I Don't Remember

by nitelight

Chapter 5: Gathering Resources

Getting some true fresh air was something that Luna was very much enjoying. Up this high on the mountain, the air was crisp, if a bit thin. While she wasn't necessarily alone, as Nightingale and Datura were still close wherever she went, it was nice to be away from having to put on a mask of serenity. She'd been alone for a thousand years, yes, but this was different. It had been hardly over twenty four hours since she'd returned, and already so much had happened. Taking a moment to process everything on her own time, surrounded by the calmness of nature, was what she needed.

The sky had been cleared earlier by the weather teams, the first full day of summer scheduled to be full sun. From the spot she was sitting just outside the castle, the sounds of the city below were faint, only able to be picked up if listening hard enough. How much had the everyday people changed in all that time? From the girls that she'd seen, they seemed more laid back and free with their movements, especially around royalty. How old were they, even? In their twenties? Women used to be married off by then... though by going off other factors that she'd seen, individuality seemed to be much higher, and people lived longer and healthier. The quality and standard of living had also increased. She knew that she and her sister were treated as royalty back then, the common people doing their best to support their luxuries and have them live in riches, but she could have never imagined a castle like the one she was now residing in. It was as if they were not royals to the people, but actual goddesses sent down to grant them their gifts of night and day.

How much else had changed since she'd been gone? Maybe losing the majority of her memories would be easier to disguise than she originally thought; that was if she could play it off as the times changing in her absence. So far, it had mostly been that, anyway. Even if she hadn't remembered how she lived before down to her daily routines, nothing that she'd done felt familiar, and the actions that were second nature now had different processes to fulfill them, and therefore were foreign. But she couldn't stay ignorant forever. She was supposed to rule the people once she got acclimated, after all, and how could she do that if she knew next to nothing about them and what has happened in recent history?

The best place to get that information was a library. The books there may not be extensive of the full millennium, but the last few centuries, or at least decades, were necessary to start off with understanding how the world worked. Relations with neighboring kingdoms, new or abolished laws, and a general form of how the government worked throughout her own kingdom and within the halls were the main topics she wanted to brief herself on. Politics were never too difficult, as the head of state, being careful of the politicians' greed, and keeping the general populace happy without overtaxing was, broadly speaking, the gist of it.

Taking a final breath of fresh air in the spot of shade she was occupying, Luna stood up. She had gathered her thoughts enough to know how to spend her time. The various birds chirping around her was a soothing sound, and the aroma of the meticulously planted flowers had provided a background for what she needed to accomplish mentally.

However much she did want to start her research as soon as possible, wandering the castle was good for her. As long as she took it slowly and stayed out of the sun's direct light, that was. She needed to learn her way around the building. It wasn't as if everything was completely unmarked, either, as the public areas of the castle had signs directing those without an escort where any important rooms they may need be within the walls.

But being on the mountainside meant that many things of the city were arranged in layers. While the castle itself was tall and had many towers, there were lower sections, both inside and out, that were on different layers than one another. As for where she was now, yes on a lower level of the castle proper, there were still a few floors below her, along with another ground level of more expanded gardens, which included a statue garden and a large hedge maze. Even if she wanted to try and find the center of that labyrinth, it was best she learned how to use her wings properly first in case she got lost. For all she knew, there were probably parts of the city that were built inside the mountain as well.

Along with the beauty of it all, the waterfalls constantly flowing from the extended terraces of the city added to the wealth it portrayed. The sound of the rivers were another calming factor that Luna enjoyed along with the greenery. She'd always had a close connection to the water.

But for now, the library was her goal to eventually reach on her adventure. As much as she hated to leave the small garden so soon, she turned to walk back inside through the doors in which she'd left through earlier. She hadn't noticed the heat outside until the cold air from inside hit her at full force. Were there magic runes set in the castle to keep the interior cool during the heat? Though it could also be another advancement in technology. Air temperature was, after all, something already controlled by the weather teams on a much larger scale.

To cover as much ground as possible in her search, Luna turned the opposite way of the medical wing. Soon enough, the sounds of two more pairs of footsteps followed behind her. Was it not boring to follow someone around all day and not speak unless they needed something? She could never be a guard, but she was grateful for them. Though they may be doing it internally, they never judged her for what she was doing and were very observant in figuring out if she needed help with anything.

Despite the large size of the castle, the interior was mostly the same throughout, and soon came to be confusing for Luna. Had she been here before? Or had she wandered to an entirely new place? Those questions were soon answered, however, when the loud voices of a group of individuals caught her attention from around the corner. She was now in the public areas of the castle. Whether those voices belonged to politicians, or they were simple petitioners, she did not want to stick around long enough to find herself in a situation that she would need to strike up conversation.

Their conversation, however, was something she was able to pick up on some, their voices able to carry through the halls smoothly. Though she did not understand the context behind most of it, there was mention of an upcoming gala that was going to be held in the castle within the month. Such events were common enough, as the nobility often liked to show off just how rich they were any chance they could get, and so she paid it little mind.

Quickly making her way down another hall, the smell of lavender hit her senses, the hallway itself decorated and lined with the plants, hanging down from the sconces on the walls. She'd always enjoyed lavender. Along with its calming nature, the scent also helped in soothing the mind within sleep, creating peaceful dreams— how did she know that? Putting what she already knew together, with her control over the moon, and her sister the sun, it was probably right to assume they took over the times related to when such bodies were active. So while Celestia ruled the day, Luna ruled the night, and all that came with it. Dreams were a part of that.

She would really need to start getting definitive answers for all of these theories she was making, less she convince herself them truth and say them aloud, only to find out she was far from it.

But her journey continued, doing her best to stay away from running into anyone and getting strange looks. She already got plenty from the few maids that passed by on occasion. She didn't want anyone who would openly, or vocally, judge her. All she was doing was walking around. It wasn't as if she was a threat. Though maybe the news of her return hadn't hit the city quite at full force, yet, and were simply confused as to why someone like her was walking the halls. There weren't many who had both magic and the power of flight. It was just her and her sister, as far as she knew.

To the best of her ability, she followed any signs that were up against the walls, pointing her in the direction she thought her destination would be. Despite not fully understanding all of the words written, she was making advancements, the archives of the castle listed in the direction she was walking. And thankfully, there weren't many people walking the halls, only guards standing stiff at the side of a select few doors. She hadn't thought much of it, but she hoped that the language hadn't changed too much to the point she was unable to understand more important parts of it. She had no trouble conversing in the spoken dialect, despite the obvious vocabulary difference when referring to someone, it was still understandable. Her accent, while also thick and ancient, was not a problem.

A barred door to her right caught her attention, as behind it were fairly obvious rows of bookshelves stretched to the ceiling and going off in every direction. Almost tripping over her feet when she came to a stop, she turned to the man standing at attention to the side. But even before she could open her mouth to form the words she needed, he turned to open the door and gesture her entrance. She knew as royalty she automatically was allowed entrance anywhere she pleased, but yet again, she hadn't been back for more than a day. Perhaps before she'd awoken that morning, all of the guards that would be on shift had been briefed of the situation.

Either way, she was grateful, and voiced so, before making her way inside. It was even bigger on the inside, the shelves extending for what felt like forever throughout multiple rooms, all filled till they could hold no more on every subject she could ever hope to research. First on her list, though: history. As far back as she could find. Even events before her banishment. Perhaps something would spark her memory.

Everywhere she went, everything was meticulously labeled and categorized perfectly, so it did not take very long to find what she was looking for. Searching through the section of literature, she found books and scrolls dated back to before the country was founded. Perfect. For now, she did not need every detail, only a good overview of major events that led to changes in the land.

Reaching up, she was able to grab a book that held the events leading up to the unification of the three tribes that lived within the land. Good thing she was tall enough to reach it on her own, her magic wasn't strong enough to lift anything that big quite yet. Though she could ask Datura and Nightingale for their assistance if she really needed to, she was trying her hardest to not rely on them for everything.

For now, this was a good background for what she wanted to find out. Harmony was what the kingdom was based off of, after all, so understanding how it came to be was the groundwork for everything. Unfortunately, the archives that she was in did not have a desk for her to study at. Might as well stock up on a few books and bring them back to Celestia's room, then. And so, she went back on her search.

There were only a select few texts from the pre-unification era, and most were stories of creatures vanquished or of artifacts. Once true stories of heroes, now reduced to myth. Just like she was. The name Starswirl did seem very familiar to her, though. Perhaps a story she heard when she was young. More detailed records were from after the establishment of the kingdom, even the coronation of Luna and her sister. Learning what she did in her rule would prove helpful. Was she a good ruler? Did the people like her? They liked her sister.

The four books in her arms were starting to weigh her down, making reaching up to grab new ones or stand around for too long become difficult. Perhaps it was time to start making her way back. She wouldn't need too much at once, anyway. Besides, if she was going to study it, she would be writing things down, which meant gathering more stacks of paper. She'd picked up a brief history of the use of magic as well. She'd be working on that while studying other subjects.

This place was a lot bigger on the inside. And now that she was thinking of it, a thousand plus years of history was a lot to catch up on. This would take much longer than she thought.

But rather than get crushed by the weight of it all, she turned to leave the archives. She could always come back when she needed some more books to continue on her journey.

Her path out, however, was interrupted by the voice of another. She hadn't noticed the presence of the other woman before she spoke, almost dropping what she was carrying.

"I didn't think anyone came down here except for a few of Celestia's personal students. Much less to study pre-Equestrian literature," her voice was light-hearted, amused. "Here, let me help you with those."

A light blue aura surrounded the books Luna held in her arms, alleviating the mass. She was finally able to get a good look at her, the dim lighting not doing her bright colors justice. Her skin was light, but tan, her hair tri-colored in pink, yellow, and purple, and braided on the sides that framed her portrait perfectly. Her face also held a steady smile. She couldn't sense any negativity coming from it.

"Ah- thank thee. We could have handled on our own."

She seemed taken back by Luna's speech. That's right, she was the first person that she'd talked to that wasn't either her sister, or someone who worked as staff in the castle. Wait. Or did she?

"May we ask what thy name is?" She mentally face-palmed. She was awful at making conversation, and her voice sounded quiet. The woman's positivity radiating over to her had made her shrink.

Taking a moment to collect herself, and flash another cheery smile, she responded.

"Oh, of course! Please, call me Cadence. And who might you be, walking around the castle's archives?"

Right, that would seem a bit suspicious, even being tagged by guards. Perhaps she thought she was a sort of criminal. Technically, she was.

"Our name is Luna. We're doing research of our... time we hath spent away."

Whether she knew of her situation or not, she did not elaborate, simply going along with it. She was almost too nice for her own good. But soon enough, the woman, Cadence, soon followed in pursuit along with Luna in her journey back up to the residential area of the castle.

"Well, I might as well introduce myself fully if we're going to be spending some time together. My full name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but that's a bit of a mouthful, no?"

Princess? Taking another glance in Cadence's direction, Luna was able to confirm that she did not put it together earlier. She was using her magic to levitate her books next to them, and her bright colored wings holding an ombre resting on her back were hard to miss. She was very out of touch when it came to interacting with others. What was considered normal to talk about?

"As Princess of Love, and Celestia's niece, I live here in Canterlot, but I go out all over the country to help spread love throughout the citizens. It's one of the many things that makes Equestria, well, Equestria. Love brings harmony. And I find much pleasure in fulfilling that role."

...Niece? Did that mean that Cadence was her descendant? A daughter even, perhaps, if she was born before her banishment. Her heart stopped in her chest. Had she forgotten that she had a daughter? If so, did she not recognize Luna as her mother? Or was she from Celestia's line? But after so many years of descent, only refers to her as an aunt instead of however many greats, grandmother? This was confusing. No matter her lineage, that meant Cadence was her family. As far as she'd remembered, only Celestia had filled the role in her mind before this woman popped up into her life out of nowhere.

Cadence must have noticed her expression, that or her sudden stop in the middle of her introduction, and looked over at her, concerned.

"Dear? Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost," she said while reaching out to place the back of her hand against Luna's forehead, which she quickly moved out of the way from. She'd had enough of people touching her for today.

"Aye. Aye, we're well. Niece, thou said?"

A look flashed across Amore's face, as if asking if that was really got her to stop like she had.

"Yes. Well, adoptive niece, that is. She took me in after my parents died when I was young. Didn't even have magic, back then."

Luna stifled a sigh that she would have shuddered out. So she hadn't left a daughter behind while going entirely evil for a millennium. Good. They resumed their walk.

"Would you mind telling me more about yourself, Luna?"

"What wouldst thee like to know?"

She seemed to get giddy at that question. A bit strange behavior coming from a fully grown woman, but she just seemed excited. She practically jumped into her questions, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"First off, like me and Auntie Celestia, you're a demigoddess. Far as I knew, we were the only two in the land. And suddenly, I run into you in the history section of the castle's archives. She wouldn't hide a daughter from me, right?" She had mumbled the last bit, placing her hand on her chin in thought before popping up again. "Wait! Did you recently ascend? Why didn't Auntie tell me? She loves updating me on her students' progress. That means that your wings are new then, yeah? I can teach you how to use them properly. You see, I was born with mine, and got my magic through my ascension and..."

Cadence continued on talking for a while, going off on the theory that she had created for herself. So Celestia hadn't informed her of her return, got it. At least she was having fun. Even if her voice did become background noise for a bit.

"...but listen to me going off! You are one of Auntie's students, right?"

"Nay. But we shall let Celestia elab'rate to thee on the subject further at a lat'r date."

She seemed to sink from her response, but nodded nonetheless. Perhaps she knew it was not her place to pry. Their walk fell into a comfortable silence for a while. She was itching, either to start up a conversation on another subject, or to get back to the room as soon as she could to get back on track to what she had planned for herself.

The latter came first, Luna coming to a stop in front of her sister's chambers. She was surprised she remembered the way back that easily. Clearing her throat, Luna turned to the other princess that was next to her, grabbing the books from her magical hold back into her own arms.

"Thank thee f'r thy time, Princess Amore, but we hath arrived, and must bid thee a farewell."

"I'd like to see you around some more, Luna. But, until next time." She bowed while finishing her sentence, turning to leave with a short wave, and yet again another flash of a smile.

Nightingale was quick to open the door for her when she reached to open it, also giving her a bow of the head while she entered the brightly lit room. It was closed behind her as she set the books on a small table in front of the mantle, which now held the ashes of a fire. Only then did she finally let out a long sigh. She was already tired. What time was it? So many things had already happened, and it was hardly time for the sun to set anytime soon. The way she sat down on the small couch was anything but proper, but it was comfortable. She would start her studying soon, but for now she needed simply to sit down for a bit.

Comments

[Wooden Wheel]

The name Starswirl did seem very similar to her, though.

similar or familiar?

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Good chapter. Interesting first interaction between Luna and Cadence. It seems like Celestia really erased Luna's existence from history if not even Cadence can connect the dots about who this new goddess called Luna is.