Nine Hundred Years of Longing

by jphenix

Day One: Dusk

Two years later

Uproarious laughter resounded across the ballroom and mixed with the music from the stage.

Luna followed her joke with a deep drink from the antique wooden tankard. She slammed it on the counter, startling a server behind her and nearly causing them to drop the tray of caramelized carrot slices they carried. The iron band around the cup's lip vibrated from the impact. Why in Equestria did these go out of style at galas? They make them so much more tolerable.

Thick droplets hit the top of Luna's silver chestplate and started to run. Amber coursed through the spindly limb of the bow on its way down to the drawn arrow. Rushing past the shaft it reached the pegasus’ fetlock and spread over the rest of her face. For a moment, her wild mane flared a lustrous brownish-yellow in the light from the chandeliers. Steam rose off the metal engraving of the hunter and past Luna’s glittering horn as the liquid evaporated. She was sober enough to remember there would be a reckoning with the seamstress if she stained her azure dress hemmed with real platinum stars.

“Was that the toughest foe you faced?” asked the commander of Equestria’s armed forces. The soldier's cheeks were red from the cider, but the color went well with his copper coat.

“Sombra? Nooo. You should try learning modern syntax.”

“You do it better than me,” replied General Steel Hauberk.

“Aye… the drinks help though.” They both snorted into their cups. A tall shadow fell across the open bar. Hauberk immediately jumped up from his seat and snapped to attention; metals clinked on his creased green tunic. Luna furrowed her brow at the behavior and swung around in her stool.

Princess Celestia, ruler of the Equestrian empire, was resplendent in a honey gold ballroom gown streaked with purple and black stripes. The sturdy gilded necklace she wore had a pomegranate-sized amethyst encrusted in its center. Incised on half the necklace were knots of slender olive branches frozen in an unseen breeze. Bouquets of pencil-thin geraniums frolicked up the other half and disappeared behind a creamy white neck. Today her jeweled crown had been replaced by a garland of fresh sunflowers fastened around a red coral strand. A gift from the students at her school, it rested gently on top of her flowing prismatic mane.

Luna recovered from her surprise quickly. “Sister, good to see you! Come join us. General Hauberk and I,” she pointed her hoof playfully at the commander, “are swapping war stories.” An excited gasp escaped her lips. “You can talk about the raid on the Hydian blood acolytes! Remember Reeka’s face when you smashed the Sunstone down on her!?”

The sun princess focused shimmering violet eyes on the general, raising her left hoof. Hauberk nodded and hastened through the castle's main ballroom, into the sea of cashmere suits and satin dresses. Deftly, he dodged the partygoers swaying on the dance floor and made for the raised platform, and the white-maned vermilion mare with the cracked bronze bell cutiemark standing beneath it.

Luna watched the retreating general go, as Celestia settled down next to her. “Sister, there's no need to be so loud. Oh, and I brought this for you.”

Luna stared at the cup of thick brown coffee placed in front of her. From the looks of it, the cider in her tankard had also been swapped with water. “Right,” she said, not touching either drink. “Sober up and shush up. No talking about the old days. It frightens the young ones.” Luna put one dark blue feather to her two dark blue lips.

Celestia looked down and fixed her dress. “Certainly not. You are free to talk to your friends about whatever you wish. I merely wanted to check on how you were enjoying your first gala. And make sure you were hydrated and had your nightl-”

The silver spoon striking the porcelain cup sent reverberations through the entire ballroom. Elegantly carved panes of glass shuddered slightly in the arched windows. Perplexity colored Celestia's face. Luna stood a little ways away from her sister, checking the bottom of the raised cup to make sure her vibration spell hadn’t broken it.

“Esteemed friends of the throne! I wanted to speak to you about something!” she began when the eyes of everypony were upon her.

“Luna, what are you doing?”

“But first, tonight is a celebration,” Luna continued, pointedly ignoring the question. She raised the coffee cup higher in the air. “Cheers to the 892nd Summer Sun Celebration and Evenfall Gala!” The nobleponies all raised their glasses and applauded.

“And a big cheers to our gorgeous host and ruler, Princess Celestia!” More enthusiastic clapping and a wolf whistle from the vermilion mare followed. The sunflowers on Celestia’s head threatened to burst into flames with how red her face got.

“Finally, cheers to this, the second anniversary of the defeat of Nightmare Moon!” Everypony stomped their hooves and roared loudest at this.

“Yes, yes. Cheer. Cheer for my defeat.”

The hurrahs died a quick death, and a heavy silence followed this pronouncement. Two hundred pairs of eyes regarded her hesitantly. Luna held up her wings in surrender. A string on the cellist's instrument broke. “Woah, everypony, no need for the hush. It’s okay to cheer my downfall. I was a monster."

“Luna, no don't."

“No, Celestia, it's alright. They all know what happened that night. You all know the details, right?” The crowd silently stared back, hanging on her every word. “Guess not.” The moon moved towards the light at the center of the ballroom, while the sun sat frozen on its stool.

“Most of you have heard the story of my first defeat. Your parents read it to you as foals. For those that don’t, I’ll give you the abbreviated version: Long ago, two royal sisters ruled in perfect harmony. The elder raised the sun, while the younger lifted the moon. For a time, they were like night and day… balanced together. However, the neglected night soon grew resentful of the brilliant day. She transformed into a demon and her sister was forced to banish her to the moon for a thousand years.

“Most of this is true. I was jealous, I was bitter, I was Nightmare Moon… although I was also smoking hot. Literally, my mane was made of star smoke." Some scattered laughter was heard. Mustachioed Earl Lionpaw coughed into a lace handkerchief.

“In all seriousness, I let myself become a monster, and was punished accordingly. I betrayed my friends, my country, and the pony I care about most.” Luna tipped her head to Celestia, whose expression was unreadable.

“The only part that’s not true is the last. I wasn’t banished for a millennia. Two years ago, I returned home earlier than anypony expected to finish the work I had started. Storming into this very castle, I planned to imprison my sister in her precious sun and rule, night eternal.

“I burst into the throne room and there she was… working overnight of course. All alone reading a railway expanse report. You should have seen the look on her face. Gen-u-wine shock. No plans in place. No backup for those plans. No cards to play at all. She simply stared at me. I locked the doors and said… something threatening and villainous.

“But then she started talking. And as I listened it hit me. There was no clever manipulation in her words. No meticulous maneuvering. This wasn’t perfect Princess Celestia pontificating to me. It was only Tia… the first friend I ever had. The same Tia who ate the last slice of cheesecake I bought on my thirteenth birthday, then, when I confronted her, used all her brilliance to blame it on the, and I quote, ‘windigoats’.” Chuckles rippled through the crowd.

“That was my moment of clarity, like a light she sent cutting through the darkness. At that moment, I could succumb to the night, or embrace the dawn. As I watched her raise the radiant sun this morning, I can say without a doubt I chose correctly.

“So, this evening I’d like to give one last cheers. To Tia! The best cake stealing friend a monster could ever ask for!” Luna raised her cup and emptied it. Everypony erupted into applause.

Luna’s brow shot up when the crowd excitedly surged forward. A well-dressed wave threatened to crash down on top of her. Fortunately, the guards stepped in to restrain the over-eager attendees. Several minutes of chaotic scrambling took place, until a relatively safe circle was placed around the princess of the night.

“Princess Luna, what did Princess Celestia say to you?” Gaudy Cufflinks and his spouse, Mint Julep, asked together, their question swallowed by the general cacophony.

“Your Highness, begging your pardon, but could you tell us what the moon was like?" Baroness Thurible inquired with a bow.

“No, your Grace, save it! Your story will make a national bestseller,” urged Lord Harp Coltins as he jostled for attention.

“That’s not really what this was abou-”

Prince Springblood shoved the book publisher aside, “Forget the horrid moon. Auntie, what’s been your favorite thing since you returned? It’s alright if you say the debonair royal company.” He smirked and straightened his clip-on bow tie proudly.

The room dimmed ever so slightly, unnoticed by the nobles jockeying for her attention. A single sun-touched petal rested on an empty stool. Golden guards at the door straightened and stood aside.

Cyan eyes watched Celestia’s every step as she left.

---

Three hours passed until Luna saw the last guest out.

She handed Lord Coltins' business card to Advisor Whynnie and headed for the royal apartments. Moonlight bathed the hallways and exquisite carpets of Canterlot Castle. Sweat trickled down her neck and settled underneath the silver plate while she walked. Luna paused by an open window and soaked in the chilly breeze. Dense periwinkle curtains waved faintly next to her while she gazed out at the city below; the pegasi down there had arranged a rare brisk midsummer night. Luna made a mental note to thank them before continuing on.

Rounding a sculpted pillar brought her final destination into sight. The night guards stationed at the entrance both snapped to salute as their princess approached, leathery wings folded tightly against magenta armor. Luna raised her right hoof and moved it in a circular fashion. When she tapped a dot in the middle, the two nodded and marched off to clear the floor. She took a calming breath and entered their rooms. Closing the doors behind her completed the symbol embossed on them: a flowing sun joined together with a swirling moon.

The royal suites lacked the grandiose architecture and imperial majesty of the rest of the palace. She suspected this was a deliberate attempt by a certain sun monarch born in their backwater village to keep grounded and not succumb completely to the bottomless wealth she possessed. Luna passed the plain elm table in the corner as she made her way down the foyer and to the hearth room. Sturdy old oak did little to block her path, the light shining from under the door, though, let her know the pony she was seeking was not far away. Oiled iron hinges made no sound, but swollen wood groaned softly as she entered.

The hearth room was the center of the suites, and the fireplace its beating heart. Luna’s tower could be reached by following the hall to the right and up a flight of stairs, while the passage facing it led to Celestia’s bedchamber. Two doorways flanked the hearth itself. One led to the keeping room and kitchen, and the other to the guest quarters. Despite summer outside, flames crackled inside the firebox. Gray smoke wafted above the sooty panels. The carved white sandstone was crowned with a mantle of simple walnut. Usually barren, tonight it was adorned with an ornate tiara and necklace. Amethysts shone vividly in the firelight.

Beside the royal regalia, the furnishings were the only other pieces in the room where the bits started to show a little. The outsized breezie’s dark blue forelegs grasped the top of the bronze crescent moon she danced naked in. Staring directly at her from the opposite corner was the bust of a wreathed white unicorn, its marble base resting on a ebonized mahogany stand. Light gray rugs interwoven with charcoal fibers supported the furniture between the two statues. Polished rosewood legs gave way to the white upholstery of the chairs. On the snowy couch in the middle sat the princess of the day flipping through a book. Gone were the gown and the garland, in their place a cerulean shawl streaked with orange now covered her shoulders and wings.

Oak scraped against stone. “You missed the Gold and Silver Waltz you know? It felt far too long and tedious without my preferred dance partner.”

Celestia straightened an inch without turning. “I’m sorry. I needed time to focus on something," she answered regally.

Luna rolled her eyes at the response. Typical Tia, a bit perturbed and she immediately flew back to the cold comfort of work. Blue feathers grazed the right arm of the sofa as she crossed the room and stood with her back to the white alicorn. A small gesture of her head, and Luna felt the tug at the back straps of her dress.

“Did you dance with Jubilee Bell again? You and the Marchioness made a lovely pair," her sister asked, unlacing the fabric with her magic.

Strands of silver fell and a smile came to Luna's lips. “No… that mare is quite the firecracker though. Here I thought nobles were all hoity toity whingers.” Celestia drew the dress gently back and down, and Luna started to shimmy out of it. Falling cloth revealed the crescent moon on her shaking flank. “I’ve invited her and the general to dine with us next Sunday.”

“That’s an excellent idea," a shade of something like excitement eked into Celestia's voice.

Careful not to tread on a star, Luna stepped over the collapsed dress and onto the hardwood. Enclosed in indigo light the bundle was levitated smoothly onto a chair. The small discomfort of the chestplate remained. She didn’t mind; it helped prepare her for what was next. Luna took the free chair and faced her sister.

Celestia was sweating more than she expected from the fire, but kept the shawl on. Orange light shaded her strangely placid features. “So,” Luna began.

Parchment crinkled as the cobtic bound book was moved from couch to coffee table. The papers inside were yellowed with age. “So, we need to talk,” she replied.

“Yes,” Luna agreed, surprised at the lack of an immediate dodge, “first, you should know my little speech wasn’t meant to upset you.”

“Oh, I wasn’t upset with you,” she responded swiftly. “It was your story to tell. The crowd certainly enjoyed it.”

Cushions squeaked as Luna sat back and huffed. “Yes, they did. Not exactly what I intended.”

“You didn’t like their reaction?” Black were the eyebrows that rose high on Celestia's surprised face.

“No. Maybe… a little. Though I had hoped knowing the truth might dampen their enthusiasm for me a bit. They already fawn over me and try to curry favors. Now nothing will keep the portgates closed."

“Isn’t that normal ‘hoity toity’ behavior? Is their adoration so wrong?”

Luna chewed the inside of her cheek. “It’s what she wanted. I don’t know if it’s what I want… much less deserve,” she threw in quietly.

Violet eyes flicked to the book. “You weren’t worried about them hating you for telling the truth?”

Several strands of starry blue hair fell as her head shook. Luna pushed them back with a hoof. “No, I’d rather they hate me with the truth, then love me in lies.”

Celestia’s mouth twisted up in response, and she tightened the shawl around her withers. Luna noticed her sister seemed to shrink away slightly. She frowned at the behavior. “Tia, why did you leave early?"

Her sister let loose a borderline maniacal giggle in response. Luna tilted her head at this reaction. “I’ve spent years carefully crafting my words. Tartarus knows why I thought a few hours would be enough to get ready to tell the actual truth." Celestia sighed heavily. For a moment, Luna glimpsed the centuries of fatigue beneath the youthful porcelain mask she presented to the realm. "Luna, I adored your speech… but by the end I couldn’t stand myself any longer. Not after the terrible pony I’ve been to you.”

“What in Equestria are you talking about?” asked the one pony who considered herself a verifiable expert on treating their loved ones terribly.

Celestia picked up the book and offered it to her, a guilty prisoner giving their allocution to the presiding judge. Indigo light shaded the borders as Luna brought it close enough to examine. Ruby and onyx eyes stared back at her. The orange diamond phoenix and black opal bat circled each other on the cover. In the firegleam, they seemed to dance together.

She carefully turned to the first page. Much of the ink on the mathematical formula had flaked off, but the number one thousand was clear at the bottom, surrounded by four stars and a familiar passage. The next six pages were devoted entirely to the Elements of Harmony; each breaking down an individual stone’s characteristics and attributes. A rough sketch of Canterlot followed a long journal entry. The first enrollment list for the School of Magic preceded a plethora of family trees, some of which seemed to have died off. Luna stopped on a page so charred it was unreadable. It struck her then that this book may not have been a complete work, but merely the collection of pages that had survived. “Tia this is-”

“Princess Celestia’s Perfect Plan to Defeat Nightmare Moon.” She waved her hooves in mock celebration, then grimaced, and dug the same hooves deep into the upholstery.

“Shortly after making our erroneous prophecy on your return, Clover passed away. I was truly alone then… left with only our friend’s magical legacy and centuries ahead of me. I mercilessly used the former during the latter. You remember, not far from our old castle was Mount Canterhorn. Due to their resonance and use in spellcraft, the precious gems of its crystal caves had attracted a number of unicorns. The capital I built there attracted far more.

“Once reeled in, I encouraged couples to settle down and start families. Filtering their offspring, and the foals after them, through the School for Gifted Unicorns was time-consuming, but what did I care? I had eons to spare. Like panning for gold, bit by bit I shifted through the generations and noted the best possible bloodlines. Turn to the end of the book, there you’ll find the final roster of grandparents. Given a few more decades I would have certainly found my Element of Magic.” Her tone was best described as complicated: Pride laced with anger, and a pinch of bitterness added to sorrow and self-loathing.

Luna did as instructed. The second to last page was brand new paper; names in black ink stood out clearly on the crisp white sheet: Lamplight, Oleander Breeze, Burns Brightly, Eventide Frost, Twilight Velutina, Radiance Sunbeam, Whistle Wishes, Umberblood, Pale Moonlight, Eveline Fall, Silver Swirl, Primrose Glow. She flipped to the last page and found it blank. Luna ignored the hiss of the fire as she processed her thoughts. “Tia, I’m disappointed," she concluded.

Celestia’s ears flattened against her head and her face crumpled. “I know,” she croaked.

“No, you don’t. Where’s your heartfelt speech to Nightmare Moon? How can you not have it here?”

Confusion painted Celestia's ghostly expression. “I-I didn’t plan that. That was me being… honest.”

Celestia jumped when Luna snapped the book close, dust and soot flew from its pages. “Exactly! A terrible pony couldn’t say those words. Tia, this doesn’t make you awful. At worst you seem a tad over prepared.” She smirked. “As your now unofficial book editor, I have to tell you, you can get rid of the Blood family. That plot line is going nowhere”.

Celestia bristled, but found a way to direct most of her fury inward. “This isn’t funny! My first thought when learning you were imprisoned in the moon for a millennia wasn’t to try and break you out, or even to talk to you! Instead, I concocted a centuries-long scheme to find champions to defeat you! I never even stopped to wonder what the Elements would do to you a second time! And you said it yourself tonight, ‘No cards to play at all’! Only with my plan in ashes and backed into a corner did I finally treat you with a modicum of respect! It’s probably the one time I wasn’t a neglectful conniving nag!” Rage gave way to anguish, then sorrow in its turn, as Celestia curled into herself with a heart-rending sob. “How can you even call me your best friend?” she wept.

Luna chewed her tongue as she thought of the best reply. Letting her know a moon prison break was an amazing setup for a story would most likely only upset her further. Like the shafts of sunlight that morning, the image slowly bloomed in her mind. A tired filly stood small within the wide open doorway, her back moonlit. Luna turned the thought over. Settling on a risky maneuver, she stood and placed the book on the mantle. Gazing down upon the alicorn in front of her, she prepared herself. “Alright, up and at ‘em,” extending her hoof, “time to leave. We’re going to have a… call it a bonding exercise.”

Celestia didn’t move an inch from her corner of the couch. “Luna, I don’t think either of us are really in the mood for whatever you have in mind," her voice hollow. "Please leave me be. I’ll make a proper apology in the morning and we can decide how best to part ways then."

Luna wondered at the strangeness of this new age. She was mildly disappointed to find out she had lost her spot as the broody princess. Her hoof came closer. “Trust me?” Cruel play, but you know what they now say about desperate times.

Celestia almost hesitated, but took the offered hoof. Luna pulled the larger alicorn off the couch, with a little too much vigor, their horns crossed briefly, a blue spark flashed, and a tingle passed between them.

Luna made sure her sister was secure on all four hooves. “Okay, embrace what you feel, let it flow through you. Oh, and try not to panic, it’s easier if you don’t fight it. Remember everything will be alright in the end.”

Celestia’s eyes blinked rapidly and her pupils were dilated. “I’m not following. Aren’t we going somewhere?”

Luna grinned. "We’re already there.” Thick smoke started to billow from her mane, first blue then jet black. Celestia gaped at the approaching wave of nothingness. The last thing she saw before the darkness completely enclosed her was Luna’s pearly white smile, then it too dissolved into the black abyss.

Comments

[Flutterdash 34]

I am genuinely excited to see where this story goes.

[jphenix]

11430243
Thank you. I appreciate the comment!

I hope to have the final half of the story uploaded tomorrow after a final pass.

[sunr4y]

WOOAAGAHAGAAWOOSWOWAHHAHAHAHAWOWJAGAHHEHEHJEHEJSGEBQIQWOOWOW!?!?!?!!?!?!?$?! ( I love this story )