accident, but still occasionally baffled by the big stallion. He wasn't like anypony else she knew.

"It's a beautiful morning," said Luna. "I will miss the sun while we're gone."

"We all will. But the ponies over there already miss it more than we ever could."

"Yes." She climbed out of the guest bed and walked over to nudge Twilight. "Twilight. Wake up!"

"Mrph?" Twilight opened her eyes just a crack and peered blearily up at Luna.

"It's time to go," said Luna.

"Go?" Twilight blinked at her, slowly coming awake. Then her eyes went wide. "Right! Go! Celestia, what time is it anyway?"

"Just past dawn," a brief smirk touched Luna's lips, "and I am not Celestia."

Twilight stared uncomprehendingly and blearily at Luna for a long moment before comprehension, a blush, and a toothless glare passed across her face one after the other, "Ugh. Give me a minute."

"I will go make some breakfast."

As usual, there wasn't much food in Twilight's kitchen. Luna smiled wryly. She often went out shopping when she stayed over, and frequently cooked for Twilight too. The scholarly mare tended to forgot to eat when she was in the middle of a good book, and she rarely remembered to buy food, or bothered to cook. When Luna wasn't around she tended to just eat out. Now, though, it was just as well. There were enough odds and ends to put together a basic breakfast, and after that they might not be coming back for some time.

It felt so strange, all these little goodbyes. Goodbye to the sun. Goodbye to Twilight's library. Goodbye to flower sandwiches. Without sunlight there would be no flowers, and no grass, nor trees, nor anything but mold and mushrooms. She'd always liked the taste of mushrooms, but she suspected that she'd be very sick of them by the time they were done.

"I've said goodbye to Spike," said Twilight as she walked into the kitchen. "So I guess there's nothing more that needs doing. After we eat, we can leave."

When they'd finished their breakfast there was a long silence. The three ponies sat at the kitchen table and looked at each other, none wanting to be the first to say it. It was Dale who finally did, "It's time to go."

"Yes." Luna looked over at Twilight. "You are the one who has been studying... do you have a plan? I will make the portal, but where do we start?"

"I want to start with Pinkie Pie, I think. In the Everfree forest."

"Easiest then to just make the portal go right here, and walk to the forest."

Twilight nodded. "Yes. Though... Luna? What about time? You said once that causality doesn't propagate across dimensions? I should have thought of this earlier. Why can't we take this portal back to when Nightmare Moon first appeared, and defeat her then, before the things we've seen happened?"

"Well, partly because we have seen them. The things that happened to them are what made us decide to do this. If we go back to before they happen, we have no reason to decide to do this, and then we have a paradox, which is... we do not want a paradox. With their world and ours being so close, time travel is time travel, their past is the past for us as well. I wish we could go back earlier, but it will not work. Building a portal to some other place on their world would be hard enough, but building one to some other time... I haven't the power for that. I have heard odd rumors about time traveling ponies, but that is all they are: rumors. Nopony I know has the power to visit the past."

Twilight sighed. "So much for that bright idea. I guess it couldn't possibly be that easy. All right then. Time to go do this the hard way then."

"I shall use the kitchen door," said Luna. "Is everypony ready?"

Dale and Twilight both just nodded. Luna closed her eyes. This would be a difficult spell. She concentrated, and her horn began to glow, the doorway leading into the library soon joining it. Her horn grew brighter and brighter. Threads of light arced from it to the doorway, which also glowed brighter before being overshadowed by a rainbow shimmer that wavered over the doorway. Suddenly the shimmer cleared and the doorway led not into the sunlit room beyond, but into a blackened wreck, moonlight streaming down into the ruined library.

Dale passed through the portal without incident. Twilight followed, picking her way nervously among the burned and crumbling books on the other side.

And then it was time for Luna to go. She took one last deep breath and stepped over the threshold.

---

A white alicorn sat upon a throne, and the early morning sunlight streamed into the room. She sensed something ancient and strong stirring, crying out, and she closed her eyes in communion as she spoke the ancient, celestial language within her mind.

"Where is she? The one I gifted with my power so long ago, that I might slumber? Where is the mare to raise the moon? She is gone. Must I wake once more?"

"No, sun's-sister. Sleep on. Sleep on. My moon-gifted sister has but gone on a journey. She shall return. And until she does I shall guide your light through the sky. Sleep on."

"What journey could lead her beyond my reach, sun's-child?"

"A strange one, sun's-sister. A very strange one. But you need not wake. I shall tend your light until my moon-sister returns."

"Very well."

The alicorn smiled and soothed the moon, until once again she slumbered deeply. But her smile was a little sad. She hoped that her promised to the moon was true, that her sister would return soon, safe and well.

"Good luck, little sister," she whispered in the silent celestial language. "Good luck."

Comments

[UseFistNotMouth]

Ah, so this is still S1 Luna with the small frame and blue mane?

[Archvile]

I had a huge problem with the 2nd chapter... we already know that the universe they are going to has its own version of twilight, but why would twilight, luna or dale not even consider for a moment to see what twilight was doing it that world? it felt really odd... it felt like the author had forgotten about it or he left it out on purpose for some reason but if thats the case then it just made the characters feel odd (like they ain't to clever), if they could recall to see everyone even luna (nightmare moon) then why would they never want to check up on twilight? so yeah... that REALLY bugged me.

also the whole time travel paradox thing... i would assume (but maybe i have misunderstood) that in therms of multiverse are still at the same plane of existence, meaning that the timezone would be the same and the only difference between all of them are the actions that are taking that change the outcome of said world, so even mentioning the idea of a time travel paradox just felt like filling and pointless babble (at least to me it did).

[Saphroneth]

229632 They did, but the focusing spell didn't work. This is explained by Luna - the equivalents of Spike and Twilight are both dead, it's the only way the spell could not work on them.

[Mossflower]

i have a question regarding how things work in your story. as you may be able to see; I've only reached the end of chapter 2, so the answers may be further ahead, but i'll ask anyway:
in your world, does any mortal stand a chance against an immortal, like NMM for example. i mean; could twi (as an example and being the strongest mortal magician), in theory, fight against celestia, NMM or luna on equal ground? and follow up question on this; is twi 'really' capable of fighting anything at all, meaning; does she have both the knowledge and mentality to even be able to?

[Borg]

Just for the record, this is a stupid plan. If they brought the other Element Bearers, they could just pop in, maybe sneak past or knock out some guards, blast NMM, and proceed to cleanup. This way, they get to spend a while sneaking all over Equestria, freeing ponies from under NMM's iron hoof while desperately hoping not to get noticed before they're ready and praying that a year of living in an environment of constant soul-crushing despair hasn't impaired their ability to represent their Elements or bond with a complete stranger. And we're doing things the hard way because Twilight is afraid that her friends will hate her because thee exists an alternate universe where she made a mistake? If I didn't know better, I'd say Twilight, Luna, and Dale are all suicidal and Celestia is happy to help, with them all agreeing to this plan.

[randome284]

Hmm... I wonder what Twilight was doing in this other world. She would probably blame herself for NMM coming to power. If she's still alive in that world, that is. Maybe we'll see whatever happened to her in the next chapter. That's something I'm hoping for. After everything that happened to the other element bearers, who had no role in attempting to defeat NMM in that world, who knows what happened to Twilight who almost defeated her?

But it was nice to see some time Celestia and Luna spent together. From Luna's practice battle, to her first time raising the moon, it was very nice to see. Also love 'Celly'. T'was a cute name. And Celestia saying what it was like to care for Luna a bit.

Onto the next chapter! Things are going to get exciting.

[SPark]

8239933
I think all your questions will eventually be answered.