Kinetics

by Habanc

Book 1: Chapter 12

Lobos

“Lobos was alive. It breathed, it pulsed, and now, as they crossed through the gates, it ate.”

---

If Konik was a large city, Lobos was gargantuan. It was built on the delta of a nearby river, which was the base of a natural harbor before leading out to sea. Three tiers of high, stone walls surrounded the city from land. From their perch on a nearby hill, Luna could barely see from one side of the town to the other. It stretched out just before the horizon, going on and on, rivaling with the ocean to engulf anything or anypony with its sheer size.

Buildings of all kinds could be distinguished, from the tight clusters of residential spaces, to the massive series of docks and piers along the coast, to a giant shrine that rose high above most buildings, its lone spire seeming to pierce the sky's few clouds themselves. To the south, their destination was visible; the Erhani palace was luxurious, allocating a sizeable portion of the city for its numerous marble buildings to sprawl across open space. Its green courtyards and modest gardens were an anomaly from the rest of the cities landscape. But it rested far within the city proper, meaning they still had quite a ways to go yet.

Luna stood there, jaw agape. For all of its technological and societal advantages, there simply was no place like this in Equestria. The city itself appeared to be a wonder in its own, a miracle of logistics and planning to keep a settlement of this magnitude running. It could swallow two, perhaps three Canterlots with room to spare. Even Manehatten fell far behind.

"Wow," a voice muttered, but it wasn't Luna. Looking to the side, she saw Twilight wearing an equally impressed look on her face. "This is incredible. To think that a place so conflicted and fractured could allow for something like this to happen..." The unicorn’s words faded away as her brain ran wild with conjecture.

"Everypony told me it was the biggest city on the continent, but I don't think I ever understood exactly what they meant," Sky muttered.

"I don't see what's so impressive," Donevyn grumbled with a shrug. He batted away the three astonished glares that came his way. "I've been here a few times with Kazius. Even though it's smaller, Konik is a better city. Sure, Lobos might be wealthy and powerful, but that isn't everything."

"But– but!" Twilight gawked. "It's huge!" She waved her hooves about in the air. "The amount of time it would take to grow a settlement this large and retain its population over the years, not to mention the financial costs..."

"Of course," Luna nodded in agreement. "Also, I'd think the culture of Erhanos would be different from Hurras, correct? A city of these proportions, why, it could spawn entirely new ways of thinking, support an entire nation in tax revenue, and become an impregnable bastion all on its own. While I mean no disrespect, Konik simply doesn't hold this much influence."

"That's not what I meant. I'd try to explain," Donevyn sighed, "but I think it'd be better to see for yourselves. Come on, we don't have all day."

-~-

"Halt."

The cobblestone path seemed to explode with activity and energy beyond the gates. The further reaches of their vision were blocked, a melding of equestrian bodies that bustled so vivaciously that it cut off their view in a swirling, frothing wall of hues. The clanging of a hammer on anvil rung like a churchbell. The creaking roll of wooden carts, their wheels clicking against the stones below, filled the air like crickets on a warm summers' eve. Beneath it all, the innumerate, ubiquitous, prevailing rumble of voices sat under the surface, merely room tone to those not yet inside. Once they transgressed the gates, however, it would submerge them. The city, in more than an aural sense, would swallow them whole. Anxiety pricked at Luna's hooves, forcing her to fidget as they came before the guards.

"State your business," one of them asked. His black mane was greying, a scar running from a lip to his jaw, disforming his cerulean face. Heavy, iron plates fell over his shoulders and sides, connecting close to the sallet he wore. His metal boots were nicked, blackened by fire, rusted by rain and blood, and dangerously pointed with the addition of hoofspikes. Luna had met battle-hardened veterans before, and the stallion barring them fit the part.

Persuasion and elaboration would do them no good. Concise sentences, forgoing flair or embellishment, would get them inside without having to stand about for an hour, as city guards often liked to subject foreigners to.

The stallion eyed her horn. His face did not twitch, and then settled his gaze back upon her, regarding her with the level-headed suspicion a guard's captain adored.

"We are an ambassadorial party from the realm of Hurras. We have been sent by King Leszek to meet with the Grand Elector." Donevyn appeared beside her, proffering the necessary documents.

The stallion looked at the papers, but again, his mien bore no change. "Where is your escort?" he asked in a gruff tone as he continued to read.

"Killed," Luna stated bluntly. "An ambush of bandits thrice our size within the forest."

Finished with his papers, the guard glanced up at her and nodded. It was short, slight, and rapport-like. Apparently Hurras wasn't the only one to be having trouble with the Domelle's nefarious inhabitants.

"Once we arrive at the palace," Luna continued. "I'd like to write back about their deaths. Their families need to know."

Finally, a key that fit its lock. His demeanor shifted, shoulders slumping as he looked to the ponies behind him. "Right Hook, Bodkin, accompany these four to the palace. Fire Flight, go to the gatehouse, and come back with replacements." Turning to the travelers, he stepped aside and added, "Welcome to Lobos, Ambassador."

Following their newly-appointed escort, they approached the maw of the beast. Its roar grew, its ghastly breath spilled forth. Luna could hear the rasp of its lungs, the ringing of the piers that carried long over the air. Millions of cells scurried through its stone-paved arteries, transporting particles of life that kept it moving. Lobos was alive. It breathed, it pulsed, and now, as they crossed through the gates, it ate.

The life within the megametropolis appeared relatively normal to any other bustling town. Vendors hawked their wares, competing with criers who reported news of dubious authenticity. Street urchins danced between the flow of hooves, giggling and sneaking a hoof into a bag of the unwary. The stream of traffic parted for its protectors, squadrons of guards who donned blue and gold tabards over their mail.

Whereas Konik was pragmatic and humble, life around the popular arteries of Lobos flaunted its wealth at every turn. Great townhouses, with their luxurious balconies held up by sculpted columns of marble and expensive grey stone, with their privately-armed ponies at the door and their great windows, sat among the shops of prominent merchants and buildings of influential charters. Stallions of high esteem roved in duos, wearing light brigandines of fine silk with silver-hilted swords at the waist. Upper-class mares gossiped in wonderful dresses of rich greens and purples, sniffing into their perfumed hoofkerchiefs to ward off the smells of the city.

Three of the travelers marveled at their new surroundings, watching with eyes gleaming. Luna could not but feel a pang of nostalgia, memories of Aequus during the Equestrian Golden Age flooding her mind. She and Celestia had been at the height of their power and respect, their once-tiny nation now a lion among gazelles. Aequus grew to become the cultural center of the world, scholars of zebrican and hartian variety travelling far from their homelands to study in the esteemed universities. Merchants arrived by river barge, selling intricate, griffonic metalwork and gems from canine caves. Even the nobles preferred life in the capital as opposed to their country manors, at the epicenter of influence and whispers within Equestria.

"What is that?" Twilight asked, pointing to a large domed structure. It rose five stories into the air, towering above the rest of the nearby buildings, built with a sun-stone that was a warm orange in the afternoon light, its edges trimmed in red brick. It was complemented with its own cobblestone square and marble fountain before it. The crests and pillars outside its entrance were exquisitely sculpted, while the doors themselves were five ponies high and ten wide, manned by four gigantic stallions.

"That's the Sfaíra Sofía," Donevyn answered, "where the water sages keep their archives. I've heard it contains over two hundred thousand texts, more than half that exists in all of Erhanos."

"Wow." Twilight nearly bumped into Sky ahead of her, both mares stopping to stare. The grumble of annoyed townsponies skirted around them as they blocked the road.

Luna was duly impressed, but the fact that the center of knowledge was controlled by theologians did not sit well with her. "Why is it all in one place, though?" she asked.

Donevyn shrugged. "It's been around for hundreds of years, my only guess is that they've been accumulating and searching out manuscripts for so long that this is how things ended up."

"I see." She nodded, but her skepticism was far from gone. "Well, I believe we should keep moving. We're doing no good standing in the middle of the street."

Their trip through Lobos continued much the same, the road leading up to the palace continually bleeding and smearing its wealth on its travelers. It came as no surprise that, half an hour later, the palace did much the same. Sitting upon a natural plateau within the city, above much of the skyline, it was crafted out of marble, as were its pathways, fountains, and other small buildings that orbited around it like moons. The palace was only three stories tall, but, much like its city, it spanned on from one side to the other, reaching out for an incredible width.

Delicate windows lined the walls like scales, and in the stone between them resided exquisite carvings at the expense of a thousand masons, with a thousand masons more needed to create the lines of statues that rose from the edges of the roof. The marble ponies stood like eternal sentries, eyes facing outward, chests out.

Before they could even reach the palace, however, they had to transcend the courtyard. A giant lawn of manicured grass was filled with more pony-sized statues, a fountain as wide as a house, and two long pathways that led up to the steps.

The gate behind them shut, their escort returning to their helm. "Follow us, Ambassadors."

Twilight stuck close to Luna as she felt her physical size diminish amongst such grandeur. She was a speck, a mote of dust, a particle beside behemoths. Luckily, one such behemoth was now walking next to her.

"It is quite impressive, isn't it?" Luna asked, giving her new latchling a cursory glance. "Although, I do not see why the whites of marble should dominate; darker hues can be just as majestic."

"It's the stone of the Erhani," Donevyn lectured. "Kazius explained it to me once. The quarries in Marerra are some of the best on the continent, and have been used in important buildings since the second era, roughly two thousand years ago."

"Hey look, ol' blockhead knows some history," Sky jabbed with a snicker. "Too bad it's partly wrong. The second era was three thousand years ago, Donny-boy."

"Why do you care?" he snorted back. "You're an archivist for the Tempestry. Your entire job is to know our history, shouldn't you be happy that somepony even bothered to try learning?"

"It's too much fun to resist." She cast him a glance that was as teasing as her tone. "Besides, you're a courser. Aren't you guys all about fighting and drinking and mares?" She coughed. "Well, maybe not that last part for you, but still, I didn't think you were even capable of reading."

If blood could boil and steam, huge clouds would be whistling from Donevyn's ears. "We're not a bunch of brutes!" he cried as they grew ever closer to the steps. "Sir Piast is known for his poetry, and Sir Danielak is an incredible lyrist! And–" his face flustered, "and what was that about mares?"

"Oh, I mean, y'know..." Sky rolled her eyes, "I doubt you've even kissed one before. Like, you're what, nineteen or twenty years old? Come on, ponies even half your age might've had their first kiss. A colt still learning to fly probably has more experience than you."

Donevyn stared at the marble tiles as they slouched along in silence. Luna took particular interest in examining the shrubbery. Twilight decided that she'd join her. Even the two guards up front had an awkward stutter in their gait.

"I mean, Konik is known for having more mares than stallions. Is it really that hard for you to get a mare? If you could just buck up and talk to one I don't think you'd have a problem. Where's all that brave but refined ‘courser’ talk now? Sheesh, Donevyn, you could do so much better," she finished her gelding with a chuckle.

But as the solemn procession started its trek up the stairs, the laugh died in her throat. Nopony even looked at her, much less the stallion in question, who slunk to the rear of the group. Sky coughed and pursed her lips together as if demons could spurt from her mouth.

The doors open and closed with an ominous echo, reverberating down the halls and into its corridors. The interior of the palace was, unsurprisingly, more marble, trimmed with gold leaf. Snow white china vases sat upon marble tables under blue cloth. Yes, the only thing saving them from a world of gold-edged white was patches of blue that stood deputy in the room. Thin rugs in the center of the hall, elaborate tapestries, and withheld window drapes, all crafted with the hues of the deep sea.

Servants, guards, and other workers buzzed around the palace in a similar color scheme, garbed in vestments of likewise hues. Their envoy paid them no mind, pressing straight ahead to their destination. As it turned out, the palace was nothing if not expansive. Canterlot was tall and majestic, but its halls could never hope to sustain as these had. Twilight felt like they'd been walking for hours, in one straight line, a passing of windows always on her right. No matter what, a depth before the group persisted, the corridor continued as if that were its sole purpose in existence. All the while, life and government moved about them, through them, ignorant of them. They were just another part, nothing of import nor worry. Cooks moved trolleys, sergeants marched ahead of their subordinates, and Twilight swore she saw a rather lewdly-dressed mare slip into a doorway and slam its appendage shut, all with neither the slightest of attention nor wandering eyes towards the ambassadors. Not even their horns garnered attention. The drones paid them no mind.

Their envoy arrived before a pair of guards standing outside the throne room, to which the mares offered their documents. As the Erhani slipped inside the hall, Twilight examined its set of mahogany doors, inlaid with depictions of brave explorers, merchants prevailing on the high seas. An ancient tongue was inscribed in the center and along the sides, and if one followed them up to the top, their laid a large carving of a three-pronged trident set between a mason's hammer and a curved sword. Twilight tried to examine it between squinting eyes, but her chance fleeted before she could make any progress.

Two blue-and-yellow guards opened the doors from the inside, allowing them inside. Much like the hallways, distance remained tantamount above everything. Everything, except for the radical change in color. White marble gave way to a palette of aqua and navy, with the required dashes of gold throughout. Nevertheless, the throne room continued on for a hundred yards at least, before arriving at a slight dais and an ebony chair.

They had made it halfway to the throne before Twilight even realized a pony was sitting in it. An earth pony, to be exact. He seemed to blend in perfectly, with a coat of cerulean and a jet black mane. His eyes shone like polished onyx, falling upon the party before him. He tapped his hooves together as they arrived, his features betraying nothing.

"Halt!" a guard called from the side of the room. Their escorts obeyed, and seemingly in the know, abandoned their post at the fore and left the group. The four had arrived.

"Speak your intentions," the Grand Elector commanded. He wore no regalia, beside a torc that fitted around his neck, crafted from spiraling strands of gold with large sapphires at the ends. His mane was well coiffed and coat finely groomed, but otherwise he showed little of his wealth.

"We are a diplomatic envoy from Hurras, Your Majesty." From Twilight's distance, the spasm of distaste showed upon Luna's face as she muttered those final words. "Convicts and criminals determined to have come from Erhani lands are causing distress and upending trade in Hurras, and by order of the crown, we are sent to enquire as to why this is happening."

The Grand Elector nodded. Turning to his right, he spoke to the mare beside him, "Seneschal, is there time within the coming days for a... discussion?"

"In two days' time, Your Excellency. Shortly after noon, it appears there is little needing your attention for the remainder of the afternoon. Shall I set them down for then?"

"Yes." The Grand Elector turned back to them. "I believe our business for the day has been settled. Please, allow one of my maids to show you to your rooms."

Twilight looked to Luna, and Luna to her, before nodding and turning around. A prim-dressed maid appeared in front of them as if through thin air. The acolyte and squire followed them, their hoofclops hanging in the air like bell tolls. As the door closed behind them, the mares glanced back to each other. Luna frowned, shaking her head in frustration, to which Twilight could only shrug and sigh.

After an equally long trek as their initial walk through the palace, they arrived at the end of a corridor, two doors facing each other from across the hall. The maid turned to face them. "Here are your rooms, Ambassadors. I'm afraid they're all we have unoccupied at the moment. If you would like, your companions can be shown to a nearby inn for the night, should you require your own space."

"We should be fine," Twilight answered before anypony else could, "they don't need to go anywhere."

The maid smiled and dipped her head. "Of course. Should you require anything, one of us will almost certainly be close. We can direct you to what you need."

"Thank you," Twilight replied with a smile of her own.

As she departed, Luna shot Twilight a glare. "So, how do you plan to split us up?"

Twilight shrugged, oblivious. "Oh, I don't know. I figured we can figure that out between ourselves."

"Wonderful," Luna grumbled, "if only a minute late."

"I'll stay with Donevyn," Sky offered, turning Twilight's confused look at Luna into an anxious one towards her. Even the stallion in question lifted his head to see her for the first time in an hour.

Luna shuffled on her hooves. "Are you sure that is a–"

"We'll be fine," Sky dismissed her with a wave of her hoof. "Won't we, Donevyn?"

He stared at her.

"See! Doncha worry, we'll be as peachy as, well... peaches!" She shrugged off her hood, closing in on Twilight and Luna. "Now, you two can go off into your room and get settled. Don't let me and Donny worry you at all," Sky assured as she ushered them towards the other door.

"I– umm, okay?" Twilight mumbled, opening the door with a glow of magic. She went inside, while Luna stopped just before the doorway.

She leaned close to Sky, whispering, "Do you fully know what you have brought upon yourself?"

"I promise, I can cheer him right up." Sky smiled. "I know just the trick."

Luna remained quiet for a moment, unsure eyes studying the mare in front of her. "Well, while I may not agree with your methods... I hope you keep it down."

Sky stared blankly at her. "What? What do you mean?" Her eyes widened, face flushing before rosy tints highlighted her cheeks. "No no no, no– I... I never actually meant– I mean I was never serious before... I'm not that kind of mare! I just–"

"Of course, of course." Luna nodded, her unconvinced expression betraying her. "Well, I hope everything reaches a... satisfying conclusion." She bore the briefest of smiles before closing the door.

Sky's sole reply was a squeak. She quickly put her hood back up, pulling on it by the brim to hide her burning face as she turned to Donevyn. The second their eyes met, he looked to the floor.

"So, uh, shall we get settled in?" Sky crossed the hall.

Donevyn gave no reply.

"Well, um, let's just get this door open and see what the room is like." With a push the timber slab gave way, the late rays of the sun pouring in through a far window. On further inspection, the window wasn't far at all. The room was just big enough for a bed, a washbasin, a trunk, and a small patch of floor.

"L– looks cozy!" Sky tried with a nervous chuckle. She marched inside nonetheless, hearing the slow hoofsteps of Donevyn behind her. Directly ahead of her was the trunk, and she soon set her saddlebags, crossbow, and bolts inside. She turned around to move back, but found Donevyn in her way, he barely noticing her with barren eyes. It wasn't as if he tried to make it so cramped, it was simply a tiny room for one trying to fit two.

Silently, she cursed The Winds for not telling her to keep her big mouth shut.

"I need to get in there," Donevyn murmured, but made no attempt to slip by. Instead, he waited there for her to move, staring out the window behind her.

"Oh! Er, of course." Sky moved her head from side to side, looking for an opening. "I just have to get by," she hinted.

Donevyn didn't reply, instead yawning and rubbing his face with a hoof.

"I'll– I'll find a way around." Her nerves getting to her, she could feel the slight slip of sweat between her forelegs and chest. Eyes darting across the room, at long last she decided to hop onto the bed. Donevyn said nothing and simply moved forward.

Another mistake became apparent as soon as her hooves rested on the mattress. It was only just big enough for two ponies to sleep in. Not cuddling, anyway. Now, Sky considered herself a mare with priorities, and sleeping comfortably was high up there. Unfortunately, so too was not sharing a bed with a stallion who'd probably hate her until the end of her days.

"Great job, featherbrain," she muttered to herself.

-~-

Shorty after unceremoniously dumping her saddlebags onto the ground, Twilight leapt onto the bed, causing the wool mattress to compress and bulge. She laid face down, legs splayed out as she snuggled into the pillows. Exhaling loudly into the blankets, she grew still.

"I see you are quite content," Luna observed, placing her own bags into their appropriate trunk.

Twilight rolled over, picking her head up to look at Luna. "Besides that one night in Iezno, I've been sleeping on nothing but a blanket for a week. This feels wonderful," she purred.

"I would imagine. However, it is rather lopsided, isn't it?"

"Huh? The bed?" Twilight sat up and looked to either side of the mattress.

"No. I meant as to who's using it. We all could have had our own beds for the night, if somepony didn't rush to answer."

Twilight fell mute, taking in what she heard. "I... I'm sorry, I didn't realize," she began. "I just didn't want to make it look like we were kicking Donevyn and Sky out, or being snooty or something. I know it's not a good reason, and it's my fault for not thinking things through." Her ears fell flat.

Luna sighed. "Think nothing of it, as we can do little now. Your heart was in the right place. However, in the future, I hope we can consult each other before making decisions like this."

A half-smile cracked Twilight's down demeanor. "Of course."

Luna went back to unpacking her things, unbuttoning her vest and setting her blade aside. She turned to the wash basin and, wetting her hooves, began to clean her face of days of traveling.

"Wait, but this whole trip... Luna, you didn't ask me whether we should do this either."

Twilight's revelation soured the cool ministrations of water on Luna's face. She turned to her, face gleaming and chin dripping, clearing away her dampened mane. "What? I am fairly certain–"

"I don't remember you asking me at all," Twilight intercepted her. To Luna's relief, however, her face showed understanding and curiosity rather than anger. "Is that what you're really annoyed about? Or is it more than me slipping up?"

Luna blew a few droplets of water off her nose, her face twisting. "Fine, I'll tell you. I am disappointed that you did not consult us first, albeit for a more selfish reason. I have not been able to enjoy a respite on a bed since we have arrived. While this would have been no problem were I twelve thousand years younger, my body has become acclimated to the feel of a mattress. I would like to rest in comfort for once. It was a long trek to get here, and finally here we are, and I want to be rewarded as such." She stomped a hoof on the ground, voice rising into a whine, "I am tired and I am grumpy and I want to sleep in a bed."

Twilight stared at her. Luna tried to remain stoic at first, but soon noticed her stance had become low and defensive somewhere amid her rant. With a small cough, she realigned herself.

"Luna, are you pouting?" the unicorn asked incredulously.

"I am most certainly not!" Luna huffed. "I simply desire a place to sleep, and I am still sore that the chance has been robbed of me."

"That still sounds like pouting to me."

Luna glared at her. She couldn't tell if Twilight was teasing her or not, but she didn't like it. It is that... well, it is simply not fair! she thought. I have been subjected to the floor, out of dignity and kindness, and right when a fair opportunity comes clear, she robs me of it.

"You know, you can sleep on the bed if you want," Twilight disrupted her mental hoof-stomping. "I don't mind."

"Are you sure?" Luna eyed her cautiously.

"Of course!" Twilight smiled.

Luna clasped her mouth shut, nodding slowly. After a pass of silence, she let a breath escape her lips. "I am sorry for snapping at you. Please, accept my sincerest apologies."

"Why wouldn't I?" She adopted a grin. "Now, are there any other temper tantrums we have to deal with?"

The alicorn shot her a miffed look. "No."

-~-

Sky laid back on the bed, propped up against the wall and writing in her notebook. It wasn't as if she wanted to be on the bed, with guilt eating at her gut like a worm in an apple. She'd much rather offer it to Donevyn, but that possibility had closed quickly.

Soon after putting his stuff away, the stallion laid on the floor, curling up and doing his best to appear asleep. He kept his body still, but despite wrapping himself up in a blanket, his breathing was still visibly forced. His muscles were tensed, and on his face rested a deep scowl.

A knock rapped on her door.

"What is it?" Sky asked, putting down her quill.

"It's Twilight," came the muffled voice. "Do you want to get anything to eat with Luna and I?"

Sky looked at her stomach, almost seeing the empty pit that resided there. She hadn't eaten since morning, and the dried apple in her bags were starting to grow old. But Donevyn took up the entire floor. Nope.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

"How about Donevyn?" Twilight asked.

An ear flicked on his head, the pace of his breathing fluctuating.

"He's asleep," Sky lied.

"Oh, okay." Twilight voice fell. "Alright then, we'll see you guys later."

Sky held her breath as the hoofsteps diminished into nothing, as nothing but the tone of the city could be heard through the window. With a sigh, she ran a hoof through her hair, pursing her lips together. A period of silence sat in the room, Donevyn stirring occasionally.

"I know you're awake," Sky claimed.

Donevyn twitched and grumbled, nosing his muzzle further into the blanket. His tail swept over the floor.

"Come on, can't we just talk?" she plead. "I'm... I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I just, y'know, I got ahead of myself and forgot what I was saying. I got carried away a bit."

Donevyn finally gave up his guise, lifting his head up and staring at her. His eyes were lackluster and decaying, his youth and energy seemingly gone. He didn't even appear angry, only tired and sad. There was no will to do anything else. He simply laid there and glared at her, blinking every so often.

Sky swallowed hard. "Okay, so I went way too far. Way, way too far. I mean, I only tease you because you're my friend. Like, I don't know... Luna and Twilight are nice and all, but I don't trust them enough yet. I really don't know them too well to feel comfortable joking like that." She yielded to Donevyn's stare, casting her gaze to the floor. "I thought you could handle, well, me," she snorted at that, "although I really shouldn't have gone that far. I never meant to make you mad. I'm sorry."

Donevyn's zombie eyes kept on her, more still than he had been during his slumber.

Sky felt like she was shrinking, her voice falling faster than her heart. "What do you want? I– I'm really sorry about this. I was being dumb, I was a total featherbrain, okay? If I could go back and take back what I said, I would. But I can't."

"I know." Donevyn gave a tiny nod. He sighed, putting his head back down on the floor and closing his eyes.

-~-

Luna sat down on the bed, looking through the parchment spread out before her. "So, you have compiled all of our knowledge on this world, in these few days alone?" She looked up to Twilight, who was making use of the basin.

"Yup!" she replied, using a spell to dry her face.

"Interesting," Luna murmured as she hoofed a page closer. She hummed for a moment, eyes turning into a squint. "Have you added to this recently? I do not see any mention of Iezno or Succubus' Snare."

Twilight shook her head as she crossed the empty floor, hopping up onto the bed beside Luna. "No, I haven't. Between you getting hurt and traveling here, I haven't had much time to write anything else down."

"I see." Luna turned to another page. "It begs the question though, why take the time to write it down anyway? Quick notes are one thing, while this is all rather... in-depth."

"I mean, I like note taking. It's, well, calming for me." Twilight admitted sheepishly. "I've been thinking though, maybe this can help us."

"Us?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Well, you mentioned before that each plane has a waypoint. Waypoints that sometimes discharge energy and paranormal events, and that if we find it we can both return to Equestria." Twilight picked up the sheets of parchment in her magic and held them in the air before them, spread out like a messy bulletin board. "Perhaps being so in-depth would be useful when we're trying to find out where this waypoint is. Having this information might be helpful when we're trying to connect the dots and figure this out."

Luna turned to her and smiled. "Of course, Twilight, that is very thoughtful indeed! I suppose the chore of maintaining this may pay dividends in the end." She chuckled. "Oh dear, it sounds as if we're trying to create an encyclopedia of sorts. What would we call it? Perhaps ‘The Moon and the Stars' Encyclopedia to Anarkhos’, hmm? A fun little play off that blasted sigilbearer nonsense."

"Could we?" Twilight asked excitedly. "I mean, this a world that nopony like us has seen before! We have a chance to create a very objective reference on the continent, for everypony to read and learn from!" She caught herself, lowering her voice before it could be heard down the hall. "Besides, I've always wanted to write an encyclopedia."

Luna blinked. "Twilight, I think you misunderstood. The encyclopedia comment was merely–"

"Don't sell yourself short, Luna. I think it's a wonderful idea."

"No, Twilight, I mean–"

"Just think! It's uncertain if anypony has written a well-made reference text here, and if we end up traveling a lot, then we can compile an encyclopedia for all ponies to read." She clapped her hooves together.

"Twilight, while I do find the idea of educating the masses to be beneficial–"

"Of course!" Twilight nearly bounced into the ceiling. "Our neutral perspective should be used as well! It can't be a simple recounting of facts and figures, we should include some analysis and interpretation too."

"What?! No!" Luna shook her head. "No, that is not what We–" she grumbled and sighed," that is not what I meant. The whole idea was a joke, Twilight. I doubt we could have the time to undertake such a task, nevermind with all that we must do to find a way home. Between traveling and this whole diplomatic chore, along with finding the waypoint, where would we fit writing an entire encyclopedia? I cannot think of this as a good plan."

"Oh," Twilight deflated, head dropping and eyes falling. "I mean, maybe you're right. I'm– I'm sorry, I just got excited and well, you know. I like reading and learning, and I thought if I could help other ponies do the same, that'd be a way to help this world." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. You're right, it was a dumb idea."

Luna sighed again, rubbing her forehead with a hoof. Her gut twisted inside like an unsure knot, with chills of guilt running down her body.

"I shouldn't have been such a foal about it," Twilight lamented. "I got too far ahead of myself without taking in all the variables and forces that could affect us. Maybe when I'm older and graying. I didn't even bother to ask what you thought, again, and I just rushed to what I wanted to do. I'm sorry for being so selfish and–"

"Stop." Luna held up her hoof. "You were not being selfish... You were simply being yourself, Twilight, and I cannot fault you for that. Perhaps..." the words came out of her mouth as if they had to be wrenched from her vocal chords, "if you promise to keep the entries short, and keep it lower on your list of priorities, and especially not do anything dangerous or foolish to find out something new..." She sighed once again, still fighting to rationalize this in her head. "Perhaps you can do this. But it must be something small and to the side. Is that clear?"

Twilight perked up, a blazoning smile plastered on her face. "Of course!" she exclaimed, crushing Luna in a hug.

Front legs bound at her sides, Luna tried her best to shrug and remain unswayed. "G– good." She kept her chin raised, too skittish to rest it on top of Twilight's head. "Remember, do not do anything unwise in a gamble for more knowledge. A few passages in an unfinished book is not worth as much as you are."

Twilight released her barely, looking up to her and nodding with that goofy grin still there. "I promise," she assured her. "Thanks." Twilight nuzzled her chest.

Luna skin crawled in a not-entirely unpleasant way. Her chest tightened up where it had been touched. "You are welcome," she managed with a curt nod. "Now, it is getting late, and this bed is looking like a perfect retreat. I think I shall get some sleep."

"Okay," Twilight replied with another smile. "I'll probably work on this a bit longer." She stacked the parchment together and transferred them into her bags. "Thanks again, Luna."

Luna gulped. "Of course." Turning around, she crawled up to the head of the bed, slipped under its blankets, and tried to get as comfortable as possible. It had been too long since she consciously slept in a bed, and she'd be damned if she’d let anything, even... whatever it was that had just happened, get in her way. With a long exhale, she set her head down on a pillow and closed her eyes.

It felt like a blink, because the next thing she knew she was awake, eyes open again, with the obnoxious golden light of dawn coming in through the window. With a groan, she clenched her eyelids shut and pressed her face into the pillow. No! Not yet!

As she laid there, unsuccessfully trying to batter down the gates of sleep, something peculiar entered her senses. It was a peculiar sound, one she couldn't place. As much as she tried to ignore it, it eventually got the best of her curiosity and forced her up.

Looking around from her bed, Luna saw nothing. But the sound persisted. With an inner whine, she pushed aside the blankets and stepped onto the floor. Rounding the bed, she could barely stop her snickers.

Twilight had fallen asleep in the middle of her writing, using a stack of parchment as a pillow. Even worse, however, is that her quill was resting on her face. While it was now dry, apparently it was not at the time of unconsciousness. A line of ink-stain ran down from a blotch on her face. She snored all the same, rustling a few idle pages in front of her.

Luna tried to hide her smile as she approached her. "Twilight?" She poked her in the side. With only a grumble in reply, she tried again. "Twilight, wake up."

Twilight's soft snoring halted. She laid still for a moment, before blinking her eyes open. With a lazy crawl of her eyes, she eventually met Luna's and sighed. Sitting up, she rubbed the unstained side of her face while her quill fell off the other.

"What... Is it morning already? I– I swear I wanted to rest my eyes for only a few seconds."

"Tell me about it," Luna agreed, looking down at her. "Now, I believe you will want to wash up."

"Huh?" Twilight yawned. "Didn't I just do that last night?"

"Well, yes, but it appears you may have misplaced your quill."

"Hmm? Why would that matter?" Realization dawned on her like a falling piano. "Oh, damn the stars, how bad is it?"

Luna frowned.

"Right, sorry." Twilight stood up and lit her horn. A pane of magic appeared before her, imbued properties causing it to reflect light. "Oh no no no! I look so dumb! If only I had some of that makeup Rarity gave me after last time!"

"Last time?" Luna asked with a giggle, standing by as Twilight dashed to the wash basin. "How many times has this occurred?"

"We're not talking about that." Twilight sunk her face into the basin, before coming back up to gasp for air. Scrubbing furiously at her face with her magic mirror hovering on the wall, it seemed her work was in vain. The stain barely faded.

"No!" Twilight cried, falling back onto her haunches. She hung her head. "This isn't fair!"

Luna came up beside her and draped a friendly wing over her. "It'll be fine. Nopony will notice it."

"What?" Twilight gawked, turning to her. "It's a bucking line of black ink running down my face! See!?" She pulled on her cheek.

Luna sighed, but not without the trace of a grin. "I wouldn't have guessed you to be so caught up in your appearance. Spending a lot of time with your designer friend, are we?" Twilight huffed and made to respond, but Luna was quicker on the draw. "Come, let's go have a look around Lobos. Perhaps we can find you some shampoo."

Minutes later they closed their door as they exited, both with their saddlebags strapped around them. Luna approached Donevyn and Sky's room, alerting them with a knock.

"Spotted Sky? Donevyn? Are you in there?" No reply.

Another knock. "Sky? Donevyn?" Nothing again.

"Hmm, I suppose it is a little early." Luna turned to the other mare. "Shall we go then, Twilight?"

After a long-winded series of directions from one of the maids, along with a few detours and dead-ends, the pair managed to exit the castle. The day was a fair one, with the morning sun shining along in the sky, the temperature warm and the sea breeze just starting to move in. The city fully awake by the time they left the courtyard, heading down the labyrinth of streets while vainly trying to follow the directions they were given.

"Excuse me," Twilight asked a nearby stallion, who was standing beside a crude wagon full of cabbages, "do you know where the market is?"

The stallion gaped at her, eyes fixed on her horn. "Uh, yeah, I– uh, I know where it is." He quickly righted himself, looking down the street. "If you keep going down this way, it should be down a small street to your left. You can't miss it, uh, miss."

"Thank you!" Twilight smiled and joined up with Luna. The alicorn gave her a smirk as they merged back into the hoof traffic. "What?"

"See, he did not even notice your little ink-mark," she responded. "I think you're making this seem worse than it is."

"No, he was looking at my horn the entire time." Twilight rolled her eyes. "Like, hello, I'm down here!"

Luna chuckled. "Well, it appears unicorns don't exist here. It's only natural that they're curious."

"I guess."

"You guess?" Luna scoffed. "Twilight, you are the pony who, if I heard correctly, exploded a hyperarcanic glyph in her face trying to figure out its hidden auxiliary properties. You of all ponies should know that they are entropic and arbitrary, and have no fixed property."

Twilight sighed. "Okay, in my defense, I was testing out a theory."

"In your defense?" Luna laughed. "You have only furthered my point."

"I– ugh!" Twilight glared at her. "It was different, okay! I was intrigued about magic and he was just staring at my–"

"Magic horn?" Luna offered.

"Yes– no! I was observing and he was– I was trying to learn something and he–" She stomped her hooves in frustration. "This isn't fair! You know it was different."

"I do?" Luna gave her a grin. "Oh, yes, I remember. You are simply sore that I am right. Do you really not like being beat at logic, at your own game?" She nudged her with a shoulder while they walked. "Have you grown soft in Ponyville, Twilight? Is an agricultural town too easy for you?"

"You're insufferable sometimes."

"I've been told as much."

They walked in silence through the street, swept up in the movements of the crowd and their roaring murmurs, accented by cries and calls of vendors. Luna looked for the market, but the wall of shops and buildings seemed to go on forever.

"Hey, look at that!" Twilight nudged her and pointed off to their right. "It's that water sage library Donevyn was talking about."

"It is," Luna stated as they walked closer.

"Do you think we could go inside for awhile?"

"What?” Luna nearly stopped, mouth hanging open. “But I thought you wanted to get shampoo first?"

"Well, yeah," Twilight shrugged. "But it won't take long, I promise! I just want to look around."

"Right." Luna gave her a skeptical look. "Are you even sure that we can get inside? It looks rather private and restricted. There isn't a single pony in the courtyard."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to ask, right?"

"Twilight, I do not believe–"

"Please," Twilight plead. "Maybe we'll find something that will help us find the waypoint?"

Luna pursed her lips, staring off into the world ahead. After a few moments, she sighed. "Fine."

"Really?" Twilight's ears perked up. "Great! Come on, let's go!"

"Twilight!" Luna complained as she dipped through the traffic to follow her. On numerous occasions she nearly lost her, only to find that purple mane sticking up somewhere ahead.

Panting for air, she finally caught up with her just before the library doors. Four gigantic stallions waited there, dressed in blue robes. Unfortunately, it seemed Twilight had already begun talking to them.

"Oh, yes, this is my horn," she explained. "It's an evolution of our homeland, which allows us to pick up smaller objects and move them around." She turned to Luna, who was gasping for breath. "Oh, Luna, there you are! See, let me demonstrate."

Before Luna could comprehend, she was hefted off the ground, limbs flailing as she was caught by surprise.

"Twilight!" she hissed. "Put me down!"

"Oh, right." With a grin, she set her back down and turned to the guards. "So, you see, we're here on official Hurras business. Is there any way we could get inside?"

"I'm afraid not," one of them spoke, but their low hoods made it difficult to detect which. "Seeing as you're from Hurras, unless you are here for the wind sages, I cannot allow you to enter. The Sfaíra Sofía is accessible for orders of sages only."

"Oh, we are." Twilight opened her saddlebags, pilfering through them.

Luna looked at her. "Twilight, we are? I thought–"

"Here it is, Archsage Gale's seal." Twilight unfurled their documentation, a decree of their ambassadorial duties from the Hurrassian King. True enough, the red wax seal was pressed at the bottom.

The water sages looked between themselves for a moment, and then one nodded. "Forgive me, Miss..."

"Sparkle."

The stallion coughed. "Yes. Forgive me, Miss Sparkle. You and your servant may enter."

With a quick series of knocks on the doors, they opened to the clinking of chains and pulleys.

"Thank you." Twilight stepped inside, with Luna trailing her.

-~-

Sleep didn't come so easily to Sky. She found the bed to be hard and lumpy, her skin boiling up under even her robes. This was a new sensation, one that certainly didn't help her sleep debt.

Much of the evening and early morning had been spent staring at the far wall, mixed with frequent peeks to check on Donevyn. Her mind could not stop in its cyclical, mental confessions, constantly trying to make up for her insensitivities. But no matter how hard she tried, clairvoyance would not come to her, Donevyn could not hear her silent pleas for forgiveness.

Eventually, her mind wearied herself out. The hamster wheel of worry had done its part, and with the droop of her eyelids did sleep finally overtake her. Like a spring being continually wound up, when it was finally released, nothing could stop it. Not even knocks on her door.

She awoke still slumped against the wall, sitting upright as she had most of the night. Midday rays came in through the window. Trying to look around, pain seized her neck from a nasty crook, and as she soon discovered, most of her body was torn with aches and pains. She hardly felt rested at all, as if the running in her nightmares had been real. Her hair was frazzled, mouth dry, and lips cracked.Her robe stuck to her skin, kept by a mixture of sweat and the grime that had been acquired over their trip.

She looked over her clothing. Flecks of dirt and mud had long since dried on it, grass stains and discolorations littering it like a junkyard. The long slice along her flank still went unmended, the dried and barely-washed stain of blood living on like a parasite in a hagfish. She rose a foreleg up to her face and gave her sleeve a sniff.

Nausea gripped her stomach like a clenched fist, forcing Sky to roll over and off the bed, as much as her neck protested. She pulled her robe off, and carefully walking around Donevyn, nearly dove into the wash basin. Sinking her face under, she held it there and closed her eyes, relishing the cool touch of water against her sickly skin.

She rose back and shook her head, wiping her eyes as a breath flowed out. Her body still felt like it was crawling, but in the very least something was clean. Clean-ish.

Turning around she found Donevyn awake, looking up at her with ambiguity. They locked eyes for seconds on end, occasionally blinking. Terror clasped on Sky, freezing her vocal chords as, for one of the few times she could remember, she couldn't say a word.

"I was thinking of going to the baths today," Donevyn stated quietly. "...If it's really that bad, maybe you would like to go?"

"I– I–" Sky failed to comprehend how she even felt. "Yes?" The word popped out of her mouth like oil from a hot pan.

Donevyn nodded, shrugging his blanket off and rising to his hooves. "Well, let's go then."

The palace baths, one of its three in fact, was a wide, expansive room, with a communal pool of water in the middle. A fountain in the center bubbled and spouted merrily, sprinkling its few inhabitants.

Sky dipped her hoof in, finding the chill to give her second thoughts. Beside her, Donevyn plowed in, wading into the bath until it reached his chest. Sky watched as he marched onward, not stopping until he reached the other side.

With redoubled effort, Sky stuck one hoof in. Then another, and another, until she was nearly fetlock-deep. A happy flutter lifted her heart, until it sunk again. Three more steps waited for her descent, the water lapping hungrily against her legs. Why? she languished.

Donevyn appeared to be asleep by the time Sky reached him. He sat on a raised floor, back against the wall with his head resting on the ledge. His demeanor had calmed, seemingly more at rest than when he was asleep on the floor.

After overcoming her previous challenge with dying colors, it gave Sky the small boost to venture onwards.

"Are you feeling better?" She sat down beside him.

"Much." Donevyn kept his eyes closed, voice humming with contentment.

"That's, er, good." Sky cringed as the words scraped against the roof of her mouth.

"My mom always used to say I loved the water. Whenever she was washing clothes, she said I would try to climb into the bucket." He sighed. "I probably couldn't though. I heard I was a chubby foal."

Sky giggled. "Aw, I can imagine." She smiled and let the conversation draw silent, before realization screamed inside her head. "I mean, not that you're chubby now or anything and I didn't mean it like that and it's just something y'know because chubby foals are cute but but but I didn't mean that like..." she sighed. "I'm sorry."

Donevyn shook his head and grinned. "It's fine. It's nice to see you stumble every once in awhile."

Sky felt herself warm up, so she sank lower to the water and hid behind her hair.

"Then again, my mother liked to stretch the truth. She was probably just trying to embarrass me in front of my friends."

The acolyte snorted in laughter. "So does everypony in Konik know you as a chubby foal?"

"Hmm? Oh no, I was born and raised in Neilun, right along the southern border."

Chills lanced down Sky's spine. Even fillies and colts with a smidge of history in their brains would remember that name. It was the first town razed by Psuchros as they marched into Hurras only fifteen years before. It the memorial of a heroic last stand, the community a shell of what it once was.

"Don't worry," Donevyn spoke as the silence drew on, "I don't remember it, I was asleep. The roof of our cottage collapsed, and Kazius found me after the raiding party moved on."

"I'm so sorry," Sky dropped her voice to a gentle murmur, but no matter what it never sounded right. She put a hoof on his shoulder. "Is your mom or dad..."

"Dad was a retired courser, leading the local militia. Mom served under Leszek in her younger days." He opened his eyes, looking down at his chest where he tapped a silver pendant. "Somepony in her family fought alongside Svetovid too, all those years ago. Neither of them were afraid of fighting, I guess."

Sky took a deep breath. "So, were they–"

"Kazius took me in as a ward of the court."

"Oh." Sky fell silent, drawing her hoof away as the fountain splashed in the background. Way to go, featherbrain.

-~-

Life was good for Twilight Sparkle.

"Come along, servant," she commanded in sing-song. "We have a lot of reading ahead of us."

"Twilight, I swear by the moon, I will make you pay dearly for this." Luna was hobbled by the bulging bags on her sides, made bulky by scrolls and manuscripts to the point where walking became an obnoxious chore. The unicorn had taken the guards' earlier mistake to heart, knowing Luna was defenseless against her without her magic. Before the alicorn could think, texts were being magically slipped into her bags.

But that was just the beginning of her good fortune. Did anypony mention that there was a huge library full of information she didn't even know yet? All the delicious facts and dates to be processed, history to ingest, and theories to taste. The interior of the Sfaíra Sofía was a giant chamber of marble and sun-stone, the walls lined with shelves of manuscripts and books, while the stand-alone racks that populated the center held yet more diction. She could've almost drooled when she entered.

"Twilight, I refuse to go one step further." Luna sat herself on the very spot, like a defiant puppy on a leash. "We have enough scrolls as it is, and these bags are beginning to rub harshly against my legs. Now, please, let us go find somewhere to read in peace and quiet." She looked to her sides. "And so I may take these atrocities off."

"But can I just get one more?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No." Luna gave her a flat stare.

"Ugh, fine," Twilight grumbled. She glanced down one of the aisles, spotting a table some distance away. "Come on."

Luna sighed in relief once they finally came to a stop, undoing her straps and placing her bags on the floor. Before she could even take a seat on one of the low cushions, Twilight was pilfering through them and removing several texts.

Next came parchment from her own bags, along with the quills and an inkwell gained in Konik. Luna couldn't even get in a word edgewise before Twilight began her feast.

"I took mainly reference and general history texts, if you're wondering," she explained, already skimming through a book. "Here, there were a bunch of copies of these. I think it'd help to read one of them first." She passed a thin, bound manuscript to Luna, and took one for herself.

The alicorn posed a question, but her voice already began to fade away into murmurs as Twilight began to read.

Time passed her by like leaves on the wind, the minutes and hours ticking along as she drank from the sweet chalice of knowledge. Tales of early ponies settling from their tribal lives, of princes rising and falling, of the plains nomads that lent their sword to the highest bidder. She could almost watch as innovation pushed the continent onward, as Silver Links the Trader and the Famsi brought stability to much of Anarkhos. Then the Cadacus rose, breaking a monopoly on iron, challenging the old empire.

With their Sacred Conquest complete, the Cadacus altered the calendar to start at the year of the total control. And then, to Twilight's horror, a black hole existed for a thousand years. Few records remained, with nothing major besides the Alpha Librae, their code of laws. It was, despite its major advancements in most facets of society, devoid of any record-keeping. Life went into the reign of the Cadacus barely knowing how to shape iron and support small towns, and came out with huge cities, steel, and an effective tax system. It was a bright, dark age.

Then, as it seems, the next records were of the Cadacus' dissolution, as twelve magistrates declared their independence, among them being Erhanos, Psuchros, Gerhille, and Tegrana. Of the five major states currently in place, it seemed that Hurras was the youngest, formed only five hundred years ago. Since then, it appeared to Twilight that the world had stagnated, refusing to budge towards innovation while constant strife and conflict bogged Anarkhos down.

"Twilight, for the love of the stars, will you listen to me?"

"Huh?" Twilight's concentration shattered, her book falling to the table. Well, not exactly the table, more like a pile of read books upon it. It was down there, somewhere.

"I have been trying to get your attention for the past minute." Luna very nearly rolled her eyes. "Is it always this bad?"

"What's bad?" Twilight shook her head, still clearing out her daze.

"This!" Luna flipped a book at her, which Twilight snatched out of the air with a gasp. "I have been calling your name for minutes, and yet it was as if you jammed those very pages into your ears."

Twilight cradled the abused book in her magic. "Be careful! You could've hurt it."

Luna laughed. "Twilight, listen to yourself. Your lust for rhetoric is so strong, I swear if a library were a stallion, he would sweep you off your hooves this very moment!"

Twilight huffed and flustered, averting her gaze anywhere close to Luna and crossed her forelegs over her chest. "What?! No. I mean, I'm not– wait, no!"

Luna let her laughter boil down, wiping her eyes. "Oh, fine. Regardless, I have found something you might want to see." She pointed at the book Twilight still held. "May I see that?"

Twilight eyed her but passed it all the same. Luna opened the book and flipped its pages before arriving at a specific passage. She pressed her hoof down upon it and waved the unicorn over.

"Look, here it reads: 'The firestorm erupted from the depths of Kvallholm, the capital of Tegrana, deep within the caverns below. The slums within the caves were destroyed completely, before it soon enraptured the entire city, burning much of its buildings until the Elder Circle could regain control. While it is thought to have started because of a small uprising during the Gray Winter Famine, the actual reason is unknown. Rumors varied wildly from Hurrassian saboteurs to the return of the mythological Tähtiekki...'

Twilight looked up at Luna. "You think this could be where the waypoint is?"

"Possibly." Luna tapped her chin as she scanned through the page. "We should keep an eye out for anything else suspicious in what we hear or read. I read up on Kvallholm while you were... away, and it appears that the city is atop a plateau. It is only accessible from two sides, the others being cliffs and bluffs full of caverns. It does not make sense how fire can climb a stone wall on its own."

Twilight's ears perked up. "Do you need me to go find some more material on Kvallholm?"

Luna relented and sighed. "Yes, unfortunately." She turned as Twilight scampered off. "But only what is completely necessary!"

-~-

Luna sighed, the large exhale soaring from her lips. She was here again, in the Umbra. The sweet, nostalgic feel of her old art studio, within the darkness below the horizon. Here she had created her stars and galaxies, swirling her nebulaic paints until pinpricks of light began to populate the skies. It had taken years to find this place, hours upon hours of meditation and experimentation with alicorn magic. Before the night had been companionless, with nothing but a moon to populate the void. But here, here she had created them. The tens upon tens of thousands, some so dim and tiny that not even modern telescopes could find them yet. But like a writer with her subliminal motifs, they were all there, carefully placed with a reason in mind.

The darkness enveloped her, with murmurs swirling around her head from gods of old. And yet, for no light present, she felt warm. She was as cozy and comfortable as she always was, within her own element. Without darkness the moon could not shine, so she was as much the former as the latter.

"Lunaaaaaa..." A whisper rose as the murmurs died away. This was new. No singular voice was ever distinguished, and the murmurs certainly never went silent.

"Lunaaa." Luna shifted and whined, confused as to why her safe house was changing. It wasn't supposed to change. It was hers. It was eternal.

"Luna." The voice faded in, distinction playing with her frontal lobe. Who is this? she asked herself. Reveal yourself. Why are you disrupting my home?

"Luna. Please, get up."

Twilight?

Opening her eyes, she found herself uncomfortably close to the unicorn. Twilight was lying on her back, gunning her down with a frantic look. That wasn't right. Luna closed her eyes and tried to forget about the dream fragment. She didn't know how she was able to return to the Umbra, but some interference from the dream plane above most likely added some interference.

"Luna!"

Snapping back into consciousness, Luna picked her head up. Twilight was little more than a hair's breadth away. The mare was biting her lip, staring at something beneath them.

"Could you please get up?"

Luna furrowed her brow and followed Twilight's line of vision. Her heart nearly leapt out as she discovered herself hugging a lavender foreleg. A quick approximation told her that her head probably rested on the poor mare's chest.

Oh fates, smite me with meteor.

"Bwah!" Luna shrieked in a most unregal manner, her voice hitting a high pitch that had once died away under Canterlot rule. She rolled away, misjudging the available space, and landed on the floor with a dull thump.

Luna scrabbled and hopped up onto her hooves, mouth gaping at words that simply would not come. Fidgeting and flapping her wings as anxiety threatened to overwhelm her, she stood there with her jaw moving like a fish out of water. The seconds rolled along like tumbleweed, until a guttural, low tone came from her chest, pitching upwards until it reached a squeak. Millennia of decorum collapsed like an old wall, sending dust everywhere.

"What was," Twilight began, still rooted to her spot.

"You you you– you... you..." the word tumbled out of Luna’s mouth continuously, like a waterwheel that never quite stopped moving. "You never..." She exhaled in chopped segments. "...Never said you would sleep in the– with yourself and thus I was mistaken about the– but you did not– I did not know–" She gestured wildly with her hooves. "You were engrossed in your notes and I went to– I thought you were– but I assure you I did not know. I was mistaken."

"Didn't know what?" Twilight still held the uncomfortable stare she had before. "I said you could sleep on the bed." As the silence slowly ticked by, her mouth slowly morphed into an "o". "Did you think I was giving up my spot for you?"

Glimpsing the reins on her runaway cart of emotions, Luna nodded meekly. "Perhaps I was naïve. I do not know all the social customs of your generation."

Twilight shook her head. "I should've clarified. It's my fault. I assumed you were okay with sharing, but," she rubbed her cuddled leg, "maybe I should've asked first."

"It– it is fine. It is not that I mind sharing, it is that, well..." Luna pursed her lips, searching the floor for the right word to say.

"What?" Twilight asked, tilting her head.

Luna chewed at her lip. "It is that I... I– I..."

"Luna." Twilight drew the alicorn’s gaze to her. "What is it?"

The midnight mare closed her eyes. Her chest puffing up, she let a long breath escape her lips. "I have been told I, well..." her eyes flipped open, connecting with Twilight's before fleeing to the wall. "In my youth, I enjoyed the warmth of nearby ponies while I slept. It appears I still haven't broken the habit, and when there is a pony nearby, I... grow close."

Twilight only grew more perplexed. "You what? Do you cuddle or something?"

Luna's mouth hung open as she scrambled for an answer. "Yes? Maybe. I– I do not know, I have not– this is not an often occurrence. It is why I prefer sleeping alone. This is much too embarrassing." She sighed and hung her head. "I am sorry."

Twilight smiled and looked up to the ceiling. She began to chuckle as if she couldn't believe her ears. "So, Princess Luna is a snuggler, is that it?"

"I– I– I never said such a thing!" Luna flared.

Twilight rolled her eyes back down to her. "Sure, sure."

"I am speaking the truth! I was neither aware of your intentions, nor was I cognizant while asleep." Her fires began to fade as she shuffled her hooves. "And besides, it does not count. I was unaware of my actions."

"Fine, whatever." Twilight stretched her forelegs high above her head with a yawn. "You're such a goof sometimes."

Before Luna could offer a rebuttal, a knock came from the door.

"Ambassadors?"

Both of their heads swiveled to the entrance. "Yes?" Luna called.

"His Majesty will be expecting you both shortly," a maid informed them.

Luna's eyes rose, a hoof wafting through her bird's nest of a mane. "We shall be outside shortly. Thank you, miss."

Twilight scrambled through the blankets and onto the floor, both of them meeting at the wash basin. "Crap!" Twilight whispered as she summoned a magical mirror. "I forgot that was today!"

Luna pushed her wetted hooves through her hair. "I must admit, the date slipped my mind as well. Perhaps we shouldn't have stayed so late reading texts."

Twilight hit back Luna's leer with one of her own. "You enjoyed it too. But really, what are we going to say? Do we need to say anything important? Like any intelligent political speech or read each other like chess players?"

Luna applied a few final touches on her shoddy job. "I doubt it. Forget your novels and their dramatizations. Simply follow my lead, Twilight. I have dealt with slick rulers before. While it has been a while, I do believe I still have a knack at this sort of thing."

Twilight looked up from the basin, rubbing a dab of shampoo into her cheeks. "Wait, how long has it been since you've taken up diplomatic duties?"

Luna waved a hoof as she turned for the door. "Oh, only eleven-hundred years, Twilight. But I was rather good at it, I'd like to think. An old mare doesn't forget her tricks so easily."

Author's Note:

TheLastBrunnenG did his proofreading powers on this "monster of a chapter".

Thanks to Macho Madness and Fuzzyfurvert for putting up with my incessant questions while I wrote this, and to PocoRitardo for motivating *cough*nagging*cough* me.

Comments

[SciGuy]

I forget if this was addressed already, but regarding Luna's "eleven-hundred years" comment - was she awake and aware during her time on the moon? Some fics have it one way, others the other, so I'd thought it best to clarify

[Pillbug]

This is what you call a monster chapter? lolwat

[Irrelevant]

Always a great read. Thanks for the chapter!

4479280
Well it was in quotes and it is the largest chapter in the story so far.

[Coronet the lesser]

Excellent work as per usual. That was a monster to read.

Great description though. Excellent world building and some nice glimpses of TwiLuna. Got a real Constantinople feel from Lobos.

This is easily one of the most interesting and expansive fics on the site.

[Nebula1701]

Very very nice!

that city is huge!

[Asheram]

"Millennia of decorum collapsed like an old wall, sending dust everywhere." Hahahaha! Well written! Very well written!