Chapter 1
Twenty five minutes and sixteen seconds.
Luna looked out at her star filled sky from her balcony above Canterlot. By all appearances it was just another calm, cool evening, with no pressing matters that would require her attention. The citizenry all went about their last tasks of the day, many sitting down for a meal with their families, only a bare few paying even the smallest attention to the stars overhead.
There had been a lot of these nights since she returned, calm evenings without fright or worry. Back before she’d… before everything, it had been her charge to protect them from the dangers that lurked in the night. Discord’s reign was stopped, but his corrupted touch had left a stain upon the land in the form of monsters that terrorized the ponies. They still existed, Celestia had not pushed them to extinction, but they were no longer the threat they had once been, relegated to small areas away from most pony populations.
It was her second duty, that of Dream Warden, that took much of her time now. And, if she were honest, it had a far more positive effect on her public image. Ponies would wake up the next day and tell their loved ones about their dream and how Luna had appeared, protecting them or showing them some truth or another. Less exciting and dangerous than battling an owlbear, for sure, but somehow more satisfying all the same.
At first, Celestia had chuckled when Luna told her, but that quickly turned sour. Regrets, it seemed, would never be far when they spent much time together. No matter the topic, it always led back to events of the past and what they’d done, or failed to do. Perhaps one day it might have gotten better, perhaps they would have found the strength to forgive themselves as they’d forgiven each other. It was a nice thought at least.
Luna focused on the star, running the calculations through her head once again.
Twenty minutes and forty-two seconds.
Her horn was lit up, just barely enough to bath her muzzle in its soft blue light but no more. The moon was not in it’s proper place, far too close to the horizon for the time of night. Celestia hadn’t noticed, but that was excusable for today. She had much more important matters to attend, and the moon would not be visible from the archives.
The letter from Twilight had caught both princesses off guard, as much for its contents as to whom it was addressed.
Dear Princess Luna,
I hope this does not come off as presumptuous, the night sky is yours to do with as you wish, but I was curious about the extra star you seem to have added to the Huntress. It seems out of place.
Your Friend,
Twilight Sparkle
Luna had been dumbfounded at first, then both her sister and she went to look at the night sky, and there it was, a single small star just visible behind the Huntress’ bow.
The next twenty four hours were uncomfortable as worry bore into Luna and kept her from sleep. If only it had stayed that way. The next setting of Celestia’s sun once again revealed the tiny star, only it had moved. Not much, about a quarter of a hoof’s width, but the implications were dire.
Luna turned away from the sky, glancing back at her apartments, a small, sad smile on her lips. They were nearly identical to her old rooms back in the Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters. Celestia must have spent weeks combing the rubble to recover her things, little trinkets and baubles that Luna had collected as a filly. The amount of energy she must have spent to preserve them for a thousand years… it was mind boggling.
She let a single tear fall from her eye, unobstructed until it splashed upon the marble floor. Her sister loved her, even at her worst, even when she’d threatened the safety of the entire world, she’d loved her and forgiven her. Would she find the strength to forgive her again? Luna hoped so, hoped the letter was enough.
Luna turned back to the star, fifteen minutes: ten seconds.
She waited calmly, counting down the time. The math had been easy, it always was for her. How Celestia had managed without her, she’d never know.
Luna waited still, putting it off until the last possible second. But math does not lie, nor does it bend to anypony’s will. For three days she ran the calculations again and again, checking her work over and over. This was it, she could not wait any longer.
Three.
Two.
One.
Luna’s horn brightened and her wafting mane rippled as her connection to the moon reached it’s apex.
She was the moon.
Most of their little ponies did not truly understand their connection with the sun and moon. They believed it was not but a matter of power, as with the unicorns of old, but that wasn’t quite right. They were bound to their charge, much as a craftspony was bound to their craft. It went deeper, however. It was the source of their immortality. The moon and sun were a part of them no less than the horn on her head or the wings on her back. It was something they never discussed, even between each other, it never seemed relevant. After all, what force could hope to threaten the sun or moon that could not more easily threaten their bodies.
The moon began to move, slowly at first but with gathering speed.
It hadn’t taken long for them to discover the truth of the star, she’d known almost immediately, but verifications had to be done. From there, Twilight was called in and the two of them set about running the initial calculations while Celestia began researching possible countermeasures. That was two weeks ago. They’d found nothing. There were no magics powerful enough. Even the Elements of Harmony would be useless. Three days ago, Luna had come to understand what was necessary and left them to their research.
It was obvious to her. She was the only one who could stop it. Oh, Celestia could do much the same, but that would cause it’s own problems. It was algebraic really, when presented with two unacceptable outcomes, one must choose the lesser of the two. In this case, there were three outcomes. One would be wholly unacceptable and could be written off at once. The second was no less abhorrent, what use was saving the world if you doomed it in the process? No, this was the only viable option. There would still be fallout, the tides would never recover, but life would go on, and that’s all that truly mattered in the end.
The moon was getting smaller as Luna’s horn burned brighter. A second corona appeared and her eyes closed on reflex. A third corona soon overwhelmed her horn, her mane, normally so calm, now a flag ripping in a wind storm. She inhaled one last breath. Her battle cry shook the mountain, an avalanche falling from the mighty peak.
It had been nice while it lasted.