Prologue - The Break of Day

“Good evening, Tia.” Luna smiled, adjusting her tiara with her magic. “Art thou ready for our changeover?”

Celestia gave her a smile, but there was something different about it. Something strange about the sparkle in those blossom-pink eyes. Celestia sat on her stack of cushions, all warm yellows and oranges, and her horn illuminated yellow. Not, as Luna was expecting, to lower the sun, but to take the tiara from her head. She stared at it for a long moment, turning it over in front of her, before abruptly cutting off her hold, letting it clatter to the stone floor. “Perhaps.”

“Long day?” Ignoring her own seat, Luna settled down immediately in front of her sister, offering a sympathetic smile. “But last week, we had the most dreadful night. We felt it would never end, and when it finally did, well, we-”

“We have been thinking, Luna.” Celestia said, staring down at her crown where it lay on the ground.

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Aren’t we being unfair to our little ponies?”

Luna frowned - she certainly hadn’t been expecting that. Of course, they couldn’t be fair all the time; every pony in Equestria brought their problems to the duo. They made the best decision they could every time, but they couldn’t possibly know everything, know the perfect way forward, whatever the ponies might think. “Perhaps sometimes. But we both know that we-”

“Not in that way.” She shook her head, her sparkling pink mane flowing about her neck. Celestia looked up to her sister, who met her gaze with the warmest smile she could muster, a gesture to go on. “The night is full of terrors. All the remnants of the Spirit’s reign.”

“We suppose we could have the guard doing more to stamp out these dangers. Umbral has already stepped up patrols in the areas surrounding the palace, after-”

“But the day is safe, isn’t it?” Abruptly, Celestia stood, pacing to the mosaic on the far side of the room, leaving her shoes behind one at a time. This was their preferred meeting room when they changed from night to day and day to night, and it was decorated appropriately. The mosaic she studied divided the room in two, one half depicting the bright blue sky, Celestia watching over it, the other the myriad stars of Luna’s night. “Nobody fears our day. They love our day.”

Luna felt a pang in her chest, one forehoof unconsciously moving to it. She had thought this way, too. Nobody loved her night the way they should, they either slept through it or feared the things in the shadow. Yes, she admitted to herself, she was jealous of Celestia, sometimes. She wished that entire cities would come together to celebrate her, to sing and dance under her perfect moon. “Well, they-”

“Don’t you think it would be better,” Celestia continued, walking to the half of the room decorated in darkness. The mosaic mural depicted a sleepy town, lamplight shining in windows and ponies curled in their sleep. Her horn glowed softly. “If they never had to fear the night again?” A beam of energy emerged from her horn, making Luna flinch. It burned into the mosaic, carving a streak of black through the sleeping town. “If they never had to sleep?” The beam abruptly turned, moving up, halting in place on the moon. As it held there, the beautiful white disc was slowly burned over and obscured. Luna scrambled to her hooves, not knowing what she planned, but wanting to do something to stop her sister. “If the day were to last forever?” The taller alicorn turned to face her, smiling wide. Her eyes were flecked with deep, opalescent orange, and embers licked at the edge of her mane.

“Celestia, stop this!” Luna stomped loudly with one forehoof. “Lower the sun, now, and we will have the physician give you a look over. Thou art clearly not feeling thyself.”

“You’re afraid, aren’t you? Yes, you’re afraid. You don’t want our little ponies to be happy. You fear the sun. Only monsters cower in the dark. Are you a monster?”

“Tia…” The anger had vanished from Luna’s voice, replaced with hurt.

“There’ll be no more monsters under my eternal sun!” She shouted, turning back to the mosaic, horn aglow. “My children will be safe and free!” Her mane was licked with flame at the edges, burning brighter and brighter as she ranted. “They won’t fear the sunset ever again! For the sun will never set!”

As her sister ranted, Luna had been slowly backing away, eyes wide with fear and shock. Her back touched the wooden door of the room, and she whipped it open with her magic, dashing back into the corridor and slamming it behind her.

“Is everything well, Princess Luna?” One of Celestia’s guards, a pegasus stallion in gilded armour, stopped beside her. He cocked his head curiously, bags under his eyes from a long shift and Celestia’s ranting still clearly audible through the door.

“M-My,” she stopped, cleared her throat, tried to keep her voice from trembling. “Our sister is not feeling herself. Please, alert the physician and the guards. We shall try to calm her down.”

“Aye, your majesty.” He trotted off down the echoing corridor, leaving Luna to catch her breath, and stare at the ranting and raving behind the door.

The ranting stopped in the chamber. That scared Luna. Pressing an ear against the door, she could only hear the hum of magic, and the crackling of flame. The guards would be there soon, with the physician. She had to go inside, as much as she dreaded what she might see. So she raised one hoof to push the door open, calling for her sister as she did.

“Tia? Are you alright?”

The pony that looked back was not her sister. Yes, her snow-white coat was the same, but her sparkling, pink mane and tail were entirely consumed by lapping fire. Her jewelry had grown, her tiara becoming a helmet, her necklace a breastplate, and her shoes greaves. The whites of her eyes were coal-black, surrounding slit-pupiled, burning topazes. Even her cutie mark had changed, her flank around it stained orange as though the sun was aflame. She gave a fanged smile, her horn consumed in a fiery aura, and Luna’s half of the mosaic covering the room was burned entirely black.

“Isn’t my sun beautiful?” She grinned, turning back to the window. “And it’ll never have to set again.”

“Tia,” Luna said, forcing her voice not to shake. “We’re worried about you. We just want you to sit down, and breathe, and wait for the physician to come. OK?” Celestia didn’t even acknowledge her, staring out at the blue sky. “Sister, please-”

“I am not your sister!” She boomed, making Luna flinch, spreading her wings and fluttering backwards. “You are a monster! A monster who hides from the sun!” She was even taller, Luna realised as what had been her sister loomed down on her. “Only monsters love the dark!”

“C-Celestia,” Luna said, swallowing hard. “Please calm down. You’re not yourself. We are worried.”

“Worried? Worried?” She bellowed, nose almost touching Luna’s “You should worry! You should fear me! I am the breaker of day, and I will purge all of your monstrous kin in cleansing fire! My little ponies will never fear the monsters in the dark again!” The glow of her horn was brighter, and Luna could feel the panic rising. This was out of control. Celestia was gone. She’d lost control entirely. This wasn’t her.

Behind Luna, she felt the door swing open. “Your majesty?” The physician asked.

The glow of Celestia’s horn was too bright, like looking at the sun, now. Heat was flying off it, making Luna sweat. She turned to the physician, trying to shout at him to run, but she felt a burst of fiery pain in her side before the words could form. Barely conscious, she felt her body slam through walls of stone before consciousness left her entirely.

It was warm. That was the first thing to strike Luna when she woke up. Warm like a midsummer afternoon, when she was up early enough to spend some time with her sister, to sit in the castle gardens and sun herself. She preferred the cold, but she certainly didn’t mind the occasional bit of warmth.

Then the pain hit, and she remembered. Gasping, she opened her eyes. The sun was too big, taking up too much of the sky. And it was too warm, a summer lunchtime when it should’ve been an autumnal evening. As she looked around the castle's gardens, she could see steam rising off the grass. She had carved a furrow into the grass leading up to where she lay, and there was a gaping, crumbling hole in the bricks of the castle. Several of them, through three separate walls.

She tried to stand, gasping in pain. The blast of magic had hit her shoulder, and that part of her body ached as though it had been burned. Her right foreleg was in the most pain, and it couldn’t take her weight at all. So instead she spread her wings and lifted herself off the ground. Rising high, higher than the roof of the palace, she cast her gaze about the castle town. There, before the gardens’ gates, a milling mass of multicoloured ponies, one burning spot in the air above them. Almost closing her eyes to focus, she flew in that direction, conjuring her magic for something desperate and foolish.

“I am Daybreaker, your queen, and I have brought safety and freedom to Equestria!” The thing that had been Celestia bellowed to the crowd. “Join me, and the sun shall never set again!” Her sharp-toothed grin faltered as the light dimmed behind her, and the crowd gaped.

Turning back, she saw what the monster had done. She had raised the moon, while the sun was still in the air. It had tried to eclipse the sun entirely, but couldn’t, now that it had been imbued with her power. Instead, it sat over its centre like the pupil of a colossal eye, reducing the perfect light and heat that could be felt below.

“Please, everypony, get away!” Luna shouted as she flew above the crowd. “You are in grave danger! Go north, through the Everfree, to Ponyville!”

The ponies stared in confusion between the two sisters. “Guards!” Daybreaker bellowed, pointing with one hoof. “Seize her!”

The guards in golden armour, similarly bemused, stared upwards. One, their commander, slowly shook his head. “You are not our princess.”

Daybreaker roared in fury, and Luna soared low over the guards’ heads. “Get them to safety. Everypony out of the palace, too.” Before she could make another request, she felt another blast of magic hit her, sending her soaring heavily to the ground on the far side of them. She kept her consciousness and recovered quickly, taking to wing and ignoring the ache in that same leg as the guards and civilians scattered, screaming.

“You hide my perfect sun, you fraternise with monsters, and you turn my own guards against me!” Daybreaker hissed, building up for another blast of magic. “I will reduce you and your monstrous kin to ashes!”

Luna didn’t reply, rolling aside to avoid the blast of energy that instead blew a hole into the castle’s roof behind her. She hoped that none of the servants had been below. Knowing that she couldn’t risk the ponies getting hurt, she flew away as quickly as she could, east over the gnarled trees of the Everfree.

“You flee from me? Coward!” Daybreaker was giving pursuit. Good.

Hearing magic charging, Luna briefly snapped her wings shut and let herself fall, the beam of magic flying high above her. Spreading them again, she caught a thermal and flew upwards, briefly coming behind Daybreaker. Hesitating for a moment, she charged and fired a bolt of magical energy that hit the Daybreaker in the flank. It was weak, barely a fraction of what she could muster with time, but it charred the white fur, and made her roar and turn back on Luna.

Already, Luna was charging a more powerful blast, and Daybreaker responded in kind, horn glowing bright as the sun. They both loosed them as one, and the magic collided in an explosion of pure energy, sending a shockwave that shook the leaves from the trees and sent the birds, already distressed from the strange patterns of daylight, screaming to wing. They both held their beams for another few seconds, before the equilibrium shifted, the collision slipping closer to Luna. She was sweating from exertion, her body hurting, and Celestia had always been the stronger of the two. She couldn’t win a fight like this.

But Luna had always been faster.

She closed her wings again and stopped her own magical attack, letting Celestia’s burn the air above her head. Again she opened her wings to catch a thermal and rise as Daybreaker roared in fury, immediately setting off in pursuit. Luna led her east, in the direction of the Hayseed Swamps, away from any real civilisation. She had to keep the thing that had been her sister away from the people, but she couldn’t do that forever. The sun needed to be lowered, before the world boiled in eternal daylight, and Celestia was in no position to do so.

So she had to stop her. But how? Think, Luna, think!

The Elements. Together, the alicorns had used them to stop the dark spirit, Discord, the only artifact of sufficient power to stop his wicked reign. Could Luna use them alone? Would they even work against Daybreaker? She had to try.

But the Elements were back at the castle, sealed in an elaborate sculpture. She couldn’t risk leading this monster back there before the ponies had all got away. Dodging another blast of energy, Daybreaker’s roars distant as Luna’s powerful wings carried her away, she made the decision. She would keep flying east, put as much distance between the two alicorns as possible, then loop high above Daybreaker and return to the palace. Hopefully, the distance would buy her enough time to activate the Elements.

Gritting her teeth and ducking below scorching magic, she flew on.

The muscles in Luna’s wings and shoulders burned. As alicorns, she and her sister were afforded certain privileges in terms of their magic, and the pegasus magic that powered their flight was stronger than even the strongest fliers among the pegasus population. But, as she was rapidly discovering, it had its limits. Her plan had gone just as she hoped, flying all the way over to the ocean on the far side of the Hayseed Swamps, then climbing high, well above the clouds, to loop back in the castle’s direction.

Daybreaker had, of course, realised that she’d turned. She’d learned this when a blast of magical force came at her too suddenly to dodge, and had scorched the edges of her blue mane black. But the distance she’d put between them again was impressive. And now, as she was back over the Everfree forest, she knew that she’d have a little over a minute at the castle before Daybreaker could catch up.

When put like that, it sounded a lot less reassuring.

“Your majesty!” Luna blinked at the little shape rising below her in the strange twilight, and saw it form into the shape of a pony. It was Umbral, the captain of her night guard. She was one of the rare, bat-winged thestrals, with a dusky plum coat and black mane beneath her armour. “Are you hurt?”

“Is everypony away from the castle town?” Luna panted, ignoring the question and dropping any pretense of royal decorum.

“Yes, your majesty!” Luna couldn’t slow but, for a short time, the captain could push her limits to keep pace. “Is she still pursuing you?”

Luna nodded. “I’m… I’m going to get the Elements from the castle, and try to use them to stop her. It’s the only chance I have. I think… I think I have a minute before she reaches it.”

“Is… Is that enough time?”

“I don’t know.”

“Let me distract her, your majesty.”

“What?” Luna asked incredulously, slowing her pace for a fraction of a second to stare at her captain.

“Use your magic to disguise me as you. I’ll lead her away from the castle while you get the Elements.”

“Umbral, that is suicide. She will burn you to nothing. I will not have you die for this.”

“My princess, I swore, when I took this position, that I would live and die to defend you and Equestria. And I meant it.”

They shared a long, hard look. Umbral had tears in her eyes, but her face never faltered, her mouth a thin, determined line. After a few moments, Luna shut her eyes, tears running down her cheeks, and summoned her magic. When she opened her eyes again, Umbral had her coat and mane, a false horn emerging from her forehead. The illusion wasn’t perfect - Umbral was still smaller, and her wings were still those of a bat rather than a bird - but at a distance, it would be convincing enough.

“You are a good friend, Umbral. I will miss you so.”

“Serving you has been the greatest honour imaginable, your majesty. Stop that monster and lower the sun, for all of us.”

Luna dropped low to hide among the Everfree’s canopy, while the disguised Umbral banked off to the right, making no attempt to hide amongst the clouds. Forcing herself to control her breathing, Luna glided the last few hundred metres out of the Everfree with every muscle in her body on fire. Below her, the castle town was silent, hastily abandoned, the dirt roads between the thatched buildings kicked up into choppy mud by the evacuation. And at the centre, the great castle was visibly wounded, a series of craters in the walls from their brief battle earlier.

She banked down into the hole in the wall, at the base of the tallest tower, and came into the grand foyer of the castle. The luxurious purple carpets were marred by fragments of stone and mortar, and the tapestries on the walls fluttered in a breeze they had never seen before. The back-to-back images of Celestia and Luna seemed almost animated below the embroidered skies, and-

No. Don’t think about it.

She alighted beside her target, the stone spheres, five smaller ones surrounding one larger one like a depiction of a solar system in stone. Both of her forelegs collapsed from the strain on her shoulders when she alighted, the right sending a shock of pain down her back from the point where the magical blast had hit her. She let herself lie on the carpet, feeling the grit of the destroyed wall beneath her belly, as she conjured her magic, coaxing those little gemstones from their stone prisons, one by one. So insignificant they looked, but she knew the power that they held.

A shockwave came, shaking dust from the rafters far above, shattering stained glasses into shards, and making the Elements tremble as she laid them in a circle before her. It was accompanied by a flare of orange light from the sun far above. She knew what it meant. And knew that she had so little time, now.

She focused with all the energy left in her body and, one by one, the Elements rose from the ground, and began to circle around her. Slowly, trembling in the air like they would fall. When they banished the spirit, Celestia and Luna had taken three each. Could Luna use the magic of all six at once? Struggling back to her feet and facing the castle’s doors, the hole in the wall far above them, Luna knew that she would have to try.

“You!” A shock of pain, like a club to the cheek, and Luna staggered backwards, forelegs threatening to give out from under her again. Daybreaker hovered in a broken window to her side, a black silhouette against the confused sky. Her horn was aglow, lighting a face that was twisted with hatred. “Was your decoy supposed to distract me? To send me on a wild goose chase across Equestria? Because it didn’t work!” Luna had turned just enough that this second blast of energy caught her in the side, running down the length of her flank like a hot knife. She couldn’t stop herself from crying out.

But, she noted when her eyes opened, the Elements were responding. Their orbit had steadied, and they were spinning faster and faster around her body.

“This ends here, monster! This battle is over!” The next beam of white-hot magic should’ve struck Luna in the chest, but it was deflected by the Elements, now spinning so rapidly around her that they were blurring. Whatever hate was coming next died in Daybreaker’s mouth, and her brow furrowed.

“Do you remember what these are?” Luna asked, in a voice barely above a whisper that boomed around the castle.

“The Elements of Harmony.” Daybreaker hissed. “But it requires one with an understanding of harmony to activate them, not a monstrous queen! I have no fear!” Regardless of what she said, there was a slight tremble in her voice as Luna began to rise off the ground with those last words, the powerful magic carrying her up. Roaring, Daybreaker fired off a flurry of bolts of magical energy, one after another. Most were deflected harmlessly aside by the elements, but some found their marks. One struck Luna’s wing. Another, her uninjured cheek. Another found her right foreleg, already in agony, making her cry out.

But it couldn’t stop what had begun. Much like the time she and Celestia had fought the spirit, she did not control the Elements. She was a vessel for their power, and she could feel it flooding through her like liquid gold in her veins. She was visibly imbued with power, her eyes glowing bright through their lids and her mane becoming a flowing, black starscape, the night sky within it. Inhaling deeply, she opened her eyes, knowing that tears were streaming down her cheeks. Daybreaker hovered in place, too stunned to either fight or flee.

“If there is anything of Tia left in there,” Luna said, her voice booming even though she felt it should be trembling. “I love you so, so much.”

Then, the power flowed out of her, a rainbow of pure energy that arced up into the rafters and struck the self-proclaimed queen of Equestria. She screamed, in shock and fear and pain as the energy swirled around her, Luna collapsing into a heap on the floor as the Elements returned to inert gems around her. The night princess pressed her chin to the floor and covered her eyes with her hooves as the screaming echoed, the brilliant lights flashed in the corner of the castle foyer.

Then, all was quiet and dark.

Slowly, Luna pried her eyes open. The sun had set, and she had never been so relieved to see her stars before. Outside of the devastated castle, the world was normal again. The night would go on until the sun rose, and then it would set again. The world was as it should be. Equestria was saved.

Luna lay in the broken castle and wept.

Chapter 1 - School Days

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Princess Luna’s School for Gifted Unicorns was a sizeable, many-spired, stone building, perched on the edge of Canterlot Castle’s gardens, like a miniature castle itself. It was only one of many schools around equestria that bore the princess’ name; Cloudsdale was home to Princess Luna’s Academy for Young Fliers, Dodge Junction held Princess Luna’s College of Earth and Life, the much-maligned fourth tribe were represented in Princess Luna’s School for Young Thestrals, hidden away in Hollow Shades, and she’d lost count of just how many unspecified primary schools she had sponsored.

And the princess did this because, well, she liked foals. She had moments of less-than-fine etiquette, an often melancholy attitude, and little patience for concealment or double-speak; all of these were known to most adults, and would be the subject of much conversation behind her back. Foals, though? Foals saw a princess, and they’d tell her whatever they thought, ask the silliest, most lovely and honest questions. Yes, she liked foals.

And that was why she sat in an empty examination room within the school, stifling a yawn as a pair of teachers on either side of her sorted through paperwork. It was a balmy summer afternoon, and most of the foals had gone home for the holidays just a fortnight ago. So today, they were providing entrance exams to the prospective students, and Luna always made time in her busy schedule to oversee these intake tests. It was, though, rather too early for her. She understood why - fillies and colts had their bedtimes. Princesses also had bedtimes, though, and they usually didn’t align.

“Are we ready to begin?” Ink Spot, the mare on her left, a unicorn with inky blue fur and a grey mane, asked. On Luna’s left, the other mare, the brightly-coloured Gentebright, nodded, and Luna did too. “Excellent. I’ll get the first student.”

And, long into the afternoon, the fillies and colts came in. Some did well - a filly and a colt were both accepted into the school, and their parents were told when to return to the school for introductions and instructions. Some were less fitting - two fillies and a colt were found to possess impressive talent, but not suited for the scope of the school. Luna let them down gently, and wrote out notes of recommendation for other schools in Canterlot. One poor filly was utterly overtaken with stage fright, and couldn’t conjure any magic at all in front of the examiners. After a long conversation, Luna had agreed to send an assessor to the family’s home in a few days, so that she could show her talent with less pressure.

By the time these tests were done, the afternoon was beginning to wear on, and Luna let herself yawn obviously between the exams. “How many more foals are there today, Ink?”

“Just one, your majesty. I can have her family go home if you-”

“No, no,” Luna waved one hoof. “Bring them in. I have nothing urgent to do.” Her seamstress was used to the princess’ lack of punctuality, by this stage.

“Right you are, your majesty.” The teacher trotted down through the classroom seats, and Luna leaned over in Gentebright’s direction.

“Who is our last prospect for the day?”

“One Twilight Sparkle, your majesty. From Canterlot.”

“Her cutie mark?”

The teacher hesitated for a second. “She doesn’t have one.”

Luna frowned; the school was intended for foals whose special talent was in magic. For a foal without a special talent to be considered was unusual, to say the least. “Does she have a notable magical heritage?”

“No, your majesty. Mother is Twilight Velvet, an author-”

“I think I’ve read one of her books.”

“-and father is Night Light, who owns a bookshop. She has one brother, Shining Armour, currently in training to join the Guard.” Gentebright’s magic hummed softly, as she flipped through the pages on her clipboard. “Her recommendation note is from Silver Sun, though. It says she’s ‘utterly remarkable’.”

That was high praise - Silver Sun was another of the school’s teachers, and he was somewhat infamous for being hard to impress. “Well, we’ll certainly give her a fair chance, won’t we?” Luna smiled as Ink Spot beckoned the family into the room. Twilight Sparkle, the filly, had a violet coat and a darker mane. She was at that age when her head seemed too big for her body, and her purple eyes were wide and mystified as she looked up at the princess. Luna offered a gentle smile and waved down with a foreleg. Her parents, a grey mare and a blue stallion, waited by the door as Ink Spot hurried back to her seat and Luna spoke to the filly. “Good afternoon, Twilight. We’d like to see your magic today, so we’d like you to try hatching that dragon’s egg.” The egg was spotted with two tones of purple, almost as big as the filly herself, and sat in a little handcart in a nest of straw, and Twilight’s eyes grew even wider at the request.

Luna wasn’t expecting her to hatch the egg, of course - even she would have to concentrate hard to induce its hatching, it would be impossible for a foal. No, the would-be students were given that objective simply to see what would happen when they focused hard on a spell. For younger unicorns talented in magic, side effects were common when focusing on a spell, and it was these side effects and their intensity they were watching. It was more effective than a simple request to show their magic in general, which typically caused foals to clam up and become nervous. Why a dragon diplomat had gifted Luna with a dragon’s egg, she still didn’t know, but it had proven very useful for these tests.

“OK.” The filly squeaked, sticking out her tongue in concentration as her horn lit up in purple. A similar aura surrounded the egg, and it began to tremble slightly. Luna simply watched as the other teachers scribbled down notes, watched as Twilight’s eyes screwed shut and her cheeks puffed out and turned red with intense concentration. The egg trembled slightly, and there was a long pause, before the purple aura died, and Twilight panted, her legs shaking for a moment. The egg didn’t move, and the filly hung her head as she walked back towards the door, mumbling out an apology for wasting time.

Luna felt dreadful for the filly who had come in so wide-eyed, and was opening her mouth to offer reassurance and an opportunity to try again at a later date, when an explosion of light rocked the room. Every eye turned to the window, which was illuminated with the edge of a rainbow spreading across the sky. Every mouth opened to ask a question, but their attentions were brought back into the room by a startled squeak.

Twilight’s horn was aglow again, and the dragon egg was coated in an almost opaque magical aura, trembling rapidly enough to shake its nest of straw away. Luna felt herself grinning as the egg opened with a resounding crack. The magic faded as the shell shattered entirely, revealing the shape of a purple-and-green dragon, sitting in a large fragment of shell and staring around the room in wonder.

“I did it!” Twilight squeaked. But then it struck her that her horn was still aglow. “Oh. Oh dear.” She scrunched up her face in concentration again, but couldn’t stop her magic now that the odd rainbow had uncorked it.

A beam flew from her horn, making Ink Spot yelp and duck aside as it skimmed by Luna’s ear, dissipating against the stone ceiling behind her. More spells were blasted out of the little filly, most, but not all, fizzling out on the stone of the building. One struck Luna in the chest, filling her with a strange tingling that made her giggle. Another stuck Twilight’s parents, who were slowly edging towards their daughter until they were suddenly replaced with a pair of potted plants (a temporary transfiguration, easy to reverse, Luna assured herself). And one struck the baby dragon, who began to grow. And grow. And keep growing until his head, larger than Luna, burst through the school’s ceiling, easily crushing the cart on which his egg had sat.

After that, Twilight had exhausted herself. Her magic faded, and she slowly opened her eyes, looking at the colossal baby dragon, her inanimate parents, the teachers who cowered under the desks. “Oh no. I-I’m so sorry!”

“Well done, Twilight Sparkle!” Luna grinned, raising her forelegs to clap for the filly. After staring at the princess for a moment, the teachers collected themselves and sat up to clap alongside the princess. Without mentioning it, Luna raised her own magic to reverse Twilight’s accidental spells, returning the newborn dragon to an appropriate size and her parents to ponies. They looked bemused, but grinned when they saw the applauding Luna. “What a magnificent display!”

“Does that mean that I got in?” The filly squeaked, hope in her eyes.

“You certainly did, young lady! And you found your special talent.”

“I did?” She asked, stretching her neck to look at her own flank. Where, among her magical outburst, a purple star surrounded by white stars had appeared in a flash of light. “I did!” She bounced straight upwards. “I got my cutie mark!”

Luna gave the filly a few moments to dance around in celebration, before turning to her parents and quickly instructing them in the follow-up steps they’d have to take in the next few weeks. Then, with a last congratulation, she sent the family on their way, smiling as she listened to the parents leaving the room.

“We’re so proud of you, Twily!” The mother gushed eagerly.

“You don’t think the Princess will charge us for the roof, do you?” The father asked as their voices receded down the hallway.

“Well, that was a good way to end the day, wasn’t it?” Luna smiled at the teachers on either side of her, lifting the infant dragon with her magic and placing it on the desk in front of her. “And as for you, little one, lets get you set up in the castle, hm?”

A rap on the door of the family home, smart and quick. After a brief conversation within the house, the mother of the family went into the entrance hall and squinted through the peephole. Nothing obvious to see - they really needed to clean that.

“Who is it?” Night Light asked from the living room.

“Can’t see.” Twilight Velvet replied, undoing the chain. “But I’m sure it’ll be- Princess Luna?” She squeaked at the end, recoiling back at the sight of the great alicorn who stooped beneath their porch awning.

“Twilight Velvet.” Luna bowed her head respectfully. “I’m sorry to darken your door at such a late hour.”

“Oh my goodness, has something happened with Twily’s exam? We’re so sorry that she lost control, she just-”

“No, no, nothing like that.” Luna shook her head. “It’s nothing bad, not at all. I just… well, I need to ask a favour from your daughter.”

“A favour?” The mother blinked. “From Twily?”

“Yes. You see, the little dragon she hatched today, he has been utterly inconsolable all evening. I did some research, and it appears that dragons imprint on the first pony they see after hatching. Which is your daughter.” Luna smiled meekly, somewhat embarrassed. “I was hoping that you’d permit me to take her to the castle, just for a few minutes, to calm the little one down and get him to sleep. I know that this is out of the blue, and far too late for fillies to be going off on an adventure-”

“I’ll get her right away!” Twilight Velvet answered. “Please, come inside, Twily’s just brushing her teeth before bed.”

Luna nodded her thanks and stooped under the door of the home, swinging the front door shut behind her with her magic. She stood in the little entrance hall, dotted with coats and scarves on hangers, as the mother trotted upstairs. Through the other door was a living room, with a sofa, pair of armchairs, and crackling fire. Twilight’s father, familiar to Luna from the test earlier in the day, was gawking at her from an armchair for a moment, before she smiled at him and he remembered not to stare. In the other armchair was a juvenile, white, unicorn stallion, focused so intently on a miniature figure and set of paints that he hadn’t even noticed the Princess’ arrival.

“Here she is.” The pair of Twilights descended the stairs, the purple filly still with a few flecks of toothpaste on her fur.

“I-I’m not in trouble am I, Princess Luna?”

“No, of course not, little one.” Luna quickly ran her through what she’d learned of dragons’ imprinting. “So I think it’d be best if you came with me for a few minutes, just long enough to calm him down and get him to sleep. Could you do that for me, Twilight?”

“Yes, Princess!”

“Good.” Luna turned her attention to the mother. “Thank you for this. I shall have her back with you as soon as I possibly can.”

“Thank you, Princess. Do you need anything else before you go?”

“No, no, thank you. I’ve already taken quite enough advantage of your hospitality. Come along, Twilight.” She beckoned the filly out of the house, and bowed to her mother before walking down their garden pathway. Velvet watched them walk to the end of it before she shut the door.

“Princess Luna?”

“Yes, Twilight?”

“Is your leg OK?”

Observant, little Twilight; it took most ponies quite some time to pick up on the barely perceptible limp in her right foreleg, especially on a warm night like this when the pain was barely present. “It’s fine, yes. Just a little bit poorly, is all.” Luna stopped walking in the centre of the road, looking up at the castle. With a filly’s little legs, they’d be walking there for half an hour. “Would you like to fly there?” Twilight nodded eagerly, and Luna enveloped her in her magic, setting her down just behind her neck. “Now hold on tight.” Twilight gripped the back of Luna’s neck with all four legs, and Luna spread her wings, lifting off with a single, powerful flap. “Have you ever flown before?”

“N-No.”

“Don’t worry; I won’t let you fall.” Despite these assurances, Twilight kept her eyes screwed shut and her face pressed into Luna’s star-filled mane through all of their short flight. But after a few short minutes, Luna banked gently over the castle’s gardens, and landed on the balcony of the tallest tower, her own quarters. Twilight gaped at the impressive telescope set up there as she clambered off the Princess’ back. “Now,” she pressed one hoof to her mouth to signify quiet. “He might’ve fallen asleep already, so be really quiet, OK?” Twilight nodded eagerly, and Luna edged to the door, gently opening it.

The dragon had not fallen asleep. As soon as the seal of the door was broken, they were assailed by an impossibly loud, high-pitched, endless scream. The dragon lay in his crib in the corner of Luna’s bedroom, little claws balled into fists and pink mouth wide open and screaming. They’d fed him, rocked him, changed him, dressed him, undressed him, spoken to him, played music, left him alone, and he simply refused to be consoled. Of course, Luna could just conjure up a spell to force him to sleep, but that wouldn’t feel right.

“Oh dear,” Luna said softly, raising him out of the crib with her magic. “Come here, little one. Look who’s here!” She turned the baby dragon to Twilight, and it was like a switch was flipped. Suddenly, the hoarse screaming stopped, and the baby was reaching out to her with grabbing hands, eyes wide and still stained with a few tears.

“He looks happy.”

“He was just missing you.” Luna smiled gently, looking at Twilight’s wide, fascinated eyes. “Would you like to hold him?” Twilight nodded eagerly. “Just sit down, then.” Luna gestured to the low couch she kept by the balcony door, and Twilight hopped up onto it. The filly almost sank into the plush cushions, and Luna lowered the newborn dragon onto her lap. “Make sure you hold his head.”

“He’s so small.” Twilight whispered as the dragon gazed up, grabbing at her mane. He was almost as big as the young Twilight, but that was small for a dragon, Luna supposed. “What’s his name?”

“You know, he doesn’t have one yet.” Luna lowered herself onto the couch beside Twilight. “Would you like to name him?”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. You hatched him, and he certainly seems to think you’re his mama. Why not?”

Twilight was silent for a long few minutes, staring down at the tiny purple-and-green dragon, whose eyes were slowly slipping shut. He’d exhausted himself with that great tantrum, as Luna had suspected. “Spike.” Twilight whispered when he was asleep. “I want to name him Spike.”

“I think that’s a good name.” After another few moments, Luna lifted the sleeping dragon from Twilight’s lap with her magic, laid him back in his crib and pulled the blankets over him. “Thank you, Twilight.”

The filly smiled through a yawn - the sense of adventure had faded, and the tiredness was catching up to her. “I want to take him home.”

Luna smiled softly. “I don’t think your parents would be happy if you brought home a fire-breathing baby, would they?” Twilight sighed, shaking her head sadly. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that you can visit whenever you want. Come along, I should get you home.” She lifted the filly to lay on her back again, and stepped out onto the balcony. “I’d offer you a sweet, but that’d definitely make your mother angry with me.”

Twilight looked back into the room as Luna carried her out, looking at the massive bed, the many, tall bookcases, the shelves of odd little trinkets and magical apparatus. It was the Princess’ bedroom, like out of a fairy tale, and Twilight wished she’d looked around more. But she did look around as they flew home, at the moonlit gardens of the castles, then the old, complex streets of Canterlot, marked with dots of light from houses, and streetlights, and tiny, moving carriages. And then, through bleary, half-asleep eyes, Twilight was being set on the ground in her garden, beckoned back into the warm by her mother. She and the Princess exchanged a few words, before Luna crouched low to speak to Twilight.

“And thank you again, Twilight Sparkle. You’ve helped me a lot tonight.”

“Goodnight, Princess Luna.” She yawned, leaning against her mother’s leg. “It was nice to fly with you.”

“Goodnight, Twilight.” Luna smiled, before she spread her wings and vanished back into the night sky. Twilight was up well past her bedtime, and was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She slept a lot later than she usually did, and the sunlight was already strong and hot, that of a late summer morning. For a few moments, as she brushed her teeth and combed her mane, she wondered if last night had been a dream. But she came downstairs and found her family feasting on a basket of pastries, still steaming, they were so fresh. Her father explained that they’d been delivered by a lovely pegasus in golden armour, and came with a card.

To Twilight and her family, it read, in beautiful calligraphy. And just beneath it was a little, crescent moon.

“...and I am pleased to be here today with you all, in this lovely-”

“You’re puffing your wings up again.”

“I am?” Luna frowned at her own reflection, noticing her wings slowly rising, wanting to flare out. She glared at them as she forced them back to lying flat against her back. “I thought I’d kicked that habit by now.” It was a nervous tic of Luna’s, wanting to flare her wings threateningly when she was worried. And, however much practise she had, making scripted speeches still worried her. “Now… where was I?”

“‘In this lovely city’, I believe.”

“Right. I am pleased to be here today with you all, in this lovely city, surrounded by future generations of…” She trailed off, then shook her head ferociously. “No, no, I've lost it.” She sighed. Why, after a thousand years, did she still struggle so much with this?

“Do you need me to rewrite it, ma’am? If you’re struggling with that section-”

“No, no, it’s a good speech, Raven.” Luna turned away from her own reflection in the full-length mirror in her break room, on the floor of the tower below her bedroom. The mirror had been put here specifically for practising speeches like this. Standing beside her was Raven Inkwell, a white-furred unicorn who was renowned for being about the most organised person in the castle and, to Luna, a friend, advisor, and occasional speech-writer. “I’m just better at improvising these things.”

“Do you need a break? We still have a couple of days before the opening.”

“I’m not taking any breaks until I can get this right, or I’ll never remember it. Though I still don’t see why I can’t just improvise it.”

“You can if you wish, of course, your majesty. But I wouldn’t recommend it. We don’t want a repeat of the incident in Cloudsdale last year, do we?”

Ah yes, last year’s speech at the reopening of the Young Fliers’ Academy. Where Luna had briefly gone off-script, then sneezed so violently, she entirely lost her train of thought and stood in silence before the assembled crowd for what felt like minutes before getting on with it. And, of course, the Cloudsdale Herald had it on the front page the next morning, a rather unflattering image of her mid-sneeze under the headline Princess Achoo-na!, which some journalist was probably very proud of.

(Though she’d never admit it to anyone, Luna was actually quite fond of that particular picture. Most images of her were stern and ‘proper’, so she liked to collect the more silly ones, so that she’d always be able to laugh at herself. One of the shelves in her bedroom hid a scrapbook full of particularly unflattering newspaper clippings. (An entirely different scrapbook to the one of immoral, unkind, and just plain untrue articles about her and the castle. She kept that one so she knew which journalists to stop inviting to events.))

“No, that would not be great. You’re right, as always.” She levitated the flashcards over to in front of her, skimmed through them again. It was a good speech, probably better than what she could’ve improvised.

“If I may, Luna, are you alright? You seem uncharacteristically nervous lately.”

Luna sighed. “I’m fine, Raven. Just dealing with little Spike.” Despite what Luna had hoped, the dragon was still unsettled most nights. He would sleep eventually, yes, but he was only really cooperative on the days when young Twilight had visited him.

“You could always ask the family to take him in.”

“No, Twilight’s only a filly, I couldn’t possibly burden her with looking after a newborn.”

“If you say so, your majesty.” A moment’s pause as Luna replaced the cards, adjusted her tiara. “Are you sure that’s all there is?”

Luna exhaled, sagging a little. “I’m just missing her, is all.”

“You always miss her around this time of year, don’t you?” Raven touched Luna’s shoulder with one hoof, one of very few ponies who’d dare to.

“It was her idea to tutor unicorn foals in magic, you know. Long before the School itself. And I just know that she’d love little Twilight.”

“You have my sympathy.”

“I know she’ll be back one day.” Luna cleared her throat, straightened herself, and locked eyes with her reflection again. “Right, once more, from the top. Don’t interrupt me until I’m finished, I need to say the end of it at least once.”

“As you like it, Luna.”

“Friends, it is my great honour to welcome you to this school for gifted unicorns. To those students and their parents who are returning, welcome back, I hope that you had a lovely, restful summer. And to those who are new to this institution, welcome! I hope that you will find this a wonderful, educational experience, and I know that you’ll leave as bright, kind, well-rounded grown-up ponies…”

“...And I’ve spoken for quite long enough today, so I’ll just once again say, welcome.” Luna paused for the crowd to applaud, clapping or stomping hooves. “The staff will be happy to show you all to your rooms, and the teachers and I will be right here to answer any questions.”

Luna turned from the crowd, trotting a few steps backwards, before she settled into her seat. She was atop a temporary, wooden stage, facing a set of bleachers in front of the school, where she’d just finished her speech welcoming the ponies and their parents. The students, new and returning, ranged in age from foals just with their cutie marks, to juveniles on the verge of adulthood, and bustled around with a great crowd with their parents. They were invited to stay for the first few nights to help their children settle into the school’s accommodation, and many families were led into the old building by porters, Guards, and teachers.

“I think most of them just want to get out of the cold.” Silver Sun grumbled. It was a chilly, autumn afternoon, and the aging unicorn sat covered in a tartan blanket on Luna’s right. Technically, Luna was the school’s headmistress, but she could only be here on relatively few days, so most of the responsibilities fell to him.

“Oh, we will get some questions, I’m sure.” Gentebright smiled warmly at the few families drifting in the stage’s direction. She was the head of the first-years at the school, a gentle, motherly sort of mare who greatly helped with homesickness among the new students.

“Navy, how lovely to see you!” Luna beamed at the young stallion who approached the stage, bowing his head. She took pride in knowing the names of all of her students. She was less confident with the names of most of their parents, so she just graced them with a smile. “Did you have a nice summer?”

“Yes, Princess.” He croaked. “But I’m glad to be back. I just wanted to ask Mister Sun about some of the work I did over summer.”

“Did you make any progress on that water-breathing spell?” The headmaster asked with characteristic bluntness.

“Yes, mister, I…”

Luna glanced over to Gentebright, in deep conversation with the parents of a particularly tearful-looking filly, Mint White. Luna would check on the little one as soon as Gentebright was done. But, not until she’d dealt with this particular filly. “Twilight Sparkle!” She boomed, grinning. “How are you? Excited to be started?” She didn’t look tearful, but it often took some time for the homesickness to set in.

“The library’s so big!” Twilight squeaked, which Luna took as a yes to the latter question. “I want to get started right away!”

Luna smiled softly. “Classes don’t start for another week, but there’s nothing stopping you from starting on your own research! We’ve got a lot of books on magic for you.”

“I know!” Twilight’s father nudged her with one hoof, and the filly suddenly became a little more subdued. “But, um, I-I wanted to ask you a question.” Luna gestured for her to continue with one wing, smiling still. “Now that I’m living here, closer to the castle, maybe I could… see Spike more? A-And maybe I could try looking after him myself?” She looked up at the Princess hopefully, with wide, sparkling eyes.

For a long moment, Luna thought. She had been expecting the question, given how captivated Twilight had been on every visit with the baby dragon. “I’d love it if you could, Twilight, but he’s still very little, and he needs lots of looking after. I’d hate for you to fall behind in your learning because you’re looking after him.” Twilight looked down dejectedly, and Luna felt her heart sink. “But,” The filly’s head shot back up. “I think that we could try something. How about I let you and your parents look after him for this week, before classes start, and then I’ll come and talk to you the day before classes? That way, you can see how easy he is to look after, your parents will be there to help you, and you won’t fall behind in any learning. Does that sound good?”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Twilight leaped forwards to hug Luna’s legs, and her parents cringed as though they were expecting the filly to be locked in the dungeon for that. Instead, Luna reached down to hug her back. “I’ll make sure he sleeps enough and I’ll feed him powdered gems and I’ll read to him and-” Luna just smiled as the filly went on and on, until she released her hug, and Luna straightened up again.

“I’ll have someone bring him to your room within the hour, OK?” Twilight nodded eagerly, her parents slightly less so, and Luna received several more thanks before the three walked back to the school. Glancing around, Luna saw that most ponies were gone, Gentebright leading off a group of first-years while Silver Sun grumbled to himself at her side, pulling his blanket tighter around him. “I think we’re done for today, Silver. Thank you for taking the questions.” He continued to grumble wordlessly as he stood, stretched out creaking joints, and walked back towards the school. And that left Luna with just… oh.

“Princess Luna, Pr-”

“Printing Press, Canterlot Times.” Luna finished. The pegasus stallion had a white-and-black spotted coat and mane, a clipboard and pen hanging around his neck. He was enthusiastic and tenacious, qualities Luna certainly didn’t dislike, but when paired with a tendency to ask prying questions, they created a pony she didn’t relish spending time with. Shutterbug, his photographer partner, was a much more tolerable pony, but nowhere to be seen.

“Just have a few questions for you, your majesty, things the ponies at home will want to hear.”

“Well, I’m sure I’ll be happy to answer them.” Just stay positive, Luna. Maybe they’ll be nice questions this time.

“So,” he asked around the pencil in his mouth. “Princess, how would you respond to the accusations of a significant bias towards unicorns over the other two tribes in your actions?”

Internally, Luna bristled; how dare they accuse her of such… prejudice? Externally, she applied a small, false smile. “I would respond with a request for the accusers to look at the Royal Treasury Report, where they will see that the schools in Cloudsdale, Dodge City, and Hollow Shades receive significantly more funding than this one to compensate for the fact that I spend more time physically present here. No, I will not deny that I spend most of my time at this school, because it’s where I can do the most good. I am not a flier on par with the Wonderbolts, so I cannot teach pegasi to fly, nor am I a farmer, so I cannot teach agriculture to earth ponies, nor am I a teacher at all, so I cannot teach science or mathematics or literature. What I am,” she reached up to tap her horn. “Is a mage, one of the best mages in Equestria, so I can teach unicorns magic. So yes, I do spend most of my time here, because it’s the one place that I can do the most good. Which is certainly not to say that I never teach at the other schools.”

“I didn’t mean to imply that, your majesty, I just-”

“And,” Luna added, letting a tinge of emotion creep into her voice for the first time in this conversation. “I think you meant the other three tribes.”

“What?”

“You said the other two tribes. They may not be commonplace, but thestrals are ponies, the same as all others, and I would appreciate it if you could respect that.” Yes, it was slightly personal; ever since the old days, the bat-ponies had been strong supporters of hers, but were often feared because of their unusual appearance, something that didn’t seem to change, no matter how much work she put into it. “After all, I don’t think accusations of prejudice would do the Times any good, would they?”

That got a physical reaction from Press, his cheeks burning red beneath his fur as he mumbled some non-committal apology from around his pencil, still scribbling notes on his board. “That will be all. Um, thank you for your time, your highness.”

“That’s quite alright, Press.” Luna allowed herself a little, self-satisfied smile as the pegasus flew away, before she stood and stretched out her own wings. She was alone outside of the school now, aside from the porters hauling the last of the new students’ bags. Flaring her wings, she took off towards her tower, intending to fulfil her promise to Twilight as soon as possible.

Only the youngest students lived within the School’s main building. Most lived in other buildings farther from the castle, sat alongside the sizeable manses of one of Canterlot’s richer areas, many of which were occupied by unicorn teachers. They were still watched over and cared for, of course, but Luna felt that it was appropriate for the older foals to have more experience living independently, and the little bit of trust in them to walk to school themselves was often good for building confidence. Not to mention that Canterlot was a safe enough city that they could walk that distance without worry, and the school had never been designed to house quite as many students as it did today.

But today, the last day before classes began again for the year, Luna was seeing a new student, so she walked through the skinny corridors of the school’s dormitories, smiling through open doors at new students and their parents. The bedrooms weren’t small, but became rather cosy with the addition of a foal’s parents, she had to admit. Next year, they’d offer guest rooms in the castle, or nearby hotels, she concluded. But she came to the door she wanted, marked with a cutie mark of a pinkish star, and knocked with one forehoof even though it was already open.

“Good afternoon, Twilight.” She smiled brightly, taking in the scene. Not only were the provided bookshelves already stuffed, more books lay in stacks beneath the bed and around the base of the shelves. The room was especially cramped, with a crib set up in one corner, and a double mattress set up on the floor, leaving little space for anything else. Twilight’s parents were both sitting on the bed, and the younger unicorn sat on the mattress beside the baby dragon, babbling in a friendly way.

“Princess Luna!” Twilight perked her ears up.

“How have you and Spike got on, hm?”

Twilight’s ears drooped when she said that. “He… He needs a lot of looking after.”

Luna nodded, sagely and sympathetic. She’d been certain that would be the conclusion. “It’s alright, Twilight. That’s why we did this little test, isn’t it? I’ll look after him back at the castle again, you can come and visit whenever you like, and maybe we can try again when he’s a bit older.” She took a step closer, clearly seeing that Twilight was taking it hard. “Don’t worry, little one. You haven't failed.”

“I know.” She sniffed. “I just wish I could look after him all the time.”

Luna edged more into the room, close enough to put a wing around the filly supportively. “Well, one day, you will. I certainly don’t plan on keeping him forever. You’re too young to be a mama, but I think you’re a very good big sister.”

From the corner of her eye, Luna saw the older unicorns perk up, and lean in to whisper to each other. She chose to ignore them, and watched as Spike crawled closer to Twilight, pawing at Luna’s wing with a claw.

“If it’s not…” Twilight Velvet began, before trailing off, clearly uncomfortable with addressing her ruler. “Well, if I may ask, Princess Luna, do you think it would be more appropriate for us to look after Spike? I’m sure that you have many duties to attend to other than caring for him, and I like to think that we’ve made a good job of raising two children, and if Twily’s his sister, well…”

Luna mulled it over for a moment. It was true, she couldn’t give Spike all of the attention he deserved, but that was why the castle had servants. Still, a normal home, consistent caregivers, that would be good for his development, if dragons matured at all like ponies. Twilight would easily be able to visit him almost whenever she wanted - the family’s home was perhaps half an hour away on hoof and, even though the castle was as close, gaining access was more complicated than going home for the evening. Luna wanted Twilight to care for Spike, so if they shared parent figures…

“If you believe that you can look after him, I think that would be a wonderful idea.” Twilight leaped almost straight up out of Luna’s embrace, dashing over to hold her mother and babble thanks. Luna turned to address the father, and her smile dropped, just a fraction. “It’s different to raising a foal.” She said in a low voice. “He has sharp claws, he breathes fire, and he eats gemstones. I will be happy to provide whatever help you need, but I will not be happy if you are harmed. Am I clear?”

Slowly, Night Light nodded, and allowed himself a chuckle. “We raised that little one, we’re used to fires around the house. We’ll get by.”

“And in case you don’t, I’ll assign someone to check up on you regularly.” She then smiled wide again as Twilight ran back to her.

“Thank you, Princess Luna! I want Spike to be my little brother!”

“And he will, little one, he will.” Luna ruffled her mane with one forehoof. Spike had crawled right down to her hooves, and was gazing, wide-eyed at her face. Or just above it. “You know, I think he wants to eat my tiara.” They shared a laugh, before Luna raised the little dragon up to her face. Yes, he definitely wanted the sapphires in her tiara. “I suppose you’ll be going away for now, little one. I’ll miss your silly little face.”

“You can always come and visit!”

“Thank you, Twilight.” She handed the dragon back to the filly. “I’ll send somepony to help you pack his things up, and get a care package ready for him. But for now, I must go, I’ve always got things to do.” She bowed to them, and ducked under the doorway to leave the new family, chattering and happy, knowing that this would be the best for little Spike.

Luna lounged back on her bed, smiling contentedly to herself. Her back was against the alicorn-sized mattress, wings and all four limbs splayed out like a demented starfish, smiling at the upside-down wall. It was dotted with ladders, boxes, and wooden bridges, a playground for her beloved pet, Tiberius. The School for Gifted Unicorns had just finished its first week back, and relatively pleasantly at that; there had only been five uncontrolled magical fires (the Canterlot Volunteer Fire department had set up a station within a minute of the School some time ago), seven magical fights, twelve broken window panes from uncontrolled levitation, and three accidental transfigurations of a student or member of staff (two of which were from young Twilight), all well within acceptable numbers for the first week of teaching. So, tonight, at close to midnight, Luna was content to relax.

“Tiberius.” She said in a sing-song voice, and watched the movement within his preferred nest box. “Tibble-kins. My little tibby-too!” She watched the possum, upside down, poke his white face out of the box and look down (or, from her perspective, up) at her. “Mama’s got time for you, smoochy-doop!” Her pet names always got sillier and sillier as time went on, but Tiberius knew that particular tone was referring to him, so he clambered down a chunky, wooden ladder, reaching out to touch the bottom of her snout with a ticklish, pink paw. “That’s my baby boy.” She smiled contentedly as he climbed onto the bed beside her, grunting and squeaking.

She lay like that for a long while, almost meditating, in calm and peace, eyes closed, thinking pleasant nothings and feeling Tiberius explore the sheets at her side, rubbing against her flank as he probed in the soft darkness. In the room below her bedroom, she heard the ancient clock wind, and then strike midnight. The time Luna loved the most, when her night was at its deepest and most divine. Inhaling deeply, she let her horn begin to glow softly, building magic for an ancient, unique spell.

Then she exhaled, and she was dreaming.

And she could see, like a group of stars filling a landscape below her, everypony else who dreamed in Equestria. When she focused on each mote of light, she could sense the dreams within, and knew that, with a little more will, she could enter them, become a player in the dreamer’s mind. But, long ago, she had promised not to interfere in pleasant dreams, so she searched for the nightmares. They were easy to find, overactive stars, boiling instead of twinkling. The first she picked was that of a filly in Manehattan - geography in the dreamscape was abstract, to say the least, but Luna understood it like the back of her hoof. So focusing deeply on the star, she willed herself forwards, and the dream changed.

“Please, stop it! I’m frightened!” The filly shouted, and Luna took in the scene. Flying saucers, purple and green like those in picture books, were descending from the night sky, lifting ponies up from the streets in beams of greenish light, and firing laser beams that set fires on the city’s skyscrapers. “I want my daddy back!”

“Don’t worry, little one.” Luna put a gentle hoof on the filly’s head, and she blinked up with tearful eyes. “We can stop this together, can’t we?” Smiling, Luna subtly shifted the dream, putting out fires, quelling fear.

“Princess Luna!” The filly leaped up, flapping her young wings quickly. “Are you going to help me stop them?”

“Yes. Yes I am.”

They spent minutes (in the dream, barely a second in truth) flying around the sky, bucking and hitting with hooves and blasts of magic to turn the flying saucers into bursts of fireworks and sending the captured ponies drifting gently back to the streets. The filly giggled and shouted gleefully as she became the hero in this nightmarish little story, and flapped back to the ground as the last flying saucers dropped their abductees and fled back into the sky, embracing a stallion with the same pelt as her.

“Thank you, Princess Luna!”

“It’s my pleasure, little one.” Luna briefly embraced the filly with her wings, before gently, playfully tapping her snout with one hoof. “And if you ever have another nightmare, I’ll be here to keep you safe.”

Luna let herself fade from the dream, and spent what felt like hours jumping between nightmares. She saved a filly in Cloudsdale from a dream of seemingly-endless falling, comforted a filly in Dodge City who was spending her first night away from her parents and dreamed they would never return. A colt in Baltimare was saved from nightmarish gryphon foalnappers, a filly in Vanhoover was assured that she’d get her cutie mark soon, and there was nothing wrong with it coming in late. And last, after countless more little nightmares were solved, she spent a long while talking to a lonely colt in hospital in Tall Tale, promising him that he’d be well again. Mentally, when she finally left him sleeping soundly, she made a note to send a gift to the hospital, and she prepared to awaken herself.

Then, she saw a flicker in another dream. One close to the castle, at the School. It barely flickered, not as though it was a small nightmare, but as though it was being hidden from the Princess. Concerned and confused, Luna focused on the dream and let herself fall into it.

“Twilight can’t do magic!” A chorus of foals jeered. “Twilight can’t do magic!”

“That’s not true! I can! My special talent’s in magic!”

“Twilight can’t do magic!”

“Twilight Sparkle?” With an effort of concentrated will, Luna silenced the jeering. Twilight sat, head down and ears flat, in the centre of a classroom with no door, surrounded by desks filled with now-stationary foals. The purple filly looked up at the Princess, and the floodgates broke, and her tearful face exploded into sobbing. “Oh Twilight.” Luna took a step closer, extending her wings to embrace the little unicorn. For a second, Twilight pulled away from her, before surrendering and allowing herself to weep into Luna’s fur. Stroking her mane in a comforting way, Luna focused her magic to dismantle the dreamscape, replacing it with a quiet, expansive library, dotted with comfortable couches and gentle lanterns. “Twilight, whatever is wrong?” She asked once the sobs began to subside.

“I… I…” She mumbled tearfully. “I missed my lessons! And then you were angry with me and said you were disappointed and I didn’t deserve to be at the School and they sent me away and-”

“Hold on.” Twilight was close to crying again. “That didn’t happen. Now, what classes did you miss?”

“T-Today. I missed half of science class, b-because mummy and daddy needed my help wi-with Spike and- and- and now you’re going to be angry and you’re going to kick me out of the School and I’ll-”

“That is not going to happen, you silly filly.” Luna assured, shushing Twilight’s sniffling. “You’re not getting expelled for missing half of a lesson. Understand?”

“You’re,” Twilight sniffed, looking up. “You’re not going to kick me out?”

“No, you silly, silly thing.” Luna hugged her a little tighter.

“You’re not angry?”

“Not at all.” A moment’s silence while Twilight cried the very last of her tears. “Is Spike OK?” Twilight nodded. “Good. No more silly nightmares about that, yes?”

“Yes, Princess.”

“And in the morning, I’ll come to speak with you before you go home for the weekend, alright? Not because you’re in trouble, but just because I want to talk about this with you, OK?”

“OK, Princess.” Twilight had finally noticed the library around her, and a smile crept back onto her face. “Wow, thank you, Princess.”

“Now, you have sweet dreams for the rest of the night. And I’ll see you in the morning.”

Flicking between the sheets of paper, Luna double-checked the preliminary testing scores. In every subject, the test marks were high. In a couple (literature and magical theory) they were the highest that any first-year student had achieved, ever. And the comments from the teachers, they told their own story. Incredible potential. Unrivalled magical strength. Intelligent and dedicated. A fine example of a young mage. Nodding, Luna affirmed the thought in her mind, sending the papers teleporting back to her desk in a flash of deep blue. She raised one hoof, and rapped neatly on the door, just below the nameplate.

“C-Come in.” Someone squeaked, and Luna gently pushed the door open. Twilight’s room was dominated by books, textbooks and novels, spilling off the normally ample bookshelves of the School’s rooms. “Hello, Princess Luna.” Twilight herself sat on the bed, clutching a button-eyed, string-maned pony to her chest. Her eyes were red and her cheeks stained from crying.

“Who’s that?” Luna asked as she shut the door behind her and sat down on the rug, still having to lower her head to meet Twilight’s eyes.

“Smarty Pants.” Twilight mumbled, hugging the toy closer. “She helps me with my homework.”

“Well, hello there, Smarty Pants.” Luna sat in silence for a few seconds, knowing that Twilight would talk when she was ready.

“Princess? Um, in the dream last night, when you said that you weren’t angry… are you still not angry?”

Luna hesitated for a moment. No, honesty was necessary here. “I’m a little bit upset, Twilight. Not because you had to miss class, but because you didn’t tell anybody. Poor Miss Coil was worried sick when you weren’t at her class, she wondered if you’d got lost, or if you were poorly.” Twilight sniffed, and Luna raised a hoof to softly touch her cheek. “We want to look after all our students here, and we get worried if we can’t. I’d like it if you’d apologise to her before you go home for the weekend. Would you do that for me?”

“Yes, Princess.” She squeaked, hugging her toy so tightly Luna worried that those button eyes might come off.

“Thank you, Twilight.”

“I didn’t want anyone to worry.” She sniffed. “I just didn’t want to get in trouble for not being able to go.”

“You aren’t in trouble at all, Twilight, not at all. And you’ll never get in trouble for missing one lesson, as long as you tell us.” The filly was getting herself worked up again, on the verge of crying. “May I see Smarty Pants?” Twilight looked surprised at the sudden change in subject, and loosened her grip so that Luna could take the toy in her magic. A sweet, handmade little thing, with blue-and-white spotted pants. “Hello there, Princess Luna.” She said in a silly voice while moving the doll, making Twilight giggle. “Do you think we should tell her the other thing that you wanted to ask her?” Luna returned Smarty Pants to the confused-looking Twilight, reverting to her usual voice as she spoke again. “Yes, Miss Pants, I think we should.”

“What other thing?” Twilight asked, her upset fading quickly.

“Well, I’ve been looking at your tests and the notes from your teachers. And I’m very, very impressed. Even though you missed half of the test time for your science test, you were still the third best in the class! And you’ve got some of the strongest magic I’ve ever seen on top of that.”

“I like to learn things.”

“And I want you to learn lots of things. I think that you could be one of the cleverest unicorns ever.”

“As clever as Starswirl the Bearded?”

Starswirl, the stallion who’d tutored the royal sisters when they were only foals. Forgotten by most, but of course this genius little filly knew of him. “Maybe even that clever, Twilight. So, to make sure that you can learn as much as possible, I wanted to ask if you’d like to be my personal student.”

In the almost-thousand years that Luna had been the sole ruler of Equestria, she had personally tutored five unicorns in the magical arts, and each of them had a permanent place in her heart. First, barely a century after she had first raised the sun, had been Starbright Moonlight. The stallion had quite simply pestered her into teaching him, and snapped her out of a long depression in the process. Then later, spaced over the centuries, had been Blossomer, Rarelast, and Star Eyes. Most recently had been Sunset Shimmer, who had ended her tutelage only a couple of years earlier. She had since gone off to Zebrica to study zebra shamanistic magic, and still kept in regular contact with Luna.

In truth, being Luna’s personal student involved a lot more than just learning magic from arguably the greatest mage alive; she taught them to be advisors, regents, councillors, essentially to act as substitutes for Luna when she needed to be in more than one place at once. Once they were older, they were taught politics, philosophy, many of the things that made a great ruler, and became friends and confidants to Luna. And sometimes, even in peaceful Equestria, there were many problems that required an alicorn’s attention, and she couldn’t send a second alicorn. But she could send the next best thing.

Sometimes, Luna wondered if her attachment to her students was an attempt to fill a strange hole, to have another sibling, or a child that she never would have otherwise. But she had decided, after much internal debate, that it was irrelevant. Luna was allowed to have family, even family that didn’t share her blood, wasn’t she?
Suddenly, she realised that she had been thinking to herself for a long while, and snapped back to reality. Twilight was staring, wide-eyed and open-mouthed in amazement. “It’ll come with lots of responsibilities, but I know a clever filly like you will be able to handle them. And we can be much more flexible with your lessons, so you’ll be able to go home and look after Spike a lot more often.” Twilight was still staring. “You don’t have to make up your mind right away. Go home for the weekend and talk to your family about it.”

“Yes!” Twilight leaped straight off the bed, wrapping her forelegs around Luna’s neck. Luna gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and she tipped backwards onto the floor. Once she inhaled again, she began to laugh as Twilight nuzzled her, chanting yeses and thank yous.

“Well, I’m glad you’ve accepted.” Luna nuzzled Twilight back, lifting her so the Princess could sit up again, still winded and surprised from the attack of affection. “Why don’t you get Smarty Pants, and I’ll fly you home for the weekend? Then me and your parents can sort everything out.”

Luna watched with a smile as Twilight, full of energy, dashed back and forth, picking up books and chattering to Smarty Pants. Luna knew, just looking at the filly, that she’d made the right choice, and the pair of them would achieve a lot together.

Chapter 2 - Hollow Shades

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Silence, but not the kind that Luna liked. Not the kind of peace and contentment, but the kind of unasked and unanswered questions, punctuated with the ticking of a clock and the scrape of utensils against crockery. Worse, Luna knew that they weren’t usually like this, that this family was only uncomfortable and tense due to her intrusion. It made her feel unwanted, hostile, alien. Secretly, she hoped that a guard would come and buck the door in, shouting about an emergency that needed her attention that would free her from the deep discomfort. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen, and she’d have to be political about it.

“This meal is lovely, Ms Velvet, Mr Light.” She smiled more brightly than she felt. “I’ll have to have one of my chefs borrow the recipe for these stuffed peppers.”

“I’ll write a copy out for you, your majesty.” Twilight Velvet answered hastily. It was the fifth time that Luna had dined with Twilight’s family, but it took a lot of time for ordinary ponies to get used to the Princess’ company. And, she thought as she adjusted on the cushions, it took a lot of time for them to decide to invest in an alicorn-sized chair.

“I will say, from prior experience, I’m excited for tonight’s dessert, too!”

“Dessert!” Twilight’s father gasped, shooting up from the table and dashing into the kitchen, his fork clattering to the plate.

Uncomfortably, Luna looked down at her plate, toying with the last mouthful of food. This always happened, didn’t it?

“I’ll, uh,” Spike pushed his chair away from the table, his plate already empty. “Just go and see if dad needs any help.”

“Thank you, Spike.” Twilight smiled. “So, Shiny, has anything interesting happened at the castle lately?”

“Nothing to report, ma’am!” Her brother snapped, and Luna internally sighed. She knew Shining Armour well, given that he was first in line to be next captain of the Guard, but he still couldn’t relax around her, even in what was supposed to be a friendly environment.

“The dessert will be some more time. I-I must not have preheated the oven well enough. I’m very sorry, your majesty.”

“Oh, don’t apologise, Mr Light, these things happen.” Luna waved a hoof in what she hoped was a friendly way, eating the last bite of her meal. She paused for a few moments, waiting for someone else to make conversation, before getting to her hooves, remembering not to stretch out too much, lest she’d destroy a family picture or trinket. “I’ll just get five minutes of fresh air, in that case. Make sure my moon hasn’t gone anywhere.” Her joke wasn’t appreciated, but that was the case in pretty much every setting, and she stepped out into the chill, autumn evening air, inhaling deeply and exhaling steam. She stretched her wings for a few moments, before trotting to the fence of the house’s back garden, smiling at the old, discoloured slide and swingset.

“I’m really sorry about this, Princess.” Twilight walked beside Luna, her head drooping. “They’re never usually like this, it’s just…”

“I’m scarier than I am in the papers?” Twilight nodded slowly, and Luna smiled. “You don’t need to apologise, Twilight; I know the effect that I have on most ponies. Yes, I’d like it if we could be more candid, but I’m happy enough to just meet with them. Have a home-cooked meal without being harassed by Guards. And I know they’re good ponies, because they raised a good filly.”

Twilight blushed a little bit and looked away from Luna, looking up at the expansive starscape above them. “You should disguise yourself. Use some magical glamours to look like a normal unicorn, then visit dad’s shop. Then you’d be able to see him properly.”

It was an idea that Luna had thought of before, but previously dismissed it - how would it damage trust in her if the ponies discovered it? “I’ll think about it.” She glanced back at the house, ensuring that the pair were still alone in the garden. “Twilight, do you think they… dislike me taking you away?”

Twilight tensed for a moment, before she sighed. “Yes. They think it’s dangerous, and that I should be staying at the castle to stay safe.”

“It is dangerous, sometimes.” Luna conceded. “And your staying behind wouldn’t affect your tutelage at all.”

“I know, but I want to come with you. Sometimes it’s best to learn by doing, right?”

Luna smiled. “Right.”

They called what they were going on soon their adventures - times when Luna was called away from Canterlot to deal with a more serious problem, and Twilight (and, now that he was older, Spike) accompanied her to learn and offer assistance. Of course these adventures could be dangerous; they’d combated an incursion of changelings in Los Pegasus, fought a corrupted mage in Baltimare, and stopped an entire migration of monsters from the Everfree moving on the tiny frontier town of Appleloosa. But, Luna hoped, they were a learning experience for Twilight. And, truthfully, the little unicorn had helped a great deal in some of those adventures.

Little unicorn. No, Luna had to stop thinking of her like that: that tiny foal was almost a fully-grown mare, and one that her family should’ve been proud of. Her tutelage would be ending soon, and she’d be going onto bigger things, most likely. And so, Luna wanted to invite her along for one more adventure together.

“Twily,” the elder Twilight had emerged from the house. “Would you help your father set the table for dessert?”

“Of course, mum!” Twilight trotted back to the house, and Luna heard her mother walking closer.

“I’m sorry that we can't offer you more, Princess Luna.”

“Please, Ms Velvet, I am quite content. To be able to get away from the castle for a little while, have some lovely home-cooked food, and meet my prize student’s family, that’s plenty for me. I’m sorry that I’m taking her away again.”

Twilight Velvet sighed heavily. “I know that it’s her decision. I think it’s a silly decision, but she’s old enough to make it for herself. And I know that she’ll have the Princess ensuring that she doesn’t come to any harm.”

Luna felt some pride at that, and relief that they were talking somewhat candidly for a brief moment. “Anything that wants to harm Twilight Sparkle will have to go through me first, I can promise you that.”

“I know. Thank you, Princess Luna. Sometimes it feels like I don’t see my daughter for days now, but I know that she’s safe and she’s learning to be the best that she can be. That’s all that a mother can really ask for, isn’t it?”

“I truly appreciate your honesty with me. And I’m glad that you trust me with caring for your daughter. And if there is anything at all that I can do for your family, you need only ask.”

“Unless you can fix writer’s block, I don’t think there’s anything that we need. We have a good life.”

They paused for a long moment, in much more comfortable silence than before. “If I may burden you, Miss Velvet, there is something else I’d like to ask you.”

“You may ask me anything, Princess.”

In a flash of navy light, an object appeared, hovering in front of Luna in her magical aura. A slightly dog-eared, hardback book. The Lights of Canterlot, by Twilight Velvet, the cover read. “Would you sign this for me?” Luna asked, struggling to hold in her enthusiasm. “I decided to pick up a copy from the castle library, and I just fell in love. Is your next book going to be a sequel? I’d love to read more of the story!”

Twilight Velvet gaped, stunned and struggling to find words for a long moment, before she was saved by a shout from Spike. “Dessert’s ready!”

“I-I’ll get my pen for you after dessert, Princess. I-If that’s alright. I think Spike’s made one of his soufflés!”

“Are you sure you want to come with me, Twilight? You must’ve done this with me a dozen times now.”

“Really, Princess, I enjoy it! It’s a nice tradition before we go off on one of our adventures.”

“Alright then.” Luna smiled, walking into the gardens. “Come along.”

The gardens of Canterlot Castle were massive and expansive, open to the public as a public park - though at this time, approaching midnight, they were utterly empty aside from the Princess and her student. They stood at the entrance to the area that Luna called the Statue Garden, a mazelike area dotted with statues and sculptures of cultural significance. The entrance was a tall, stone archway, with one statue looming over it.

It was called, according to its polished, brass plaque, the Tribes United. In fine, white stone, it depicted a group of larger-than-life ponies. An earth pony and a unicorn stood flank-to-flank, sprouting plants emerging from around the earth pony’s hooves, and books and scrolls were around the unicorn’s. Above the pair was a pegasus, avian wings spread and a fluffy cloud under a foreleg, and a thestral, bat wings spread and an old-fashioned spear in hoof. It was an ancient sculpture, and a very famous one. Famous enough that the Princess only gave it a moment of study, and a little smile, before she walked on.

“Come along, Students’ Corner, you know that’s where I’m going first.” Of course, Luna’s favourite part of the Gardens. In amongst the maze of hedges and trees was a large clearing, dotted with benches and with a tall bandstand in the centre, surrounded by five statues of ponies, larger than they were in life, each about Luna’s size.

“Will you tell me about them again?” Twilight walked into the bandstand, settled on one of its benches.

“Would you like me to? I must’ve told you so many times now.”

“I love to hear you talk about them.” And, honestly, Twilight did; Luna’s students were all well-documented historical figures, but to hear it from the horse’s mouth was special. Luna made them feel like individuals, rather than legends.

And so Twilight turned to follow Luna as she trotted to the first of them. The statue depicted a stallion with a smiling face and a cutie mark, not unlike Twilight’s, depicting a pattern of stars. The First, its plaque read, and a crescent moon was at his hooves.

“Starbright Moonlight was the first unicorn I tutored. This was a long, long time ago, a little over a century after I first raised the sun. He was the son of one of the castle’s servants. And this was in the days before schooling for all foals, so while his mother worked, he would trot around the castle, making trouble. He became quite attached to me, for some reason, and would follow me around, asking me to teach him spells or read to him. And I was rather… prone to melancholy back then, so I found this deeply irritating. Some colt interfering with my moping time.”

Luna said that last part as a joke, and Twilight smiled, but she knew that there was genuine guilt beneath it.

“And one day, I snapped at him. I told him that I was sick and tired of his following me everywhere, and that I’d never teach him any of my spells. Of course, that upset him, and I quickly realised what I’d done, and tried to apologise as he ran off to his mother. It affected me a great deal, and made me realise that my misery did not just affect me. So, I decided to be better, and care for the foals. I opened all the schools because of it, but not before I promised to teach him whatever he wanted to know. And, for a long while, I did.”

Luna lingered there for a long few moments, smiling at the statue’s face, touching its forehoof with one of her own. Then, she walked onto the next, The Carer according to its plaque, depicting a slight unicorn with stone flowers around her hooves and a cutie mark of similar flowers.

“Then, much later, came Blossomer. I met her when she walked around the front of the castle, using her magic to coax entire flower beds into bloom in an instant. And, when I spoke to her, she didn’t realise at all just how difficult that should’ve been. She was a very unique unicorn, because she didn’t understand the theory of magic at all, she was barely even literate. She just… did it, and it worked, in exactly the way that it shouldn’t for most unicorns.

“I eventually taught her to read properly, but she never liked it.” Twilight pulled a funny face at that concept, and Luna gave her a smile. “The most intensive things she ever read were penny dreadfuls. If I could’ve ever convinced her to read an actual textbook, well, I’m convinced that she would’ve been able to raise the sun far better than I.”

Another affectionate touch from Luna, and she moved onto the next, The Protector. If the scale was consistent across these statues, this unicorn would’ve been the size of Luna in life, and he was as broad as a particularly impressive earth pony. And he was clad in old-style Guard armour, one foreleg resting on a kite shield, similar to the one depicted by his cutie mark.

“And then Rarelast. Much like your brother, his speciality was in magical shielding. And his were, without a doubt, the most incredible I’d ever seen. He was competent, at the very least, in almost all other areas of magic, his grasp of the theory was more than passable, but his barrier spells… he was better than the rest of the Guard combined when on the defensive, I have no doubt.

“Indeed, I’m not ashamed to admit that he was much stronger than me in that way. I couldn’t break his barriers, much of the time. I’m fairly sure that he always believed I was holding back, not giving it my all when I attacked them, but I most certainly was not. A true gentle giant, too, I sincerely believe that he never even offended a pony in his life. And, to this day, his descendants are Guardsponies. None with quite his magical potency, but all with his heart.”

Luna flapped her wings to come to the sculpted stallion’s eye level, press her forehead against his, and then move to The Innovator, a unicorn mare with a cutie mark of firework-like sparks. The mare was sat on her hind legs, her forelegs holding an open book, its pages marked with dots rather than traditional lettering.

“Star Eyes came from the far north, close to the frozen north. She was born blind. And her parents brought her all the way to Canterlot, without the help of trains, believing that I could heal her. Of course, I couldn’t, and the family were going to leave broken-hearted. I offered them work and a place to stay at the castle, and I had little Star enrolled at the School to give her the best education I could. She had a great magical talent, but limited by her inability to truly learn the theory. Until, one day, I went to her room, and found that she’d gouged marks into the walls in a sort of shorthand that she could feel to read.”

“And then you created braille.” Twilight grinned.

“No, she created braille. I helped. And once we had that, the doors were open for her. Her perspective helped us create modern magical theory, making it more science than guesswork. She created more spells than any mage since Starswirl, and made it her life’s work once she was free of my tutelage to teach other disadvantaged ponies. Such a pure soul.”

Another affectionate, motherly touch, before Luna moved onto the final statue. A unicorn of similar build to Twilight, with a cutie mark of a sun and a confident smile on her face, bottles and alchemical equipment around her hooves. The Witch, her plaque read.

“I always hated that title.” Luna chuckled, gesturing to the plaque. “Thought it made her sound wicked.”

“You could’ve told her not to use it.”

Luna laughed, shaking her head. “Spoken like someone who’s never taught Sunset Shimmer. If you tell her that she can’t do something, she’ll just want to do it more, unless you can give her a very good reason not to do something. And she is right, it’s a traditional term to refer to herbalists and alchemists, and she is one of the better alchemists I’ve ever seen. I don’t need to tell you how she is, you’ve exchanged letters, ambitious, brave, sometimes headstrong, but deeply intelligent and with a good heart under it all. I first met her in one of the orphanages in Canterlot, when she’d almost burned it to the ground. Powerful magic, but lacking in control.”
Luna lingered for the shortest time at Sunset’s statue, though her smile was no smaller, before she turned back to Twilight. “And that’s them all, until we have yours put in.”

Twilight blushed. “I don’t need a statue, Princess Luna.”

“And I bet you don’t even want one, knowing you.” Luna gestured for Twilight to follow as she walked elsewhere in the garden. “But I want one of you. So that everypony can remember you, and know that you, Twilight Sparkle, are a wonderful pony.”

“Really, Princess, I-I don’t need some sort of reputation. I’m happy to just study and learn from you.”

“I know,” Luna’s voice was low and soft. “But it’s for me. So when you’re done learning from me, when you go off and write books, change magic, teach other ponies, find a special somepony, raise foals of your own, poor old Luna will be able to come and look at the statue and remember the nice times with Twilight Sparkle.”

She was half-teasing and half-serious, so Twilight giggled but let Luna embrace her with a warm, blanket-like wing as they walked in the moonlit maze, past the statues of heroes and scholars from time long gone. “Well, I guess that’s OK then. For you, Luna.”

Luna liked it when Twilight dropped the title in private, it made them feel more close, like Twilight really was part of her family. “And this is one of my very favourite statues.”

They were in a clearing that Twilight didn’t recognise (she still wasn’t convinced that there wasn’t some sort of magic to the navigation of the gardens), a circular grove in between the tall hedges, dominated by a willow tree and a carpet of white, night-blooming flowers parting only for an alicorn-sized bench and the statue. It was a dark stone, life-sized statue of a batpony mare in Guard armour, one wing extended to shelter a sleeping earth pony filly, as though from rain or sun. Her fanged smile was kindly, and her cutie mark was of a shield with a full moon in the centre. Twilight walked in front of her, and leaned forwards to wipe the moss from the statue’s plaque. Umbral Skies, it read in the old unicorn script, The friend I needed the most. When she looked up, Twilight realised that, from this angle, the thestral’s wing was sheltering the castle, too.

“A long time ago, just when my sister left, Equestria was in grave danger.” Luna explained, standing beside Twilight. “Umbral was one of my very closest friends, and she gave absolutely everything to protect us all. She was a wonderful pony, and the world would be very different if it weren't for her.” Luna smiled, but the corner of her mouth trembled slightly. “You must be fed up of this old mare’s sentiment by now, Twilight, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.” Twilight assured as Luna walked to lay on the bench, her limp suddenly more noticeable. She studied the statue for another moment, before asking a question prompted by what Luna had said. “If I may, Princess… why aren’t there any statues of your sister?” Luna gave her a thoughtful look, as though she’d never expected to hear that question. “You speak very fondly of her, I was just wondering…” Twilight trailed off, wondering if she shouldn’t have asked. Luna studied her with an inscrutable expression, and was silent for just long enough that Twilight opened her mouth to apologise.

“I am fond of her, I love her. She’s my best friend. I don’t have any statues of her, because the statues are for me to remember ponies I might not see again. Of course, I do believe that I’ll see some of them again, but I could be wrong. But I know that I will see my sister again. I won’t need a statue to remember her, because I’ll get a chance to embrace her and speak of everything again.” Luna gave a faraway smile, wiped her eyes with a fetlock, and looked back to Twilight. “And you should never apologise for asking me a question, Twilight. Now, come along,” she stood again, stretching her wings. “We should be picking up Spike and meeting our train.”

So Twilight clambered onto the Princess’ back, comfortable being carried this way after this many years, and they lifted off into the starry night, an adventure beckoning to them.

A steam train chugged gently away from Canterlot in the advancing night. It pulled six carriages - two carried passengers, three carried cargo, but it was the very rear carriage that was the most interesting. Compared to the others, it was long, and grand, painted in deep, elegant purple and lined with clear windows. Its own chimney allowed black wood smoke to flow and meld with the coal smoke from the engine far ahead of it. Inside, the carriage was a palace in miniature, a bedroom with a wide, full-moon bed, a study desk beside the fireplace, a sizable stack of bookshelves, and a washtub. There had used to be a miniature dining area, but that had been removed to make space for the smaller beds that now also occupied the carriage.

“Have you been to Hollow Shades before, Twilight?” Luna asked, sitting calmly on her fine bed. She spent so long in transit between many cities, she couldn’t blame herself for indulging in a good bit of luxury for her carriage.

“No, Princess.” Twilight sat at the study desk, scrutinising her notes by candlelight.

“I wanted to build the castle there, you know. It is one of my favourite places in all of Equestria. Quiet and beautiful.” Luna smiled. “Of course, that would’ve all changed if I had built the castle there. So Canterlot was a good decision, really.”

“What was Canterlot like back then?” Twilight turned around in her seat. “I’ve seen the old pictures, but it’s nice to hear these things from a pony.”

Luna crossed her forelegs and rested her chin on them. “Smaller. It was still the largest settlement around, but it was much more quiet and small. The shelf that holds it on the mountainside was almost all natural, with just a few expansions from magical artificers. When we came to build the new castle, we expanded the shelf massively, and the city slowly grew around it. The shelf is still expanding now, of course, but I’m sure you’ve seen that most new parts of the city are built on the mountainside instead.”

“Why was the shelf first built?” Twilight asked, ever-curious.

“Honestly, I’ve wondered that as well. I think the artificers living on the mountain wanted to show off their grasp of metallurgy, but they must’ve been very confident to live dangling off the edge of a mountain. But they were right to be confident, I suppose.”

Twilight nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer, and returned to her parchment, sparing a glance to Spike, soundly asleep in his own bed. Luna watched the landscape pass by outside the window, the plains soothing her mind with the starlight and the gentle bumps of the train tracks. It was late in the long night, so she was tired. Soon, she’d let the sun begin its rise, then sleep for an hour or two. Then she’d complete the sunrise, and rest for the rest of the morning at the very least. The train would reach its destination not too long after that.

But first, Luna checked the thick file of documents relating to this journey. She inhaled deeply, steeling herself before she flicked it open, laying it on the bed beside her and taking the first piece of paper, a brief report penned in Shining Armour’s familiar cursive.

7 ponies disappeared from Hollow Shades over the past month, cause unknown.

- Ivory Spirit and Sapphire Jewel, husband and wife traveling salesponies. Disappeared around the 8th, exact time and date unknown.

- Velvet Swirl, fruit farmer, went out to check on orchards the evening of the 14th and did not return.

- Auroralea, shopkeeper, stepped out of dinner at the Red Melon on the 19th for fresh air and did not return.

- Lucky Star and Peppermint Spice, students, and Smokey Breeze, groundskeeper, vanished from Princess Luna’s School for Young Thestrals between end of classes and morning meal of the 22nd.

Hollow Shades Town Guard are requesting assistance from the Royal Guard for their investigation, awaiting your permission.

The first thing that Luna had done - or the second, if you included charging through half the castle at breakneck speeds to personally send a telegram to the School staff instructing them to send the foals safely home immediately - was send a reply assigning much of the Guard to Hollow Shades, and requesting more information on the disappeared ponies. That was when she’d been sent this thick file, and she’d assembled a page of her own notes from what she’d studied there.

- All the missing are thestral ponies, aside from Smokey Breeze, earth pony.

- The time between disappearances is becoming shorter as time goes by.

- The exact time of disappearance is unclear for all ponies.

- There is no obvious pattern in where in the town the ponies disappeared from.

- The Town Guard found no clear evidence at any of the disappearance scenes.

Shaking her head at the almost worthless notes, she sorted the file and closed it shut again, placing it onto the desk beside Twilight’s notes. The response had been quick after the report was sent to her, and it was a few hours into the morning of the 23rd now, Luna and Twilight attending the tiny, isolated town on the very next train after the one that had brought the Royal Guard to assist in the investigation.

Of course, they weren’t investigators; in fact, Luna was half-expecting to be met at the station by a sheepish group of Town Guard offering an explanation regarding distant family members and an out-of-control game of hide-and-seek. But her presence would be reassuring to the residents of the town, the family of the missing, and her promises of action were often more significant-feeling than those from Guardsponies. And, well, perhaps she and Twilight could help: she had undergone no training, but a millennium of life gave her a different perspective that could be helpful, and Twilight's thorough, organised nature would certainly be a benefit.

“You should be getting some sleep, young Miss Sparkle.” Luna instructed her student.

“Yes, Princess.” Twilight nodded, rubbing her baggy eyes, and walked to fall into her bed. Luna watched, smiling slightly, as she shuffled around under the sheets, bundling the blanket tight around her. “Goodnight, Luna.”

“Sweet dreams, Twilight.” She watched Twilight turn over a few times before the motion of the train lulled her into a deep sleep, then used her magic to tuck her in tight and safe. With another burst of magic, she willed the sun to begin its rise, to tint the eastern sky a beautiful amber. It would need another burst of magic to climb the rest of the way into the sky in an hour or two, but until then, Luna could pull her blankets over her neck, and let the motion of the train and the soft breathing of Twilight and Spike lull her to sleep.

It was mid-afternoon when the train reached the Hollow Shades station, but it wasn’t easy to know that; the town of Hollow Shades was in the midst of the Shaded Forest, notable for tall trees that had a habit of bending over any clearings, effectively almost entirely blocking out the sun and leaving the town in a permanent twilight for most of the day. For the nocturnal thestral ponies, this made it ideal - their slit-pupiled eyes were extremely sensitive to light, and they often simply couldn't function in full daylight. So the largely solitary fourth tribe had constructed the town of Hollow Shades, a city that existed in the one significant clearing in the woods, with a good half the population living in isolated homesteads deeper into the forest.

The Shaded Forest was, unfortunately, not without its dangers: while it was no Everfree Forest in terms of monsters, chimeras, ursa, manticores, and hydra had all been seen. Indeed, if you believed all of the reports, a tatzlwurm had apparently made it into the area recently. In the ancient times, thestrals had supposedly been the protectors of the other tribes, acting as something akin to Guard for the other tribes in the dead of night, even though they were feared and unwanted.

Throughout her reign, Luna had worked hard to rectify that, with some good success; thestrals weren’t feared or rejected in polite society anymore, though their solitary and nocturnal nature meant that they were still very uncommon outside of Hollow Shades. She couldn’t blame the other ponies for being afraid, not entirely - bat wings and sharply pointed fangs were not exactly the most endearing features for ponies. But, well, she knew from her own life that one couldn’t judge a book by its cover.

“Do you think I should take my bags, or leave them on the train?”

“Leave them, Twilight: if we have to stay the day, someone will take them to the inn for us.” Luna assured as the train slowly came to a stop at the tiny, slate-roofed train station.

“OK.” Twilight bit her lip, leaning over Spike’s shoulder to double-check her lengthy checklist. Secretly, Luna envied her organisation. Not necessarily the ability for it, Luna was confident that she could do it if she tried, but the sheer patience needed. “Are we missing anything, Spike?”

“No, Twilight.” The little dragon sighed, rolling up the scroll. “And if we are, whatever it is will be back in Canterlot by now!”

“You’re right.” Twilight sighed, crossing to the nearest window to look out on the station.

The train station was absolutely packed with a bustling mass of ponies, not an uncommon sight when the Princess’ train was due, but the attitude of the crowd was very different to usual; instead of joyous waving, the ponies all seemed subdued and nervous, clutching suitcases and foals close to them. Guards in armour stood amongst the crowd, but they seemed too subdued to make any real trouble, and merely watched the train come in with worried eyes.

“They’re scared?” Spike asked. Neither he nor Twilight had ever seen so many batponies before, all clustered together and as common as unicorns in Canterlot.

“Given the disappearances, I suspect they’re leaving for their own safety.” Luna answered. “I’ll speak to them once the train stops.”

The three watched out of the window in silence as the train slowly came to a stop, and Luna moved to the front of her door, clearing her throat and double-checking her wings. When the door slid open, the crowd became less subdued for just a moment to gasp in surprise at the Princess’ appearance as she stepped onto the platform.

After a long moment of silence, she gave them all a sad sort of smile.

“My goodness, what you have all been through. So many days and weeks of worry and fear, now topped off by having to leave your very homes behind to feel safe. I understand why, and know that my heart aches for every single one of you. Know that my Guards and I will not rest for a moment until Hollow Shades is rid of this terror, and you can all safely return to your homes. Until then, know that you will be offered safety and accommodation by the Guard in whatever city you choose to stay in.” She bowed her head low to the crowd, and they mumbled thanks and bowed in return. Then, the crowd parted as she walked away from the train, Twilight and Spike close behind. Normally, this close to the Princess, there’d be chatter and shouts and requests for photographs, but there was just worried, reverent silence, until they walked down off the platform, and met the Guards waiting for them.

They both saluted smartly, and settled back to attention at a tiny nod from Luna. On the left stood the Royal Guard’s representative, in golden armour, the up-and-coming Shining Armour (Twilight struggled not to grin at her big brother, who had rushed off midway through dessert to catch the train here)). On the right, in matte grey, was the Town Guard’s leader, a thestral mare with a purplish coat and deep blue mane.

“Thank you both. Let us walk.” Luna instructed, setting off at a walk in the direction of the town. “I did not realise that you were personally leading the Royal Guard contingent here, Captain Armour.”

“I thought that it would be pertinent, ma’am.”

“Don’t mistake my surprise for displeasure, Captain, I am glad to have you here. Is there any news regarding the disappearances?”

“No, your majesty. The entire town’s on high alert, and the Guard are heading to the outlying homesteads to spread the news.”

“Good, good. Nectar,” Luna turned to the batpony, who perked up slightly. “Is there anything we should see right away?”

“Some of the foals from the School haven’t been able to go home yet.” She had a slight lisp. “I think it’d be good if you could talk to them.”

“Lead on, then. Captain, don’t let me keep you if you have duties elsewhere.” Saluting again, Shining Armour broke off from the group and Luna fell back slightly from the Town Guard Captain, whispering to Twilight and Spike. “I’d like it if you could check the rooms of the missing foals while I talk to the students. Use that finding spell we practised for me.”

“Yes, Princess.” Twilight whispered back as they approached the School.

Luna had entered the School intending to investigate the disappearances like a fictional super-sleuth (Sherlock Hooves, that had been a good series back in the day, one of her favourites on the rare occasion that she had time to read). But once she’d seen the fearful, confused foals, she instantly knew what was more important. And so, she’d spent a long while speaking with them, telling stories from long ago to the entire group or sharing words with individuals. When their guardians picked each of the children up, she exchanged words with them as well. Many were following the other thestrals and fleeing the town for safety. Secretly, Luna thought that was quite wise.

“Look, Princess! It’s you!” A roll of paper was shoved into her face, depicting, in childish scrawl, a blue pony with lopsided wings and a horn about as long as her entire body.

“Oh, it’s lovely, Brave!” She took it from the colt in her hooves, smiling broadly. He was one of three foals still waiting with Luna in the School’s hall. She sat surrounded by crayons, toys, and scraps of paper, the three foals all close enough for her to feel them breathing.

“You can keep it.” He informed her, proudly.

“Well thank you very much. I know just where I’m going to put it in the castle.” It was true; over the years, she’d accumulated many such gifts, but she had never permanently disposed of any of them. It would sit proudly on a wall for at least a decade, before she’d sort it away with all the others. Some nights, she would do little except go through all the old drawings, preserved with magic. It was good when she felt like she needed a good cry.

“Mummy!” Two of the remaining foals leaped away from Luna, trotting up to the thestral woman who had entered the hall. She wore Night Guard armour, which excused her tardiness, and Luna merely gave her a soft smile as she beckoned her twins away. The last, a filly who sat right between Luna’s forelegs, she knew was the foal of one of the School’s teaching staff. Now that the rest of the students were away, her parent would be there soon.

“Princess Luna!” Spike jogged up, panting slightly. “Twilight wants to see you! If, um, you know, you have a moment.”

“I think I do. Can you keep an eye on this one until her mother returns, it shouldn’t be too long?” Luna ruffled the quiet filly’s mane as she stood. “Thank you for your company, little one.”

Luna moved calmly and regally to the corridor, setting off at a trot once she was there. Spike had been worried; Twilight must have found something. So, when she came to the two neighbouring rooms with the doors hanging open, she immediately looked into the first, not taking in anything except for Twilight’s absence. And she wasn’t in the next, either. Panic surged in Luna’s chest, and she flared her wings, ready to take to the sky and find this abductor herself before they could abscond with her favourite student.

“Twilight Sparkle!” She bellowed with ancient practise, making the walls tremble.

“Princess?” Twilight squeaked, her head poking through the open window of the room.

Luna folded her wings, her heart slowing, mentally scolding herself for the haste of her worry. “I’m sorry, Twilight, I did not mean to startle you.” Focusing for a moment, she teleported herself to stand beside Twilight. Here, behind the school, was a playground for the youngest foals, all small slides and swingsets. It backed onto the half of the School for older students, separated by a fence that would stop a foal, but little more.

“Look, Princess! I tried the finding spell, and something showed up!” She pointed to the ground at her hooves, where something glowed the purple of Twilight’s magic. Luna bent low to the ground, scrutinising them closely. An adult pony’s, in horseshoes. “I think they might be the groundskeeper’s.”

“I am inclined to agree, Twilight.” Luna stood upright, following the line of hoofprints through the playground with her eyes. “But where did he go? Can you keep the spell up while we follow the trail?” Twilight nodded eagerly, and they set off to slowly trace the hoofprints. The groundskeeper had walked to the windows of each of the missing foals, and Luna fought off the urge to immediately accuse him of wrongdoing. Then, he walked to the edge of the playground, climbed the fence, and walked through the narrow alleyways between the School’s buildings.

Then, the glowing tracks vanished into the shadowed forest, unerring and straight.

“Should we keep following them, Princess?”

“No, Twilight, not yet.” Luna turned to her student. “Can you remember this spot?” Another eager nod. “Then we’ll come back here soon, and follow them. The spell will be able to pick them up for another few hours. I need more information from Nectar before we do.”

Twilight and Luna stood at the centre of a cluster of Guards, all four tribes present and their armour a mixture of gold, purple, and grey. Twilight had her nose pressed into a book, held in front of her face with her magic, managing to maintain the finding spell at the same time as well. The hoofprints were flickering now, becoming too old for the spell to detect.

“Are you ready, Twilight?” Luna asked, growing slightly impatient.

“Yes, Princess”. She tucked the book back into her saddlebags. “I can definitely maintain the spell.”

“Good.” Luna cleared her throat and raised her voice. “Standard search line around the trail.” She informed the Guards again. “Investigate anything unusual looking. If you encounter anything dangerous, raise your voice, I will protect you.” The Guards nodded their agreement and fanned out to each side of the Princess, a few yards between each. In the dense forests, they would be almost invisible to each other. “Twilight, Spike, you are both to stay right beside me, understand? This is a dangerous place.”

“I understand, Princess.” Twilight nodded. Spike was perched on her back, arms wrapped around her neck and eyes flicking nervously about the trees above them.

“I shouldn’t baby you, you’re bright.” Luna scolded herself. “But I would not be able to forgive myself if you were hurt. Come, let us begin.”

They walked forwards, following the glowing, purple hoofprints, and vanished into the woodland. In an instant, the pleasant half-light became almost pitch blackness, and their hooves were tangled by brambles and ferns. Luna could see well in darkness, but she lit up her horn to guide Twilight, preparing to catch the student if she should fall. The hoofprints were barely visible, even aglow, in the dense forest, but they could see that they continued in an almost perfectly straight line, only just swerving around the thick-trunked trees. The woodland echoed with the cries of distant birds and the screeching of bats.

“Princess Luna,” Spike whispered. “Can I please go back to town?”

“Spike,” Luna was whispering back, though she didn’t realise it. Something about these woodlands made quiet feel important. Still, she lifted Spike with her magic, and settled him onto her back. “If anything in this forest wants to hurt you, it will have to get through me.” The little dragon’s claws dug into Luna’s coat fearfully.

“Statistically, with the Princess is the safest place in all Equestria, wherever she is.” Twilight chirped.

Luna frowned. “Somepony calculated that? The universities must be dreadfully boring.” That got a little laugh from Spike, which reassured her.

The snap of a twig underhoof snapped Luna back to reality, after many minutes of quiet contemplation, and she looked down at the hoofprints again. Slowly, they were turning to the right, curving gently unlike the straight lines they had been walking in up to this point. There had been no shouts of alarm from the Guards, so this was their only lead. From their spacing, the groundskeeper had been walking, unbothered before, but now he began to trot. Luna bent to investigate the prints more closely for a moment, ignoring the ache in her foreleg. One of the shoes was lost - had they walked right over it? And surely, he would’ve noticed in terrain like this.

The trot curved into a large clearing within the trees, a small lake reflecting the moonlight where the trees couldn’t bend all the way over it. A number of the Guards appeared from the forest nearby the Princess, looking out over the lake and grumbling to each other. Luna’s mental headcount confirmed that nobody from that flank of the search was missing, so she could return her attention to the trail after sending up a magical flare that should bring the other flank of Guards to the area.

The hoofprints continued straight into the lake, breaking into a gallop just at its shore.

“Princess?” Twilight asked, and Luna felt bile rising in her throat. If they were hurt…

“Twilight, look after Spike.” She levitated the baby dragon off her back. “Shout for the Guards to look after you and gather the other searchers here.”

“What? Princess, what are you doing?”

Luna smiled reassuringly, making her horn glow as a glasslike orb appeared surrounding her head. “I’m going to look for them.” Luna could feel her forelegs tremble; she could barely swim, hadn’t tried for well over a century. And swimming down into a place with something she didn’t know the nature of, something that could swipe several individuals away, undetected, it seemed… insane. “If I’m not back in half an hour, you run back to town and get Shining Armour.”

“There must be another option! What about the Manehatten Guard divers?”

“By the time they’re here, anything could’ve happened to them.”

“Luna…” Twilight looked afraid, slightly tearful.

“And because I haven’t said it for a long while, working with you, and knowing you, has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.” She leaned in to nuzzle Twilight, remembered the bubble of glass, and instead raised a hoof to ruffle her mane. “And there’s no need for me to be saying these tearful goodbyes, because I’ll be back before you know it.”

With no more words, without even glancing back, Luna walked into the frigid lake, until all that could be seen was the navy glow of her horn, shining up from deep below like another star reflected in its glassy surface.

Anxiously, Twilight trotted back and forth by the shore of the lake. She’d bitten her lip so hard with worry that it had become very painful, but stopping meant that there was nothing to hold back her increasingly frantic monologues.

“How long has it been now?”

“Twenty minutes, Twi.”

“Do you think I should gallop back to town now? Or wait here? What if I go back to town and then Luna comes back and she needs me? I could leave you here! No, she said I had to look after you. Oh Spike, I don’t know what to do!”

She had worn a shallow rut into the lakeside soil, and many Guards were struggling now to hide their concerned looks. Half of them had formed a perimeter around where the Princess had vanished, the others galloping through the woods to find reinforcements to encircle the entire lake. Quietly, a number of them had discussed talking to - perhaps even restraining - the almost-hysterical student, before she could do any harm to herself.
But her mad pacing was interrupted by a chime and a burst of light from her saddlebags, discarded on the shore, and then immediately bound to them, almost knocking Spike flying, shouting that she’d received a reply.

Gingerly, she pulled the thick journal, backed in heavy cloth with elaborate metal sculpting of a unicorn’s head, from the book. Technically, it was thaumaturgically-imbued magical instant-communication matrix. Luna preferred to call it a speaking diary, and it was one of a pair of identical ones, the other somewhere in distant Zebrica, in the hooves of Sunset Shimmer. When something was written in one of the journals, it would appear magically, after barely a minute’s delay, on the pages of the other book. Luna had crafted the pair for herself and Sunset, as she did when all of her students went off into the wider world, but had allowed Twilight to use it freely to receive some advice and tutoring from the Princess’ other student. When she had become worried earlier, well, Sunset had seemed the most obvious pony to consult.

Snapping the journal open to where the bookmark lay, Twilight ran her eyes down the page, over her own frantic, scribbled explanation of the situation, and saw Sunset’s response, in fine cursive.

Twilight, the first thing that you can do is breathe.

Twilight inhaled deeply, held her breath for a moment, and then exhaled. It didn’t make her feel much better.

You’re a clever pony, and I know that you’re clever enough to know that going into that lake after her is a very stupid idea (yes, Twilight had mentioned that as an option in her initial explanation. It seemed rather stupid, in retrospect). The Princess is probably worried sick knowing that you’re safe on the shore, she’d be terrified if she knew that you were putting yourself in even more danger. At times like this - and this is something that it took me a very long time to learn - the best thing that you can do is trust her; she’s been doing this for far longer than we’ve been alive, and she knows her limits - if she needs your help, she’ll let you know. I think that you should do what the Princess said, and raise the alarm when she’s been gone for a while. Try to stay calm. I know that a journal telling that to you won’t really help, but it’s all I can do.

Please, write me another update when this is all resolved. And stay safe until then.

Twilight grunted in barely-contained frustration, part of her wanting to throw the journal, but she let calm and logic take over again. Sunset was, of course, right. Twilight didn’t like it, but it was true. She’d wanted instructions to perform a spell that would boil away the lake, or even one that would simply let her see the Princess and know that she was OK so far down there. But no, she just had to wait. To wait and be calm and worry.

“Twi?” Spike asked. “Are you alright?”

Sighing, she reached out one foreleg to wrap him in a hug. That always made her feel better. “I’m just worried, Spike.” She told him, staring into the navy light in the deepest part of the lake. "Please be OK, Princess."

Luna walked through the silt that lay at the bottom of the lake, every hoofstep raising plumes of muck that rose through the water around her like smoke. It was almost pitch black here, below dozens of feet of water, and the moonlight from her horn was the only thing that let her see her surroundings, sickly underwater plants, and troglodytic, eyeless, pale fish that avoided her thanks to some sense other than sight.

The water was almost entirely still, filthy with the silt she churned up and so cold that she thought it should be ice. Her fur was matted to her body, and all of her muscles ached with the cold; her foreleg with the limp was always worse in the cold, and now, with frigid water clinging to her body, it was worse than it had been for many years. But still, she walked on, her breath and the rushing currents echoing musically in her magical helmet as she followed the barely glimmering hoofprints.

Not much further, she informed herself. The lake had been small, and she would be close to its centre now, to the deepest point where whatever she was looking for would be. Where it had to be. She didn’t know what she’d do if she was wrong. But that wouldn’t be the case, because she knew that whatever the abductor was, whatever the monster was, it would be down here.

There, ahead, at the edge of her sphere of pale moonlight, a break in the featureless, natural landscape, something else, a shimmering jewel where it shouldn’t be. As the Princess approached, she saw it form into the shape of a school-aged thestral foal, tiny bat wings tight against her back as she was curled as though asleep, floating in a pony-sized bubble, just above Luna’s head.

“Star…” Luna whispered, echoing around her head, raising a hoof to touch the bubble. It gave a little at her touch, like taut fabric, but she drew back: the filly was breathing in the bubble, safe for now. If she broke it, that would swiftly change. As she cast her gaze around, intensifying her light, she saw more bubbles. There, Peppermint, the other missing filly. And the adults, more than had been reported absent, all floating in identical bubbles, soundly asleep.

She stepped forwards, and the motion kicked up a stronger current than it should, making the bubbles tremble and spin in place. They rang when they did, like a wet hoof ran around the rim of a glass, each with a different pitch and tone. After a moment, they were all slowly spinning, their tones harmonising into a pleasant, symphonic song, like the choristers of the Royal Orchestra. Luna stood in place for a few moments, turning slowly, eyes wide in wonder. So shocked she was, so distracted, she almost let the spell giving her air fall, letting a few drops of stagnant water creep through her barrier, drip down to sting her eyes before pooling at her neck.

Focus, she chastised herself, casting her eyes back about the submerged landscape. She had found her missing ponies, but what had brought them here? The disappearance would return right away, if it wasn’t found and stopped. Focusing intently, she greatly intensified the moonlight her horn was throwing off, enough that it would likely be visible from the shore, and took in the huge array of the captured. There were dozens of them, thestrals from the isolated, outlying houses of the Shaded Forest, all in a child-like, imprisoned slumber.

“Who finds me down here?” A voice sang, and Luna snapped her head around, looking for its source. “Another lost little pony?”

“Who’s there?” She channelled more and more magic in her horn, preparing to defend herself and acutely aware of the ache in her muscles and the strangely dizzying effect of the symphonic tones.

“Pretty little bird wings… and a horn? My, I am graced with the presence of the Princess herself. What a great honour this is…” The voice sighed, and Luna felt herself tremble. It sounded so sad, so lonely and broken, as though it thought itself unworthy of her presence. So focused she was on this heartbreaking sensation, she didn’t see the clouds of silt that were kicked up without her moving, nor did she feel the slight tremble of the ground beneath her hooves. “So tell me, Princess…” The voice whispered so low that Luna perked up her ears, let her concentration slip for half a moment, just long enough for a serpentine, slick-scaled form to wrap itself around her torso and raise her from the ground, squeezing her tightly enough that she gasped as the air was forced from her lungs, just before her spell began to fail and the water seeped in.

“Do you like my song?” The siren hissed.

Luna had come to her senses just enough to get one good lungful of breath before her spell entirely failed. Resisting the urge to inhale as the water covered her face, she forced her eyes open to take in her assailant, blinking away the way her eyes swum from the silt in the water and the hypnotic effects of the song.

A head was close to her own, cocked curiously. It was like a pony’s, but with a tall, ragged fin instead of a mane, and sickly, pearlescent white scales in the place of fur, interrupted by a glowing, crimson gem at the base of the neck. It looked her over with slit-pupiled, cloudy, grey eyes and a sharp-toothed, wicked smile. A little before where its hind legs should’ve been, its body turned into a long, eel-like, many-finned tail, which was wrapped tightly around her torso, the scales and spiny fins rough and abrasive against her skin.

“You came right to me, all on your lonesome. I didn’t even have to sing to you.” Its sharp snout was almost pressed against hers. “I never thought I’d have a Princess for a servant.” It hummed gently, and her vision swam again, the face of the siren changing. Luna had to remind herself to keep her mouth closed.

The Princess struggled, trying to stretch out her legs that were pinned to her sides, trying to flex her wings enough to move its constricting body away from her, just enough that she didn’t feel the desperate need to inhale. But its grip was tight, and it waved her from lazily side to side, her soaking mane swaying like a strange, starry seaweed. Focusing as much as she could, ignoring all her pain and discomfort, she channelled magic into her horn, letting it light up navy in the pelagic dark.

“Oh no no no,” the siren spoke in a melodic voice. It was distracting, the kind of distraction that was incompatible with the focus needed for magic of any power, Luna vaguely thought as the spark of her magic flickered out. “No magic down here, Princess. I think that you’ve got bigger worries than magic. Breath, for example.” It squeezed that little bit tighter, and Luna saw another burst of bubbles flow in front of her face, another few seconds of life leaving. “I can help you breathe of course. You just need to stop struggling, and promise you’ll help me.” It crooned. “Promise that you’ll be mine.”

Luna felt… drowsy. She was seeing double, so much her eyesight swam before her, and the icy ache in her muscles began to fade. Was this what it felt like when she used her magic to put others to sleep? It was pleasant, honestly. She’d had a very long night, and she was certainly ready to let sleep overtake her.

“That’s it, Princess.” A parental voice whispered. “You must be so tired, working so hard, all unappreciated.” Her sister told her. “You deserve a nice, long nap…” Luna opened her mouth, vaguely aware of a veil of bubbles covering her face, but unable to find the energy in herself to care.

Then, there was a light. A painfully bright pinprick, distant yet powerful, forcing Luna to squint in its direction, the currents beneath the lake making it look like a distant, purple sun behind a barrier of heat haze. The colour was somehow familiar, and became more recognisable to Luna as her captor’s wicked song faltered. She felt her eyes open again, and she began to struggle anew against the powerful body binding her, staring at the rapidly-growing light.

“My little kingdom is busy tonight, isn’t it?” The siren hissed, though Luna could hear its confidence faltering. “Another little friend for me…”

Distracted, the siren’s encircling grip loosened just a little, just enough for Luna to find a last reserve of strength and snap her wings open wide, pushing the scaly coils away with her forelegs and swimming up, away from the thrashing fish-creature, just dodging the swings of its powerful tail and sharp, cloven hooves. And out of the murk, the purple light formed into a galloping shape, and Twilight Sparkle galloped into view, a pink-tinged bubble encircling her head.

Luna’s heart swelled with relief as Twilight expanded her spell to give the Princess another circle of air, letting Luna inhale deeply and gratefully, chasing away the creeping darkness at the corners of her vision. The siren floated, almost ghostly, between the pair as Luna drifted back to the ground, dismissing the pain in her muscles and her lungs as she summoned her magic again.

“So many decisions. Two little ponies, all for me.” The siren grinned, humming softly. Eyes wide, Twilight turned away, letting her hooves fade through the watertight spell to clamp tightly over her ears.

Luna’s vision swam again, but she raised a hoofful of muddy silt, and crammed it into each of her ears. After this, she was having a spa day. “You will let my ponies go and leave Hollow Shades alone!”

“You will not take them from me!” It shouted, muffled by Luna’s makeshift earplugs. “They’re mine! Mine!” It reared back to whip its tail at Luna, which she just about ducked under, firing a blast of magical energy into the lakebed, kicking up a smokescreen of silt that was only exacerbated by the thrashing of the siren’s tail, its high-pitched wails echoing through the water around them. Behind it, through the silt, Luna could just see the moving light of Twilight’s horn, little balls of magical energy enveloping and dismissing the imprisoning bubbles.

Good work, Twilight.

Knowing that the taken would be safe, Luna turned her attention to the massive shape in the wall of murk, and willed her magic into physical shape, forming thick, starlit chains that shot out of her horn, wrapping around the siren’s neck and limbs, pulling it down to the ground. More shot in to restrain its thrashing tail as it screeched against its detainment, entirely pinning it to the lakebed, letting the silt slowly drop back to the ground and clear up the water.

Behind the siren, Twilight was raising the last of the many bubbles to the surface with her magic, looking none the worse for wear for her brief part in the scuffle. The siren looked hurt and pitiful, barely straining against the chains and looking up sadly at Luna, cloudy eyes shimmering in the water. And on Luna’s part, she ached all over. The cold and the fatigue made every muscle burn, and her body was covered in tiny nicks from the rough scales. She experimentally flexed her wings, and was met with a shooting pain from the left wing, twisted or sprained when she freed herself from the siren’s hold.

“Go. Leave me. You have shown your dominance. I shall never spread my song to your pony town again.”

Luna waited for a moment, and then released a pair of chains, letting the monster open its mouth fully and raise its head slightly off the ground. “What is your name, siren?”

“Chorus.” It mumbled, not meeting her eyes.

Truly, Luna was fascinated to be looking at a siren. They were rare, mostly keeping to themselves in the warm oceans to the south of Griffonia where they supposedly lured sailors away with their songs. Starswirl had dealt with a trio that came to Equestria long ago, when Luna was young, but other than that, she had never seen one. And, though it was pitiful now, this was an especially large specimen, shockingly far away from the ocean.

“Why are you here, Chorus?”

“Brought here when I was a fry. By some pony. Don’t know why.” It was sulking, muzzle in the dirt, like a scolded foal.

“And why did you bring these ponies away from their homes? Their families are very worried.” She walked close to the siren, close enough that it could probably bite her if it extended its neck. It studied her for a long moment, before turning its eyes away and mumbling something. Twilight walked to stand a few paces behind Luna, clearly nervous. “I didn’t hear you.”

“I was lonely.” It said quietly, before the floodgates opened. “Do you know how it feels to be this isolated? To be in a lake that nobody comes to for months or years? To be stuck in the dark, completely and utterly alone? I sang for company! To see another thinking being and hear another singing voice!”

Yes, Luna wanted to say, yes, I do know the feeling of true loneliness. But instead, she shut her eyes for a moment, willing the chains to dissipate, freeing the siren. It was so surprised it didn’t even rise off the lakebed, merely staring up at her. “No creature deserves such isolation.” She reached out with one forehoof, raising the siren’s chin off the ground. “What you did was wrong, but you did it for a reason that I can understand. If you agree that you will let your abductees leave freely, and that you will never use your magic to ensorcell any of my ponies again, I will do my best to improve things for you.”

“How?” Chorus whispered.

“You are a magnificent, special creature. And I know that, though it may take some time to regain their trust, the ponies of Hollow Shades will take a liking to you. I shall have a pathway cleared from the town to this lake, and I shall encourage the residents of the town to visit and sing with you. You will be monitored by the Guard until we are sure that we can trust you, but I believe you are not wicked, Chorus. This is your chance to prove it to me.” She turned to walk away, trying her best to hide the weakness in her limbs, the pain that she was in.

“Thank you.” The siren said, tearfully. “Thank you! You won’t regret this! I promise that you won’t!”

“Princess Luna?”

Luna cracked open one teal eye. She lay, without her royal regalia, on the bed in her train carriage, much of her body covered in bandages and one wing in a splint, a blanket draped gently over it all. Beside her, in the dim light, Twilight stood, looking up at her teacher. Her face was worried and apologetic, but she hadn’t woken Luna; the Princess was so fatigued that she couldn’t sleep at all, and instead just lay down, enjoying that she didn’t have to do anything at all.

“What is it, Twilight?” Luna asked, rolling slightly to the side so she could see her student better, wincing a little at the pressure on her aching body.

“I’m sorry that I disobeyed you.” Ah, so that’s what had been on her mind since they’d left the lake. “I was just… I was so worried, I couldn’t leave you alone down there!”

Luna thought for a long moment. “I have to ask, how did you manage to get right to the middle of the lake like that?”

“I, um, well,” she wouldn’t meet Luna’s eye now. “I saw your light stop from the middle, so I ordered two of the Guards to carry me, and drop me over where the light had been.”

“You ordered them?” That didn't sound much like Twilight.

“I was really worried!” Twilight defended herself, looking more and more like a foal as the moments went by. “That was right when you said I should get Shining Armour, so I sent Spike with a couple of the guards back to town to get him.”

Poor, poor Spike; the poor thing had been exhausted and deeply worried when Luna and her student had emerged from the water. He’d insisted on being carried the whole way back to town, though pretending that he was fine, and had fallen asleep right beside Twilight. “You did disobey me, it’s true. But-”

“I’m so sorry, Princess!” Twilight dropped all the way to the floor in supplication. “I’ll never do it again! I swear! I’ll be the best student you’ve ever had!”

“But, if you’ll let me finish,” gently, she gripped Twilight’s chin with her magic, and raised the unicorn’s head off the carpet. “I think that it was the right thing to do. Indeed, I was unfair in giving you an order like that - I was treating you like a little foal still, when you’re clearly not. You are a fine, grown-up mare, and I should start treating you like one instead of a filly. So I’m sorry, Twilight. Can you forgive me?”

“Of course I can, Princess.”

“Thank you, Twilight.” It was a weight off Luna’s chest, and she felt lighter. Tired, too, ready for a deep, restful, healing sleep. “I think that, sometimes, I don’t want you to grow up. I want pure, eager little Twilight to be by my side forever. But that’s just me being a selfish old mare: you’ve got a big, wonderful life right in front of you. But you’ll still be little Twilight to me. Even if, like today, you saved me from a terrible situation I’d got myself into.”

Silently, Twilight walked to stand at the base of Luna’s bed, and leaned in to nuzzle the Princess affectionately. “Sometimes I feel like I’ve got two mums.”

Luna extended her forelegs to hug Twilight close. “I’m honoured.”

“I was really scared when I went down there. It was dark, and cold, but I just knew that you needed me. I couldn’t just leave it be. I couldn’t leave you behind, Princess.”

“That’s because you, Twilight, are a good, brave mare, and I am so proud to see how far you’ve come.” Luna gave her another little squeeze, before letting her go. “And I’m privileged to have known you for so long. I know that you’ll do many more great things in your life.”

Twilight hesitated, just for a moment. “Can I sleep in your bed? Like we did when I was little?”

Smiling, Luna shuffled further along the bed. “Of course you may. Bring Spike, too.” Twilight gently levitated the little dragon over to the big bed, and Luna pulled him to rest against her chest. He yawned, and it felt like he was a baby all over again. Then Twilight climbed onto the bed and nestled beneath the covers, cuddling Spike protectively and laying close to Luna’s side. She raised her uninjured wing and draped it over the pair like a down blanket, and smiled as Twilight settled comfortably into place.

“Goodnight, Luna.”

“The sweetest of dreams, Twilight Sparkle.”

Luna’s aches and pains faded away with the two warm little bodies at her side, and she smiled dumbly as her eyelids slowly became heavier and heavier. When she slept, it was the deepest and most peacefully she’d slept for quite some time.

Chapter 3 - The Summer Sun

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Luna staggered through the entrance hall of the castle, her silvery armour heavy on her exhausted body. It was close to noon, now, and all the younger Princess wanted was to fall into her bed and sleep the whole day through. But first, she walked through to the pair’s shared planning room. Her sister sat, half-armoured, looming over the map table with a look of deep concern on her face.

“Tia,” she said, making the white alicorn look up. “We have defeated the tatzlwurm that was plaguing the eastern reaches. By thine leave, we would like to rest.”

A long, thoughtful pause. “Luna, have thou attended to Brookside this night?”

Brookside? No, that village lay on the southwest edge of the Everfree, far from where Luna and her companions had been hunting. “No, sister. Why, is there something the matter?”

Celestia studied the map for another long moment, and turned to Luna. There was heartbreak and frustration in her eyes. “It is gone.”

“Gone?”

“Gone. Again, the Everfree has expanded overnight. The survivors tell us of dozens of timberwolves pouring over them an hour after sunset.” She looked away from her sister, tears in her eyes. “We weren’t there for them.”

“Oh, Tia.” Luna walked closer, and laid a comforting hoof on her sister’s shoulder. “Do not be upset, you needed your rest. We merely wish that we could be in two places at once, to protect everyone.”

“Yes,” Celestia agreed quietly. “To protect everyone.”

Luna lay on her favourite couch, one floor below her bedroom, almost at the top of the castle’s tallest tower. She was lying with her chin and her forehooves resting on one of the armrests, looking out of the glass door of the balcony at her night sky, horn gently aglow. The last few nights had been quiet, so she was calm and comfortable and warm, Tiberius sat at her side on the couch, nibbling rapidly at some little treat. Her regalia was discarded messily on the rug beside her, and her mane was even more ethereal than usual thanks to the long bath she’d treated herself to. The knock at the door was a familiar one, and she didn’t let it interfere with her mood at all.

“Come in, Twilight.” She didn’t turn her head to the door as it opened smoothly. It was shut gently, with the faint hum of magic, and a set of hooves padded softly over the hardwood floor, onto the expansive rug that depicted old-fashioned patterns of the type woven by peasants. “Make yourself comfortable.”

In the corner of her eye, she saw a pair of saddlebags lowered to the ground beside the paired couch, facing Luna’s, and a set of hooves climb onto it. Tiberius hopped down from Luna’s side, scampering across the rug to sniff Twilight, climbing onto the cushions beside her once he was satisfied with her identity. Twilight stared out at Luna’s sky as the stars drifted gently into their place, gently petting Tiberius with a free hoof.

“You’re making the sun.”

Luna nodded, pleased; normally, when she painted the sky, she didn’t create constellations, preferring to let the people find them for themselves. This, though, was an exception. “It’s my sister’s cutie mark.” She moved one last, bright star into position, before deciding that she was satisfied with what she’d created, and she lay on her side to look at Twilight. “Good evening, Twilight, thank you for coming to see me. How are you? Is the family well?”

“Yes, Princess. We’re all so pleased about Shining Armour’s promotion, we all went for a big dinner a couple of nights ago.”

Shining Armour, the new Captain of the Royal Guard. Some would accuse the Princess of nepotism, two siblings holding such high positions in her regard, but Shining Armour was the most qualified candidate for the job. “Good, I’m glad. Tea?” Twilight nodded, and Luna levitated the steaming pot she’d had prepared a little while earlier, pouring two cups and sending one to Twilight. Luna’s sister had always been more enthusiastic about tea, but Luna certainly didn’t mind a cup now and then, when she needed to relax. They sipped in almost silence for a few moments, Tiberius sniffing at Twilight’s cup for a second before deciding against stealing anything, before Luna brought up the topic at hand. “I have a request for you, Twilight.”

“Anything you want, Princess!” Twilight shot up straight, like a Guardsmare at attention.

“This isn’t an order, Twilight, or a lesson, this is a request. A favour I’m asking you not as a ruler, or a teacher, but a friend.”

“I understand Pri- Luna.” Twilight relaxed a little, and Luna smiled.

“Thank you. So, I’m sure you know that it’s the Summer Sun Celebration soon. And it’s a very special one, the thousandth I’ve hosted since Celestia left.” That got Twilight’s attention - she’d never heard Luna mention her sister by name before. “It was always her favourite celebration, so I want to make this one special for her. This year, we’re hosting it in Ponyville. Do you know the town?”

Twilight paused for a moment while she wracked her brain. “It’s an earth pony town, south of Canterlot, on the edge of the Everfree Forest. It’s an old settlement, but it’s still very small. I don’t know much more, Princess, I’ve never been.”

“That’s still more than most ponies know about places they've never been to before.” Luna smiled. “My sister and I spent a lot of time around there, before we built the castle here, so I thought it was fitting. But, more importantly, I’d like you to help the ponies there organise everything.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Between you and Spike, you’re absolute masters of organisation, and I think the town would probably benefit from some assistance with the inevitable influx of tourists. Plus,” Luna dropped her voice slightly. “You know how I like my festivals better than most. Would you be willing to do that for me, Twilight?”

“Yes, Princess! I’d be happy to!” Twilight almost leaped off the couch, startling Tiberius and almost spilling her tea. “Oh, I’ll have to send a telegram to Ponyville to ask if they have any inn rooms. Do you think the people there will have a checklist ready already?”

“Well, about the rooms, I know for a fact that Ponyville’s public library has a residence attached, which is currently lacking a librarian.” It took a moment for what Luna had said to sink in, but Twilight beamed when it did. “Yes, I thought you'd like that.”

“Thank you so much, Princess!”

“I will say,” Luna said. “And this is me speaking as a Princess, you are going to take some time off while you’re there. It’s a lovely little town, and if you keep working all the time, the stress is going to turn that lovely mane white. So, by royal order, you’re going to relax. Take walks, go to cafes, talk to locals, anything other than stressing yourself. Understood?”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Good. And thank you, Twilight; I’m looking forward to this festival even more than usual now.”

“Here’s the keys to the library,” Luna levitated them into Twilight’s saddlebag. “I’m told it’s called the Golden Oaks and it’s rather hard to miss. And your allowance.” She floated a little pouch of bits into the same bag. “As always, if you need more, just have Spike send me a letter. Within reason.” She added the last part with mock severity, knowing that Twilight was far too sensible to spend frivolously. “I take it you’re all packed up?”

“Yes, Princess!” At a glance, she could tell that those saddlebags were loaded with books over anything else she might need.

“I’ve sent the trunk with the other stuff to the station already.” Always, she could rely on Spike to be the sensible one. The balancing influence to Twilight’s overenthusiastic bookishness that had got her into sticky situations more than once.

“Thank you, Spike. And, of course, your tickets.” She floated those over as well. “First class, but it’s only a short journey. I think they’re including meals on that train these days, so you can look forward to that.”

“Do you think they’ll have a gemstone option?” Spike asked, making Twilight shake her head in amusement.

“I’ve procured a map of the town from the archives for you, too. I think it’s a few years out of date, but it should help you find where you’re going in general. Now, as I understand it, all of the festival preparations are being done locally, by residents, so everything you need’s there. It’s all being run at the moment by the mayor, miss… ah, Mayor Mare. I assume she’ll be at the town hall, so I’d speak with her. Just tell her your name, she knows you’re coming.”

“I will. Thank you, Princess.”

“Goodness me, I’m fussing again, aren’t I?” Luna smiled, before pulling the pair into a hug. “Thank you again for doing this. Have a safe journey. And Spike, if you need anything at all, you know how to get in touch with me.” Luna watched them with a smile as they left the castle’s foyer, and watched them for a moment longer as they walked across the lawn, Spike perched on Twilight’s back as she trotted cheerfully. Then, her smile faltering a little, she walked deeper into the palace, Guards saluting smartly as she passed. It was late morning, which made it late for Luna to still be up.

She was moving in the direction of her tower, but in a rather scenic way, passing the back door to the throne room to offer Raven a sympathetic smile as she dealt with a noble petitioner. Then she passed the main dining room, where a group of off-duty Guards dropped their cards and scrambled to get their helmets on as she passed. She put them back into a state of nervous ease with a waved wing as she passed, and emerged into the kitchens.

“Good morning, Knead.” She greeted her long-suffering head chef. “I don’t suppose you’ve got some supper I could snap up?”

“There’s half of a blueberry pie in the fridge, Princess. I could warm it up for you?” The old earth pony offered.

“No, no, that won’t be necessary. Thank you, though.” Bless, he knew just what she liked. She took the tin in her magic, and trotted up the spiral stairs to her tower, holding it steady as she did. (No, Luna didn’t strictly need half a pie. She wanted it, though, and there were few ponies who’d tell the Princess that she couldn’t have what she wanted.)

She discarded her regalia by the door as she entered her quarters, and drew the thick curtains shut over every window at once as she ambled to and fell onto her favourite couch, drawing her hooves up beneath her. The little chink of sunlight that worked its way through the balcony’s curtains was just enough to see the sweet mouthful of pie she took. She closed her eyes, already half-asleep, and took in the fact that she really was alone.

“I miss you, Tia. And I hope you’ll be home soon.” She told nobody in particular. “I’m sorry for what I did and what I said when you first went away. I hope that you can forgive me. You’d like the new castle. And there’s so many new kinds of tea for you to try. You’d like Twilight Sparkle, too; she really reminds me of Starswirl. But better with people. I hope that she makes friends while she’s away, she deserves it. And she’s putting together this year’s Celebration. I just know that, with her in charge, it’ll be the best ever.

“I hope it’ll be enough to bring you home.”

Luna wasn’t much of a worrier. She was typically of the belief that things worked themselves out and, if not, there was an alicorn about to fix them with vigorous applications of magic. She’d stopped worrying, after the first year or so, about Sunset Shimmer’s study in distant Zebrica. And she was hardly worried at all about Twilight Sparkle to the south in Ponyville. Yes, she’d never been away from Canterlot without any sort of supervision before, but Ponyville was a small, pleasant town, attended by the Royal Guard and perched on the edge of the Everfree Forest, one of the most dangerous areas in Equestria.

No, Luna wasn’t worrying at all.

And she was very preoccupied with not worrying after a long night of frustrating negotiations with the nobles of Canterlot, her court extended for a good few hours after it normally ended because, apparently, a group of nobles calling themselves the Organisation of Concerned Canterlot Citizens were absolutely outraged that she would not be personally raising the sun in Canterlot on this year’s celebration day. Stupid arguments like that gave her the worst headache, and the negotiations had ended very bluntly before Luna had called off all further appointments for the night and retreated to her tower.

Then, somepony knocked on the door of her chambers, and she couldn't help but groan. She wanted to shout at them to go away and leave her to her worry-free night, but that wouldn’t be befitting of the Princess, would it? So she returned her tiara to her head, straightened her back, and turned to look sagely at the book she’d been half-reading for about an hour now. “Enter.” She proclaimed as imperiously as possible.

The imperious façade dropped the instant she saw the pink-furred pony enter the room, shutting the door behind her and dropping into a low bow in one smooth motion. “Your majesty.”

“Cadance!” Luna discarded her book and walked over to embrace the young noble with her wings. “Well this is just the loveliest surprise. Come in, come in, make yourself at home.” After the long, welcoming hug, they both took comfortable seats, Luna beaming at the pink pegasus. “What brings you to see me, hm?”

“Well, auntie Luna, I’ve got good news!” Though there was only one alicorn in Equestria, Cadance was one of a number of ponies who held the title of ‘Princess’, a holdover from the many fiefs of pre-unification Equestria. Strictly, she was the Princess of the Crystal Empire, a very distant descendent of the Princess Amore by Luna’s reckoning, but that was not the most impressive title given the absence of the Empire from the world for a long while now.

Technically, though most of the Princes and Princesses still held their land and had only sworn fealty to Luna, none of them held any real power. Though many had been ‘adopted’ into Luna’s family (Prince Blueblood of Canterlot, for example, was considered one of Luna’s nephews), Cadance was the only one who could call her ‘auntie’.

“Oh but where are my manners, my dear, would you like something to eat? Some tea? No, no, you’ve got something to tell me, go on and tell me.” Luna loved Cadance’s visits, but they didn’t come that frequently; the pegasus was still a young mare, with a lot of life outside of being royalty. But these days, she was still the closest thing that Luna had to family.

“I’m getting married!”

Luna blinked for a few moments. “Married?”

Cadance nodded, smiling broadly. “It’s not going to be for a long while now, but I wanted you to be the first to know!”

Luna’s face split into a huge grin, and she lunged forwards to hug Cadance again. “Oh, this is fantastic! I’m so happy for you! Oh, we’ll give you the finest ceremony in years! Who is the special somepony?”

“Shining Armour.”

“Twilight’s brother and my Captain of the Guard, that Shining Armour?” Luna looked down at Cadance, who nodded shyly. “Well, he kept that one quiet.”

“Well, he thought it might make the accusations of nepotism from the nobles even worse.”

“That is a fair point. Oh, but I’m over the moon!” Luna smiled more widely than she had for a long while, feeling almost giddy. “We can have it right here, at the castle! A proper royal wedding!”

“Please don’t tell anyone though, auntie Luna. We don’t want to do it quite yet.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Luna calmed down a mite. “My lips are sealed.” She paused for a moment. “Will you let me officiate it though?”

Cadance laughed. “That’s what I came here to ask you!”

“Oh this has made my week! Have you told Twilight yet?”

“No, actually. Where is she? Shiny and I would love to tell her.”

“Ah. Well, she’s actually in Ponyville at the moment, preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration. I could send a letter to Spike for you, if you like?”

“We think it’d be better to tell her in person. But we’ll do that as soon as she’s back!”

“Make sure you do, you know she hates to be left out! And let me finally get you that drink.”

Luna’s relationship with summer was that of tense acquaintances, rather than friends. She thrived at night and in the cold, so the achingly long days and painful heat (only compounded by her dark fur) were miserable for her. It was, she knew, how most ponies felt in winter, so it was only fair, but the summer days sapped her of all energy and left her with the desire to do little but lie down and read in the coolest part of the castle she could find. Well, the second-coolest place - the last time she’d napped in the kitchen’s fridges she’d been picking her own fur out of her meals for weeks.

Her mood was lifted, somewhat, by how much the ponies of Equestria enjoyed the summer. She’d sit under a parasol on her balcony and watch the many ponies picnicking in the castle’s gardens, or fly out to take in the many festivals that lined the streets of Canterlot. There were plenty of opportunities for fun to be found when she went looking, and on the days she was most down, she’d simply walk to the sweet shop a few streets over from the castle to buy an ice cream and talk to any foals who wanted to see the Princess. She was certain that it was good for the shop’s business, too.

And the other thing that increased her enjoyment of summer was the memory of her sister. She had loved the summer, and that was why Luna always held the Summer Sun Celebration at summer’s peak, in only a few more days. It was a celebration for her sister, more than anything, and so one that was special in her heart almost more than any other.

“I do hope you like this.” She told nobody in particular. “I know that you always enjoyed hosting the Celebration yourself, but I hope that it’s up to your standards under my supervision. “

The sun was setting through her window, and she could just about see a shift in its blemishes. For an instant, just long enough for her to notice it but not long enough to turn her head, it formed a face, a face that stared right through her. But when she turned to it, it was gone, and she merely winced and turned away from the bright sun.
It gave her hope, though - could that be her? Was her sister watching down? And did that mean that she’d return this year? Luna suddenly found herself excited, and eager for the day of the Summer Sun Celebration to begin. Would the people of Ponyville mind overly if she were to arrive early, just to make sure that everything was progressing as it should?

Oh, but then again, Twilight might be upset. This was her first time working alone, and if Luna were to suddenly appear and take over, that’d make her student think that she wasn’t doing a good enough job. And Twilight already had moments of lacking confidence, so she certainly didn’t need anything like that.

There were only a couple more nights until the day of the celebration, so Luna could wait. She smiled for a moment in the direction of the sun, and returned to her book, fanning herself and mentally rehearsing her speech for the festival.

It was very early morning when Luna prepared to attend the festival. Her chariot waited patiently on the balcony as she went over her last few preparations. One of the Guards had delivered her list of tasks (mostly related to dealing with the ever-awkward nobility of Canterlot) to the ever-faithful Raven Inkwell. She’d personally spent many an hour polishing her regalia and grooming herself to look perfect for her arrival, and her speech, though only recorded in her own mind, was one of her best yet.

So she stepped onto the balcony, shutting the door behind her, and took a step up onto the chariot’s platform. She adjusted her wings and her legs before she sat down on the cushion - this journey would be well under an hour, but she still found it uncomfortable to stand still on such a small platform for that long.

“Whenever you’re ready, gentlecolts.” Luna instructed the thestral Guards in dusky, purple armour. They were both sizeable, large-winged stallions, and took a glance backwards to confirm her safety before lifting off the balcony, bringing her lurching into the sky.

The chariot’s enchantments did most of the work bringing it airborne and, perhaps more importantly, keeping it horizontal despite logic dictating that it would tilt down underneath the Guards. Still, it was quite the feat of athleticism for the Guards, and she knew that it was a job that only went to the especially strong flyers amongst them. Despite it holding a place of some honour for them, it was certainly a job she didn’t envy, even for only a short trip like this.

“Might I have your names, good sirs?” She made a point of meeting every single one of her Guards, but there were a lot of them, and she had a lot of names to remember. She certainly hoped that they wouldn’t be offended.

“Helm Heart, ma’am.”

“Midnight Sun, your majesty.”

They were both trying to hide their slowly increasing exhaustion, which made Luna smile. “Well, thank you both ever so much for this. I know that it’s a hard task. I’m granting you both a few hours of leave during the Celebration, make sure you relax and enjoy the festivities.” They thanked her politely between their pants, and, satisfied with that, Luna turned back to the surroundings she was passing through. Canterlot’s great mountain was rapidly shrinking behind her, and the clear sky gave her a fantastic view of the gentle, rolling hills of the Canterlot Plains to her right at the vast Saddle Lake to her left, both gently lit by the moon and stars above. Ahead, she could already see the many lights of Ponyville, the small town (barely even a suburb of Canterlot, in truth) coming alive in preparation for the great Celebration.

Luna’s chest puffed out in pride at the thought of her current personal student being at the heart of this incredible logistical endeavour. Twilight had only sent a couple of letters in the time that she was away, but she was sure that was just because of her busyness. She hoped that Spike, ever the voice of reason, had forced her to take some time off, even if Twilight just used that time to read a novel instead of some dry non-fiction: Luna truly worried that the poor unicorn would come to some real grief from pure and simple stress. She’d hoped that, by giving the student this job, it would drag her away from the castle’s library for a while, and force her to interact with other ponies.

When the gentle wind blew the right way, she could just catch the shouting of the crowd below as they slowly dipped into the town. She could feel her cheeks burn; she loved these ponies, of course, but always felt like huge celebrations like this were too much for her. Still, to her relief, this crowd was much smaller than last year’s had been, mostly the clearly down-to-earth residents of this little town, with just a few sophisticates from Canterlot.

“Announcing her royal highness, Princess Luna!” A mare’s voice bellowed, and the crowd’s cheering reached a fever pitch as Luna’s chariot gently touched down in the clear plaza, right in front of the town’s impressive town hall, decorated with banners depicting shining suns and Luna’s own moon cutie mark, one big banner across the front of the town hall reading WELCOME PRINCESS LUNA in fine calligraphy.

“Well, this is a wonderful welcome!” Luna beamed as she stepped off her chariot, letting the Guards pull it away and listening to the coordinated chorus of a number of songbirds. “Thank you all for welcoming me to your beautiful home, and I’m glad that I can share this very special day with you all.” The crowd fell quiet, letting Luna indulge herself with a heartfelt speech. “As I’m sure you all know, this used to be my sister’s celebration. Until she left, it was her duty to raise and lower the sun, and I the moon, so this was always her favourite time of the year. Indeed, long before the Summer Sun Celebration, the summer solstice was her birthday, just as the winter solstice is mine. We didn’t have calendars back then, you see.” She quipped, raising a couple of laughs. “This is the thousandth time that I’ve stewarded this festival on her behalf, so I hope that she’d be proud of what I’ve turned it into. Anyway, I have rambled for quite long enough, let's get to the main event of the day, shall we?”

She closed her eyes and focused intently on the most complicated magical process she’d ever performed, that grew no easier after doing it every single day for a thousand years. The moon, always more cooperative, responded willingly to her magical beckoning, and dipped below the horizon. The sun, her sister’s sphere, was much more reluctant to follow her orders. She had to practically drag it up from behind the horizon, straining to the point of almost dizziness, before it finally obeyed and rose elegantly above the horizon, to the cheers of the assembled crowd. Luna cracked open her eyes and beamed at their whooping and cheering, before bowing her head slightly.

“Friends, welcome to the Summer Sun Celebration.”

No matter how much she complained and worried, Luna knew that it was all worth it for the festival itself. For hours, she got to enjoy herself amongst her ponies, in a relaxed, festive environment. She signed many an autograph and took a number of photographs with her subjects, but after that she was free to behave like any other pony. She ate excessive amounts of sweet food, played sideshow games with groups of foals, and even refereed an impromptu game of hoofball. It was a simpler, more folksy festival than the sort that the elite of Canterlot preferred, and she much preferred a Celebration like this.

It was when everyone was leaving the impromptu match when Luna finally spotted a pair of violet blotches amongst the crowd, and trotted over to greet them after what felt like an age.

“Hello, Twilight, Spike. I must say that I certainly made the right choice in sending you to organise this festival - it has been the most wonderful in a great many years.”

“Princess Luna!” Twilight started to bow, but then decided against it. “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it.”

“I have, my dear, and I still am.” She glanced around for a moment, the large crowds still milling around well into the afternoon. “Although I wouldn’t mind getting away from the crowds for a few minutes. Care to join me?” They both nodded, and she crouched for a moment to let them climb onto her back, Spike sat in front of Twilight, before she set off into a gentle flight. “Have you enjoyed the festival, Spike?” The young dragon had probably not seen a celebration on this scale before, never mind the fact that he hardly ever left Canterlot.

“Yeah! But I think I might’ve eaten too much ice cream…” The little dragon sounded tired, and Luna smiled.

“Well, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed yourself. Did you convince Twilight to act sociable?”

“Hey!” Twilight protested as Spike giggled.

“One of the ponies from town threw her a party to say welcome! She decorated the library and everything.”

“And did you go?”

Twilight nodded slowly. “It wasn’t really my sort of thing… but the ponies were nice.”

“I’m glad.” In truth, as Luna pulled down to the edge of a beautiful orchard on the edge of the town, she was overjoyed: Twilight had always struggled with that sort of thing. No, she’d never be a social butterfly, but the Princess had been hoping that this would pull her out of her shell a bit. She set down on a rolling hill, just beneath an old apple tree, beside a dirt path that led to a squat farmhouse. “You don’t think the ponies who live here will mind if we sit here for a moment, do you?”

“You’re Princess of Equestria, will they even say if they do mind?” Twilight smirked as she climbed off Luna’s back, lowering Spike gently off her back.

“Well, the position does have its perks.” Luna conceded as the three settled into the grass. The long, late afternoon light warmed them as Twilight cuddled up to the Princess’ flank, Spike sitting down and leaning against her like a pillow. Luna gazed into the orange sky for a few moments as she searched for the right words. “Thank you, Twilight. For this festival, this wonderful celebration. It truly is the best I’ve attended for a very long while. I know that Celestia would’ve adored it.”

Twilight hesitated for a moment, and Luna could feel her legs tense slightly. “Um, I hope you don’t mind me asking this, Princess, but I found a book at the library in town, and I wanted to ask you about it.” Luna nodded encouragingly, though Twilight’s clear hesitation gave her pause. “It’s called the Tale of the Two Sisters,” Suddenly, Luna’s heart was in a vice, and she could feel her body tense. “It doesn’t mention any names but, well, I could make the connections, and I… Is it true?”

Luna didn’t need to ask for any details. She knew the book immediately, though she hadn’t heard of it for a long, long while. “Mostly, yes. My sister did… refuse to lower the sun. But it wasn’t because she was evil or any such nonsense. She cared so, so much, too much, and the world was dangerous back then. There were always monsters, no matter how hard the Guard and I tried to control them. She truly believed that she was doing the best thing. It broke my heart that I had to do what I did.”

“Are the Elements of Harmony real, too?” Spike asked with childlike curiosity and lack of tact. Luna had to smile.

“Yes, they are. Ancient artifacts, representing the things needed to form a true friendship; Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, and the spark of Magic that appears when they’re all together. They first appeared when the ponies first united to drive out the Spirit of Disharmony, and Tia and I used them. Then, I used them to stop her. They burned that strange, hopeful rage out of her, and she went away to think about things for a while. A very long while, I suppose. I know that she blamed herself, even though she shouldn’t, and I hope that she’ll be free of guilt when she does decide to come home.” It was a lie, and Luna wondered why she was lying without really intending to.

Because it’s the same lie you’ve been telling yourself this whole time, the little voice in her head informed her.

“I’m very sorry, Princess.” Twilight almost whispered. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Luna was crying. When had that happened? “Oh, don’t worry, Twilight.” She wiped her eyes with a fetlock. “It sometimes strikes me just how much I miss her, that’s all. And it has been a very long time since I heard of that book.” Luna draped one wing over Twilight and Spike affectionately. “Thank you again for sharing this wonderful festival with me.”

“Uh, Princess Luna? I don’t mean to interrupt…” Luna practically leaped up at the accented voice right behind them, and turned to see a freckled, orange pony with a blonde mane, holding a hat respectfully in front of her chest. “The mayor was lookin’ for Miss Twilight, and I saw you flying off this way. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Twilight leaped up with a gasp. “I promised the mayor I’d help organise the fireworks!” She chastised herself.

“Go on, then, I’ll look after Spike.”

“Thank you, Princess!” With her horn aglow, Twilight teleported down the path a ways before setting off at a gallop. Her teleportation had improved rapidly, Luna noted with some pride.

“I’m sorry, my good mare, I’ve just planted myself on your land, haven’t I?”

“Don’t apologise, Princess. Um, your majesty.” The mare bowed. “I’m just honoured you’ve come to our li’l town.”

“Please, you don’t need to bow to me.” Luna could feel Spike falling asleep against her side. Knowing Twilight, she’d been awake since early in the morning, and Spike had been the same. Luna cuddled him closer to her side with one wing, content to let him sleep. “And yes, it has been a long time since I’ve been to Ponyville, but it’s always been a beautiful town. May I ask your name? And is this your farm? It’s very scenic.”

“Yes, ma’am! I’m Applejack, and this is Sweet Apple Acres, been in the Apple family for over a thousand years!”

“Sweet Apple… oh, you make that wonderful cider, don’t you? I always get a few barrels for the palace.” Applejack smiled and nodded, blushing slightly. “And of course, I imagine that you were responsible for much of the wonderful food today. It was truly fantastic.”

“Well, thank you, your majesty. Um, if I may?”

“Of course, speak freely, always.”

“Thank you kindly. I just wanted to let you know that your student, Miss Twilight, she’s a real good sort. She seems pretty stressed a lot of the time, but she’s kind, and real smart. You should be proud of her.”

Luna could feel herself swell with pride at that praise. Yes, Twilight deserved it, and she was immensely proud of the young mare. “Thank you, Applejack. Yes, I’m very proud of her. She’s created the finest Celebration for a long time, if nothing else.” Luna stood, and levitated the now-sleeping Spike safely onto her back. “And speaking of the Celebration, I should be getting back to it before sundown.” The Princess spread her wings, flapping them experimentally. “Can I offer you a lift?”

“What, on your… oh, no, I couldn’t possibly, your majesty!”

“I really don’t mind. Twilight does it all the time.”

Applejack hesitated for a moment. “Ah, phooey, not like I’ll ever get another chance to ride on a Princess’ back, is it?”

“That’s the spirit.” Luna beamed. “Come, climb on, I promise it’ll be a nice ride.”

There was a fantastic show of magical fireworks to close out the Celebration, and the various vendors and organisers began to pack up their things as Luna chattered to a group of fillies and colts at the town’s park, answering their strange questions and telling them some of her favourite stories about ruling and old festivals. After she finished the story about the first Wonderbolts show, complete with her own magical sparks to represent the fireworks, the foals were all tired, and their parents began taking them home, bowing and thanking the Princess.

When the last of the foals had run off, Luna stood, stretching her wings and casting her eyes around the ever-shrinking festival grounds. At one end, close to where the fireworks had been launched from, Twilight and Spike stood, among five other young mares. One was Applejack, who kept glancing over to Luna as she made to walk over. She already had her hat off respectfully when Luna reached them.

“Twilight Sparkle.” Luna boomed. The other ponies, who had been chattering, fell silent and bowed their heads. One, a yellow-furred pegasus, tried to hide behind Applejack. Luna was silent for a moment, before she broke out in a grin. “Thank you for organising this wonderful festival for me. Am I to assume that you are all the ladies who helped with the many aspects?” They all nodded and mumbled affirmingly. “Well thank you all. This is, without a doubt, the finest celebration I’ve attended for a long while. Would you like to join me on my flight back to the castle, Twilight?”

Twilight paused for a moment, glancing between the other mares, and Luna knew that look. “Can I talk to you, Princess? In, um, private?” Luna nodded politely, and led Twilight as they walked away from the other group. They slowly began to chatter again as the Princess moved away from them.

“You want to stay, don’t you?” Luna asked bluntly, knowing that there was no point in beating around the bush.

Twilight nodded shyly, almost ashamedly. “The library’s beautiful, and this is such a sweet little town, and all the girls I’ve met are so sweet and… and they’re my friends. Friends like I don’t think I’ve ever had before. I-I know that I should continue my learning, but-”

“Twilight, you are a grown mare. A young mare, yes, but plenty old enough to make your own decisions. If you want to stay here, then you may. You can continue your education with experimentation and the books in the library here, you’re a dedicated enough student that I’m not worried about that at all.”

“Really?” Twilight looked up at her with wide eyes.

Giving a matronly smile in reply, Luna conjured her magic and brought an object all the way from Canterlot, lowering it for Twilight to take in her magic. It was a journal, much like the one she’d used to write to Sunset Shimmer, but its details in silver rather than gold. “I know that you and I can speak well through Spike’s letters, but this is tradition. And that little bit more personal.” Luna winked.

“Oh, thank you so much, Princess.” Twilight leaned in to nuzzle Luna. “I really... The girls are all so nice. I feel very at home.”

“I’m glad, Twilight, I really am.”

Twilight paused for a long moment, looking up at Luna. “You planned this, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t plan it, it was just… one of the many factors in my decision to have you organise the Celebration. And I’m glad it all worked out.” Luna grinned, blushing slightly. “I do have a few requests, first. Number one, you’ll write to me often. Keep me abreast of the progress of your research, and always ask me if you need anything. Number two, tell your parents of your decision, they deserve to know where you are. Number three, visit often. Or I’ll visit you, and I’ll be sure to tell your new friends plenty of embarrassing stories.” That made Twilight laugh. “And number four, bring Spike over, so I can say goodbye to the both of you.”

“Spike!” Twilight shouted, and the little dragon toddled over.

“Did you ask her?” He asked Twilight, and she nodded.

“I just wanted to give my favourite dragon a goodbye hug before I leave you in your new home.” She leaned in to hug the both of them, feeling warm and happy and slightly tearful. “Do come and visit me again soon. And both of you, be good.”

“We will, Princess.”

“And don’t go into the Everfree alone, it’s dangerous.”

“We know, Princess.”

“I’ll stop being a mother hen now.” She released them both from the hug. “Go on back to your friends.”

“Thank you, Luna. We’ll visit you soon.”

And Luna watched them both walk into their new life, immensely proud and suddenly feeling very lonely.

Chapter 4 - Spirits of Stone

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“The artificers of Canterlot were attacked last night.” Celestia said, rubbing her tired eyes. “A trio of dragons descended from the north unto them.”

“My…” Luna whispered, shaking her head. “Are they all alright?”

“They will live. Where were you, though? You swore to protect our ponies from the beasts of the night, sister.”

“We and our Guard were attending to the ponies of Underdale - they have been menaced by timber wolves for many nights now. If we had known of the dragons, of course we would have gone to Canterlot.”

Celestia gave a heavy sigh. “Yes, we know. We wish that we could defend them in some way, is all.”

Luna crossed the simple table to wrap her forehooves reassuringly around her long-worrying sister. “Tia, it is you who secures the day. You are the one who sows fields and builds nations. It was you who brought all kinds of ponies together to begin with!”

After a long few moments, Celestia hugged her back. “Yes. You are right, Luna. And we know that you do all that you can to defend our ponies from the night. Thank you.”

Listlessly, Luna fidgeted with the quill in her field of navy blue magic. She’d just signed the last of the letters of thanks for those who’d attended this year’s Grand Galloping Gala (Twilight and Spike, despite being extended an invitation, hadn’t attended. It would’ve been nice to have seen them, but she wasn’t upset - if Luna had the option to skip it, she would’ve), but she knew that more papers were coming. It had been a very long night, and the morning was creeping on now. Based on the stack of papers and files that Raven levitated into the room, it was going to be a fairly long day, too.

“I’m sorry, Princess, but I think that this is the last of it.” She laid the little stack on Luna’s writing desk.

“Thank you, Raven.”

“Would you like anything else, my Princess?”

“A pot of coffee, if you wouldn’t mind. And then I think that your time is your own, Raven. Thank you.”

“Your majesty.” She bowed and departed the tower, leaving Luna to levitate the first of the documents.

Proposal for Further Expansion of the Southeast Canterlot Shelf

Luna groaned; this wasn’t the sort of document that she could just skim over and then sign. This was sensitive and important. Yes, it would’ve come through the office of the Royal Architect already, who’d have ensured that the proposed construction was safe. But that was an entirely different thing to determining if it was a good idea, which was now her job.

She tried to read the first line of the proposal three times before giving up. She set it down in the middle of her desk, returned the quill back to its ink pot, and opened both of her students’ journals. No more communication from Sunset - their last exchange of notes had been five nights ago, when Sunset was just about to depart into one of the central Zebrican jungles in search of some rare alchemical ingredient. Sunset seemed quite confident that she’d be unharmed, but she still preferred to travel light, and so would’ve left her journal at the local village.
Twilight, on the other hand, had written just that night, and Luna was yet to properly read it. That would provide her the little stimulus she needed. And so, as she lit her horn to coax the sun into completing its dawn, she opened the journal and read.

Dear Princess Luna, (always so formal! Especially compared to Sunset, who never even gave her any sort of greeting. Just differences in the ways that they were raised, presumably)

I hope that you had a good time at the Grand Galloping Gala! I’m sorry that Spike and I couldn’t attend - I’d promised to help some of my friends here with a project. One of Fluttershy’s animals had gotten sick, so we all went into the Everfree to meet a zebra alchemist who lives there. She’s very kind! My Zebrican still isn’t very good, but her Equestrian is excellent, so we got by well. The Everfree is definitely still dangerous, so I think the others felt better having my magic along.

I think I’ve managed to translate that old spellbook you sent me (it’s in a very strange dialect of Old Equestrian - I think perhaps from the far north?) and it’s a fascinating book of graviturgical spells. I’ll need a little more time to completely break down the spellcraft, but already they’re fascinating. I wonder if techniques like this were used in the initial construction of the Canterlot Shelf? The next time I’m in the city, do you think it’d be possible for me to get a close-up look at the oldest sections of it? If this is the magic used, this could help us to crack the secrets of the ancient artificers!

I understand if it’s not possible for me to examine the Shelf, and I’ll need more time to finish my translations anyway, but I’m really fascinated by these spells!

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

(and her number one assistant, Spike!)

Luna smiled as she finished reading the letter, and finished coaxing the sun above the eastern horizon. Ever curious, young Twilight. Once her statue was complete, the plaque would read the Scholar. It was the only title that would fit the bookish young unicorn, after all. Luna would write a letter requesting permission for Twilight to examine the oldest parts of the Shelf before retiring for the day, she decided. But first, this proposal. So she pulled the file close enough to read with her hooves, using her magic to open the large window at her back to hear the birds singing in the new dawn, and read the first line for the fourth time.

...Were those raised voices coming from the window? Standing from her desk, she walked over to the window, laying one forehoof on the sill as she leaned out. Yes, raised voices. Not celebratory, nor angry, but afraid? Panicked?

“Your coffee, my Princess.” She glanced back to watch Raven placing the pot on her desk. “Is something the matter, your majesty?”

“You hear that too, don’t you?”

Raven cocked her head curiously for a few moments, before she could distinguish the raised voices from the birdsong. “Shouting?”

“Yes. It sounds like it’s coming from the Statue Garden.”

“I’m sure the grounds Guard will be going to investigate now.”

“Hm.” Luna agreed, although she glanced back at her desk sceptically. “I’m going to go and investigate for a moment. Just to make sure that nobody’s in danger.”

“Of course, your majesty. Would you like me to deal with the paperwork while you do?”

“No, my dear Raven, your time is your own. I’m sure I’ll be back in a moment.” She flashed the unicorn a smile, before she stepped out of her window, spreading her wings to glide gently down into the gardens. She could see a little crowd of technicolour ponies gathered around the entrance of the Statue Garden. A couple raised hooves to point at her as she descended at their back, the two Guardsponies trying to keep the peace looking cautiously relieved. “My dear ponies,” she said, gentle yet loud, causing them all to stop their commotion. “Whatever is the matter? Surely there is nothing so- oh.”

Her eyes drifted up to that ancient, iconic sculpture. The Tribes United, that beautiful work depicting the four pony exemplars of their peoples, an unmistakable piece of the castle’s image, now completely changed.

The stone ponies were gone. Only an empty pedestal stood in the Garden’s entrance.

“Could somepony have simply taken them away?”

“Impossible, Princess.” Shining Armour informed Luna. “Each of the statues weighs almost a ton. If somebody had simply taken them, they absolutely would’ve been heard or seen in this part of the city.”

Yes, of course. That would’ve required either a display of magical energy beyond any one unicorn, or some sort of industrial equipment. There’s no way that either of those would’ve gone unnoticed in the midst of the capital, even when most ponies were sleeping. If nothing else, she dearly hoped that her Night Guard wouldn’t be foolish enough to miss something so blatant.

“What other possibilities are there?” She rubbed her eyes with her hooves - she’d been awake for far too long.

“It’s not impossible that they’ve been teleported away, but that’d require someone of at least my sister’s magical strength, perhaps even more. Perhaps an adult dragon could’ve made off with it, but again, I don’t see that it could've gone unseen either.”

Luna stood from her desk, pacing idly. Her old leg wound began to ache again, probably from the fatigue, and she forced herself to stifle a yawn. “Forget the how. Why? There’s no way that anybody could believe the Tribes United vanishing could’ve gone unnoticed. This must have been a message. So what’s the message?”

Shining Armour nodded sagely. “You’re probably right, your majesty. I’ll have your people check all of the castle’s mail right away, we may have received a ransom note.”

"What if this is a distraction?”

“Pardon me, Princess?”

“Think about it, of course we’re going to be preoccupied with the theft of the Tribes United, while half the Royal Guard are fretting over this, whoever it is could be stealing something else.”

Slowly, Shining Armour nodded his agreement. “That would make sense. I’ll have the Guard on the street right away, asking everyone what they’ve seen. Is there anything else, your majesty?”

There were probably things she’d want the Guard to do. But right now, she couldn’t think of any. “To be honest with you, Shining, I’d quite like to go to bed, it’s been quite the day so far. I trust you to manage this investigation while I rest.”

“Of course, your highness.” He stood and bowed low. “I’ll do everything in my power to investigate this disappearance. We’ll get the Tribes home.”

“I know that we will.” She smiled softly as he left her study, and yawned as he trotted down the stairs of her tower. Yes, she needed to rest. But first, one more little task. She opened the journal to the page she’d read just earlier.

My dearest Twilight,

I would like you to come to Canterlot as soon as you are able, but I am afraid it is not for a simple research expedition…

“Here’s your tea, Twilight.”

“Thank you, Princess.”

They were taking tea in Luna’s personal parlour, a dark, comfortable room in the midst of her tower that was reserved for private meetings with those ponies she cared for the most. She could tell that Twilight was perturbed - she had heard of the unusual event that had occurred last night, had seen the pedestal that had held the Tribes United, and had now been invited for a light meal and some tea with her mentor. She was champing at the bit to work on her investigation, but Luna knew Twilight would work herself to the bone unless offered a few quiet moments like this, and she certainly didn’t want her burned out.

“Take as much cake as you want, Spike. How was the train ride here?”

“It was alright, Princess.” She gave Spike a slightly concerned look as he tore into a slice of red velvet and ruby cake with incredible enthusiasm, before turning back to her mentor. “I had to cancel a dinner with the girls, but I’m sure that they understand.”

That made Luna feel a little rotten - Twilight had suddenly made such close friends, it felt cruel to pull her away from them. “I’m sure that you’ll be back with them before you know it.” She could see that her student was itching to move on, so she decided to turn back to business. “Now, have you found anything interesting in your initial investigation?”

“Well,” a long list emerged from a saddlebag in a mulberry aura. Trust Twilight to already be so organised. “I found a few interesting things. That modified finding spell I’ve been working on indicated trace amounts of unicorn magic in the immediate area, but that could be just because it’s so close to the castle. There’s no tracks near the statue, but the grass there’s probably just sprung up.” Yes, the grass in the castle’s grounds was specifically bred to spring back up after being walked on, to keep the lawns looking pristine. “And, based on the damage to the plinth, I don’t think the statues were cut away, but pulled away.”

“Pulled away. By levitation?”

“That would be my guess, Princess. It probably would’ve taken a team of unicorns to carry them all, but it seems more likely than using a crane or anything.”

“Do you have any other theories?”

“Well, they could’ve been teleported. It’d be very tricky, but if there were several unicorns working together, they could probably teleport them to the edge of the city, where they’d be much easier to deal with. Or perhaps several unicorns spaced throughout the city to teleport them in a sort of relay. Maybe a large flying creature, such as a dragon or a roc, could’ve moved them, but I really think that would’ve been noticed. A large team of pegasi could’ve done something similar, but it would’ve needed to be a very large group, and I’m sure that the Night Guard would’ve seen them.”

Luna crossed her forelegs thoughtfully - it appeared that Twilight’s conclusions were much the same as her own. For this to have happened, it would’ve required a great deal of magical skill and expertise.

“What about what Pinkie said, Twi?” Spike asked, crumbs around his mouth.

“She was only joking, Spike.” Luna raised an eyebrow, and Twilight elaborated further. “Pinkie Pie said that it wasn’t like they would’ve just got up and walked away. Then she said that could’ve happened, but she was only joking.” Luna smiled, before returning to her thoughts.

“Your majesty!” The Captain barged into the parlour, one of very few ponies who could do so without being on the receiving end of the Royal Canterlot Voice. “We’ve surveyed the castle grounds, and there are over a dozen other statues missing!”

Frowning deeply, Luna took the scroll that he held in her own magic, and read down it quickly. The twin guardsmare statues by the northwest gate, a bust of Starswirl the Bearded, the statue of Clover the Clever from the library, the miniature dragon, the wendigo reliefs, a statue of the Princess herself…

“Some of these have vanished from within the castle!” She exclaimed, rolling the note again. “Have you found any clues near any of them?”

“No, Princess. It’s just like the Tribes United, the statues themselves are gone, with nothing else there.”

“Twilight,” Luna instructed. “Follow your brother to the library. Check the site of Clover the Clever’s statue with your spells, and see if you notice anything off elsewhere in the library.”

“Right away, Princess! Come on, Spike.” She lifted Spike onto her back, and the trio trotted out of Luna’s parlour.
Luna, for her part, held her head in her forehooves, and read over the list again. Yes, the how was important, but the most burning question for her was the why? Many of the missing artworks were ancient and priceless, but they would be impossible to sell without attracting undue attention. Was it to send a message? If there was any obvious message here, Luna would be a lot more confident to consider this idea. But at this point, if it was a message, it was a very poorly communicated one. Had there been anything else taken? There were a great many paintings and tapestries within the castle, perhaps one of them had been taken, too.

But again, how? None were of similar scale to the Tribes United, but a number of the missing statues had been taken from within the walls of the castle. There were blind spots in the Guard’s patrol routes, certainly, but every entrance and exit was watched carefully. Unless the Guard were in on it? Well, certainly not with Shining Armour’s knowing. And she personally selected the Night Guard, there was no way that any of them would betray her trust without her realising that something was up. So again, this appeared to be impossible without teleportation.

“Unless,” Luna muttered almost unconsciously. “They haven’t left the castle?”

Hesitantly, she stood, and made to leave her parlour. There were many old nooks and storage rooms within the castle, some even hidden from clear view behind false walls. If she were to commit a crime so brazen, she could see the logic behind hiding away the take until the heat died down.

Yes, the more she thought on it, the more it made sense. She set off at a trot in the direction of the library, planning to instruct Shining Armour to have every storage area in the castle searched, and to get her student for some investigations of their own.

Side by side, Twilight and Luna walked through the narrow, stone passageways deep below Canterlot castle, their hoofsteps echoing and the magical light of Twilight’s horn making their shadows flicker in the purple light.

“I had no idea that there were so many tunnels down here!” Spike exclaimed from Luna’s back, studying a doodle that someone had carved into the stone many centuries before.

“Some of them were already here once we built the castle.” Luna explained. “Ancient mine shafts and natural caves. We strengthened and expanded them once we built this place, as well as having many tunnels run through the structure of the Shelf.”

“So what’s the purpose of this tunnel?” Twilight asked. “I haven’t seen any rooms for a long while.”

“This is an escape tunnel.” That seemed quite logical to Twilight; they had, after all, entered it through a reinforced door accessed by poking the eye of a portrait of Abacus of Hayseed. “It emerges at the Guard post on the far side of the mountain. But there are a few emergency storerooms along its length.” Much closer to its entrance than its exit, mercifully - they’d already walked over a mile.

“But couldn’t you just fly away if anything happened, Princess?”

“I could, yes, but the servants and workers aren’t so lucky, Spike. Besides, I’m not the sort of mare to run away from danger.”

Truthfully, she had used this tunnel for an escape, once: many a century back, Canterlot had come under attack by a small army of griffons. Most of the Royal Guard was still stationed in Everfree at that point, so new the castle was, so they had overrun the city quickly, and encircled the castle. Luna could have simply fought her way through them all, but she was always reluctant to practise violence on thinking beings. So she and her staff had journeyed through this tunnel, and spent a few days regrouping, before returning to the city to negotiate.

(It had, in the end, been settled without bloodshed - Luna’s sister had promised the griffons a diplomatic favour before she left, and it had been completely forgotten with her leaving. Griffons, however, do not forget such things, and had been angered when the ponies’ promise hadn’t been kept. After some monetary apologies, the slight had been quickly forgiven.)

“I had no idea that tunnels like this even existed.” Twilight remarked.

“I keep them a secret so that, if we are attacked, they will not be compromised. Nobody other than me knows the location of them all, but many of my high-ranking staff know of some.” Paranoid? Perhaps. But much of Luna’s psyche still dwelled in an ancient time, when malice and monsters were much more commonplace, and when ‘better safe than sorry’ was practically the royal motto.

“But if they are secret, how would someone have stored the stolen statues in them?”

“Well, it’s certainly not impossible that someone has stumbled into one. Perhaps they saw one of the Guard inspecting it. Perhaps they happened to hit the switch on Abacus’ portrait by accident. Indeed, perhaps they found the far side of it, it is certainly less well-hidden.”

“Is that the storeroom?” Spike asked, pointing ahead to a dust-coated tapestry that hung from the right wall.

“It is indeed, Spike.” Each escape tunnel held one or two such storerooms, packed with food, water, and supplies, placed under a spell of stasis to ensure that they would last as long as needed. Indeed, many of them were stocked with food harvested when the castle was still being built, which was still perfectly edible - albeit a little stale.

“Do you hear that?” Twilight whispered as they approached the tapestry. Luna paused in her walk, holding her breath and cocking her head. Yes, she did hear it, faint voices coming from behind the tapestry. Holding a hoof to keep Twilight back, and lifting Spike onto the unicorn’s back with her magic, she stepped out of her shoes to keep closer, ears raised and straining to hear the intruders’ words, muffled by the heavy, ancient fabric.

“Got any threes?”

“Go fish.”

“Any aces?”

They were playing? These intruders, these thieves, had enough hubris to play around like schoolfoals in what was supposed to be Luna’s sanctum? She felt a swell of indignant fury, and inhaled deeply to project her voice with the ancient techniques.

“Thieves!” She bellowed in the Royal Canterlot Voice as she pushed the tapestry aside with a forehoof.

But the rest of her anger died in her throat when she saw a dozen statues staring at her.

Around a low, round table sat a half-dozen ponies. The four oversized ones from the Tribes United, plus the statue of Clover the Clever from the library and a pegasus stallion who usually decorated the roof of the east wing. They all, somehow, held delicate cards in their stone hoofs. Around the rest of the large storeroom were so many other sculptures, from the two-dimensional wendigo decals dancing on the back wall, to the bodyless bust of Starswirl the Bearded, reading a book that someone else must have propped up in front of him, to a basalt statue of the Princess herself, sat the same way that she did when she told a story.

Luna had been mentally preparing herself for a rant. A great explosion of frustration and anger to be directed at the thieves who had violated the sanctity of her ancient home and stolen many of the priceless artifacts. She had not been preparing for this. So the speech (which she was sure would’ve been one of her best, of a variety that she didn’t get to practise much any more, filled with fire and brimstone and righteous indignation) emerged from her mouth as a sort of “Abuwagawhat?”, which was significantly less impressive and dignified.

“Well, the jig’s up now, folks!” The oversized unicorn exclaimed, hurling their cards into the air like confetti. Many of the other statues groaned and chattered in response. “It was fun while it lasted, but the Princess is here to boot us all back outside."

“Abah?” Luna asked, still attempting to regain control of her ability to speak.

“We’re very sorry, Princess.” The thestral member of the Tribes United offered with a soft voice. Her spear appeared to be attached to her foreleg like an extra limb.

“This is amazing!” Twilight enthused as she entered the storeroom, gazing wide-eyed like a foal in a sweet shop. “You really did just get up and walk off! Oh my goodness, Clover the Clever! Your work on magical theory revolutionised spellcasting, even today! Is Starswirl the Bearded here?”

“What,” Luna said in a low voice that carried over the hubbub, quieting the chatter. “Happened?” Not dramatic enough, but a little speech that served its purpose.

“We got fed up.” The thestral explained. Luna merely stared at her and blinked until she elaborated further. “Standing around for a thousand years. Not doing anything in particular. It makes you very stiff.”

“You got bored of being a statue?”

“Have you ever tried it?” Clover the Clever asked. “It’s very dull.”

“So we decided to have a walk. Play some games. Just get off the plinth. It’s been very therapeutic. We’re all really grateful for the suggestion.”

Luna sputtered and stumbled over her words for a few moments, before finally getting another question out. “Well, will you go back?”

The statues all shared a look for a moment, before giving a number of vaguely assenting murmurs. “We probably should.” The thestral said. “We’re sorry if we caused you any trouble. He just made it sound so very nice, and we really thought that we needed a break.” Listlessly, the statues began to move, lifting odd pieces of furniture back to the edges of the large room and restoring the large stacks of supplies to their original condition.

“Princess, don’t you think that this is sad?” Twilight whispered. “Them being stuck in place all the time. Could we try to make things better for them?”

“They can’t even move their eyes!” Spike noted. “They’d have to watch the same tree every day forever!”

“W-Well,” Luna stuttered, before clearing her throat. “If it truly is such an unpleasant duty for you all, we could come to some sort of arrangement.” Some part of Luna’s mind was screaming at her that this was completely ridiculous, clearly statutes can’t think, they can’t be bored! And yet, the way that they all looked at her with a tentative hope now, she had to do something. “Say, once a year, we give you all permission to leave your stations and have a day off.”

“Oh thank you, Princess!” The thestral enthused as the others celebrated. “We really don’t mind it most of the time, but it’d be wonderful to blow off some steam now and then!”

“I wonder if they’d be willing to answer some of my questions when they do next get a day off?” Twilight asked, as Luna watched the statues sorting the room.

This can’t be, Luna kept telling herself. Statues can’t be alive, can they? I’ve lived among statues for an immortal’s lifetime, and I’ve never had the slightest indication that they are thinking, feeling beings. This must be some sort of illusion, or some kind of animation spell. And yet Twilight’s spells showed no sign of exceptional unicorn magic near the pedestal. Had they really just… walked away?

“One more question,” Luna asked the Thestral as she dusted her hooves, struggling with her spear. “You said that ‘he’ made this sound so nice. Who is he?”

“Oh, the other statue!”

“Which other statue?” Some niggling thought in the back of Luna’s head said that this was a very bad omen. She felt that there was something else she ought to be doing. Some action that she should’ve been spurred to by this event.

“You know, he didn’t say his name. But he was a funny-looking fellow, and said that he came from down south. Very nice and friendly, if he was a bit strange. He said that we all just deserved a break.”

No.

“Twilight Sparkle!” Luna boomed, making everypony in the room start. “Get a Guard to escort you to the Royal Vault! There is a round, stone sculpture there! Take it, and get on a chariot to Ponyville immediately!”

“P-Princess? What’s going on?”

“I fear that a terrible danger has returned to Equestria,” the Princess said as she left into the long escape tunnel, preparing to break into a gallop. “And I need you to help me make this land safe again!”

Chapter 5 - The Everfree Reborn

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It was a quiet morning in the cold castle, and Celestia and Luna sat in silence. They each had a metal cup of wine in front of them, and as Celestia ate a light breakfast, Luna merely picked listlessly at her small supper. The younger sister was bruised and aching, her fur soaked through and spotted with mud thanks to a sudden storm that had caught them at midnight. She’d be happy to get in bed, shortly.

“Luna?” Celestia asked, making the moon princess look up.

“Yes, sister?”

“Remember that first night after we banished the Spirit?” She said with a smile, which Luna mirrored.

“The first time in centuries that the world could be calm. We never knew that you could hold your mead that well.”

“Better than you hold your wine, dear sister.” They shared a little laugh at the pleasant memory. Of course, the bad times following the Spirit’s reign weren’t over yet, but they took joy and happiness wherever they could. And, even if they had wanted to get to business right away, the recently-freed ponies had other ideas. It had been a pleasant time, when the sisters could enjoy being sisters again.

“We are winning, Tia, though slowly. And I know that we shall be able to celebrate again once we do.” Luna stifled a yawn, but saw Celestia nodding sadly.

“Your majesties!” A guard shouted as he barged into the room. “The forest has advanced overnight again! The thorns have taken a family in the Red Valley!”

Both of the Princesses stood, but Celestia stopped her sister with a raised hoof. “I will deal with this, Luna. It is my duty to protect the day.” And Luna watched her sister leave, knowing that the celebration was a long way off yet.

Long ago, the area immediately to the south of Canterlot had been an endless, empty plain. Under the rule of the Spirit of Chaos, it had been farmland - even one as evil as he needed his subjects to eat, or else there’d be nobody for him to play with. And it was on this plain that the Spirit had encountered his downfall, the alicorn sisters who had ended his reign and cast him down.

But the banishment was not without consequences: the sheer chaotic energy released in the prolonged battle completely changed the landscape, creating what is now known as the Everfree Forest. Even today, it is dangerous, but it was something truly fearful in the years immediately following the Spirit’s defeat, the monsters that had been his servants leaving it to wreak havoc on the surrounding ponies and the forest itself ever shifting and changing, reaching out to spread itself overnight and consuming the tentative settlements built nearby.

Over the months following the Spirit’s defeat, the sisters cleared an area in the centre of the forest to build their castle and its town, so that they could keep an eternal watch over the greatest danger to Equestria. While the sun princess busied herself with the administration of the land during the day, the establishment of towns and roads, it was Luna’s duty to defend the people from incursions from the Everfree at night, a duty which stretched her to her limit, but one that she never gave up on.

And, after countless years, they won - the Everfree would forever be a dangerous place, untamed by ponykind, but it was a place with defined borders, the incursions of the Spirit’s wicked minions the stuff of legend rather than a true threat. When Luna abandoned the castle and its town, the Everfree eagerly ate the space stolen from it, but since then, nothing, no true threat like that of centuries ago.

And, as Luna flew over the Everfree, she wondered if she wasn’t being paranoid. Yes, there were wild storms, and the moonlit, gnarled canopy below her certainly didn’t appear welcoming, but it was nothing unusual, no change in the forest’s nature from how it had been a millennium ago.

That idea faded rapidly as she approached the centre of the forest. Below her, the trees moved like a living thing, like individual cells of one massive organism, their branches intertwining to create a shield-like canopy and their trunks swaying like they were in a furious hurricane. Sometimes, single, thorny vines would lash up and try to catch her like bizarre serpents, and she found herself bobbing and weaving around these increasingly frequent attacks as she came closer to the centre.

And the forest’s centre, where the Spirit had been laid low and where the sisters had lived for so long, was truly alive. Around the ruined structure of the castle the trees and the undergrowth and the ground itself heaved rhythmically, like the chest of a colossal organism. The air was filled with growls and yips and other eldritch sounds that made her shudder with the memory of the things that the Spirit had created. That settled it, then: he had returned.

Luna cursed herself for not being more prepared - they had built the castle here to watch over the forest and the stonebound form of the Spirit’s body, and she had abandoned them both. Curse your hubris, she chastised herself as she approached the gaping hole in the castle’s ancient roof, the trees seemingly parting to permit her entry.

The disorientation struck her immediately, and Luna had to take a moment to get her bearings. The main hall was twisted, the mouldy carpet that she stood on slowly curved up the left wall, then onto the ceiling, like some giant had grabbed the structure and twisted. Hanging from the ‘ceiling’ ahead of her were the twin thrones that she and her sister had shared, and a twisted figure, a hybrid of pony and lion and reptile and bird and who knows what else reclined across both of them, surrounded by a halo of blue and pink clouds.

“Discord.” Luna spat contemptuously, advancing closer to her ancient foe, somehow finding herself walking up the wall without the feeling of gravity changing.

“Ah, Princess.” He sighed in that tone she hadn’t heard for years, lazily turning to look at her. There was a thunderclap, and the technicolour clouds began to rain something brown. “I was awfully lonely, waking up and finding that you weren’t- Mooney?” It was impossible to judge the thing’s face accurately, but Luna got the sense that it was genuinely surprised. She stood on the same plane as it now, on what should’ve been the roof, and flared her wings threateningly. “Well, colour me shocked!” His body changed to look as though he’d been painted in purple and green stripes. “I really thought it’d be Sun-Butt meeting me here today. It just goes to show that even you boring little ponies can surprise sometimes.”

“You will not speak of my sister that way.” Luna snarled, concentrating magic in her horn for some spell she hadn’t decided on yet. “How did you escape your prison, wretch?”

“Now now, Mooney, that’s no way to speak to an old friend, is it?” Returning to his normal colours, he slunk through the air away from the thrones, not flapping his wings, and slowly elongated his body to curl around Luna like a twisted snake. “How are you? How’s the family? You’ve really kept this place nice for me, all full of lovely chaos.”

“I will return you to your prison before you can hurt anybody else, Spirit.”

“You and what army, Princess? You don’t even have a certain little set of pretty little gemstones any more.” He raised one paw, and conjured an illusion of the six gems that were the Elements of Harmony, closing a fist to dismiss them. “And it took two of you to use them last time. And your dear sister is… absent.” He said that last word with a knowing, mocking tone that made Luna’s blood boil, floating away into the air and settling on the twin thrones. “Besides, I’m not here to hang around while you monologue at me, Mooney; I’m getting bored already, but I can smell a delightful amount of my loyal subjects a little way to the west. I’ve already sent out the welcoming committee, to get them warmed up.” Outside, a monster roared. Luna hoped that Twilight had made it to Ponyville, for they would need protection from this monster’s dark interests.

“A question before you go, Spirit.”

“Oh, go on then.” He had been standing up, ready to fly, but he lounged back in midair again when she asked that.

“Why did you put life into the statues of Canterlot?”

“Well, after being imprisoned for as long as I had, one needs a little bit of time to limber up again. I figured it was odd enough to distract even the mighty Princess for an hour or two. Plus, the poor dears really did deserve a walk. Now, if that will be all,” he produced a brass watch from a nonexistent pocket in his fur, examining it for a moment before tucking it away. “I must be off. People to see, chaos to create.”

“You think that I will just let you leave here?”

The Spirit’s face slowly grew into a predatory grin, and he stood on the ancient ground for the first time since she’d seen him again. He balled his paw and claw, and a pair of old-fashioned boxing gloves appeared on them, accompanied by boxing shorts and an impressive moustache. “So we’re settling this the old fashioned way, eh?” He settled into a boxer’s stance, bouncing back and forth on his tiptoes.

Luna, secretly worrying for her own well-being, but not justifying his antics with any visible response, brought her focused magic to a crescendo in her horn, readying a blast that would destroy any mortal pony. “Have at you, beast.”

Twilight had never ridden a cargo chariot before - this one had a platform the size of a small room, and was pulled by four strong-looking stallions in Night Guard armour. She and Spike stood at either side of the object that Luna had asked them to retrieve. It was odd-looking, reminding Twilight for all the world of some sort of primitive orrery, one large, stone sphere surrounded by five smaller ones. Fortunately, she hadn’t had to delve too deeply into the Royal Vault seeking it - Raven Inkwell had met her outside and, on hearing the order that the Princess had given, immediately knew what was needed. Whatever this object was, it had been in pride of place close to the Vault’s mighty doors, a centrepiece to the countless, powerful artifacts.

“What is this thing?” Spike asked, climbing onto Twilight’s back to prod at one of the outer spheres. It was utterly unmoving.

“I don’t know, Spike.” Most of the objects within the Vault had questionable historical significance, but Twilight knew that they were all valuable to the Princess, and largely consisted of potent magical weapons, kept close at hand to defend Equestria from any true disasters. Indeed, in her brief moment retrieving this statue (with Raven’s help - it was heavy, even for someone of her magical power) she had seen several things she’d dismissed as foals’ stories before. “But it must be something powerful.”

“Maybe it comes alive, like the statues at the castle!” The little dragon enthused. “And all the little balls float around, shooting lasers!”

“Spike…”

“It could happen.” He shrugged. “Or maybe Luna just hits people with it.”

“It would be a good club.” Twilight giggled, before sighing heavily. “I wish Luna had explained more, before she left. I don’t even know why she needs this, much less what she’s fighting.”

“Um, Twilight?” Spike whispered, peering over the chariot’s edge from her back. “Does the Everfree look different to you?”

Frowning, Twilight followed his gaze. She didn’t have very much experience with the Everfree at all; most routes from Canterlot to Ponyville skirted its west edge, and everypony in the little town knew to avoid it in all but the most dire circumstances. But it didn’t take much experience to see that, yes, something was very wrong - in the gaps of the forest’s thick canopy, the undergrowth was moving. Dozens of forms moved over it, all walking in the same direction, like a river of wood and fur and starstuff. The chariot dipped beneath a wild stormcloud, and then she could hear them, a cacophony of monstrous noises, roars and howls and hyena-like cackles, echoing up from the midst of the Everfree.

“Monsters.” Twilight whispered, mentally cataloguing the many forms of beast she’d seen in books, but never in the flesh. “And they’re all heading for Ponyville!” The Guardsponies, already close to their physical limit, forced the chariot to fly that mite faster, closing the distance to the flickering lights of the town faster than a steam train yet agonisingly too slow.

Then, for an instant, the world was lit up like midday. The chariot rocked in the air as all of its occupants blinked away the afterimages of the blinding light, turning to examine its source. To the east, at the centre of the forest, there had been an explosion of white light, a single silvery beam still burning into the sky like an impossibly bright moonbeam.

The sound and the shockwave hit them a moment later, making their ears ring and threatening to knock the chariot from the air altogether. Twilight, one hoof wrapped around Spike, grabbed the apparent weapon with her magic, unsure if she meant to anchor it or herself. When Twilight’s ears stopped ringing, Spike was shouting, the Guards breaking their professionalism to assure each other that they were OK.

“Was that the Princess?!”

Twilight had read many things in her life, but she’d never read of anypony - any thing - that could produce a bout of magical energy that intense, other than Luna. “It must have been.” Illuminated by the strange moonbeam, she could just about make out a hill, some ruined structure topping it, close to the horizon at the forest’s centre.

“Should we go and find her?”

Twilight considered it for a moment, before shaking her head, her head winning out over her heart. “The Princess can take care of herself. If all these monsters are going to Ponyville, the ponies there need us a lot more.”

“You’re out of practise, Luna.” The Spirit yawned dramatically. “Sloppy. When’s the last time you were in a proper fight?”

Gritting her teeth, Luna forced herself back to her hooves, hearing her ancient foe pacing in circles around her. He was right - she was out of practise, exhausted, and hadn’t been in a fight with someone even close to her equal for centuries.

To tell the truth, though, the Spirit wasn’t her equal: he was stronger than her. He was stronger than both of the royal sisters together, and quite significantly so. It was only with the assistance of the Elements of Harmony that they’d been able to stand up to him so long ago. He utterly defied the laws of physics at every step, fighting her in incomprehensible ways, flipping the room upside-down and side to side and conjuring objects for blows equally painful and faintly comedic. Even the blast she’d made, one of the most powerful channellings of magical energy in known history, has only staggered him for a few moments. The strain it had put on her made it a less-than-equal exchange.

“I mean, really, aren’t you supposed to be the sole ruler of Equestria? Why ever would the ponies allow themselves to be ruled by some flabby has-been?” She was staring at the ground, struggling to regain her breath and power through the pain in her leg from her old injury, but she could hear him walking around her side. “Was this the extent of your plan? To confront me for a fight you had no chance of winning, and get your flank handed to you without even landing a solid hit?” Anger flaring in her belly, she glanced up to lash out with one rear leg, catching him in the jaw. His head spun on his neck like a top for a few moments before he reached up and halted it, glaring at her. “Only landing one solid hit.” He corrected himself.

“The magic doesn’t count, Spirit?” She drew herself up to her full height, flaring her wings threateningly.

“You call that magic?” He gave a ‘pfft’, waving his paw dismissively. “My little pony, this is magic.” He snapped his claws, and Luna found herself somewhere else.

All around her was a mismatched patchwork of insane colours and patterns, no sign of which way was up and which way was down. She couldn’t help but scream as she fell upwards and downwards, gravity impossible to determine but having a tremendously powerful effect on her. After a few terrifying seconds of no sky, now ground, no moon or stars or sun, just endless, demented nothingness, she found herself slumping to the dusty ground in the ruined palace, Discord standing over her.

“So,” he said smugly. “Enjoy that? I can give you a lot more.”

“You,” she panted, getting back to her hooves. “Used to be funny. Never as funny as you thought you were, but at least occasionally funny. But it feels like you’re barely trying, now.”

“Yes, well, being locked in a statue for a few dozen centuries will kill one’s sense of humour.” He said, with no trace of humour whatsoever. “I’m sure it’ll come out once I don’t have to deal with you any more, Mooney.”

How long had it been, now? They had been fighting for some time. Long enough, she certainly hoped. With any luck, Twilight and the Elements would be in Ponyville. She’d channelled them all once, so she could do it again. At least, she dearly hoped that she could. So she focused her magical energy, closing her eyes, and willed herself to teleport across the length of the Everfree, disappearing from in front of the Spirit’s face and reappearing on the cobbled stones of Ponyville.

Except, when she opened her eyes, she wasn’t there. She was surrounded by thorny, gnarled trees, hidden from the moonlight beneath a canopy of almost-black leaves. The magic, the sheer, chaotic energy of the Everfree had overpowered her teleportation, brought her up short.

“Perfectly fine, Luna.” The Princess assured herself, giving an experimental stretch of her wings. “Just fly the rest of the way.”

Out of impossibly dark trees, a huge being loomed, like seven tree trunks emerging from a great, walking boulder. Before she could fly, its many heads loomed over her, the hydra blocking her path of escape. Behind her, as the hydra glared down, there was a thunder of impossibly huge footsteps, shaking leaves from the surrounding trees, and she turned to see an ursa the size of a small building behind her. Already exhausted and magically drained, Luna swore under her breath and readied her magic, familiarly deranged laughter echoing through the forest around her.

“What the hay is goin’ on here, Twilight?” Applejack had stepped back from the edge of the Everfree forest, panting, wiping away sweat, and working out the stiffness in her hind legs. “All these critters just came out of the forest all at once!”

“The Princess said that something bad’s happened.” Focusing for a second, Twilight fired a blast of magic that struck a timber wolf in the muzzle, making it whimper and pull back to the edge of the woodland. “She’s in the Everfree dealing with it, and she said that I should bring this sculpture here.”

“Is that what that light was? What’s some dumb statue going to do for us, anyways?” Rainbow Dash swooped down from above, having just given a manticore a good enough bucking to send it whimpering back into the forest with its tail between its legs.

“I don’t know! But if the Princess needed it, it must do something.” Twilight protested, stepping back to catch her breath. There was a slight ebb in the tide of monsters flowing into the little town, letting her take stock of the situation.

Fluttershy and Rarity were helping a number of ponies flee from the town, while most other able-bodied ponies were here, at the edge of the Everfree, driving back the monsters. None had broken through yet, but everypony was tired and bruised, the attack having been ongoing for almost an hour now. She could pick out a number of faces that she knew, from Applejack’s massive, crimson-furred brother who made timber wolves fall apart with a single kick, to Zecora the zebra, who swung around a quarterstaff like a mare crazed, and hurled bottles that spewed multicoloured smoke and invigorated the others.

But they were losing steam rapidly - there were few Guardsponies in the tiny town, even when you included those who’d carried Twilight’s chariot, and even those trained fighters were quickly growing exhausted. Spike’s fire had sent a request for support to Canterlot, but Twilight had no idea how quickly their response would come. Add in the fact that the monsters retreated into the forest, and could well return soon, and it certainly seemed as if this was a losing proposition. The ponies were fighting hard to defend their home, but it was beginning to seem as if abandoning it and surviving was the smarter idea.

“Come on, ponies!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing effortlessly over a bemused ursa minor. “Buck those legs!” She bounced along the line, chanting random things like a cheerleader, and giving her many friends a brief bout of energy. But Twilight knew, even as she obliterated a pair of timber wolves, that it wouldn’t be enough.

“The foals are safe at the farm, darlings.” Rarity panted, slightly bedraggled from a gallop across town. “Now, lets stop these ruffians.”

“I wonder if I can stop them peacefully…” Fluttershy murmured, edging closer to the woods.

“Come on, Twilight,” she hissed to herself, turning back to the statue. “Think!” She tried half a dozen spells, trying to blast it with enough energy to wake it up or hit some sort of hidden switch that’d awaken this weapon and save the town.

“My little ponies!” Came a deep, singsong voice. The fighting stopped, even the monsters hesitating for a moment, and a bizarre figure, a chimera of many different species with an ever-grinning pony’s head. He set down gently on the edge of the forest, and bowed low. “I have returned.”

“And who the hay are you supposed to be?” Applejack’s voice broke the brief silence, and the creature looked up, glancing over the townsponies.

His grin faltered, and his eyes narrowed. “Really? Not even a little bit of recognition?” Ponies gave vaguely negative mumbles, glancing between each other uncomfortably. Even the monsters looked bemused. “Well then, allow me to introduce myself. I am the Spirit of Chaos, the true ruler of this land,” he was, somehow, slowly growing taller, and had manifested an extravagant purple cloak and gold crown. “Imprisoned for countless years but now back to reclaim my realm. But you can all call me… Discord.” He was as tall as the trees now, and his yellow-red eyes had a wicked gleam. There was a well-timed roll of thunder, many howls and roars from Discord’s entourage of beasts, and then a long moment of silence.

“Whoa, buddy, you want to take over Equestria?” Rainbow Dash’s voice rang over the crowd, making Twilight wince and pray that she wouldn’t say something stupid.

“Well aren’t you a perceptive one.” Discord smiled, his neck extending so that he could be snout-to-snout with the pegasus.

“That’s not gonna happen, pal! The Princess has been ruling Equestria for a thousand years, and we don’t want a replacement!” There were murmurs of assent among the townsponies, and the Spirit glared at the comparatively tiny Pegasus.

“I don’t think you understand that it isn’t up to you.” He deadpanned, before inhaling deeply, and blowing a stream of air that sent Rainbow Dash spinning off into the town, screaming the whole way through. The townsponies gasped and muttered among themselves, suddenly realising that this thing was worthy of some fear, the monsters howled in celebration, but Twilight was distracted by another sound - it was barely audible, but behind her, she heard something fall, like a coin dropped onto a stone floor.

Turning, she saw a faint glow coming from one of the smaller spheres of the statue and, on the ground below it, still rattling from where it had fallen, was an opaque, red gemstone, about the size of her hoof. Reaching out, she prodded it with one forehoof, and it was warm to the touch, and buzzing with magical energy to her trained senses. Loyalty, a little voice in the back of her head told her.

And then Twilight understood.

No individual monster was a threat to Luna; a dozen centuries ago, she had dealt with every form of monstrosity under the moon at one point or another, and a mage’s skill only improved with experience. Each of the beasts that came up against her was swiftly dispatched in one way or another, without the Princess having to break a sweat.

The problem arose from the fact that there were just. So. Many.

Every one that she smote was immediately replaced by some other monstrosity, and Luna had quickly become tired. All of the (very few) fights she’d had in the last millennium had ended within seconds of her really starting to try, so she had no endurance, and the monsters were rapidly wearing her down, crowding too close for her to teleport or fly away. The occasional assaults from the thorny, whip-like vines of the Everfree’s undergrowth certainly didn’t help, either.

She had only little bruises and scrapes, thus far, but it was only a matter of time until she really slipped up, until the exhaustion got the better of her and a spell fizzled out before it could be cast, or a dodge came half a second too late. She’d tried, at every chance she’d got, to call to the Elements with her magic, hoping that they would come to save her like they had saved her so many times before, but she couldn’t feel them at all. How far was she from Ponyville? Had Twilight even made it to Ponyville yet? What if one of the monsters had knocked her chariot from the sky? The unicorn could look after herself, yes, but against the forces of the reborn Spirit?

She should have assigned a larger escort to the chariot. Or come with the escort herself. Or brought the Elements herself, for that matter. Stupid, foolish, overconfident Luna! She certainly had distracted the Spirit, but at the cost of actually being able to defeat him! And as she ducked beneath the razor jaws of a hydra, sending a brief blast of moonlight into its chin and making it back away, she cursed everything and everyone aloud, but mostly she cursed the Spirit and herself.

She was thus utterly stunned when the sky became daylight once again, a light so intense that it even managed to break through the Everfree’s blackout canopy. Gazing up, jaw agape, an action mirrored by the monsters that had been just trying to make a meal out of her, she saw rays of rainbow light break through the leaves, shining down onto the undergrowth and dappling her coat in half a dozen colours. It lingered for a few seconds, bright and beautiful and impossible, before it faded again.

Shaking herself away from that stunning spectacle, she prepared to make the first blow while her attackers were still distracted, but they simply turned and ran, their rumbling footsteps quickly fading into the impenetrable gloom of the animated forest.

Not planning on looking a gift horse in the mouth, Luna immediately spread her wings and took to the sky, flying in the direction of Ponyville, a strange feeling of despair suddenly lifted from her gut.

One by one, the sculpture had surrendered its gems when Twilight’s friends acted against Discord. The pink gem had emerged when Fluttershy had flown off into town to tend to her oldest friend, and the orange when Applejack had told the Spirit exactly what she thought of his ‘humour’. The blue followed when Pinkie Pie had comforted a group made distraught by his furious outburst, and the purple when Rarity had tossed out the keys to her home, that it could shelter those who simply wanted to be away from this beast.

While his temper was easily riled (especially by certain earth ponies not appreciating his fantastic comedy), Discord was quick to calm again, and was amusing himself with the ponies of the little town. The Guards - who, to their credit, had not surrendered to him, had their helmets extended to completely cover their faces, and were wandering around and noisily bumping into each other, blind and deaf. Reduced to his normal size, but now seated in a carved, grey throne and flanked by his many monsters, Discord had instructed the terrified ponies to ‘entertain’ him, whatever that meant. A sort of terrified, desperate talent contest had broken out in front of the would-be king at that, greatly assisted by his willingness to tweak reality for a joke.

While this was going on, Twilight was pushing herself beyond her usual magical limits to teleport between all of her friends, pressing their fitting gem into their hooves and imploring them to trust her. And when the last had been handed to its appropriate pony, the largest sphere of the statue glowed for a moment, and a large, star-shaped, lilac gem emerged from it, immediately caught in Twilight’s magic. She could feel it resonating within her, a warm tingling in her chest that assured her that she was meant for this moment.

“Discord!” She exclaimed, projecting her voice the way that Luna had taught her to when speaking to the court. Her friends gathered behind her, clutching their gemstones and not sure what was occurring, but filled with an inexplicable confidence by the magical artifacts.

Lazily, the Spirit turned away from the Cakes desperately creating a cake larger than the creature himself under his watchful eye, and sighed. “Mooney’s little student.” He said patronisingly, standing from his throne and stretching out his back. “What, has she taught you some amazing magical spell that’ll put me down in a moment? Or told you some terrible secret that’ll make me surrender immediately? Somehow, I doubt it.”

“No.” Twilight said, smiling smugly as she raised the gem in her magic. “But she did give me these.”

Discord narrowed his eyes, looking between each of the Elements in turn. “Pshaw. You, my little pony, wouldn’t even know how to begin using those magical little trinkets. It took two alicorns to use them last time, what chance do you all have?”

Exhaling slowly, Twilight woke up the Element. It was like she’d always known how to do it, but only just now remembered after so long. The gemstone began to glow bright white, like a star on earth, and a ray of energy beamed from it into her chest. The others’ Elements reacted in the same way, and Discord’s impeccable confidence finally faltered. As his monstrous minions began to retreat into the Everfree, the forest itself shivering and seeming to draw away from the town, he merely watched, stunned, as the unicorn’s eyes opened, and they were filled with pure, white light.

From each of the six friends’ bodies, a coloured beam emerged, meeting and winding together into a colossal rainbow that flowed out of them like a raging river, thudding into Discord’s chest with a faint shockwave. The Spirit screamed and begged incoherently as his body was once again sealed in stone, spreading out from the point of impact like a liquid stain.

When his body was fully sealed, there was an explosion of multicoloured light and sound that lit up the town as though it was midday and wrapped around the six friends, the other townsponies looking on in wonder as the Spirit’s mad creations faded away. When the light vanished, and all of the ponies blinked away the afterimages of the light, those tiny Elements had changed, now shaped like the cutie marks of their bearers and embedded in elaborate gold necklaces, and a tiara for Twilight.

After a long, pregnant pause, all of the ponies erupted into cheers, gathering around the six to thank them or around the now-statue of Discord to curse and jeer at him. The friends gathered around each other, sharing a group hug and a number of slightly tearful words, before Twilight remembered one issue with a shriek.

“Where’s the Princess?!”

Smiling slightly, Luna descended to the edge of the town, just catching the end of Twilight’s worried shout. “I am here, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Princess!” She shouted, breaking from the huddle to hug Luna, who gladly returned it. “I- We did it! We stopped him!”

Gently breaking the hug, Luna walked to the life-sized statue of that wicked being, scrutinising it with a subtle spell. It was real: he was sealed again. And this time, rather than insufferably smug, he looked rather startled. She much preferred it this way. “You certainly did, my dear Twilight.” She turned back to the unicorn, subtly studying her new adornments. She’d had a good idea what had happened, when the rainbow had appeared, but now she knew for certain. “And you have found yourself connected to a great power.”

“The Elements… it’s like they came to us.”

“Oh they certainly did. They are alive, though exactly how I cannot say. As they chose my sister and I, it appears that they have chosen all of you.”

“What the hay does that mean?” Rainbow Dash asked, apparently now done examining her new necklace.

“It means that you - all six of you - are exemplars of your Element. You are destined to be the ultimate defenders of Equestria and to show us all the true meaning of friendship and harmony.” The six ponies all reacted differently, some puffing up their chests with pride and others shying away from the attention. “I know that this is a lot to take in, and it has been a terrifying night for you all, but this is something that we should celebrate and thank you for.”

She looked at the six arrayed there, but mainly at her beloved student. Little Twilight, a grown mare now, and ever the image of a legendary hero of Equestria. She could see them all in marble or stained glass. She’d have a piece commissioned to commemorate this night as soon as she could, that much was certain. It was an act of heroism and triumph over evil of the like that hadn’t been seen for a long, long time.

And it had been done by one of her favourite ponies.

She stepped forward, feeling tears welling in her eyes, and wrapped a foreleg around Twilight, pulling the little unicorn into a close hug. “I am so proud of you, Twilight.”

Chapter 6 - The Planning Phase

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“Dost thou ever wish to trade places?”

Luna was shocked to hear her sister suggest that - they had been ready for this arrangement for a long time, Celestia dealing with the political parts of their new Equestria, and Luna dealing with its defense.

“We could deal with the remnants of the Spirit’s minions. Instead of thou hunting them as they emerge from their lairs at night, we could seek them as they hide from the daylight and purge them without anybody being harmed. And thou could oversee construction and economic management by the light of the moon.”

“We understand what thou are saying, Tia, but we do not understand the finer intricacies of the economy and its ponies as thee does.”

Celestia snorted, taking a long drink of tea. “You couldn’t do it worse than we are.”

“Tia, don’t say that!” Luna protested. “Thou art doing a wonderful job! Just look at the castle town, if you need proof. It is us that’s failing in our mission, we still lose so many ponies to these monstrous beasts.”

“That’s why we wish to change. We wish to better participate in the protection of our ponies.”

“Thou give them homes to go to, food to eat, a life to live. Thou protect them much more than we do.”

Celestia nodded slowly, sipping her tea. “Perhaps.”

Sometimes, when she looked at the families roaming the castle gardens, Luna wondered what it would be like to settle down. To find a nice, handsome stallion (perhaps one of those amongst the Night Guard, the armour gave them a certain, distinct appeal) and abandon her royal duties, move into a little cottage in the hinterlands and grow fruit.

No, she couldn’t leave this all behind - it was her duty, and one she truly enjoyed. Besides, it's not like there was anypony else who could raise the sun and moon. But there wasn’t anything preventing her from marrying while still a Princess. She could have somepony waiting in her tower at the end of her work, somepony to hold during the long days when her work was done.

And somepony to watch grow older and older while she remained unchanging. One more pony to lose, and one that might well hurt more than all of the others in her long life. And perhaps there could be foals - who knew, they might even be born as alicorns. But could one really imagine the sole ruler of Equestria, striding into a diplomatic meeting with a screeching foal on her back?

Luna knew in her heart that she’d never make a family. But she had done a very good job of finding one, from the many employees of the palace whom she treated with more than professional affection, to the students who remained close to foals in her mind. And, of course, the many old nobles that she had formally adopted as cousins and nephews. And it was for the most beloved of these that she was loitering in front of the castle’s gardens this particular late afternoon.

“You’re sure that the whole town will be able to come?” Cadance asked, Luna nodding with certainty.

“Even if I have to evict half of Canterlot’s nobles, they can all come.”

Strictly, Cadance was an orphan; she had been found in the woods close to the tiny earth pony village of Summersong as an infant, and the kindly residents had taken her in and raised her as their own. This orphan had a family much larger than most ponies could imagine, the entire village being her parents and siblings. As such, she’d wanted to invite every single one of them to her wedding. A desire that Princess Luna was all too happy to cater to.

“Will they all be able to get here quickly?”

“The railroad from Canterlot to Summersong will be finished in less than a fortnight.” Yes, Luna had had a railroad constructed just for the sake of her niece’s wedding. One of the privileges of royalty was that she could get away with things like that. “And their harvest will be tended to by the Royal Botanists and Guard, so they won’t need to worry about that.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” The pink pegasus nuzzled her affectionately. “I’m sorry for worrying so much.”

“It’s perfectly fine to worry, my dear. You only get married once, after all.” She draped a wing over the smaller pony, smiling down at her. “And if you get all of your worrying done now, that means you should be able to relax and enjoy the day. Now, do you want to have the ceremony out here?” She asked, pulling the topic of their conversation back to what they’d originally come to discuss.

“Do you think that we could have the wedding in the castle, and then the reception out here?”

Luna nodded - that was the traditional way of holding a noble wedding at the castle. “We can put seating in the grand hall and perhaps set up an archway for you. And I’d be happy to open up the Statue Garden for the wedding, if you like.” The affair of the living statues had become something like an urban legend around Canterlot in the months since the Spirit’s return, making the Statue Garden even busier than usual. Despite what the statues had claimed, she had seen no sign of them having any sort of life since it had been resolved. Perhaps they were simply waiting, or perhaps it had all been some bizarre trick by Discord. “You know, one of Twilight’s friends had the most lovely bird chorus for me at the Summer Sun Celebration, I’d bet that she’d be happy to do it for the wedding.”

“That sounds amazing! Oh, thank you for all the help, Auntie. This is going to be the best wedding ever!”

“I’m inclined to agree. Did you get around to seeing Twilight?”

“Oh yes, I had tea with her in Ponyville last week. She’s going to be my chief bridesmaid!”

“Wonderful.” Luna said with genuine happiness, hugging her niece briefly again. “Now, shall we go to the kitchens? We can get lunch and talk about the catering.”

What was supposed to be a quick discussion regarding catering had turned into an extended, lazy afternoon tea. Luna and Cadance sat on the dining room’s balcony, overlooking Equestria’s largest city as the afternoon crept into evening, lights beginning to appear in the streets. Kneaded Dough, the castle’s head chef, sat at the table with the two Princesses, scribbling on a pad of paper.

“So no nuts whatsoever, no mushrooms for Guiding Light or Palomina, no peppers for Fireheart, and no dairy for Sing-Song. Are there any other unusual dietary requirements?”

He already knew what all of the nobles who usually attended events at the castle couldn’t eat, so they’d spent a long while going through the requirements of all Cadance’s guests. “There are a pair of gryphon diplomats in the area that day, we might have to invite them for courtesy, so have some gryphon-friendly meals set aside.”

Knead wrinkled his nose, but wrote it down. Unlike ponies, gryphons were obligate carnivores, and thus had to eat meat, a prospect which was instinctively disgusting for most ponies. Luna had tried some a couple of times, and certainly didn’t see the appeal, and she knew that all of the chefs found it very unpleasant to prepare. But gryphons probably felt similarly about preparing vegetarian food for their pony guests, so it was a fairly equal exchange.

“Save some meat, noted.”

“I think that’s all then, isn’t it Cadance?” At a nod from the pegasus, Luna addressed her chef again. “That will be all, Knead. Thank you very much.”

“It seems silly to plan things this far in advance.” Cadence noted, stirring her tea with her wing.

“If it involves the nobility, it’ll always take a lot longer than it needs to.” Luna noted. “It’s been that way since Equestria was founded, and I’m sure it’ll be that way for the rest of time. Give ponies a little bit of power, and they’ll become quite convinced that they deserve the world.” Luna took a long sip, before adding. “Present company excluded, of course.”

“Naturally, Auntie.” Cadence giggled. “Would you like more coffee?”

“I’d best not, I’ll be bouncing off the walls for my meeting tonight.” Looking over the city for a moment, Luna sighed. Even planning such a big event, the sort of task she usually loathed, seemed thoroughly tolerable when doing it with somebody that she loved. But they hadn’t spoken much about normal things today. “So, how are you getting on at home, Cadence?”

“I’m well.” The pegasus smiled genuinely. “Excited for the wedding, of course!” It was a whole season away, but Luna was quite excited too. “I was thinking about training to be a teacher. You know that I love working with foals, and I don’t want to just be a lazy noble all the time after the wedding.”

“You’d be a fantastic teacher.” Luna enthused. “And you know that you’ll always have a place at any of my schools. And how is your beloved?”

“Shiny’s well. He’s so busy with Guard work all the time, but he’s still his lovely self. I think he’s nervous about the wedding, but he won’t let it show.”

“Well tell him that his… aunt-in-law, I suppose, says that he has nothing to worry about. I know that it’ll all go perfectly on the day.” No, from a lot of experience, Luna knew that something would go wrong on the day. But she also knew that it’d be dealt with in such a way that the bride and groom would never know. That would be her job, as much as officiating the ceremony would. “Twilight’s very excited, too.”

“I know! It’ll be so wonderful to have her as a little sister.”

Smiling at the idea of their shared affection, Luna glanced up at the clock, cursing and draining the last of her coffee. “Unfortunately, my dear, I’m afraid I must dash, I have a meeting booked with the Guard tonight. But it’s been lovely seeing you and I’m looking forward to the wedding even more than before.”

“Take care, Auntie.” Cadence smiled as Luna spread her wings, stepping down from the balcony to fly around the palace to her meeting.

You would think that, having been in charge for a thousand years and probably having attended as many weddings in that time, Luna would already have an outfit set out, and the Princess herself would be inclined to agree. Unfortunately, according to her many friendly advisors, it was utterly unacceptable for the Princess to be seen at an event wearing the same outfit more than once. So, in the run-up to every noble wedding in Equestria, she was forced to see her seamstress again and have another gown made, one that would inevitably be beautiful and yet she’d be obliged to be rid of after a single occasion.

It didn’t help that, in order to have such an elaborate outfit prepared, they would have to begin making it at least a couple of months before the occasion, and in the gap she’d be obliged to not gain or lose any weight whatsoever. Given how precisely her measurements were taken, she had to be very careful not to eat too much at the ceremony, for that matter.

“Ow!” Luna exclaimed as something pricked her, hard enough to almost draw blood. “That is my flank, not the dress!”

“S-Sorry, Princess.” Sequin Seam squeaked nervously. “I-It was an accident.”

She was young, very newly graduated, and it was only the second outfit that she had made for Luna. Her hooves were trembling slightly as she pinned the fabric into the vague shape of a dress around the Princess, so the odd pinprick seemed inevitable. Castle Fashions had been the traditional tailors of the Princess for generations, so Sequin was a shoe-in for the position when she’d taken over running the shop, but Luna privately thought that she would’ve benefitted from a few more years of experience. Wasn’t one of Twilight’s friends a dress-maker? Perhaps something could be arranged there.

“It’s quite alright, my dear, I shouldn’t have shouted at you.” Luna offered with a kindly smile. “I was quite startled, I apologise. You’re doing a wonderful job.”

“Thank you, Princess. Do you think that it looks nice?”

Turning, Luna examined herself in the mirror. The dress was made of light, pale grey fabric, with a long, elegant skirt that complimented her tail and ruffled sleeves that stopped just short of her fetlocks. Unlike most dresses she’d worn, it was actually quite pleasant to move in, at least at this stage. “It looks lovely.”

“I was planning on adding white highlights, and it’d look very nice with any silver jewelry that you might have.”

“It’s simple, which is nice.” She’d had dresses before with more parts than the average pocketwatch, and they always drove her mad. “I’ll have to get Cadance to have a look once you’ve finalised it.”

“Did she come to an arrangement for her gown?”

“Yes, she did, she’s getting it from a friend who owns a boutique.” A moment of slightly nervous silence. “She loved your designs, though, really she did.”

“I’m quite relieved actually - I’ve never made any wedding dresses before, much less a royal one! I think that it might be a bit much for me.”

Luna smiled - Sequin was a sweet filly, really. Just in over her head, a little bit, a feeling that Luna could definitely empathise with. “I’m sure you’d do a lovely job. Anyway, if you’re done with me for the day, I should probably go off and let you get on with it. Thank you again, my dear, I’m sure it’ll look lovely when it’s done. Will you be at the wedding?”

“Oh absolutely! I wouldn’t miss it for all the gold in Gryphonia!”

My dearest Sunset, Luna wrote.

I don’t write to you with any specific reasons today, merely just because I enjoy speaking to you. You haven’t returned from your most recent expedition yet, I know, but perhaps you can read this on your return.

Are you well, and did your expedition go well? Your most recent alchemical miracle is already seeing some service amongst the non-thestral members of the Night Guard, you would not believe how many other alchemists have struggled to create a cheap and reliable night vision potion in the past. I’m very excited to see what comes of your current experimentation.

I am glad that you’re enjoying your studies, but I must admit that I miss you dreadfully. You are blessed with a great deal of youth, but it won’t last forever, and I should like to see you again before we’re both old mares. Again, I will try to slip away and find you at the Zebrican diplomatic conference at the end of the year, but it is very hard for me to find free time at such a prestigious event.

Cadance is marrying in a couple of months. I know that you never really got along with her, but I’m sure that she would greatly appreciate a word of well-wishes from you. You can write it here, if you’d find that easier, just a few words of good will to repair some bridges would do a world of good.

Do look after yourself, Sunset. I know that you can look after yourself, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying greatly about your well-being. And your odd little notes do me a great deal of good in knowing that you’re safe, so write back when you can, please.

Yours,

Luna

“Your majesty?” Luna closed over the diary, looking up from her desk top where Raven stood in the doorway. “Captain Armour wishes to speak with you. He said that it’s regarding those odd sightings you had the Guard looking into.”

“Thank you, Raven. Tell him that I’ll be there posthaste.”

“A hobbyist took this photograph after she heard a noise while bird watching at the north edge of the shelf.” Shining Armour stood a glossy, black-and-white photograph across the table to the Princess, and she took it in her magic. “She said that she attempted to follow the figure, but she didn’t find any sign of them.”

The photograph was blurred, clearly taken with a moving camera, but showed the entrance of an alleyway between two buildings. And, moving into the alley, was a pony’s hind leg, mid-gallop, vanishing into the shadows. It was dark, that was clear to see - Luna would guess, from the shade of grey, that they had either a black or deep blue coat. And, more worryingly, they looked maimed; their leg was misshapen in several ways, and Luna was sure that she could see clean through their thigh!

“The poor thing…” She found herself muttering, before returning the photograph to Shining Armour. “I assume that the alleyway was searched?”

“Of course, your majesty, and we found absolutely no sign of the individual.”

There had been half a dozen similar reports from around the city though, until presented with evidence like this, Luna hadn’t known what to make of them. To her, it felt as though this was a case of a scared, hurt pony who didn’t know who to trust, and that made her heart ache. There were many safety nets to protect the Equestrians from such tragedy, but some ponies always seemed to fall through them. And Luna couldn’t even begin to imagine what this soul had been through, to have been injured so horrifically

“I’d like you to have Guard stationed in that area, in case they appear again. Single Guards, rather than patrols, and tell them to look relaxed, we’d like this poor pony to feel safe to approach them. I’ll talk with some of the staff about possibly setting up flyers or something of the like around the area, too.”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Anything else to report?”

Shining Armour shuffled some papers in his magic thoughtfully. “We have noticed an unusual number of absences among the castle’s staff this week. Presumably, there’s a bug of some kind going around, I know a couple of my Guard have seemed a bit off.”

“I see. You have my permission to call up the Guard reserves if you think it necessary, and I’ll have the castle’s medical staff look into these absences. If necessary, I’ll call in some staff from other parts of the country. We can’t be understaffed for the wedding, after all.” She added with a wink that made Shining Armour’s ivory fur burn red.

“R-Really, Princess, it’s not that-”

“Ah, I won’t hear it. You’re to be my nephew, and I treat my family very well.” She smiled good-naturedly, before her face changed to one of mock seriousness. “And, Captain, you are to call me Luna when protocol isn’t necessary. Maybe Auntie, if you feel adventurous.”

“Uh, yes Pr- I mean, your maj- Luna!”

Luna smiled wide at his red face, reaching over the table to touch his shoulder with a forehoof. “I’ll be honoured to welcome you to my family, Shining Armour. And I am doing everything I can to make your wedding day perfect, for my sake as much as your own. It’s not often that my favourite niece gets married to my favourite Guard. Now, if that is all for today, I have an appointment with the Canterlot Philharmonic. A pleasure as always, Shining Armour. I’ll see you soon.” She patted him on the shoulder again as she left the side room, shockingly ahead of schedule for a change.

Sighing, Luna lay down in her bed, at the end of a long, busy night. The good kind of busy, though, the kind where she’d spoken many times to the people that she loved and would sleep well through the day.

Less than two months until the wedding, the big wedding, the one she’d been more excited for than any for a very long time. It was going to be lovely, and it was going to be perfect for the bride and groom, even if she had to spend the entire evening running around behind the scenes to make it so.

No, she wouldn’t need to, it’d be lovely. They were both so in love that they didn’t need a good day, their marriage would be absolutely perfect. Bless them, Luna envied them in some ways, but more than that she was overwhelmingly happy for them. Twilight would be back in the city for the ceremony, too, and Luna loved any opportunity to see her most recent student, even if she would be very preoccupied with wedding duties.

Yes, it would be lovely. Not long now…

Chapter 7 - Can You Hear the Bells?

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Yawning and stretching her wings, Luna walked into the castle’s dining room, smiling at her sister who sat in a chair, sipping a cup of tea.

“Good evening, Tia.” Luna took her own seat, plucking a bread roll from a plate with her magic. “Wouldst thou like to start on the changeover now?”

“They’re waiting.”

Frowning, Luna looked to her sister. The alicorn’s shoulders shook almost imperceptibly, and her teacup was trembling in her golden magical aura. “Who are?” Luna asked, standing from her seat and moving to comfort her sister.

“The monsters. The Spirit’s foul minions. They lurk at the edge of the Everfree, waiting for dark. Can thou not sense them?”

Luna frowned - of course, she could sense no such thing. “Sister, whatever is the matter?” The sun princess flinched at Luna’s touch, but relaxed slightly as Luna held her shoulder.

“We can feel them. Watching, waiting, biding their time. As soon as night comes, they will emerge and riot again.”

“Oh Tia, you must be exhausted. Come, let's get you to bed, and we can take over after the sunset-”

“No!” Celestia shouted, making Luna flinch back. “No, the instant our sun is gone, they will come and burn the castle town, don’t you understand?”

“Calm, dear Tia, calm. We shall check the forest’s edge before we begin the changeover, to assure you that the ponies are safe. Will that be alright?”

“Yes, yes.” Celestia nodded, breathing deeply to calm herself. “Good idea, sister. You are wise beyond your years.”

“Princess?” Twilight poked her head into the ajar door, high up in the towers of Canterlot, stepping in after barely a moment’s hesitation.

“Ah, the Bearer of the Element of Magic. We are honoured by your presence.” Luna turned to the door and bowed low, moving her wings extravagantly. After holding it for just long enough for Twilight to look perturbed, Luna stood again and extended one forehoof, smiling. “Hello, my dear Twilight.” She said as the unicorn ran into her hug.

“Hello, Luna.” Twilight grinned widely up at her before they broke off the hug, Luna gesturing to her favourite couches with one wing. “Thank you for inviting us all to stay at the castle! The girls are so excited for it.”

“You could’ve stayed with your family, you know.”

“Well, I’m going to stay with them for a few days after the wedding. But really, I wanted to see you, Princess.”

“You flatter me, my dear.” She levitated a teapot over from a side table, pouring Twilight a cup. “Are you excited for the wedding?”

“Oh, it’s only my big brother marrying my favourite foalsitter, of course I’m excited!” Twilight enthused, taking the tea in her magic.

“Well, we do still have a few days before it all starts. I imagine you’ll be wanting to show the other Bearers around the city and ensure that your dresses are ready. And of course, you are always welcome here in the castle.”

“Actually, Princess… I was really hoping that I’d get to see Cadance sometime today.”

Of course, Twilight would want to see her soon-to-be sister. Despite several attempts, they hadn’t been in Canterlot at the same time for over a year, since before Twilight had moved to Ponyville, only having time for a brief tea meeting in that time. “She’s just downstairs sorting the flowers. Come along, I’m sure that she’d be over the moon to see you.”

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybug’s awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”

Luna grinned at the pegasus and unicorn, soon to be sisters, as they finished their odd little ritual and embraced each other, laughing.

“I’ve missed you so much, Cadance!”

“And I’ve missed you, Twily. You’ve grown up so much! Not to mention all that with the Elements of Harmony a few months ago.”

“I can’t believe that you and Shiny are getting married? Why did you wait so long to tell me?”

“We wanted to tell you in person, but with everything that happened with you moving to Ponyville, we just didn’t get chance, not until I came for that little visit! But you’re here now, and that’s what matters. Would you still like to be my maid of honour?”

“Of course I would! What sort of question is that?”

“Hey, where’s Spike? I’d like to see my other future sibling.”

“He’s helping the girls get settled in, I’m sure he’ll come by to see you soon!”

“Princess?” Luna was snapped away from watching the reunion with a smile on her face, and turned to Raven, who levitated a small stack of folders to her. “Some documents from the planners awaiting your signatures, my lady.”

Luna paged through them, skimming over each in turn. “Not alphabetized.” She tutted, good-naturedly, winking at Raven. “You’re slacking, Ms Inkwell.”

Although it had been intended as a joke, Raven merely sighed heavily in response, letting her ears droop. “I’m sorry, Princess.”

Frowning at the apparent, uncharacteristic gloominess, Luna put a wing over Raven’s back and led her away from the reunion, out into the corridor. “Are you alright, Raven?”

“I’m sorry that I have been slacking, I’ve just been feeling a bit… off these past few days.”

“My dear Raven, I’ve always told you that you’re going to work yourself into madness one day. You haven’t had a day off for four years, and I practically had to chase you out of the castle with a spear for you to take that one. Take a week off - Tartarus, take a month off - and relax. For me, if not for your own sake.”

Raven removed her glasses to wipe her eyes with a fetlock, before replacing them and clearing her throat. “I think that I will, Princess. Thank you. But not until after this wedding is done.”

“Right you are, my dear. And make sure to keep on top of your stress in the future, please.”

“I will, Princess. Thank you.” And with the gesture of a wing, Luna dismissed her, returning to the room as she sorted through the documents, smiling at Cadance and Twilight’s still-ongoing discussions.

The plan had been for Cadance and Twilight to stay in the castle for the two nights to the wedding, leaving the castle during the day so that the last preparations could be put in place by Luna and they’d be all ready bright and early on the day of the wedding. And, for once, it actually looked as though it was going to go as planned - the girls were extremely excited to see each other, and had quickly made plans to show the other Bearers around the capital, perhaps meeting up with Twilight’s parents and Cadance’s soon-to-be in-laws as well. Of course, Luna would’ve loved the company, but she’d prefer not to have them bogged down with administration and organisation so soon before the special day. Even if Twilight would’ve probably enjoyed it.

Of course, in the two days before the wedding, everything started to quickly go wrong; the string quartet who were supposed to be playing the reception were struck by a particularly potent flu, one of the chefs resigned out of the blue, leaving the catering looking rather tight, a wild thunderstorm had changed course to come straight over the castle at the worst time, somepony dropped the ball and ended up with a cart carrying all the decorations at the bottom of a lake, and, as they were laying out the seating for the ceremony perhaps twelve hours before, a sizeable bird of prey managed to find its way inside from the gardens and made a thorough mess of the hall.

“Would anypony like to tell me that we’re being attacked by a dragon?” Luna ventured to the gathered servants and Guard. “Perhaps that there’s asbestos in the castle ceiling and the whole thing will have to be called off? The beloved couple have decided to elope? The Shelf is about to collapse?” They all shuffled awkwardly, avoiding eye contact, and Luna sighed. “Forgive me. You’re all doing a fine job, and I do appreciate it.”

In truth, it was Twilight and her friends who had (in a somewhat more minor way than last time) saved the day - with Twilight’s logistical assistance, Pinkie Pie had found a small group of musicians she knew who were willing to play on such short notice, Applejack had made her way into the kitchens and begun whipping up desserts, Rainbow Dash had single-hoofedly dismissed the wild storm, Rarity had whipped up a fine new set of decorations in mere hours, and Fluttershy had gently guided the oversized bird back to its nest. And, most importantly, all this had been done without Cadance or Shining Armour getting any indication that anything at all was wrong.

“I am indebted to you and your friends.” Luna told the yellow pegasus as she shut the window behind their unwanted visitor. “Once again, though less dramatically than last time.” Her thoughts strayed to the imprisoned Spirit, his statuesque form now moved to the Statue Garden, that the Princess could keep a better eye on him in the future, and have him well away from his many servants in the Everfree.

“Oh, it’s really nothing, Princess…” She muttered, hiding away behind her mane. “I’m just happy to have been invited.”

“Of course, my dear, of course.”

“I was thinking that, um, maybe, if you like, I could have some of the birds sing during the wedding, like I did at the Summer Sun Celebration?” The pony ventured. “I’m sure that the birds would be happy to do it to apologise for making trouble.”

“You know, I think that Cadance would love that.” Luna had been really hoping that Fluttershy would offer, not willing to ask the pegasus and make her feel like it was an obligation. “You’re sure that you can have it ready? I wouldn’t want to overly pressure you.”

“Oh yes! It should only take an hour or two to have them all ready.”

The joy of cutie mark talents, doing the seemingly impossible in such little time. “Thank you very much, Fluttershy. Sleep well, and I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”

The wedding was to be held in the afternoon and evening, which, given that they were in the midst of summer, would remain light and pleasant long into the evening. Indeed, it had been an especially warm summer, so the evening would doubtless be the perfect temperature for a garden party by the setting sun. The ceremony would, Luna had to admit, start a little too early for her usual preference, but the party would doubtless continue long into the night, which was the sort of festivity that Luna preferred.

Now, at around noon on the day of the wedding, Luna, Twilight Sparkle, and Twilight Velvet were gathered in Luna’s personal chambers, having their manes styled and makeup done by a small team of professionals before they were ready to put on their dresses. Well, the Twilights were, at least; one of the first custom spells Luna had created, as a very young mare, was a glamour that immediately made her look her absolute best. Makeup was uncomfortable, and the process of having it applied was very boring and took far too long, especially for a busy mare like herself.

She could tell, studying them from her dimly-lit nook, that the elder Twilight was still deeply uncomfortable, unaccustomed to spending time in the Princess’ inner sanctum or even simply being so close to Luna. The younger unicorn, conversely, had no such qualms.

“...And so then I realised that the parchment had been damaged by a poorly-done stasis spell and the illustrated matrix was missing the core ley-line, so that let me make the spell work!”

“That’s nice, honey.” Twilight Velvet nodded, ever supportive but equally uncomprehending. “Your dress is nice.”

“Rarity made it. She makes such lovely dresses. I’ll get her to make you one!”

Before the mother could respond, the door to Luna’s bedchamber opened, and they all looked alertly up at the door, watching the figure emerge.

She was radiant, the pink pegasus in the white dress, trimmed with shimmering gold thread. Its long train covered her elaborately braided tail, and a veil covered her face, dropping from a crown of fresh, blue flowers. She shyly adjusted her gold-shoed forehooves as a growing grin slowly emerged on her face.

“Well, how do I look?”

“Amazing.”

“Beautiful.”

“Stunning.”

“Wonderful.”

“Auntie?” Cadence asked after the alicorn didn’t respond for a few moments. Luna smiled, wiping her eyes with her fetlocks, the white and gold bringing a very old memory to the forefront of her mind.

“You look perfect. A better Princess than I look.” Her own dress was intentionally modest and relatively plain, not to distract from the bride on her special day as much as for her own preferences. Luna didn’t want to risk ruining her perfect look with a hug, so settled with a simple nuzzle. “Now, ladies, I will be back shortly, but I must make sure that everything’s running well quickly.” She stood, moving to the window and spreading her wings. “Starting with checking on your dashing groom.” She winked, before hopping lightly off her balcony and catching a thermal to glide gently to her own tower’s twin, one that was carefully maintained within but hadn’t seen permanent residence yet. Luna was certain that its owner wouldn’t mind it being borrowed now and then.

“How are we all?” She asked as she alighted on her balcony, making one of the stallions jump straight up off the floor.

“Princess!”

“So full of nerves, Shining Armour.” She smiled gently, touching his shoulder. “This is supposed to be a nice day.”

In a deep red and gold dress uniform, Shining Armour looked every part the fairytale prince. Against the backdrop of a pristine parlour, all done in warm, summery colours, he could be straight off a book cover if it weren’t for the look of genuine dread on his face. His father stood at his side, in an old-fashioned, black suit, dark mane carefully styled.

“Mr Light, dashing as ever.”

“You flatter me, Princess.” He was a lot more relaxed around Luna than his wife, simply a more naturally easy-going pony, but still bowed as he spoke to her.

“Not flattery, honestly. Spike, very handsome.” The little dragon puffed out his tuxedoed chest. “And Shining Armour, you look fantastic, my dear.”

“Is Cadance OK?” He squeaked like there was something caught in his throat.

“If by ‘OK’ you mean ‘still marrying you’, yes.” He’d asked several times over the past couple of weeks, often accompanied by statements that he couldn’t possibly be so lucky. Funnily enough, from what Luna had seen, his bride-to-be shared similar sentiments. “Please try to relax, Captain. It will all go perfectly, I promise.” Shining Armour cleared his throat, standing a little straighter and nodding stiffly. “Thank you. Can I get the three of you anything?”

“I think that we’re alright, your majesty.” The father offered. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. If that will be all, I do need to check on preparations down in the castle proper. I’ll be back to check up on you in a little while.”

As was her habit, Luna didn’t make her way inside through the castle’s actual doors, instead banking down through the open skylight into the hall where the wedding would be held. It had been thoroughly decorated, lined with many seats facing the beautiful, flower-lined wooden archway where the couple would stand for the ceremony. A long, plush carpet led up to it, and the walls were lined with white and pink fabric, masterfully created by one of Twilight’s friends. A few servants pottered about, sweeping and straightening and, from the murmurs from the door behind her, a few guests had arrived early, and were being occupied in the next hall.

“All going well in here? No disasters?” A few odd chuckles and nodded heads. A tweeting distracted Luna, and she turned to watch a yellow pegasus fly gently in through the window, leading a flock of multicoloured birds to perch on a specific piece of furniture near the door. It had been decided that these birds would perform all of the music during the ceremony, with Pinkie Pie’s friends being self-described ‘party people’. “Fluttershy! Do you need anything? Any supplies?”

“Um, no, thank you, Princess.” She squeaked. “Maybe just, um, a few minutes of quiet to make sure that they can know what they’re doing?”

“You heard the lady.” Luna gestured to the servants. “The room looks divine, take a break, please.” They murmured thanks and left the room, Luna spreading her wings to depart back out the window before another pony barged in through the door behind her.

“Princess!” Raven gasped, startling the birds somewhat and garnering some attention from the early guests before the door closed behind her. “I’m so glad that I found you!”

“Raven, my dear,” Luna asked as Fluttershy calmed her little choir. “What ever is the matter?”

“There was an accident… in the cellars…” She gasped, regaining her breath. Luna had never seen the loyal aide gallop before. “One of the old shelves fell... Almost crushed Spit Shine and Pocketbook… They stopped it, but they can’t hold it for much longer!”

Luna was already galloping away before Raven could finish speaking, skidding around servants and Guardsponies in the direction of the kitchen cellars, half-flying down the stairs into the dark, dry, stone corridors. They were an expansive and complex series of storage areas, but Luna knew them like the back of her hoof and, when she heard a plaintive squeak echoing along the passages, she set off directly towards it without hesitation, horn already aglow as she prepared a spell.

Which was why she was so surprised when nothing was amiss in that part of the cellars. Had she gotten lost? The cellars were prone to echoes that could’ve distorted the victims’ locations, and that was what she suspected when she heard another shout from elsewhere in the labyrinth, immediately setting off towards it again. But paused when another shout came from another area. And another, another, another.

It was then that Luna became certain that something was terribly wrong. In the mad panic of believing that one of her friends was in danger, she had ignored a number of oddities, but they all began to hit her now. Where were the servants? Surely the cellars would be incredibly busy mere hours before a royal wedding. Wouldn’t one of the many Guard found throughout the palace have been easier to find for help than the Princess? And why had the ever-lit lamps been extinguished? Why was someone else walking, calmly, down here?

“Princess.” A voice echoed, and Luna turned on the spot to see Raven Inkwell standing behind her, horn aglow.

“Raven? What is the meaning of this?” Luna drew herself up to her (rather impressive) full height, glaring down at her loyal aide. “If this is supposed to be a jest, it’s certainly not an entertaining one.”

“Not a jest precisely, Princess,” her voice had taken on a strange, echoing quality, like two people were talking at the same time. “But I’m finding it very amusing.”

Cursing her own unwillingness to simply attack after this betrayal, Luna found herself suddenly surrounded by many of her servants. Spit Shine, Welcome Home, Sous Chef, Alderman, all emerging from the darkness almost silently, smiling sinisterly. One by one, green fire smouldered at their hooves, slowly consuming them and erasing their false skins. When their true forms were revealed, they were pony-like, but with black exoskeletons, jagged horns, and insectoid wings, all scarred and filled with holes.

“Changelings.” Luna whispered. She had encountered changelings before, many times in fact, once with Twilight’s assistance, but this wasn’t how they operated; alone, yes, they were subtle, but in numbers they became quickly overconfident, and would typically seek to overwhelm with sheer numbers. But now that she knew, she could see all the oddities, the strange behaviours of her servants and friends, the absent Guards, the strange sightings around the city. “This is my niece’s wedding day. You wicked things shall not spoil this.”

Before Luna could react, planning to blow the bizarre insects aside with a simple blast of magic, Raven snapped “Seize her.” The four changelings leaped onto her, three pinning her legs and the fourth springing forwards to bite down on her horn with its wicked fangs. She shouted at the intense, sharp pain, and knew that it’d be impossible to channel magic in this state.

“I was really expecting this stage of the plan to be more of a challenge.” The false Raven sighed. “Oh well, I can’t complain.” She too was consumed in the green fire, and revealed a sight like Luna had never seen before.

It was a changeling, certainly, but larger than any she’d seen before, of a similar size to Luna herself. Its horn was long and jagged, as were its fangs. Its blue-ish mane was lank and greasy, its eyes glistening with an intelligence that she’d never seen in a changeling’s eyes before. An antenna-like crown topped its twisted face.

“What are you?” Luna asked between gasps.

“The Queen of the changelings, my dear Princess. Queen Chrysalis, at your service.” The monster hissed, bowing mockingly in front of the pinned alicorn.

“And what? You monsters feed on love, you came today to take the love of my niece’s wedding?” Luna snarled, attempting to throw off her attackers. The one holding her horn bit harder, and the pain forced her back to the ground.

“Not exactly, though it’s a pleasant bonus. No, I’m here for the love a nation has for its Princess.”

Luna gaped at the monster as it transformed into a perfect minic of her, complete with her new dress. The Queen conjured herself a desk mirror, holding it in an imitation of Luna’s magical aura as she adjusted the appearance, adding more jewelery and enhancing the intentionally simplistic dress, to the point that she would take more attention than Cadance.

“A little plain, aren’t you, Princess? I’m sure that I can do better.” The imposter said in Luna’s own voice.

“So what, you plan to replace me? You think that you can get away with this forever?”

“Close to it, Princess. Very close to it.” She smirked with Luna’s own face, before addressing her minions. “Seal her up with the others. I have a wedding to officiate.”

Luna tried to protest again, but she felt something warm and viscous dripping down her face and, when it ran into her ears, she found herself suddenly unconscious.

And then she awoke in a small, dark corner, her view of the world green, like looking through stained glass. The strange lightness in her head made it clear that she was upside-down, and there was a faint swinging feeling as she shifted her body in the warm, moist space. She was suspended from the cellar’s ceiling in a changeling pod. She’d seen these pods before, used to hide away the ponies mimicked by the changelings and sustain them, unconscious.

How long had she been in this pod? She felt disoriented, a headache radiating down from her horn, and, squinting through the translucent pod, she could see no sign of any light to judge the time by. Her limbs were stiff, encountering resistance from the bizarre goo produced by changelings to restrain their prey, and she could feel that her magic, that of all four tribes, was suppressed. Whatever had poisoned her into unconsciousness was still in her system, and it was very tempting to slip back into sleep.

Still, that wouldn’t stop Luna for too long. Probing with her restrained hooves, she found the cocoon’s membrane to be pliant but sturdy, not something that she’d just be able to punch through with unenhanced strength. Adjusting within her prison, slightly dizzy from the sensation of blood rushing into her head and inhaling stale, odorous air, she began to rub her horn against the edge of her prison, back and forth until her neck ached.

A unicorn’s horn was not sharp at all, except in a few individuals, and an alicorn’s horn, while somewhat sharper, was still not good enough to be used as a weapon. But it was pointed enough that, with determination, persistence, time, and the ability to ignore the pain in one of the most sensitive parts of her body, the tip of her horn punched through the membrane with a pop. Not allowing herself to celebrate yet, she shook her head to widen the gap, until she could topple out of it onto the cool, stone floor, and gasp in less-stale air.

Feeling her magic rush back, she sat on the floor to chip the hardened gel away from her limbs with her hooves, purging the rest with a blast of magical energy once she had regained enough strength and once the drowsiness had almost entirely left her. This done, she stood and lit her horn to take in her surroundings.

She was in one of the deepest parts of the castle’s cellars, the areas that were almost never used and practically merged with the ancient mine shafts and escape tunnels that dotted the hill below. Hanging from every part of the ceiling like twisted chandeliers were dozens more of the cocoons, a couple trembling slightly as their residents twisted and kicked. Stepping to the closest, she saw Raven Inkwell’s bespectacled face swim past the membrane, for all the world looking to be blissfully asleep.

How long had these ponies been here? Doubtless all of the missing and replaced staff and Guardsponies were sealed away here. She knew that these pods could sustain victims for weeks, but beyond that, the replaced tended not to reappear. Taking the closest pod in her magic, she tore it open, sending her loyal assistant spilling out onto the stone floor, coughing.

“Raven, my dear.” Luna said soothingly as she pulled the changeling goo away from the unicorn’s stained coat. “You are safe.”

“Princess!” She coughed. “I- The changelings!”

“I know, my dear, I know. They imprisoned me, too. But I don’t think that they know how to imprison an alicorn for good.” She helped the unicorn to stand on shaky legs. “I must go and see if the others are safe in the rest of the castle. Can you free the others from their cocoons? Don’t go anywhere until you’re all free and you can fight together.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Giving her a soft smile, Luna set off at a gallop up into the rest of the castle, dimly aware of the fact that she may have been gone for far too long to truly do anything. Still, that wasn’t the sort of thing that would stop her from trying.

“Say, Twi,” Spike whispered. “Do you think that there’s something a bit weird about the Princess today?”

Twilight looked across the length of the hall to Luna, rising up from the many noble ponies surrounding her like a tree from the undergrowth. Without a doubt, she was the most striking figure in the room, each piece of her jewelery probably worth more than most Canterlot manors. Twilight had to admit that it was strange to see her dressed so elaborately, her mentor much preferring to wear her more modest regalia to even noble events. Still, it was her favourite niece’s wedding, it made sense that she’d be pulling out all the stops.

“She was dressed differently earlier.” She also seemed to be finding a lot more joy in talking to the Equestrian nobles than usual, puffing up her chest and regaling them with booming stories that raised polite laughs. And Twilight had to admit that how she’d been ignored by the Princess when she entered the hall had been out of character and a bit upsetting. And why hadn’t she even said hello to the many guests from Cadance’s home town yet? “You’re right, Spike.” Twilight conceded, thinking of more and more pieces of evidence as time went by. “Something is wrong.”

“Maybe she’s just stressed?”

From across the room, Twilight intensely scrutinised her long-time tutor. She wore a facial expression that wasn’t familiar to Twilight, almost… self-satisfied. Smug, perhaps. Not the humble grace that Twilight was accustomed to seeing. And why did she seem so glad to be the centre of attention? She’d spent months worrying about the idea of stealing the limelight from Cadance, and now seemed quite content to be doing so even before the wedding itself. What could’ve happened to make her behave so differently?

“Your majesty!” A servant that Twilight vaguely recognised trotted into the wedding hall, approached the Princess and whispered something to her.

“Forgive me, my friends, but I have something that must be attended to.” Luna projected over the room, silencing all conversations. “I shall grave you with my return soon.” Twilight watched Luna leave the room, the other conversations slowly resuming.

“We should follow her.”

“What? But Twi, I’ve got the rings! There’s only half an hour before the wedding!”

“Trust me, Spike, something’s very wrong.” She raised the protesting dragon onto her back, walking as casually as possible after the Princess. “I’m worried about the Princess, and we need to make sure that whatever’s happened isn’t going to mess up the wedding.”

Luna was alone as she left the dungeon-like cellars, the freed changeling victims’ nervous voices fading quickly behind her. It was when she crept up the stairs into the kitchens, immediately dousing her hornlight, that Luna saw more of her captors. Four stallions in Royal Guard armour stood guard at the top of the stairs, their stance giving away, now that she was looking for it, that they weren’t real Guardsponies. How many other dead giveaways had she missed, because she wasn’t looking?

Though a talent she hadn’t made use of for many years, Luna was greatly skilled at moving silently. Stepping out of the shadows of the stairwell, she took two of the false Guards in her magic, slamming their heads together hard enough to knock them to the ground in a burst of green fire that exposed their insectoid true forms. Of the other two, one she dealt with by way of a swift buck to the chin, and the last she knocked to the ground with a swing of her huge wings. In less than a second they were all unconscious, and Luna let herself feel a moment of pride at the prospect that she’d still got it.

But no time to gloat, Luna looked around the kitchens - empty, though evidence of the wedding feast’s preparation remained. Good, so she’d been locked away for a few hours at most. It looked to be mid-afternoon, so perhaps the wedding itself hadn’t even started yet. Eager, and regaining more and more of her concentration, Luna set off at a silent trot through the familiar corridors of her castle.

She tried to plan, while she moved. This Chrysalis and her shapeshifting minions had defeated Luna with little effort before, that was true, but they had the element of surprise, and they certainly wouldn’t this time. Indeed, if they were assuming that Luna was still out of the equation, the Princess might have the element of surprise. But could she even defeat the changeling Queen? The return of the Spirit of Chaos had proven to Luna that she was no longer the fabled warrior-princess of old, for certain, and she wasn’t sure if she'd survive another failed encounter with that creature.

Plus, a pitched battle was sure to ruin the wedding.

She needed something more subtle and, more importantly than that, she needed to draw her attacker well away from the wedding. This was something that needed to be dealt with without the lovely couple even knowing that anything was wrong to begin with. So Luna crept slowly towards a voice, peeking around a corner to see two changelings disguised as servants chatting quietly, in a crossroad intersection in the private areas of the castle. She might’ve been fooled by their disguises, if not for one of them saying ‘our Queen’ in their conversation.

Concocting a quick way to distract them, without making it clear that Luna herself had escaped, the Princess conjured an image of an old friend of hers, a thestral mare in Night Guard armour, holding a spear. It wasn’t a perfect illusion, but, if it went according to plan, it wouldn’t be subject to much scrutiny. Clearing her throat, she changed her voice to shout, “Begone from this palace, monsters!” as the illusion charged towards the changelings. As hoped, they both shouted in alarm and bolted down the corridors, in the direction of the wedding hall. Luna manipulated the illusion so that it appeared to be chasing them, just enough that they’d be thoroughly convinced of the danger, before dispelling it and waiting for her foe to appear.

As she traced in her mentor’s hoofsteps, Twilight became more and more acutely aware that something was very wrong. Once far enough from the wedding hall, Luna had begun to berate the servant in an uncharacteristic manner, especially given that the servant looked to be absolutely terrified of (based on the eavesdropping) some sort of intruder within the castle. Given that Twilight hadn’t been spotted, and Luna was a deeply observant pony, she was clearly quite distracted with her ranting, and a few times Twilight heard the Princess’ voice crack in a strange way, and once she was convinced that the usually sparkling navy of her magical aura changed into a sickly lime green.

“What’s going on, Twi?” Whispered the decidedly unsettled Spike when the Princess and her servant rounded a corner out of their sight.

“Something’s happened to the Princess, Spike.” Twilight whispered in reply. “But I don’t know what.” Possession felt most likely in her mind. The imprisoned Discord was in the castle’s grounds, what if he’d somehow slipped free of his bonds enough to send out a tendril of corrupting chaos magic to the Princess? It was the kind of nefarious thing that it seemed like the Spirit of Chaos would do.

“What should we do?”

Thinking, Twilight lowered Spike from her back. “I need to get the girls to figure out what to do. Can you wait here for me? Just keep an eye on the Princess and come find me if she gets hurt, OK?”

“O-OK.” Spike stammered as Twilight smiled encouragingly at him, before setting off at a gallop back towards the wedding hall.

Left alone but for the distant sounds of the castle and the distinct, distant speech of Luna, Spike suddenly felt very nervous. He was supposed to be the ring bearer for the wedding, and it would be starting so soon! He should’ve left the rings behind, so that it could go on without him. Whatever had happened, it shouldn’t spoil Cadance’s special day. Nervously, he crept to the corner of the corridor that Luna had vanished around, and had to clamp his hands over his mouth to not gasp.

Two Lunas were staring each other down.

“So, you’ve escaped.” The more elaborately dressed Luna stated calmly.

“Indeed I have.” The other replied.

“I should’ve had you double-podded.”

“Surrender. Chrysalis. You will not win this.”

Apparently unbothered by this situation, the more elaborately-dressed Luna conjured a strange spell, sending out a pulse of green energy. “Every single changeling in Equestria is coming to the castle. Perhaps I will not win a fair fight against you, but I do not fight fair. And all your precious little ponies will be the ones bearing the brunt of it.” At that, the servant, baring unnatural fangs, charged at the real Luna, but she ducked under his leaping charge and let him crumple in a heap against one wall, his disguise dispelled.

Springing from her duck like a cat, Luna propelled herself at her doppelganger, horn aglow. Already, there were sounds of panic coming from the rest of the castle, which Luna forced herself to ignore as she grappled her imposter with her forelegs, blasting moonlight energy into Chrysalis, a blast strong enough that it forced her disguise to flicker in green fire and then fade completely.

Chrysalis’ response was quick and vicious, twisting her head and sinking her fangs into Luna’s foreleg hard enough to draw blood. Gasping in pain, Luna released her hold on the imposter and took a few steps back. At a safer distance, the two fighters stalked around each other for a few moments, each weighing up the other’s ability. It was Chrysalis who struck first, leaping at Luna with her fangs bared like a winged lioness. But the Princess was ready, and ducked below the attack, blasting magical energy into the changeling’s underbelly to send her spinning, smoking, to the ground.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Chrysalis, nor your changelings.” Luna told the Queen as she scrambled back to shaky legs. “Call them off, and we can resolve this peacefully. Changelings are no less deserving of love than ponies, I would be more than willing to let your people live peacefully amongst my own.”

Chrysalis’ eyes met Luna’s, and the flinty anger seemed to fade. “You would?”

“I have fought for countless centuries for the rights of my thestrals, and I will do the same for your changelings, if they are willing to live in peace.” She took a few steps closer, extending a forehoof to her opponent. “Call your minions off, let the wedding proceed in peace, and let me help you.”

After a long moment of hesitation, and an encouraging smile from the Princess, Chrysalis reached out and took the proffered forehoof, steading herself with Luna’s support. She gave the Princess an unpractised, hesitant smile, before pulling harshly and butting her head against Luna’s, sending the Princess reeling back. She tried to conjure another blast of magic, but was interrupted by a blow to her belly, and then a pair of strong forelegs wrapping around her neck and pulling her to the ground.

“Stupid, gullible, trusting ponies!” The changeling Queen laughed as Luna struggled in her grip. “I don’t want to be your equal, I want to be your master!” Those ragged, hard, chitinous legs tightened around Luna’s neck, and her vision began to blur, her struggle weakening slightly.

“Let go of her!”

Luna gasped in a lungful of air as Chrysalis’ grip loosened, and coughed once before turning to look at her attacker, who was thrashing and struggling against a purple shape on her back. “Spike!” Luna gasped as the little dragon clung to the Queen’s mane, shouting and spitting embers at her. But it didn’t last long before she whipped her head around with incredible strength, shaking the dragon to the ground and regaining her composure as he rolled away.

“There’s a lot of love in that little one. I think I’ll keep him, for-” Chrysalis’ gloating was interrupted by the alicorn slamming into her with incredible strength, knocking the changeling to the ground with brute force alone. And as she gasped in shock and tried to regain her composure, Luna stood over her, horn aglow and an anger like no being alive had seen before in her eyes.

“If you touch my family again,” she said, her voice low and furious. “You will wish that I still employed executioners.”

Chrysalis sputtered, taken aback by a display like this from the ever-benevolent moon Princess, and felt an emotion that she hadn’t felt for a very long time: fear. “I surrender.” She whispered.

“You surrender?” Luna snarled, black mist swimming at the edges of her body. “You hurt a member of my family, you threaten to enslave them, and you wish to surrender? To parlay?” Her voice was slowly increasing in volume, and she stamped with both forehooves, making Chrysalis flinch and sending up shards of the stone floor. “You take this beautiful, sacred day, you sully it with your attempted coup, and you ask me for mercy?” The black mist was creeping up her body, thrashing as though at the centre of a whirlwind as her body shifted beneath it. “Your kind do not understand mercy! And you shall receive none! You cannot love, so you shall fear!”

“Princess?”

And at that little voice, the nightmare vision that had been confronting Chrysalis was gone. Luna was crouching over Spike, gently touching his body. “My dear Spike, are you hurt?”

“Just,” he gulped. “A little sore.”

“Don’t worry, my sweet,” gently, she raised the baby in her magic, laying him on her back. “It’s over now. The changelings are leaving, aren’t they?” She glanced back to Chrysalis who didn’t resist, still laying in a heap on the floor, and sent out another pulse of magic from her horn, a signal to all her changelings to retreat back to their Badlands. “I’ll get one of the healers to have a good look at you, OK?”

“Princess!” Shouted another voice, and she turned to see Twilight and the others charging up the corridor, wearing their Elements and slightly bedraggled from a battle. “The changelings just left! Is everything alright?”

“Oh yes.” Luna said calmly. “Their Queen was just surrendering. Take Spike, please - he got a bit shaken up.”

“You don’t need our help?”

“No, Twilight. You’ve done a wonderful job. Now take your brother, please.”

Nodding, Twilight levitated the shaken Spike away from Luna, and the seven of them hesitantly walked away from the Queen and the Princess, Luna slowly stepping towards Chrysalis.

“Please don’t hurt me.”

“You are going to leave my kingdom.” Luna said calmly, bending low so that she was eye-to-eye with the Queen. “You and your changelings will return to the Badlands. If you ever wish to have any changeling enter my kingdom again, you will come to me through diplomatic channels, and I will hear you out just as I would any other foreign ruler. I still believe that the changelings are not evil at their core. If you break this trust, you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Good.” Luna stood tall again, and waved a hoof. “You may go now.” Chrysalis didn’t need to be told again, climbing back to her feet and shooting out of the nearest window. “I have a wedding to run.”

“Do you, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, take Shining Armour to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.”

“And do you, Captain Shining Armour, take Mi Amore Cadenza to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.”

“Then by the power vested in me by the citizens of Equestria, I now pronounce you stallion and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Whoops and cheers and stamped hooves from the gathered nobles and family members as the newlyweds kissed, happy tears in both of their eyes. Luna watched, smiling with pride as they embraced, nuzzling and whispering to each other. When they pulled apart, the commotion fading, Luna spoke again.

“The meals should be ready soon, so I think that we should all go into the castle gardens and get the reception started.” A pair of servants opened the double doors at the side of the hall, and a few guests began to move out of them. Luna leaned down to the new couple, grinning at them. “Congratulations again, both of you.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” Cadence beamed. “This really has been the perfect day.”

Misdirection, that had been the key. Neither of the couple had encountered any changelings in their high towers, and Luna had enlisted a number of her friends and staff to ensure that the pair didn't get a good look at any of the damage to the castle, or the rather bedraggled state of a number of their guests. It had, as far as their pair of them were concerned, been a perfect wedding day, barring a brief delay to the ceremony itself.

“I am glad. Now, come along, let’s get to the party, shall we?”

Of course, once the mingling started, it didn’t stay secret for long at all. In fact, Luna had just taken one bite of a cake from the snack table when Shining Armour charged up to her, clear panic in his eyes.

“Princess, the change-” He was interrupted by Luna taking his snout in her magic, holding his mouth shut while she finished her mouthful.

“Shining Armour, would you agree that the threat has been dealt with?” Slowly, reluctantly, he nodded. “And you had a lovely wedding?” Another nod. “Then I don’t think there’s any issue, is there?” She released her hold, and Shining Armour paused for a few moments before he spoke again.

“But we need to immediately enhance security to ensure that we don’t…” He trailed off mid-sentence at his new aunt’s look.

“Shining Armour, what time is it?”

“Um,” he glanced up. “About half past six?”

“And when does your shift as Captain end each day?”

“Six...”

“And, given that as of six tonight, you’re on a fortnight’s leave for your honeymoon, improving security isn’t your concern, is it?” Reluctantly, the unicorn shook his head. “I promise, Shining, I will take care of it. You need to enjoy the rest of the night. And that is a royal order.”

“Yes, Princess.” Shining Armour said, looking unusually grumpy for someone who’s been told to not work, before vanishing into the crowd. Looking out over the milling ponies (and very out-of-place gryphon diplomats), Luna spotted someone she wanted to speak with, and made her way over to them.

“Twilight, Miss Velvet, a pleasure as ever.” She nodded politely, before crouching to the dragon riding on his adoptive mother’s back. “How is my hero?”

Spike puffed out his chest proudly. “I’m fine! How are you, Princess?”

“Very well, all thanks to my brave dragon.” The nurse had said that he hadn’t been hurt badly at all, more shaken than anything - which Luna’s loss of control probably hadn’t helped with. Still, he was being treated like a hero by many of the guests, and he would spend the entire night carried by one of his family members. “Thank you again for your bravery, Spike. And I hope you have a lovely rest of your evening.” Indeed, it was shaping up to be a lovely night - the unseasonable warmth had held out, making it pleasantly warm even as the sun began its descent in earnest at Luna’s request.

“Can I come with you for a little while, Princess?”

“Of course, my dear! Come, the least I can do for my hero is a flight around the grounds.” She levitated the little dragon onto her back and took off with a mighty flap of her wings, relieved to be off her hooves as she looked out over the city.

It had been damaged, yes, but not badly. The vast majority of the changelings had attempted to attack the castle, meaning that collateral damage and civilian injuries were very low. The castle itself, thanks to Luna’s (perhaps too paranoid) magical defenses, was almost entirely undamaged, just a few scratches to the facade and shattered window panes. Her brave Guardsponies (those few who hadn’t been replaced) had escaped their attackers with minimal injuries, and all those imprisoned in the castle cellars had been freed and - though feeling rather sticky - seemed to be physically and mentally well.

“Auntie? Oh, and hello Spike.” Cadence appeared beside Luna in the sky, still in her wedding dress and smiling. “I heard about what happened.”

“You’ll forgive me for keeping it a secret.”

“Of course.” Cadence giggled. “But what I wanted to say was, do you think it’d be possible to open the reception to the people of Canterlot? I’m sure that they must be terribly upset after what's happened tonight, so I thought it might be nice to help them feel better.”

“Ever selfless, my dear.” Beaming, Luna levitated Spike over to his new sister’s back. “I’ll make sure the kitchens can get more food out, and we’ll open the gardens.”

Grinning, Luna flew back down to the castle. Of course, it hadn’t been a perfect day - big events like this never were. But it hadn’t spoiled the day, not at all. And, at the thought of all of the wonderful ponies of this city coming together in celebration, Luna knew that it was only going to become an even better night, one to remember for a very long time.

Chapter 8 - The Changing of the Guard

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“We had another proposal today.”

“Oh yes?” Eagerly, Luna encouraged her sister - it seemed like the first time in months that she’d heard a genuine, cheeky joy in her voice.

“Dominus, one of your Night Guard. He told us that we are ‘beautifully radiant, like the golden ocean beneath the sunset.’”

And the eagerness left, replaced by a pang of jealousy; since overthrowing the Spirit, Celestia had received dozens of marriage proposals from hopeful mares and stallions, all of which she’d turned down. And Luna would absolutely do the same, yet it still hurt that she hadn’t received one. And the idea that one of her hoof-picked guardians of the dark would ask Celestia over her? Honestly, that hurt.

“We considered accepting,” Celestia continued, apparently unaware of Luna’s poor mood. “To start a true dynasty, many foals to manage this new land. You could even retire then, sister, let someone else overtake your duties. But we decided that a thestral-alicorn foal would be a strange thing, so decided against it.”

That was her reason? And Celestia wanted her children to rule, with Luna ‘retired’? Luna closed her eyes and breathed deeply, only opening them again when she felt like her voice wouldn’t tremble.

“Forgive us, sister, the night is young and we have many duties to attend to.”

“What is wrong with you, Luna?” Celestia’s swiftly-changing tone made Luna pause. “What is it, jealousy that your thestrals prefer the sun to the moon?”

“We do not-”

“Sometimes we worry for your fitness to rule.”

Luna left the room at that, gritting her teeth and bucking the door closed with far more force than necessary.

The Equestrian military is a relatively simple system, with three branches. First and most prominent among them is the Royal Guard, those gold-armoured ponies who can be seen almost everywhere throughout Canterlot, and the closest thing to a true army in the peaceful land, with a few regiments stationed in areas of particular importance elsewhere in Euqestria. Next are the Night Guard, clad in dusky purple armour and the chosen soldiers of Princess Luna. They are few in number, but the very best of the best, each specifically selected by the Princess and trained to handle the most volatile and dangerous situations all throughout Equestria. And the third, much less centralised branch is the Town Guard. Each major settlement has its own branch, usually directly descended from a local militia, in armour of a different design, acting as a form of local constabulary. While they are overseen by the Royal Guard, and blessed by the Princess, each branch of the Town Guard mostly functions independently.

In truth, with the peacefulness of Equestria, the role of the Royal Guard is almost entirely ceremonial. Luna found herself watching one such ceremony from a high window of the castle, watching the Guards move like shimmering ants throughout their elaborate ceremony. It was the changing of the Guard, performed on the first Monday of each month, when the Guard were rotated to different positions around the city. It was all pomp and ceremony, all perfectly straight legs, polished uniforms, and almost-meaningless shouts, but it was an old tradition, and one that Luna didn’t overly mind.

Typically, promotions were also done during the changing of the Guard, but that wasn’t Luna’s duty - outside of special circumstances, Guardsponies would have their new stripes and medals pinned on by their direct superior, accompanied by a lot of salutes and shouting. No, Luna had something more important to do today and, glancing up at her clock, she realised that it was time to set off to it.

During major ceremonies like this, there were almost no Guards within the rest of the castle, only the barest skeleton crew to keep an eye out for any intruders, a duty which had become more prestigious in the few months following the changeling infiltration. It was among this skeleton crew that Luna found the one she was seeking, standing as the sole guard of the castle’s small southeast wing.

“White Star?”

“Ma’am!” The Guardsmare saluted smartly. She was a unicorn, on the shorter side, with a dappled, grey coat and a silvery mane. Her cutie mark was as simple as her name, a black-bordered, white, five-pointed star.

“At ease. And walk with me, if you please.” Luna had already set off by the time she finished that last remark, and the unicorn had to break into a trot to catch up to the Princess as she walked into the southeast wing. It was an area that was primarily reserved for diplomatic guests, small yet pleasant bedrooms and living areas lining the corridors. “I am informed that you’ve faced disciplinary action recently.” A moment of pause. “You may speak freely and without the reservations of protocol for the duration today, White Star.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The unicorn said, her ears drooping.

“I have to admit, the report in your file was rather more colourful than most. ‘A stunningly bold dereliction of duty’ were your commanding officer’s exact words. Can you tell me why you did this, from your perspective?”

“Would… you’re sure that I can speak freely, your highness?”

“I always appreciate honesty.” They’d reached the end of the wing, where it opened up onto the gardens. A pleasantly cool breeze and the distant sounds of the ceremony drifted through the open doors, and Luna gestured for the Guardsmare to sit on one of the benches beside it, the Princess occupying the other.

“Well… it was the day when the whole Guard had been dealing with the statue crisis. The Captain had me patrolling the south edge of Canterlot, overlooking the Everfree. Which meant that I saw you fly by, ma’am, and your student. And I saw the, well, the explosion. I’d already figured out that something was going on in Ponyville, and I didn’t join the Guard to let innocent ponies from small towns get caught in a crisis, so, uh, I went to help.”

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re leaving out a crucial detail there?”

Looking more ashamed by the second, the unicorn looked down at the floor. “I requisitioned a civilian sky-chariot taxi to take me to Ponyville to help. While my commanding officer was shouting at me to stay behind.”

“I see. And what was the aftermath of that?”

Her body drooped even more. “Four months unpaid leave, demotion, mandatory retraining, no chance of promotion for two years, and forbidden from all ceremonies for one year.”

“My, that is quite the punishment.” White Star nodded sadly. “Would you do it again?”

“If you want me to be honest, Princess?” The unicorn looked up, a sudden hardness in her light blue eyes. “Yes. No matter how many times I said I wouldn’t during the retraining, I would. I got into this career to protect ponies, and fighting monsters is better protection than looking for lost statues.” Luna’s expression was neutral, and the Guard sagged again. “And this is where you tell me that I’m a terrible Guardsmare and to hand in my armour. I’m sorry, Princess.”

A long pause, the distant shouts faded now, the pair only accompanied by the sound of the gardens’ birds.

“Would you like to join the Night Guard?”

White Star looked up, mouth agape and eyes wide, as the Princess’ face slowly split into a grin. “Would I what!?”

“Would you like to join the Night Guard?” Luna repeated patiently, before her tone became teasing. “You know, purple armour, spooky looking, those chaps?”

“I, uh, I’m banned from promotion.” Star sputtered out the first thing that came to mind.

“Well, that’s easy, it’s not a promotion, more of a lateral move. Of course, many ponies see it as a promotion, but that’s strictly untrue. So I’m sure that I won’t be getting in trouble with your commanding officers.”

“But I’m… you’re… this is… Um, I’m not a very good Guard.” Star finally managed to admit.

Luna looked around thoughtfully for a few seconds, watching a jay land just outside the door and look curiously up at her. “Perhaps not. But you are compassionate, caring, and protective, with a strong heart and sense of morals, and a greater love of protecting ponies than of ceremony. Which are not typically the traits of ponies I simply dismiss outright. They are traits of some of my favourite Night Guards, though.” Luna winked, and White Star’s head swam with confusion and a faint embarrassment. “Take as long as you’d like to think on it, the offer won’t be rescinded any time soon. Just knock on the door of my tower when you’ve made up your mind. Now, I’ve kept you for long enough, I should let you return to your post. Speak again soon, White Star.” With the effortless grace of near-infinite practise, Luna stood and stretched her wings in one smooth motion. She stepped out into the gardens, breathing in a lungful of fresh air as she readied to take off into flight.

“Princess!” White Star shouted, in a way that’d doubtless get her disciplined again if her commanding officers knew, but made Luna turn back to face her. “What, er, what if I’ve already made up my mind?”

A half-smile crept onto the Princess’ face. “Then I’d tell you to meet me at the castle smithy at sunset, White Star.” And with one last smile, Luna took off elegantly into the afternoon sky.

“I suppose my first question would be, um, what my responsibilities are?” White Star was standing in the stifling heat of the castle’s blacksmith, not helped by the warmth of this recent autumn. “I mean, I’ve, uh, seen Night Guard before, but they’re always so secretive.”

The Princess, who had reached the smith’s workshop not five minutes after White Star, smiled kindly. “Your duty, in short, would be to protect Equestria. How you think that can best be done is your prerogative.”

White Star frowned deeply. “I won’t be assigned a station?”

“Don’t fret, my dear, I won’t just send you off into the world with no idea what to do.” Luna touched her shoulder, and the Guardsmare flinched, unsure of how to react to such affection from her ruler. “You’ll be receiving specialist training, if you do wish to join the Night Guard, but what I mean to say is that you don’t stand on ceremony. You hear of danger in Manehatten? Go to Manehatten, without waiting to submit transfer requests to your commanding officers or anything like that. The Night Guard are my eyes, ears, and hooves, and I trust them to govern themselves.”

“Um, Night Guard don’t have commanding officers?”

“No, all of my Night Guard are equal, and answer only to me. Of course, I’d hope that you will cooperate with each other and treat the other Guards with respect, but it is a sign of the trust I’ve placed in you. Ah, and here are the ponies we’ve been waiting for.”

Star craned her neck around to watch the three ponies who walked into the room. A dark-coated unicorn and thestral, both mares, and both looking old enough to be Star’s grandmother, followed by a young thestral stallion (barely more than a colt), with a light pink coat and weighed down by a large, wooden crate.

“Majesty.”

“Highness.”

“Ma’am.” The three all greeted the Princess with a casualness that would’ve got Star booted right out of the Royal Guard, but Luna merely smiled at them.

“White Star, these are my personal smiths, Ember Light and Unyielding, and their apprentice, Alloyed Helm.” The mares nodded politely to her, the colt grunting something from under his heavy load, which he was currently carrying to the nearest forge and anvil with increasingly shaky legs. “White Star here is our newest prospective Night Guard recruit. I’d greatly appreciate it if you could make a start on her new armour tonight. I would love to stay and catch up, but I’m afraid Raven would have my head if I didn’t get started on our paperwork for tonight, so I shall have to speak with you later.” Flashing each of them another smile, Luna left the forge room, just as Helm was firing up one of the forges.

“You’re feeling a bit lost, aren’t you?” Unyielding, the thestral mare asked.

“It’s that obvious?”

“Don’t worry, we all feel that way at first - the big mare has a habit of dropping new recruits right in at the deep end.”

The big mare? That’s what Star thought, but she said; “You’re Night Guard?”

“Retired Night Guard.” She explained. “Once you reach my age, you can’t really run around saving the world any more. Come, we should sit down, save my knees. Helm, unpack the armouring kit and the measures.”

“Yes, miss.” The colt replied, still breathless, as the three mares sat on low stools around a simple wooden table, the smiths grunting and complaining about the seats having got lower as they sat.

“First things first, don’t worry: the Night Guard’s one big family, and you’ll definitely be looked after once you meet the others. It’ll be months of training before you’re out on duty, so you’ll do fine.” There was a colossal crash of falling metal, and Unyielding stood, raising her voice. “Curse it, boy! That equipment’s thrice your age!”

“He tries, bless him.” Ember Light, the unicorn, smiled after the other mare as she left, before levitating a book over and facing White Star. “Now, what my lovely Guard was going to say is that we’re going to measure you up for and start making your Night Guard armour tonight.”

“Can you not just use my old armour?”

“Oh no, this is much different, Night Guard armour has a completely different set of enchantments. That’s my speciality, the enchantments, Unyielding makes the actual armour.” She opened the book, a somewhat messy sketchbook, to a page detailing magical diagrams far beyond White Star’s understanding. “It’s as protective as Royal Guard armour, of course, but it should feel even more lightweight and it’s almost completely silent to move around in. You’re not a thestral, so I’ll enchant the helmet to give you night vision capabilities, and it can somewhat enhance your unicorn magic abilities as well as slightly increasing your physical strength.”

“Wow.”

“It took me a full two decades to refine the magical matrices to get all these enchantments in one suit. You wouldn’t believe the black market value of a Night Guard armour set. And I appreciate the practise - it’s mostly thestrals and pegasi in the Night Guard, so I don’t get to do the unicorn enchantments too often.”

“Excuse me, ma’am, I need to take your measurements.” White Star stood for the young thestral, letting him take her various measurements with some very aged, very specialist tools.

“Once we have your measurements, you can head off. It’ll probably take a couple of weeks to have the suit all ready. And I’m sure you’ve had a very long day.”

Star was inclined to agree and, once her measurements were taken, she went back to her dorm room and, though she hadn’t felt too tired, she was asleep the moment her body hit the mattress.

There were countless rooms like this one in Canterlot Castle, simple side rooms that nobody would ever think about unless they needed to be there, and it was in one of these that White Star found herself that day. It was like a miniature meeting room, a small table and two chairs, only really able to be used for small-scale, private meetings like this one. She had been waiting for about ten minutes, alone except for the distant ticking of a clock, when the pony she was meeting came in, weighed down by many a bag.

“Sorry I’m late,” they said, almost kicking the other seat over with a bulging saddlebag. “I got caught up at the station. The late trains never used to be this busy.” They were a thestral mare with a dusky blue coat and white-streaked mane, and noisily shrugged off their many bags in the corner of the room (really, they took up about a third of the room) and stretched out their bat wings. “And my carriage got stuck in the valley at Tall Tale, so I was already having to take a later train. Got slightly lost going through the city as well. But I am here now. So hello.” She smiled brightly, slumping into her seat, and extended a hoof.

“I’m White Star. You must be Argent Spear.” She said, shaking her hoof.

“That I am!” She had friendly, sparkling, silver eyes. “And you’re our new baby Night Guard! Always lovely to see.”

Argent Spear was a long-serving member of the Night Guard, and one who’d eagerly volunteered to help with bringing Star into the fold. She had her eccentricities, but it seemed that pretty much all of the Night Guard did, none of them acting anything like the professional, ceremonial members of the Royal Guard. This was definitely going to be a very different career path compared to her former one, that much was very clear, but she was very excited for it.

Her commanding officers hadn’t taken the news very well, she suspected - they’d all gone very, very quiet, and given her a look like she was about to get yelled at. The yelling didn’t progress beyond vague growls, before they hissed their congratulations and dismissed her. Technically, from what she’d read, she outranked them now, which would doubtless irritate the ponies who’d banned her from any promotions.

“So, to business,” the batpony rummaged in one of her many bags. “We don’t exactly have a standardised training regime for the Night Guard, but there’s a few points that I’d like us to cover in the next few months. You’re former Royal Guard, which is good, that training will serve you well, but there’s a few things that we’ll need to add onto it - some advanced combat training, stealth, negotiation. Do you have your armour yet?”

“The, uh, the smiths said it’d be ready at the end of the week.”

“That’s good, that’s fine, once it’s ready the big mare will want to take you to get measured up for your dress uniform herself, but you and I can work on getting used to it.”

“You’ll, um, you’ll be handling all my training?”

“If you want me to! This is the wonderful thing about the Night Guard, if you don’t want me to train you, you’re totally free to just walk away and find someone else. Or go off and try to figure it out alone, but I know you’re cleverer than that. But yes, I’ve volunteered to look after you and do all your training. I’m on castle duty next month anyway, so it all works out.”

“Castle duty?”

“One month out of the year, maybe every two years, her majesty will ask you to guard the castle overnight. It’s a lot less formal than the Royal Guard stuff, and it’s rare that anything ever happens, but it seems to put her mind at ease. And if you’re in the middle of something else, she’s always fine with you saying no. Any more questions before you get started?”

“Not, uh, not exactly, I’m just…” Spear apparently saw the nervousness in Star’s eyes, and gestured kindly for her to go ahead. “Erm, well, it’s all thestrals. I feel a bit… alienated?”

“Your family’s all unicorns?”

“Yes. We’re old Canterlot stock.”

“Family doesn’t care about tribe.” Argent Spear leaned across the table and patted White Star’s shoulder. “And the Night Guard’s one big family. You won’t be worried about feeling alone after a big reunion, that’s for sure. I understand why you’re worried, but I promise it’ll work out.”

Slightly reassured, White Star nodded. “Then I guess I just want to know when to get started.”

“That’s the spirit! Come on, I’ll take you through some of the literature, and then I can try and get a feeling of what you already know.”

“Come on, Star! Just a little more!”

White Star gasped, wheezing and so exhausted that she couldn’t think about anything other than the sheer ache in her bones. The rain was pouring, a welcome relief, and she was fairly sure that she’d been running for hours, Argent Spear flying alongside her. She had been trained hard by the Royal Guard, but several months in, the brutality of the Night Guard’s training regime still astonished her. She stared down at the ground, hoping that there was nopony in the streets to run into, and waiting for Spear to tell her that her run was done.

“Hold on there, girl!” The voice came through the ringing of her ears, and Argent stopped in the street in front of Star. It took a few moments for the unicorn to force her tired legs to stop and, once they did, she collapsed onto her side.

“How… I… Did I?”

Argent Spear helped the younger mare to stand, sheltering her with one leathery wing. “White Star, you’ve just run the entire circumference of Canterlot without stopping. I think it’s safe to say that you did.” She pressed a bottle of cold water to the unicorn’s face, and she drank greedily.

“I did it.” White Star wheezed, acutely aware of the ache in every one of her muscles.

“You’re at peak physical fitness. Tartarus, you’re better than I was when I was your age! Come on, let's get you back to the dorms and get some food in you.”

“Argent?”

“Yes, honey?”

“Hate you.”

“I did give you the option to say no!”

“Still hate you.”

The thestral supported the unicorn as they walked back to the castle, half-collapsing through the side entrance out of the rain, a patrolling Guard that White Star vaguely recognised moving to assist her.

“We’ll get you some food, honey, then you can get a good, long nap. We’re so close to the end now!”

White Star had been training with Argent Spear for just over two months now, and the kindly thestral had pushed her incredibly hard, several times dangerously close to a breaking point. As a Night Guard, White Star would be operating completely alone much of the time, so she needed to be completely self-sufficient, which meant that she needed to be able to fight several assailants or run an incredible distance with no guarantee of backup. That was in addition to deeper education in magical techniques, investigation, and diplomacy, that had left her feeling mentally exhausted.

But in the evenings (her body had gradually shifted to an almost entirely nocturnal circadian rhythm, the same as the Princess’ and common to most of the Night Guard), when she woke up and looked at herself in the mirror, she realised that she was strong, in a lithe way, and had a confident look on her face. Even her slight stammer had faded over time.

“Spear?” She whispered as they made it to Star’s dorm room, the unicorn resisting the urge to simply collapse.

“Yes, honey?”

“I’m ready.”

A slight pause. “You know what, I think that you are.”

She hadn’t started her service with the Night Guard yet - apparently, she’d begin after a special ceremony with the Princess, only when she felt that she was ready to protect Equestria. And after all these months, she felt ready.

“Tomorrow, first thing in the evening, go straight to the Princess’ tower, and knock on her door. Tell her that you’re ready. And we’ll get you inducted.”

Many ponies milled under the moonlight in the castle’s central courtyard. It was a common ground for Royal Guard ceremonies and rituals, but this wasn’t the kind of thing that it was used to: rather than standing in neat rows, they milled around in a friendly way, chattering and socialising, and, while some wore armour, and some wore dress uniforms, some were simply dressed like regular civilians. There were perhaps two hundred in that courtyard, a majority of the Night Guard, and the atmosphere was that of a quiet party, perhaps a family reunion, aside from with one pony.
“Calm down, honey, you’re not going to get into a fight.” Argent Spear soothed, but White Star hissed.

“This is the most important night of my life.” She had spent hours organising her Night Guard dress uniform, a deep purple, almost black garment with silver trim, making sure it was perfectly starched and neat, though it looked empty without the rank insignias or medals.

“I know. But that doesn’t mean that it has to be miserable, does it?”

White Star didn’t have a chance to reply, instead drawing herself up to her full height as a massive, winged figure came down into the courtyard, to a chorus of cheers and greetings from the gathered Night Guard.

“Well hello, my friends!” Luna exclaimed as the Night Guard quieted down, a genuine smile plastered onto her face. “Goodness me, it is good to have a reason to have you all gathered in one place. I look forward to this night’s celebrations, and the reunion with all of my beloved friends, but I think we should attend to the business of the night first. White Star,” the Princess’ eyes met the unicorns, and she tensed even more. “Step forward, please.”

Luna stood in the centre of the courtyard, and a fair clearing had emerged around her. Many Night Guard had taken to wing to get a better view of the Princess and the unicorn who stood nervously before her.

“White Star. Many months ago, I invited you to join my Night Guard, to become one of my most trusted soldiers. Do you still wish to take on this burden?”

There was no protocol for what to say now, like there had been in the Royal Guard. Still, she knew what to say. “Yes.”

“Do you promise to dedicate your life to the protection of Equestria and its citizens, against any threats from within or without?”

“Always.”

“Do you promise to be my eyes, ears, and hooves, to trust me and your fellow Night Guard with your life and wellbeing?”

“Of course.” These were tears in her eyes, and Luna reached out and placed one hoof on the unicorn’s shoulders. “It would be a great honour.”

“No, my dear, it would be an honour to have you as a friend and confidant.” Luna beckoned to the crowd, and the two old smiths stepped out, carrying a spear between them. “Since before the tribes became one, those who guarded the night have borne spears against the monsters of the dark. This is your spear.” It was custom made, a beautiful piece of smithing, dark metal decorated with white edges, the tip itself shaped similarly to her cutie mark. “It is a weapon, a badge of office, and a burden. Hang it alongside your cloak, and when the world needs protecting, it will call you to take it up. I hope that you will never need to touch it. Will you bear this burden?”

“I will.” Hesitantly, she took the strangely beautiful piece of artistry in her magical aura. It was heavy, though she didn’t know how much of it was its construction, and how much of it was the metaphorical significance. The smiths smiled widely at her.

“And now,” the solemnity vanished as quickly as it came, and the smile returned to the Princess’ face. “Let me be the first to say welcome.” An uncoordinated wave of welcomes travelled through the gathered crowd, and White Star blushed as they clapped and stomped their hooves. “And to all of my Night Guard, tonight is yours. Relax, eat, drink, be merry. The night is young, and I hope that we may spend it together.”

It turned out, White Star swiftly learned, that the Night Guard knew how to party. Alcohol was freely offered to her, and she was introduced to many individuals who were immediately friendly to her, it was like some odd family reunion, the kind where you met uncles and aunts who apparently knew you, but you couldn’t remember. She was sleepy and full, leaning on her new spear for support, despite the ceremony ending barely an hour ago, when the messenger came to the Princess.

“What is it?”

“Missive from the Sentinels, your majesty.” The pegasus wheezed, handing her the scroll and flying away again. The Princess broke the wax seal, and White Star saw her brow furrow as she read it.

“What is it, Princess?”

“Something interesting.” She rolled the scroll up tight, and raised her voice. “Friends, I am afraid I must call on your services sooner than I thought. The north has awoken!”

Chapter 9 - Ghosts of the North

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“It's settled, then,” Luna said, shuffling the papers in her magic. “We shall adopt the most fitting ponies into our family, and allow them to rule parts of this land.”

“If they swear fealty to us.” Celestia added. “That we may best care for them.”

“Of course. And these new kings and-”

“No.” Celestia said firmly, making Luna look up at her sister. This whole enterprise had been her idea, her area of rulership, so it only seemed fair for her to voice any complaints. “Princes and Princesses. Never again shall any ponies bow to a king or queen, not after those crimes we’ve worked so hard to stop.”

“Of course, my sister.” Luna scribbled with the quill, made of one of her own feathers. “You are as wise as ever.”

“And with this done, I will need to spend less time on administrating this bountiful land. Perhaps then I will be able to help you truly protect this land.”

REPORTS CONFIRMED - UNUSUAL STORMCLOUDS IN CRYSTAL MOUNTAINS. SOME ODD OCCURRENCES ON NORTH-BOUND TRAINS. YAK PATROLS WITHDRAWN FROM MOUNT EVERHOOF. COLD EVEN GREATER THAN USUAL. ACTION SUGGESTED.

Luna put down the telegram - she must have read it a hundred times since it was delivered - and looked over the desk at her friend. “Any word from the yaks?”

Shining Armour snorted. “Princess, they haven’t tried to smash anypony, which is as friendly as Yakyakistan relations get. Even if they did know something important, they wouldn’t tell us.”

“No, I suppose that they wouldn’t.” As soon as she received the telegram, Luna had dispatched a half-dozen volunteers from her Night Guard to scout the far north of Equestria, but even with the train lines, it’d be several days before they could get there. Still, at least he’d have some ponies she trusted greatly on hand if what she feared was happening.

“If I may, your majesty, what do you believe is happening? Cadance has mentioned the Crystal Empire in the far north, but she hasn’t told me much at all.”

“Yes, you deserve to know. It will help you to plan our operations.” Luna cleared her throat and stood, walking into the very early morning light that streamed from the window. “Long ago, when my sister and I were young, the Crystal Empire of the far north coexisted alongside Equestria. It was made up of the crystal ponies, a special race with skin and fur made of gemstones, who lived in the light of the Crystal Heart, that kept them warm in even the harshest winter. It was ruled by Princess Amore, a distant ancestor of your beloved.”

“She must have been wonderful.”

“She was.” Luna smiled kindly. “But when she retired, her position was taken by Prince Sombra, a unicorn of impressive magical talent who had been one of her statesmen. I thought him a kind, charming fellow, and he was… for a time. Eventually, though, he declared himself King of the Crystal Empire, and revealed it all to be a ruse.

“In truth, he was one of the umbra, ponies with fur of shadows and hearts of darkness, and snuffed out the Crystal Heart with his darkness to overrun the kingdom. He enslaved the crystal ponies and forced them to begin digging deep beneath the Empire, to free the rest of his kin. Naturally, my sister and I couldn’t simply allow this to happen, so we went to try and stop him with the Elements. He was stubborn, though, and, when he realised that he would be defeated, his body already destroyed, he locked away the entire Empire in an impenetrable snowstorm, the crystal ponies frozen. We knew that he would return one day, and now… it appears that he has.”

There was a very long moment of silence, the gravity of this situation hitting Luna now that she had said it out loud. “We could be mistaken, of course. I’m sure that there are many other possible explanations for these events, but caution is the most important thing.”

“I’ll begin to gather the Guard to journey north, and wait for your Night Guard to report on what is happening in the north.”

“Thank you, Shining Armour, you are a fine commander. If the Crystal Empire is returning, it is your wife’s sovereign territory, so I would like you to ask her to come and see me.”

“Of course, your majesty. I will do that right away. Anything else?”

“I will be inviting your sister and the other Bearers to the city, too. So be ready to see her again, I suppose.”

“I certainly will.” Shining Armour grinned as he left the room.

“We’ve found this, your majesty.”

Luna observed the photographs she’d been presented. They were blurry, poorly focused - photography was still a young science, after all - but she could easily make out the distinct shapes of the Crystal Mountains. And dotted on them were stark shadows, not the shadows of clouds, or outcroppings of dark rock, but blobs of sheer, black shadow. In between the different photographs, these shadows clearly moved, several dozen of them crossing the mountainside in clusters.

“Excellent work, Star.” Luna smiled, even though she could feel her stomach drop. She and Shining Armour nodded at the new Night Guard as she left, before turning back to each other.

“What do you think, ma’am?”

“There are no guarantees. They could be tribesponies, yaks, gryphon scouts, or just particularly brave hikers. But I have a terrible feeling that it won’t be that simple.” She wasn't telling the whole truth - she knew that they were crystal pony scouts, from the way the light blurred around their bodies. The Empire was awake once again.

“It rarely is, is it?”

“Not since the Elements found their Bearers, anyway.” Luna grumbled. Yes, life had got a lot more interesting since then, and perhaps not in the good way. “Right then, we must assume that the dangers of the far north have reawoken.”

“I’ll dispatch a large Royal Guard detachment to monitor the area.”

“Good. I and the Bearers will be accompanying them.”

Shining Armour hesitated for a moment. “With all due respect, your majesty-”

“You would consider it a massive breach of security to send me off to face a potential threat on this scale?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And I would consider the presence of the most powerful pony in Equestria a good way to protect those assigned to the investigation. Especially your beloved wife and sister.”

Shining Armour nodded slowly. “You make a very good point.”

“Never argue with me, nephew, I have plenty of experience.” She winked. “Now, I’ll be packing up for our trip. Take some warm clothes.”

“Auntie?”

Despite her encouragement, it was rare for her Captain to speak casually to Luna. “Yes, Shining?”

“Thank you for coming. If this Sombra is as dangerous as the archives say, we’ll need you there.”

“He is. He really is. And even if he doesn’t come for Equestria, the crystal ponies should not be abandoned to his rule.”

Despite how important to her country they had become, and despite how close they were with her student, Luna hadn’t really had much chance to speak with the Bearers yet. She knew them, of course, but not well enough to have really broken down the barriers of etiquette that existed between a pony and her Princess. So, while she felt quite guilty thinking of it that way, this multi-day train ride into the far north was something of a stroke of luck. The final car of the long train, the only one not done up as a barrack for the many Guardsponies, had been converted into something akin to a living area for the Bearers on their long trip, one that they would be sharing with their Princess. The first night, naturally, had been somewhat uncomfortable, but the barriers had quickly broken down after that.

“What was it like to have a baby dragon around the castle?” Fluttershy asked. Despite having known him for quite some time now, and having had an unpleasant encounter with one of his elder cousins in that time, the pegasus remained fascinated by Spike, who currently leaned back comfortably against Luna’s flank, a comic book in claw. Tiberius, brought along on this trip, had taken to Fluttershy like he had nopony besides the Princess, and was spending most of the journey in one of their laps.

“He was a right little terror.”

“Hey!” The dragon protested. “I wasn’t that bad!”

“Oh my.”

Smiling, Luna smothered his protests with a wing, and sighed in reminiscence. “You have to bear in mind that Twilight’s parents raised him for most of his life. When I had Spike, he was a hatchling. Always crying and screaming and begging for attention and food.” There was a vague murmur of protest from the trapped dragon. “Somewhat like having a foal, from what I’ve heard, but most foals don’t have sharp little claws or fire breath.”

“It sounds as though he was quite the hooffull.”

“Oh, he was.” The dragon had stopped trying to protest through a down blanket, so Luna released him. “Anything to add, young Spike?”

“I wasn’t that bad.”

“Oh my goodness, you were.” She bent low to nuzzle the side of his head. “But I love you all the same.” Spike blushed greatly, but he knew better than to try fighting her affection. “But honestly, I could tell you many tales, both of this one and Twilight. Have you ever been awoken at noon by a filly wanting to tell you her idea for a new spell? That was quite a regular occurrence for much of her time with me.” Fluttershy giggled, covering her mouth politely, and Luna glanced around the rest of their car.

The atmosphere was merry, but not what Luna would call rambunctious; the conversation between the friends was almost-constant, but not at a level that was distracting to the Princess. Oh yes, they had their moments of loudness - Applejack and Rainbow Dash apparently showed affection by shouting and starting competitions, and Pinkie Pie was not exactly a quiet pony - but that was an infrequent distraction. They all knew their somewhat grim purpose, but seemed determined not to let it get them down, and were treating this long train journey like a little holiday. Luna had to admit, this unusual atmosphere for one of her tasks was a pleasant change compared to what she was used to.

“My dear lady Rarity,” Luna addressed the ivory unicorn sitting close to her, nose in a magazine. “I keep forgetting to congratulate you on the beautiful gown you made for Cadance. It was truly divine.”

“Oh you flatter me, your majesty. Really, it took me a very long time to make, but I was guided thoroughly by her majesty. I am pleased that it came out as beautifully as it did.”

“Well, a lady of your significant skill I’m sure can produce such wonders on an almost daily basis. Indeed, if you are willing, I’d be delighted to commission you for an outfit or two of mine. Just don’t tell the Royal Seamstress, eh?” She winked good-naturedly, but the unicorn reacted with incredible eagerness.

“Your majesty, I would be honoured and thrilled! Oh my goodness, I shall have to take you through some of my designs! Why, I could make the… What sort of outfit would you be interested in, um, your majesty?”

“If you want a safe option, I know that your winter wear is delightful.” She had brought an incredible number of cases along on this trip, and Luna had seen the elaborate cold-weather outfits contained in many of them. “If you want a challenge, I have very few summer outfits that I’m fond of, so an addition to that prestigious collection would be helpful.”

Rarity hummed thoughtful, levitating a pen from her bag and twirling it idly in mid-air. “Perhaps something in pale blue or white. I don’t think that greens, reds, or oranges would work with your fur. I wonder how you look in pink?” Rarity’s colourful musings were interrupted by shoutings from the far end of the car, and she glanced up at some of her friends with a disgruntled look.

“Come on then!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Let's settle this like mares!” She and Applejack found themselves seated by a small table, locked in a hoof wrestling match as intense as the Princess had ever seen, Pinkie Pie cheering them on.

“Ruffians.” Rarity grumbled, searching in her bag for a design pad.

“I’ll give you ten Bits on Rainbow Dash.” Luna whispered conspiratorially to her.

“Deal.” Rarity agreed after barely a moment’s hesitation.

A day after Luna had become ten Bits richer (despite Rarity’s insistence that Rainbow Dash using her wings was cheating), Luna addressed the Bearers, Spike, Cadance, and Shining Armour in their long carriage, a look of seriousness having returned to her face after the relatively merry journey.

“Tonight, once we leave the Galloping Gorge, we will reach the northernmost point of the train line.” It was a tiny town named Longwayhome, that exported lumber from the Gorge south into the rest of Equestria, and held nothing of note beyond that trivia. “There, we will be met by a Guard airship, the White Sky, which will take us over the Crystal Mountains to scout the Empire. The rest of the Guards will march to meet us there a few days later.”

Luna quite enjoyed airship travel, but it was too slow for her to justify most of the time. In this part of the world, however, it was the only method that avoided both the lack of wings of four of the Bearers and the very rough, hilly terrain. Besides, the atmosphere of a Guard airship was quite different to that of a commercial one.

“The airship is a military operation, and we will be potentially flying into hostile airspace. I will, of course, keep you all from any harm, but this is one thing that we must all take seriously. No shouts, parties, or competitions.” She looked pointedly at Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash in term, all of whom withered under her gaze. “And you’ll do what the Guards say, when they say. Clear?” Nods and mumbles. “It’ll just be for one night - we are only the scouting party in this mission. Thank you all for your patience.” She smiled reassuringly at them. “Make sure you’re all packed up, Elements ready to go, and then we’ll have a few hours more before it all gets serious.” The others scattered throughout the carriage, the mood definitely deflated somewhat, but Shining Armour remained standing expectantly near the Princess. “Yes, Captain?”

“You’re taking my wife and my baby sister on an airship over a country that may potentially be ruled by a magical monster?” His voice started low, but slowly raised over the course of the sentence, until he sounded almost hysterical by the end of it. “I thought they’d be staying at the village!”

“Shining Armour,” she reached forward to touch his foreleg reassuringly, her voice low. “They are in no danger, and we need them here. If we clearly see Sombra’s presence, and a moment of vulnerability, it’ll be vital to have the Bearers on hand and ready to end this in an instant.”

Reluctantly, he nodded. “But what about Cadance?”

“I didn’t want Cadance on this trip either - I wanted her safe in Canterlot so that you could accompany the rest of the Royal Guard on hoof. But given that this is her kingdom we’re here to investigate, she insisted on coming along, and I thought that you’d prefer to be alongside her.”

“I would.” He admitted reluctantly.

“I understand your concerns, and I truly do appreciate that you felt able to approach me about them, but they are here for good reasons and they will be looked after. Any other concerns?”

“No, your majesty.”

“Come along then, make sure that all your things are ready, I was going to ask Pinkie for a short party for the last bit of the journey.”

“PARTY!” Was the pink pony’s reply, apparently having heard Luna across the carriage and over the commotion.

“And you know she’ll be upset if you’re not ready for it now.” Luna winked as Shining Armour walked to pull his case down from a cargo rack, likely needing no repacking thanks to Guard organisation.

Then sighing, she pulled the pile of letters delivered to the train by a courier earlier, checking up on things back in Canterlot. Most of the sizeable pile were unworthy of her attention, the usual masses of nobles thinking that Canterlot would fall apart without the Princess there. One caught her eye, though, in the pale pink envelope that signified a foreign diplomatic message. She broke the wax seal on it and pulled out the scroll, unfurling the unfamiliar chicken-scratch hoofwriting.

Your majesty,

You told me to come to you through diplomatic channels, so here I am. I apologise for the events of the wedding in Canterlot. I want to work together, peacefully, for the sake of both of us, and for the sake of the changelings.

Thanks,

Chrysalis. Queen of the Changelings

Luna raised her eyebrows in surprise, but let a smile tease her mouth. She really hadn’t expected to get through to the changeling, but this certainly seemed like a good sign. She would compose a letter in response, another olive branch, as soon as she returned to Canterlot. The changeling diplomats would require close monitoring, of course, but she was willing to give them a chance. Everybody deserved a chance, no matter what they had done.

The airship was smaller than commercial cruise airships, designed to hold a little over a dozen ponies. Both the balloon and gondola were painted white, dotted with faded, black stars. The regimental symbol of the Guardsponies manning it, a compass rosette over a snowflake, was much more carefully maintained, close to the prow of the ship. There was little beyond their symbols (which were not displayed on field armour) to distinguish most Royal Guard regiments, but this lot, the Crystal Mountain Sentinels, took some pride in their posting, being those who had first reported this change to the Princess.

They were almost all pegasi - pegasus bodies being best equipped to handle extreme cold and rough terrain - with pale coats, and the nigh-endless blizzards bleached their armour to be more platinum than gold. Four of the Night Guard flew alongside the airship, watching through the thick snowfall for any danger, while a couple of Sentinels were charged with manning the airship itself. The group of Guards marching up the Crystal Empire was mostly in the gold of the Royal Guard, but the dusky purple of Night Guard were dotted here and there, insisting on accompanying their Princess to this potential great danger.

All of the other ponies on the airship were wrapped in heavy winter clothes - even Shining Armour, after a while of insisting on keeping up Royal Guard uniform standards, had accepted a heavy, woollen cloak and scarf to keep the worst of the chill off. How the others were faring varied: despite the pain of her old leg wound, Luna had dealt with worse cold in her life. Rarity, shortly after castoff, had realised that fashionable winter clothes weren’t necessarily the most protective, while Rainbow Dash had decided to stay wrapped after a brief attempt to emulate the ‘hardcore’ness of the Sentinels. Spike, for his part, had been wrapped up so thoroughly by his siblings that Luna wasn’t even sure if he could move his arms and legs.

They had crossed over the border that was the Crystal Mountains a small while ago, and into the unceasing blizzard that had consumed the Crystal Empire for over a millennium. Except, to Luna’s eye, it had changed; it was thinner, thin enough that in places, she could see the large outcropping of crystals that the Empire was famed for, or the twisted remains of trees after a thousand years of bitter cold. The Empire was unsealed, she was quite certain now. They wouldn’t have even made it this far, if it were still at its full strength.

“If my memory serves, we should be coming to the Crystal City soon.” Her memory did serve, of course; she’d spent weeks studying the ancient maps. “Are we all ready?”

Generally affirmative murmurs. Twilight, her Element of Magic already on her head, levitated the others to her friends, who hissed in discomfort as icy metal touched fur and skin. Twilight had spent the entire voyage gazing down through a pair of binoculars, scribbling notes in a pad that she sheltered from the wind and snow with her body. What she was writing, Luna had no idea - there was barely anything to see through the snow - but she was a true scholar, always finding something to study in a new place, with diligence that made her jealous.

“The City is just ahead, your majesty!” Barked one of the flying Night Guards, and all of the passengers moved to look ahead.

It appeared through the blizzard like a lighthouse in the fog, a city sat in the centre of the endless, white plain, as large as Canterlot. The small buildings were split into several clear districts, all roads radiating out from a tall, elegant tower, the hub of the wheel city. Even from so far away, the scale of the city was clearly immense, and they could see a number of tiny figures moving through the spoked roads in great processions.

But clearly, something was wrong: all of the distant ponies moved in far too orderly a way, like pieces on a gameboard. Several areas, where there should’ve been several buildings, were occupied by blackened craters. The crystalline structure of the huge tower was cracked and stained in a few places, and a great pillar of black smoke rose ominously from behind it, flickers of red and purple light just faintly visible reflecting on its base.

“It is as I recall.” Luna said quietly, turning a few heads. “He has returned.” Clearing her throat and speaking loudly, she addressed the helmspony. “Take us in a loop around the city, with at least a mile between us and the edge! Do not cross above it!”

“Yes, your majesty!” The stallion barked smartly.

“Be ready, girls - Sombra was no alicorn, but his magical skill rivalled my own. Be prepared for some wickedly treacherous spellwork.” The Bearers all stood straighter, and Luna subtly sidled closer to poor Spike.

The city grew larger and larger in their vision as the airship approached it, a bubble in the midst of the impenetrable storm. Indeed, it kept growing larger, large enough to make out the individual specks among the clockwork masses on the streets. Large enough to worry Luna.

“Sentinel, we draw too close to the City, alter our bearing.” She instructed imperiously. The ship’s course didn’t change. “Guardspony, I am giving you an order!” She barked, and the helmspony flinched, turning to her.

“What?” His armour and fur had lost some lustre, and his eyes were overwhelmingly green for an instant as he looked at her.

“Sombra.” Luna whispered. “Turn this vessel around, Guardspony, immediately! We are leaving!”

Snapping out of his arcane trance, the pegasus heaved against the ship’s wheel, scouts flying down to assist him.

“I thought you said he was dead!” Shining Armour shouted.

“No, I said that his physical form had been destroyed. I fear that has only made him stronger.” Luna saw a portent that told her it was too late to flee, a wisp of smoke, black and red and purple, moving like a living thing, that broke off from the great pillar and swam through the air towards them. Uttering an antiquated curse, she focused hard to raise a near-opaque shield between them and it, which the curiously solid smoke bounced off with an audible sound. But then it sprouted tendrils, probing at the sphere of magic, testing too many points for Luna to hold. The Night Guard escort tried to attack the attacker, but their blows simply went through it, like trying to strike smoke.

“Crystals…” Hissed a voice that was felt, more than heard.

“Bearers, ready your Elements to strike this evil! Captain Armour, protect them with your life!” The girls moved immediately, gathering together and closing their eyes, Elements already aglow in response to the great evil so close by. Shining Armour for his part, hesitated, glancing between his wife and sister. “That is an ORDER!” Luna barked with more intensity than she had for a very long time, and the unicorn crossed the deck, raising a magical shield around the six.

With perfect timing, too - Luna’s was simply tested with too much strength from too many directions and, like a dropped bauble, shattered with a ringing like glass, sending a sharp pain of magical feedback through her body, turning her legs to jelly and her horn to fire. There were gasps from around the deck, and she felt Cadance’s hooves on her as the others shouted.

Unhesitating and whip-like, the smoke struck, swiping the Night Guards out of the sky and swinging down across the centre of the airship, violently rupturing the balloon and tearing through wood and metal to split the ship in two. Comprehending little, beyond that Shining Armour’s shield was still up, and that she was falling away from it, Luna extended her limbs and grabbed those closest to her, hugging them protectively to her body and wrapping them in her wings, ears ringing with explosions and shattering and screams as she held them through the long fall, eyes tightly shut.

Though the snow softened the fall somewhat, an immense pain shot through her and all the world went white when Luna hit the ground.

“Oh goodness. Cadence, what do we do?” Luna blinked when she awoke, the entire world white, and painfully bright. She wasn't in any pain, but had the feeling that wasn’t going to last for very long. “Princess!” Twilight exclaimed, leaning into the white backdrop of Luna’s field of view. “You’re awake!”

“Twilight, my dear, I…” Hesitantly, Luna clambered to stand upright again, her legs pained and trembling. She flexed her wings and shouted in pain, a shock from her left wing that almost dropped her again. Looking up at it, she saw that her left wing was mangled, an extra joint having appeared. Standing in front of her was Twilight, Cadance, and Spike, all scuffed and bruised, but in better condition than Luna. “Well, that’s not supposed to look that way.” She said in a vague attempt at levity.

They had fallen out of the sky when the airship had fallen apart, the other protected by Luna’s body. The rear of the airship, where they had been standing, had completely fallen apart, so they stood on an endless plain of snow, barely visible through the blizzard, and surrounded by fragments of wood. They had nothing but the clothes they wore, and were completely separate from all the airship’s other passengers. Still, Luna had one more pertinent concern.

“Twilight, my dear, I’ll be needing a favour from you.” She’d lost one of her rear shoes in the fall, so she stepped out of the other, raising it in her magical aura and focusing to heat it, turning it pliable and reshaping it.

“Anything, Princess.”

“I need you to set my wing.” She had shaped it into a long half-tube of silvery metal, and tore a couple of strips of cloth from her cloak to accompany it. “Then I will splint it with this.”

“But… won’t that hurt you?”

“Oh, most certainly. But I would quite like to be able to fly again.” It wasn’t as simple as blasting it with healing magic; healing was one of those rare magical fields that couldn’t be taught, only working for those few who’s special talent was specifically related to it. “When you’re ready.”

Hesitating, Twilight took the wing in her magic, Luna wincing as she sat on the cold snow. Even the slightest pressure close to the break was painful. “OK,” Twilight breathed, Cadance and Spike both standing reassuringly close to the pair. “I can do this. I’ve read about this. I can do this.”

“I believe in you, Twili-” Luna was cut off by the snap of her wing being cracked back into place, and screamed with the sudden pain.

“There! It’s straight! It’s straight!”

Luna didn’t respond, panting as she splinted the wing delicately. It would need to be held out, extended, at least for now, and the pressure of the splint hurt her, but it would heal, well enough to fly again. Twilight had set it well. “Thank you, my dear Twilight.”

“You’re welcome, Princess. I think.”

“But what are we going to do now?” Spike asked.

Quickly, Luna cast a simple compass spell, and oriented herself north. “We were directly south of the Crystal City when we went down, so we should head north.”

“Shouldn’t we try to get back to Equestria?” Cadance asked, but Luna shook her head firmly.

“We are deep into the Crystal Empire, and even if we could get back, we couldn’t make our way over the Mountains. Well, perhaps Cadance could,” she conceded. “But it would take days, if not weeks, and we don’t have enough in the way of supply to even attempt that. No, we need to move north to the Crystal City, and find the rest of the airship. And, hopefully, the others. Then, with the power of the Elements, we can finish this. Are you all warm enough?”

Nods, but Luna wasn’t content with a nod from Spike. Despite his protests, she raised him in her magic, laying him on her back and wrapping him in her good wing. There were two reasons - he was slower than the ponies, so this would let them make a good pace, and dragons are cold-blooded. Spike’s internal fire would keep him warm for some time, but without some additional heat, he’d begin to grow lethargic within an hour in this cold.

“Come, friends. We may have a long walk, and the exercise will keep us warm.” Luna set off at a gentle trot, despite the pain in her legs. Cadance followed readily, and Twilight slightly less so - she’d never been one for much non-magical exercise. Luna dearly hoped that she wouldn’t need carrying, too.

Time quickly became an abstract matter, and none of the ponies knew how long they had been cantering through the deep snow, great clumps of it clinging to their fetlocks like an icy scale mail. Luna, not the warrior Princess of legend anymore, was growing tired, all of her legs burning with the fire of exertion, and the incredible cold of the blizzard making her ancient leg wound scream with every step. Spike, nestled in her back, had fallen asleep, but her regular checks confirmed that he was still plenty warm enough, like a little fireplace between her wings. Cadance was faring fine, better equipped to deal with the cold as a pegasus and able to spread the fatigue between her legs and wings. Luna had told her niece that she could fly ahead if she wished, but she seemed more concerned with keeping close to the others.

Twilight, for her part, was not doing well at all - her violet fur was drenched in sweat and she was shivering beneath her winter clothes. Her legs were trembling like saplings in a storm, and every now and then the others would have to stop to let her catch up. For all her wonderful skill, the unicorn would never be a marathon runner.

“Cadance, will you take Spike for me?” At a nod, Luna levitated the sleeping dragon to her niece, who wrapped him rightly in her wings. They walked on as Luna waited for a moment, walking close alongside Twilight. “How are you, my dear?”

It took a few seconds to reply, the unicorn likely preoccupied with one of the many mental exercises Luna had taught her to deal with stress in the past. “Hurting.” Was her eventual reply.

“You’re doing a wonderful job, Twilight.” Luna assured. “I’m sure that we’re most of the way there now.” Well, she wasn't sure, but it only seemed logical: they hadn’t been too far from the city when the ship went down, and though they were slow, they must have been walking for a while now. Surely, salvation would be close by.

“I can’t teleport.”

“That’s the cursed blizzard.” Luna explained. Even her magic was quite thoroughly limited, the caches of supplies she kept to teleport to herself in times of emergency outside of her reach. Though she had enough magic to take the Element of Magic from Twilight’s head, delicately brushing her fringe out of her eyes before replacing it.

“Going to get fit. Train with my brother. This is so much worse than the Running of the Leaves.”

“Good idea.” Luna smiled gently. Then the smile faltered for a moment, and she sighed. “Twilight, I am not angry at all, but you made a mistake today.”

“Princess?” The unicorn looked up at her, eyes wide.

“You should have stayed with the other Bearers. I appreciate that your first instinct was to run to my side, I truly do, but in a time like this, the Elements are more important than I am. And they are useless, without all of them together.”

“I-I’m sorry.” Twilight whispered, barely audible over the blizzard winds.

“Oh Twilight.” Luna said soothingly, stopping moving to hug the unicorn with her good wing. “We all make mistakes, and that’s all this is, a mistake. We can’t change it now, so it’s not worth upsetting yourself over. But next time, do you promise me that you’ll stay with the other Bearers, and keep the Elements together?”

“I promise.”

“Thank you.” Luna nuzzled her gently, and resumed their walk, no matter how much she wanted to collapse in the snow. “Come on, just a little further, and we’ll find the others, I’m sure.”

“Auntie!” Cadance shouted back. “The blizzard’s getting thinner!”

The Crystal City itself sat in a pocket of calm air. Luna grinned at that knowledge. “See? We’re almost there.”

“Can you carry me the rest of the way?”

Rolling her eyes with a smile, Luna raised the unicorn in her magic, carrying her a foot above the snow. “You’re too old for this, but I’ll treat you.” And they walked through the last of the blizzard curtain, to the edge of the Crystal City.

The City, in a bubble of calm weather, was beautiful, yes. But this close, at the ground level, it was clear that something was terribly wrong - many of the crystalline buildings were covered with spiderweb cracks, and the ponies that walked among them were grey. Not the grey of age, but grey like the colour had been sucked out of them. There was a dull sheen to them, not the gemlike sparkle that Luna had described, but a dull, brushed metal sheen.

There was also, just beyond the edge of the city, the front two thirds of an airship, lying in a pile of debris. The three mares began to trot into the twilit city, Twilight having reached her second wind, clear concern written over their faces. The crystal ponies barely even spared these unusual visitors a glance as they approached the wrecked airship, a picture of devastation.

“They’re not here.” Twilight was the first to say what they were all thinking - the ship, especially in its current state, was far too small to hide anypony.

Luna approached the ship, broken wood creaking beneath her hooves as she poked her head into the devastated area below decks. Food and papers were scattered everywhere, and the whole place was covered in a fine layer of feathers from a ruptured mattress. There was no sign of injury. Hopefully, Shining Armour’s shield had held, and the Guards could’ve looked after themselves.

“No, they aren’t. Sombra will have wasted no time in taking them.” Well, Luna assumed that was what he would’ve done. It was hard to rationalise what the wicked unicorn may have done because, quite frankly, he was utterly mad; the destruction of his physical form had utterly changed him to begin with, and being sealed away for a thousand years didn’t typically help these things. She wasn’t even sure if his plan, to free the rest of his kind, was the same after so long. “His base will be at the central tower - it was his palace, and the site of the Crystal Heart. We should journey to it, posthaste. Hopefully, he will assume that we were killed in the crash and-”

“Crystals…” Whispered that strange voice, and Luna uttered an obscenity older than many civilisations.

The shadows in the edges of the downed airship moved like living things, purple flickers at their edges as they congealed into a single, solid mass, shapes forming in its centre. A face, with a sharp, curved horn and merciless eyes. The mares all took a few steps back from it, the just-roused Spike clutching at Cadance’s neck fearfully, before Luna cleared her throat.

“Right, slight change of plans: you two proceed to the tower and find the other Bearers. I shall keep the dear King occupied.” After a moment’s hesitation, Cadance and Twilight set off at a gallop down the main street, and Sombra was distracted from them by a brief blast of magical energy that parted the edge of his shadowy form.

“Crystals…”

“Yes, yes, crystals, I get the idea. You used to be much more fun to talk to, Sombra. Where has that dashing gentleman gone?” Luna attempted to flare her wings, but yelped in pain when her broken one objected. Shaking her head, she began to charge a much more ferocious blast when Sombra charged into her like a nightmare stormcloud.

No, not into her - through her. Her vision turned to black as the shadowy form of the umbra swam through every inch of her body, numbing her. And it didn’t just numb her body, making her legs tremble and her head swim, but it numbed her mind. For a moment, she forgot why she was there, why she was fighting this terrible being, and wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep. It took all her will, and the distant sound of Twilight’s raised voice, to snap her back to reality.

“Good trick.” She snarled as she sent another weak blast to Sombra, not harming him, but turning his attention from the galloping mares back to her. “But it’ll take more than that to break me like you have these other ponies.” He tried to charge again but, with split-second reactions, she raised a pearlescent shield, parting his form around her like rapids around a rock. He was already reforming behind, so she jumped back, peppering him with weak magical blasts and discarding her cloak onto the cobbled street.

As he reformed, his cursed eyes narrowed, and the strange voice hissed again. “You…”

“Me.” Luna panted. “You will not get to hide away this time, Sombra. Your wicked reign is over.” Luna spoke with confidence that she didn’t feel, as the umbra prepared to charge her again.

The dull and listless crystal ponies barely even glanced at Twilight, Cadance, and Spike as they galloped through the centre of their mighty city, all moving like sleepwalkers. They passed two great clusters, shuffling zombielike to and from the City’s centre. Those returning were covered in dirt, their crystalline fur scuffed and scratched. Though Cadance paused to try asking them for directions, or how they could be helped, but they simply looked at her, mostly. “I can’t remember… not since the King came.” was the only verbal response that they got. Undeterred, and hearing the distant sounds of battle behind them, they kept on towards the tower at the City’s centre.

It was warmer in the City than it had been out on the plain, doubtless made warmer by the fact that they were running, so they shed cloaks and hats and scarves as they galloped, lightening their load considerably. Twilight was exhausted, but it had reached a stage where she could barely even feel it any more, her limbs numb and moving without her prompting. The tower began in earnest a couple of storeys off the ground, supported by four slim, crystalline columns, created a sort of courtyard beneath it.

“Girls!” Twilight exclaimed when she saw the shapes in the shadow of the tower, teleporting the last little distance to them.

The other bearers stood, Elements still worn, staring straight ahead with glowing, green eyes and dull, grey bodies. They had been taken, controlled by Sombra like the Guardsponies on the airship, and stood at a sort of attention here, presumably awaiting further commands. Cadance galloped to the figure at the edge of their little row, the relatively bulky shape of Shining Armour, similarly taken. The Guards from the ship stood alongside him, just as absent.

“Shiny…” Cadance whispered, gently touching his cheek.

“Girls!” Twilight shouted, wildly waving her hooves in an attempt to snap them out of this strange spell. “What’s wrong? We need you!” She cast a few quick nullification spells, but the shadowy magic was unaffected by her attempts. Desperately, she shook Applejack by the shoulders. “Come on, snap out of it! We need the Elements of Harmony to defeat him!”

“Twilight.” Cadance said softly, touching her shoulder. “Panic isn’t going to solve anything. We need to be calm.”

Calmly, Twilight tried to channel magic through her Element of Magic, but it didn’t react, despite the proximity of the others. They needed to be borne by their paragons, not simply there, and these sleepwalkers couldn’t be paragons of the Elements. Think, Twilight, think!

“Hey, what’s this thing?”

The ponies both turned to Spike, still wrapped up tightly, pointing at a pedestal, the only other object of note beneath the tower. And on it sat an incredible object, a single, blue diamond almost as large as a pony, carved skillfully into the shape of a heart. WIth a gasp, Twilight recognised it as the object of Cadance’s cutie mark, something that she’d previously assumed to be simply metaphorical.

“It’s the Crystal Heart.” Cadance said softly. “I researched it as soon as I got my cutie mark.” She touched it reverently, and found it to be cold, inert. “Supposedly, it channeled the love of the crystal ponies into a magic that would warm and protect the Crystal Empire, letting them remain safe and happy in even the coldest northern winter. Unfortunately,” she sighed. “I don’t think that there’s much love left here.”

“I don’t know what to do.” Twilight said, still carefully regarding her friends. The distant sounds of battle were beginning to imperceptibly fade. “If we can’t break this spell, we’ll never set all the crystal ponies free. And I-” she choked slightly. “I’ll never see my friends again.”

There was a faint twinkle in the centre of the Crystal Heart, like a distant, faint star, and Cadance felt a barely-present rumble in it. “Love!”

Twilight blinked at the exclamation. “What?”

“We can’t use the Elements, so we’ll beat him with the Crystal Heart! And for the Crystal Heart to work, it needs love!” She took Twilight’s face in her forehooves, squishing her cheeks and grinning widely. “Who do you love, Twilight?”

“Cadance, if you’re trying to set me up on a date, now’s not the-”

“Not just that, any kind of love!”

“W-Well,” Twilight hesitated for a moment. “I love all of my friends from Ponyville. And I love my family.” Slowly, her confidence in this idea was building. “Mum and dad. And Shiny and Spike are the best brothers I could ever ask for.” She looked sadly at her hypnotised brother, before reaching out to hug Spike. “And I love you, Cadance, you’re the best big sister. And, well, I love the Princess.” It was faint, but things felt a mite warmer. Several of the sleepwalking crystal ponies had stopped, observing this bizarre conversation beneath the tower with idle curiosity.

“I love Auntie Luna, too. And I love you both, too!” Cadance eagerly added on. “And I love my in-laws, and all my family back home, and everyone at the castle. And especially,” she looked wistfully aside and softly said. “I love Shiny.”

The tiny star had grown, a faint ember heart of the ancient artifact, and things were definitely growing warmer. The idle curiosity in the observers seemed to be intensifying, and more and more were stopping to observe this spectacle.

“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed, raising him in her magic. “Who do you love?”

“Um, well, I-I love mum and dad. And Luna. And Cadance and Shining Armour. But most of all, I’m your number one assistant, so I love you, Twi!” He reached out to hug her, and there was a thrumming, a faint shockwave of energy from the Crystal Heart. It didn’t go far, rippling only to the edges of this under-tower area, but when it washed over the zombies, the green light faded from their eyes, and they were back.

“Where are we?”

“What’s going on?”

“Did we beat him?”

“Everypony!” Cadance shouted, spreading her wings dramatically. “Who do you love?” Mumbles of confusion and doubt. “Don’t think, just tell us!”
There was a moment’s pause, before the first of them ventured.

“I love my family!”

Then like that, the floodgates were open, and they came rapidly.

“I love my friends!”

“I love my Princess!”

“I love my parents!”

“I love you, Cadance!”

They came far too quickly, now, overlapping each other, but the Heart responded eagerly, its light slowly increasing as it hummed with mystical power. Even the crystal ponies standing around the tower began to respond, lustre returning to their body as they shouted unfamiliar names and heartfelt exclamations.

And when the Heart had felt enough, the tower above it began to glow, and a wave of powerful, beautiful magic flowed out from it, running like a wave over the entire City.

Since her encounter with the changeling Queen, Luna had been physically training. Unfortunately, there was one significant problem; Luna was very, very old. Not physically, her body had never physically deteriorated beyond the presence of injuries, new and old, but mentally. She had a great many bad habits, and when a bad habit has existed for hundreds of years, it takes a very long time to kick it, or to form a good habit alongside it.

Which is all a very roundabout way of saying that Luna was deeply regretting that she enjoyed sweets more than exercise.

As the formless soul of an umbra, his physical form long since destroyed, Sombra would never tire, and could only be injured in rather more abstract ways. Luna, already exhausted and injured, couldn’t compete with something like that, and she knew that she was being worn down. Each time the King tried to control her, it became harder and harder for her to throw off his potent influence and resist the urge to give into that dark, hypnotic magic. And each time, he’d progressed further towards the tower when she did snap out, and her attempts to distract him became more and more feeble.

But it was working. She was buying time and, unless it was foolish optimism, the tarry cloud that composed his physical form seemed to be shrinking. Not enough that she could consider this battle won, for sure, but enough that she could assure herself that she was making progress, and push through on her second (third? Possibly even fourth) wind, until somepony came up with a way of ending this battle for good.

And that was when the beam of pure, white light rose up from the crystal tower, and the wave of magical energy washed over them.

Luna felt recharged, reinvigorated. She was still injured, of course, but there was a tremendous calm in her mind and a warmth in her belly that made the pain in her joints melt away, and let her inhale deeply for the first time in hours, giving her enough strength to fight for much longer.

Fortunately, that wouldn’t be necessary, because her opponent reacted rather unfavourably to the magical wave. He thrashed and screamed incoherently in the air, shrinking as layers of shadow were stripped away from his form by the mystical energy, until there was merely the burning, purple flame that was his soul, straining and flickering against the onslaught.

With a flicker of Luna’s own magic, it was extinguished.

Inhaling the temperate air deeply, she looked up, and saw that the dome of stormclouds that had surrounded the city was gone, exposing the orange evening sky. The crystal ponies around her had regained their colour and lustre, and blinked in surprise like sleepwalkers suddenly awoken, talking among themselves and asking, in antiquated Equestrian, what had happened. There were several dark shapes taking to the sky, and she recognised the faint shapes of armoured thestrals, likely looking for her.

Luna took a few moments to look up with her eyes closed, letting the late sunlight wash over her body and the last few flakes of snow drop gently onto her body. Then she galloped to the tower, a smile spreading across her face.

“Princess, you’re OK!” Twilight remarked joyfully at the sight of her mentor, accompanied by a group of her loyal Guards.

“I am, my dear Twilight. No more harmed than I was when we parted. And you, it seems, have saved the day once again.”

The crystal ponies were gradually flocking to the tower, beautifully illuminated in the light of the Crystal Heart. As Luna remembered, the crystal ponies were resplendent, their coats shining like cut diamonds in the twilight of the early evening. The magic of the Crystal Heart seemed to have done the same to those ponies who had contributed to its reactivation, the Bearers, Spike, Cadance, Shining Armour, the Night Guard who had met Luna, and the airship Guards all shining just the same. In the Heart’s light, the air was chilly, but not unpleasantly so, the sort of chill that made one want to sit outside with a mug of hot chocolate. And compared to what they had been through, it was positively tropical.

“Do you think that I should make a speech?” Luna asked, and Twilight gave a faint nod.

“I think it’s the kind of thing that’s suitable in this situation.”

Luna wanted to take to wing and perch in a high place for her speech, but managed to remember her injury before trying. So instead, she raised her voice, projecting it across the crowd.

“Ponies of the Crystal Empire!” All of the chatter stopped at that, aside from a few remarks from the crystal ponies who knew her from so long ago. “On this evening, thanks to the effort of these brave ponies, the Crystal Heart has been restored, and you have all been freed. Never again will you toil under the yoke of King Sombra!” A great cheer raised from the crowd, the stomping of hooves drowning out everything for a few moments. “If you will have her, I should like to propose a new ruler to you all, a descendent of your beloved Princess Amore and the pony who restored love to the Crystal Heart. My beloved niece, Princess Cadance.” Luna extended a forehoof to point at the pegasus, standing close to her beloved. All of the crystal ponies slowly turned to face her, and she blushed before waving shyly at the crowd.

“Hail Princess Cadance!” The chant came up as the crystal ponies dropped to bow, the Heart gently pulsing with their gratitude and adoration for their liberator. Luna paused long enough for the chant to cease, and for Cadance to squeak out a ‘thank you’ instead of giving a complete speech, before she raised her voice again.

“Now, little time has passed for you all, but it has been quite some time for me, dear friends. Pray tell, dear crystal ponies, do you still know how to throw an excellent festival?” The cheer that rose told her that, yes, they certainly did.

Chapter 10 - A Day in the Life

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The sisters sat flank-to-flank on the grass of the Castle Town in the fresh morning, quiet and peaceful. For the first time in far, far too long, both of their fields were free of crises, and they could simply sit together. Enjoy each others’ company with no pretence or waiting tasks.

“Robin.” Luna said sleepily, indicating the little shape bouncing through the undergrowth with her horn.

“Good spot!” Celestia enthused. Smiling, Luna leaned her head against her sister’s shoulder, eyes drifting shut. It had been a long, tiring night of drilling new Guard recruits, and she wanted little more than to crawl into bed until midnight. But not before finally enjoying some time with her big sister. “Thou look exhausted.”

“We are.” Many of the ponies passing by on the dirt road stopped to bow to the Princesses, but none of them attempted to engage them in conversation, leaving the sisters be.

“We should probably prepare for the diplomatic meeting soon.” Celestia sighed. “But we have greatly enjoyed this time with you, little sister.”

“We love you, Tia. And we’re so sorry for our failures.”

Celestia hugged her sister close with a wing, sighing. “We both have our failures, Luna. We’re sorry for snapping at you over them. No matter what, we’re still family, aren’t we?”

Her smile returning, Luna affirmed. “You and I, sisters always.”

“Always.”

One of the many publicly-open areas of Canterlot castle’s gardens was the menagerie, a miniature zoological garden that was carefully tended to by the garden staff, and contained many an exotic animal. Many of them were diplomatic gifts from foreign rulers to the Princess, and dwelled in enchanted enclosures that perfectly mimicked their native environments. There were many animals that couldn’t be seen elsewhere in Equestria, from the two-headed giant buzzards (a gift from the Emperor of Griffinheim), to the tame, miniature hyenas that had been a donation from the Saddle Arabian sultan.

But the menagerie had one resident that the public - and even most of the staff - weren’t familiar with. She was free to fly wherever she pleased, but preferred to roost in a decorated tree in the middle of the menagerie, a beautiful attraction in and of itself, but one that hid its resident quite well. Except, of course, from the Princess, who sat beside her on a bench beneath the tree.

“She’s not home yet.” Luna whispered as she caressed the bird’s head. “But she’ll be happy to have you waiting.”

Philomena had been a pet of Luna’s sister, a beautiful bird with feathers of many sunrise tones, tall and elegant. She was a phoenix, and so one of very few creatures that had accompanied Luna for so much of her own life. She was a sweet bird, affectionate with Luna, but much more melancholy than she had been over a millennium ago, spending much of her time laying in her elaborate nest, always gazing to the east with her ember eyes, waiting for the sun. Sometimes, she’d fly off into the east, and not return for many months. Luna liked to think that she was finding where the sun rose, and waiting there for her old friend.

“You’ll be going again, won’t you?” Ever intelligent, the phoenix nodded, nuzzling affectionately against Luna’s foreleg. “Well if you find her, make sure to bring her home. I miss her, too.”

Luna sat on one of the benches in the gardens beside the phoenix, looking up at the orange-painted, early-dawn sky. It was setting up to be another long, warm summer, and that only made her heart ache for her sister even move. After a few minutes, petting the ancient phoenix and just thinking in silence, Luna spoke again.

“I have a busy day today. A diplomatic meeting I should be going to soon. But I’ve had good news for a change, so I can’t be too grumpy.” She smiled sadly. “Life goes on, I suppose. We’ll keep your nest waiting for you when you’re back. Bring our sun home.”

Philomena stood, spreading her wings wide to sun herself in the early dawn, before lifting off, glancing back at Luna. Luna watched her shape shrink, becoming smaller and smaller against the painted sky, until she couldn’t pick out the phoenix from the clouds around her. And then, sighing, Luna stood, beginning another day with an unusual pep in her step.

“It is settled, then, the cultural exchange program will begin in a few months.”

For a diplomatic meeting with a foreign ruler who had attempted an invasion, this morning’s summit had gone quite well. She and Chrysalis sat in one of the castle’s many grand meeting rooms, feeling curiously empty with just the two of them and their contingents - two armoured changelings for the Queen, and two of her Night Guard for the Princess. There was food and drink covering a fair portion of the table, though half of it was completely untouched - while changelings could eat and drink, they seemed to see little point in doing so unless it was to keep up a disguise.

After some greetings - even more uncomfortable than the usual diplomatic niceties - the two had quickly set into deep discussion. Chrysalis hadn’t acknowledged the attack on Canterlot, though her attitude made it clear that she remembered it well, and Luna saw no point in bringing it up, so it remained the elephant in the room.

Chrysalis had explained (with a sort of reluctant humility) that changelings needed love to survive and, historically, they would gain this love by way of lone changelings moving into towns, kidnapping and replacing ponies, and sapping it from their friends and families. The Queen felt it was improper for them to be moving alone and, seeing as stealing love under false pretences was so obviously wrong, the Queen had approached the Princess to see about some sort of mutually beneficial exchange.

Luna, being an intelligent pony with a functional memory, didn’t trust the Queen as far as she could throw her, and she didn’t look like the lightest changeling. Still, she believed that all beings deserved a chance, and all the sins were on Chrysalis’ back, not the changelings’. So they had agreed to a very limited cultural exchange program.

No ponies would be sent to the Badlands (Luna had seen the interior of a changeling hive - there really wasn’t much culture to exchange there), but a small group of changelings would be brought to Canterlot and live among the ponies for several months. They would have to abide by strict rules, being closely monitored by the Night Guard and limited to a small number of pre-approved transformations, but they would be allowed to experience pony culture and report back to their Queen. Hopefully, this would be the first part of a long-standing cultural cooperation between ponies and changelings.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Chrysalis. I am certain that this will be the beginning of a period of peace for our two nations. Are you sure that I can’t tempt you to a biscuit? They’re very good!”

“Um, no thank you, Princess.” Chrysalis replied, clearly still uneasy. One of her guards licked his lips, and Luna caught his eye, smiled, and raised one towards him. Chrysalis began to glare, but hesitated for a moment. “Fine. It’s a sign of cooperation, or something.” She took three in her magic, eating one herself and handing the others to her guards. The guards looked overjoyed. Chrysalis looked indifferent.

In truth, Luna’s intentions with the changelings weren’t entirely selfless: following the return of the Crystal Empire and, more importantly, the Crystal Heart, Luna was wondering if some sort of long-term deal could be come to with the changelings. Their need for love wasn’t their own fault, and perhaps the eldritch mechanisms of the Crystal Heart could provide, allowing them to live peacefully and normally, without deception. And, even if that didn’t work, she was sure that the results would be educational.

“It has been a pleasure to have you here, it really has, but I do have other business tonight.” She was still excited about the news earlier, still putting a pep in her step, and she’d sit through a dozen boring diplomatic meetings to see it through. “My aide will escort you to your chariot, she’s just outside.” Luna extended a forehoof and, hesitantly, Chrysalis shook it. “Farewell, Queen Chrysalis.”

“Farewell, Princess Luna.” With a respectful nod, the changelings left, and Luna turned around and walked elsewhere in the castle, eager to be done with her chores for the day.

It was the start of summer, so close to the end of teaching at all of Equestria’s schools, and Luna’s last guest lesson at the School close to her castle.

“The most important principle of spell construction is stability. Never implement a component unless you are entirely familiar with it, and have a good theoretical idea of how it will connect to all other components. While it’s all well and good to simply combine the most useful and powerful components you know in a slapdash way, that spell is almost certainly going to backfire when you attempt it, and it’ll backfire painfully.”

Spell construction was a field beyond the skill of most unicorns, but actually shockingly simple for those with adequate training. All conventional spells were composed of several arcane components and, for all but the most skilled mages, creating a spall was simply combining components in a mix-and-match way, taking the environmental draw from a swift-swimmer spell and combining it with the respiratory component of an endurance spell to create a water-breathing spell, for example. Simple in principle, but quite easy to mess up for those not adequately trained, and often painful to mess up.

“And that, my dears, will be your summer work - to create a spell. Any spell. It doesn’t matter if it’s completely impractical or world-changing, as long as it’s stable and not just out of a book. Do it slowly and do it safely, and I’m certain that it’ll be easy for you all.”

They’d all succeed, Luna was certain. In all her years, none of these prodigies who’d made their way into the School had ever failed at basic spellcraft. It took some longer than others, of course, and some of them might not manage it this summer, but that would be fine. This would let them start on it, and many of them would succeed right away.

“And for once, I’ve actually finished a lesson early.” Luna smiled, glancing at the clock. She had a nasty habit of rambling on long after she should’ve finished in these lessons (especially the history lessons), but it seemed that most of the students enjoyed her anecdotes. “I’ll see you all on Friday when you’re going home, of course, but in case I don’t, I’d like to say that it’s been a delight having you all. I hope that you have a lovely, relaxing summer, and come back to us bright and refreshed, ready to learn more.”

Generally affirmative mumbles from the class - the sort of ponies at this school were all the kind who greatly enjoyed learning, but they would need breaks, and would almost certainly be quite homesick. The few months at home would do them all a lot of good.

“I’m afraid that I do have more to do today, so I’ll have to leave you, but it has been a delight. Take an early recess.” She added with a smile, and the foals streamed out of the classroom, thanking the Princess as they passed her. She smiled kindly at all of them, tempted to join them on the grounds for a few minutes, but electing to deal with the last of her business for the day first. And then, of course, she could occupy herself with the more enjoyable jobs for the time being.

There was a colossal stack of paperwork waiting for Luna in her tower. She wanted to name it, so magnificent it was. The Paper Tower of Canterlot, or something along those lines. It would take hours to get through it all, even with Raven assisting (on most documents, her signature held as much authority as the Princess’, the only pony in the land who could speak directly for her in matters of state).

It was Luna’s own fault, really: some days, she just didn’t want to do the paperwork. So she’d procrastinate. There was plenty to keep her busy, of course - a Princess’ work is never done, whether that work be corresponding with foreign rulers or her various subjects, dealing with matters of trade and economy, PR visits to various schools and other institutions, exchanging letters with Princess Cadance, or playing with Tiberius - but being busy with something when you should be doing something else is still procrastination.

She had kept herself busy, almost constantly, for the last five days. So the paperwork had simply piled and piled up, formal letters and proposals, not helped by the fact that any proposal needing Bits required several forms. And now she and Raven sat at her desk, methodically working through it. Well, Raven was methodically working through it; Luna found herself much too distracted to focus.

“Raven?”

“Yes, Princess?” She didn’t even glance up from the papers as she replied, skim-reading and signing them at a rate of knots.

“You check over all of these proposals as they come in, don’t you?” Luna skimmed one, a proposal to expand Trottingham’s local marina, and graced it with a quick signature.

“Of course, your majesty. It’s more of a formality, really, you know that each proposal goes through several layers of bureaucracy before it ever reaches the castle. I only really check over it in case anything utterly outrageous had slipped through, or if there’s something I felt would require more immediate attention.”

“Of course. I do appreciate your hard work, and I don’t tell you that enough.” Raven glanced up from the papers to smile, before returning to her quill. “So in this monument of bureaucracy, is there anything ridiculous?”

“Pardon, Princess?”

“You know, any of those proposals that made you think ‘why in Equestria did this get to the castle?’ Anything that you wouldn’t even consider approving?”

A very, very long pause, absent of even the scratching of a quill. “Lord Hardheart has proposed that he be sent as an ‘advisor’ to the Crystal Empire.” Hardheart. Of all the nobles that Luna disliked, she probably disliked him the most. It was an open secret that he had ambitions of great power, ideas regarding even Luna’s own lofty station if he stood a chance of it. The idea of him in a position of some power alongside the young Cadance… didn’t sit well with Luna. “As you know, Hardheart retains his position, and he has submitted the proposal through the proper channels, so strictly it can’t be vetoed at my level.”

“Hardheart, Hardheart, Heardheart…” Luna mumbled, sorting through the stack and taking out the few pages marked with his seal. These she screwed up and discarded in the bin under her desk. “Write up a polite letter of rejection to Hardheart, please. Tell him that his advice is too important to the people of Vanhoover for him to be sent away, or something along those lines. You know the platitudes.”

The rest of the stack she levitated outwards, filling most of the air in the office like a bizarre, stationary swarm of insects. Ignoring her quill, Luna extended another part of magical energy to raise the dark blue ink she preferred directly out of the massive inkwell, splitting the blob into hundreds of small blobs, each of which she shaped into her signature, floating in midair. And each of these was pressed to (or somewhere in the vicinity of) the signature line on a paper.

It was, by all metrics, an extremely impressive demonstration of magical power. Silently, Luna wished that Twilight could be there, to watch it and be amazed. Even the usual, unflappable Raven looked impressed for a few moments, nodding appreciatively as the papers sorted themselves back into a stack. So impressive a magical feat it was, if anypony had been looking up at the time, they would’ve seen the sun falter slightly in the sky, so much of Luna’s attention had been drawn from it.

“I assume I can trust that this breach of the usual protocol won’t be leaving this room, Miss Inkwell?”

“My lips are sealed, your highness.”

“Lovely. If you could sort that letter and prepare it for my signature, I would be most appreciative. Now, I need to get something in the city.” Luna stood, stretching her wings and walking to the balcony. Her broken wing had mostly healed - the physicians had told her not to carry anything while she flew for another few weeks, but flying herself would be fine.

“Oh, your majesty?” Luna turned back to Raven, who had already produced the fine stationery for her task. “It’s a good idea. She’ll love it.” The unicorn smiled kindly.

“Thank you, Raven. I certainly hope that she will.”

Nopony particularly wanted to be a bureaucrat, but Canterlot had plenty to go around, and Stamped File was one of them. A unicorn with a pink-red coat and rust-coloured mane, his destiny had become quite clear the day he’d sorted out his school’s library and gained his cutie mark, an organised file drawer.

He wanted to work in the castle’s archives - practically paradise for a pony with a passion for organisation - but it was a fairly prestigious position, and the ponies running it wanted staff somewhat longer in the tooth than a colt straight out of college. So he worked at the Castle District office of the Bureau of Records, issuing birth and death certificates, sky chariot licenses, travel visas, diplomatic visas, and pretty much anything else that the Princess wanted to keep records of at the castle archives. He’d been promised advancement to the castle once he’d done a few years there.

Despite its central position, the Castle District office saw very little in the way of foot traffic: most of the district by area was occupied by the castle and the School, with very little in the way of residential areas meaning that there was very little civilian bureaucracy to be done. Add in that the only hospital in the district was the castle’s infirmary, which wasn’t exactly equipped for births or deaths, and most of what the office dealt with was almost entirely irrelevant.

So Stamp spent most of his time sat behind the front desk, making sure that everything was precisely as it should be and then reading up on whatever topic the pretty mare at the castle library was interested in that week. This week it was magical theory, something that the unicorn had never been that interested in before. 100 pages into the book she’d recommended, he still didn’t get it.

The bell tingled as the office’s door opened, and File cursed under his breath, at least wanting to finish this overly jargon-filled paragraph.

“Sorry, just give me a second.” He said apologetically, trying to remember what a thaumaturgical insight event was supposed to be. Sighing with resignation at his continued failure to understand, he put his hoof on the line he was up to and looked up. “So what can I help you wi- PRINCESS LUNA?!” He gasped in shock at the massive figure looming over his desk, deeply regretting his somewhat less than professional attitude.

She giggled slightly. “Do not worry, Stamped File. I apologise for interfering with your reading time.”

The young stallion could feel his face burning, and he tried to figure out what to say. “Is… there something I can help you with?” He sputtered out after a long few moments.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. I have some forms that I’d like to submit.” She produced a number of papers, and slid them across the desk. Stamp took them in his magic and read them over. Then he read them again. He blinked in surprise, and read them a third time, just to be sure that he wasn’t utterly misinterpreting things. “Have I made an error?”

“Um, no, you’re majesty. I… well, I’m just rather surprised, I suppose.”

“The forms are all right, though?”

“Oh yes, quite alright. It, er, can take a little over a month to process these forms in particular, but I’m sure that for your majesty we could-”

“No, no,” she waved a wing. “Treat me as you would any other pony.”

“Of course, your highness.” He smiled nervously. “I’ll just be sending these to the central office and you should hear more, er, soon.”

“Wonderful. Thank you, Stamp.” She started to leave, but spoke over her shoulder just before she did. “You’ll be a fine archivist, when the time comes, I’m sure. And maybe just ask her directly, it’s quicker than figuring out magical theory.” Luna winked over her shoulder as she left.

Luna preferred to sleep through the day and be active at night, but when needed, she could go for a great time with no sleep. So at the end of a rather busy day, it was a sense of exhaustion that she was used to, and she knew that the spring nighttime would be her own, a time to be calm and regain her energy before sleeping through the day.

But first, before even she stripped off her regalia, Luna trotted to her bedside to check. The news that had kept her so content all the day, she had to read it again, to confirm that it hadn’t all been some lovely dream. So she cracked open the brass-decorated journal to the page with the cloth bookmark, and read the familiar scrawl.

Luna

I’m coming back. Airship arrives in Canterlot on the day before the Summer Sun Celebration.

Grinning to herself, Luna hugged the journal to her chest. After so, so long, Sunset was coming home.

Chapter 11 - Dawn, part 1

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“Your majesties,” one of the Royal Guard marched into the Princesses’ meeting room, a pegasus with his armour somewhat scuffed and tattered. “I bring you a report from the attack on Canterlot.”

Luna had let her guard down, she had to admit - so long after the Spirit’s banishment, and after a quiet few months, she had relaxed for a night, and left her Night Guard to deal with her duties. That had apparently prompted an attack of monsters of incredible scale on the newly-built city of Canterlot, which her Night Guard simply hadn’t been able to deal with, and she had been too far from the city to help them in time. The damage had been immense.

The pegasus unfurled his scroll, and began to read. “Seventy-three ponies have been killed, and over a hundred are badly injured. Casualties include-” he hesitated for a few moments, cleared his throat, and pressed on. “The Royal Wizard, Starswirl the Bearded.”

Luna had known, and yet it felt like a carriage hitting her in the chest to hear. “Thank you, Guardspony. Thou may leave us.” Celestia said calmly, and the pegasus bowed his way away from the two. Luna was struggling to maintain her composure, but looking up, she saw that Celestia was calmly sipping her tea, eyes closed. “Thou does realise that this is all thine fault, yes?”

“Tia…” If the news had been a carriage hitting her, that was a mountain.

“You insist on maintaining this dangerous night, and abandon our ponies to it!” Celestia roared, her façade all but failing. “And thanks to you, your failure as a ruler, Starswirl is dead!”

“He had a long life.” Luna said softly, almost trying to convince herself. "He lived longer than any other mortal pony.”

“And he died alone, afraid, and in pain.”

“He was my friend too!” Luna snapped back, tears in her eyes. “Do you think that I’m not suffering?”

“If your friends are abandoned to the monsters, I would hate to see your enemies!” Celestia stood, and Luna saw a tearful anger in her sister’s eyes, one that made her loving family member seem suddenly dangerous. “You are not fit to protect us, Luna, and not fit to even call yourself a Princess!”

It was simple anger, Celestia didn’t mean it, but it still hurt Luna, and forced her to inhale deeply to hold off her emotions. Celestia, in one last fit of anger, carelessly tossed her teacup to shatter on the floor and slammed the door hard as she left the room.

Alone, Luna sat at the table and cried.

The day before the Summer Sun Celebration, Canterlot was buzzing - for the first time in several years, Luna would be raising the sun personally at the huge festival the nobles were throwing. The stalls and stands already filled most of the streets in front of the castle, and the entire city was jubilant.

But Luna wasn’t interested in the celebrations that day. Shortly before noon on a baking, summer day, she stood at the northernmost edge of Canterlot’s shelf, at one of the colossal airship docks that dotted it, full of the bustle of travellers and cargo. She, alongside Twilight and Spike, waited in front of an empty dock, Luna almost bouncing physically from excitement. Sunset Shimmer is coming home, she kept jubilantly telling herself. My darling Sunset is coming home.

Her initial reaction to the news was a desire to make the return some colossal celebration. To roll a red carpet out to the dock and have music and food and an honour guard waiting for her beloved student’s return. But she didn't want to risk overwhelming her - Zebrica was a beautiful land, with many vibrant cities, but Sunset’s studies had concerned the mostly uninhabited areas. The unicorn likely wouldn't have been exposed to a crowd for a number of years, and she’d not been the most extroverted pony to begin with. Panic was the last reaction that Luna wanted from Sunset.

It would be celebration enough with just these few, anyway. Luna alone could dance and cheer enough to start a party alone, from how she felt. She was constantly resisting the urge to fly up and see if the airship was approaching, but it wouldn’t be the most dignified response. And she knew that these docks were run like clockwork, and the ship would be arriving in a matter of seconds.

And there it was, a huge vessel, balloon and gondola both painted sky blue and decorated in the distinct, multicoloured, swirling style of Zebrica. Tradewind was its name, written in the Equestrian, Zebrican, and Griffonian scripts. It was chiefly a cargo vessel, carrying huge amounts of exotic goods between Equestria and the trading cities of Zebrica, with occasional detours to Griffonia, and occasional berths for well-paying passengers. It moved gently into the dock, like some sort of bizarre whale hugging an island, and rolled out a large boarding plank as the maintenance pegasi flew to examine the vessel.

The unicorn was the first to leave. Most of her body was hidden beneath a dark travelling cloak, held at the neck with a silver brooch, a gift from Luna when Sunset left, and a set of heavy saddlebags. But the golden fur of her face, the crimson of her mane, and her bright, green eyes were clearly visible. She hadn’t aged a day.

“Hello, my dear.” Luna had planned many more things to say, more poetic, but that was what came from her heart.

“Hello, Princess.” Sunset gave that half-smile of hers as she looked the alicorn up and down, before leaning into Luna’s embrace. With both forelegs and both wings, Luna held the young unicorn mare just as she had held the tiny, orphaned filly so many years ago.

“I missed you so.” Luna whispered tearfully.

“I missed you too, Luna.”

They held the embrace for a long minute that felt far too short, before Luna released her student. “This is Twilight Sparkle, and Spike.”

“It’s lovely to put a face to the hoofwriting.” Sunset extended a forehoof, and the others shook it kindly.

“The same to you. Thank you so much for all the help on tests over the years. It’s nice to have a study buddy, even if she is an invisible one.” Twilight smiled warmly and, after a moment of hesitation, Sunset returned it. Sometimes, she had problems with other ponies, which Luna had always attributed to her upbringing, and a tendency to act superior. Fortunately, she seemed to be behaving perfectly well for the moment. Perhaps, as Luna had hoped, her time abroad had mellowed her somewhat.

“Come, my dear,” Luna took her bags in her magic, levitating them onto her own back. “Let us take a chariot back to the castle. Your room is just how you left it.”

“Oh, actually, Luna, I have a friend I wanted to introduce to you. I’ll just get her off the ship.” Sunset trotted back in that direction, and Luna smiled, somewhat surprised: there had been no mention of a guest in her messages, but she certainly wouldn’t say no to her student bringing back a colleague. She was inside the ship for a long few minutes, before she led out a tall figure, their features hidden beneath a dark cloak. They walked confidently, and Luna couldn't shape a strange sort of familiarity as they approached.

“Well, it’s certainly a pleasure to meet a friend of my student’s.”

A long moment’s pause, and Luna tried to subtly look underneath the figure’s hood. They were as tall as she was, and flicked their neck back to reveal their face. Their ivory fur, and their pointed teeth, and their mane of living fire. Luna didn’t know whether to scream, or to shout for the others to run, or to flee herself, panic gripping her heart like a vice.

“Hello, monster.” Daybreaker said calmly.

“When?” Was the first word that found its way from Luna’s gaping mouth, the first question that fought its way to the front of her mind.

“The longest day of the thousandth year. I returned to the site of our last battle, after a millennium of being sealed in sunlight. I should’ve fought you then and there, fiend…” Daybreaker snarled. “But I saw the veil that you have pulled over the minds of my ponies, brainwashing them with your foul magics! I flew east to buy time, and to find a way to fight my wicked rival.”

“Sister.” Was the next word to fight its way out of Luna’s mouth, and it was met by a hard turn and a sharp-toothed snarl from the other alicorn.

“Do not call me that, witch!” Her horn aglow, one of the heavy bags that Luna wore opened, and an object was removed from it. “Do you know what this is?” Unwrapped from a bundle of tattered fabric, Daybreaker donned a crown of gold, removing her own. It was dotted with rubies, and had a jagged, spiked design. “This is the Crown of Amantyok, a relic of Zebrican myth. It binds all who have sworn fealty to obey their master, even if they would break their vows. And thanks to my dear student,” one wing held Sunset. “I know that the Royal Guard swear fealty to the sun.”

“Sunset?” Luna whimpered, her mind refusing to accept that this was anything other than a bad dream.

“You lied to me.” Sunset said, and it felt like a blow to Luna’s body. “You told me that all you wanted was to protect Equestria, but you forced them to contend with the monsters of the night! And you told me that I was fine the way I am, that I’d studied well, but the Queen has shown me power. The Queen will make me an alicorn!”

There was something in Sunset’s eyes that hadn’t been there since she was a filly, an immense arrogance and desire for power that Luna had taken great care to help the young mare control. “Sunset, that’s not possible.”

“See, my dear? Even now, the witch lies.” Daybreaker looked down her nose at the Princess. “For all you’ve done for me, and all your power, you’ll ascend, and you’ll sit at my right hoof. Once we have removed the monster.” The rubies in her crown began to glow, and the next time she spoke, her voice echoed through the whole city. “My faithful Royal Guard! This witch, this pretender, has sat on the throne and endangered the ponies of Equestria for too long! Detain her, and I shall protect you, under the light of my perfect sun!”

“Stop this!” Twilight jumped in front of her mentor, pulling back her lips in an attempt at intimidation. “I know who you are, Daybreaker, I know that you’re-”

“Ah, and you must be Twilight Sparkle.” Smiling gently, and her soft voice completely overwhelming Twilight’s, she reached out to touch the unicorn’s cheek with a forehoof in a gentle, almost motherly way. “What she must have done, what foul ideas she must have put into your head.”

“She hasn’t-”

“You will hate me for this, but you will thank me one day, when you realise just how much danger this monster has put you in.”

The Royal Guard were appearing now, masses of gold-armoured ponies swarming into the dockyard, even as Twilight snarled and began to charge a powerful spell. “No. I love Princess Luna, and you-”

“Twilight.” Luna said softly. “Don’t.”

“Luna?”

A perimeter of fire-eyed Guards formed around the group, and the Princess looked down at her student. “I love you, Twilight Sparkle, Spike. Be safe.” In an instant, she had cast a powerful spell with a snap of power, and the unicorn and dragon were gone. Luna looked around the many gold-armoured ponies, their eyes burning the same orange-red as Daybreaker’s, and their faces twisted in hatred. Could she fight them? Perhaps. But there were faces she knew in the huge crowd, the faces of companions and friends from around the castle. And the Daybreaker. And Tia… “I will not fight you, sister.” Luna said softly, and Daybreaker sneered.

“Good. These thousand years have taught you to respect your betters, if nothing else.” Her horn glowed with firelight, and golden chains appeared out of nothing, curling tight around Luna’s limbs, binding her legs and wings tight. One of the Guards, moving like a machine, placed a complex ring on her horn, and she felt her magic fade. “Escort her to the dungeons. I must address my nation.”

Spreading her powerful wings, she took into the sky, flying above the magnificent spires of Canterlot’s castle, and raised her voice to carry over the entire great city.

“Citizens of Equestria! For too long, you have suffered under the unjust reign of the monster calling herself ‘Princess’! You have cowered and died beneath the moon, when the witch deprived you of the sun’s healing light. No more! Today, your true Queen has returned! Today, the sun has set for the last time! Today I, Daybreaker, your Queen, lead you into a safe and prosperous time! Today, we celebrate the Eternal Sun! Today, Equestria, you are safe!”

Her voice echoed to a stop in the alleyways and streets of Canterlot, and silence smothered the city. There was no cheering, no applause. Only the silence of burning sunlight beating down on the cobbles.

“Princess, no!” Twilight shouted, but by the time the words had left her mouth, she was already gone, standing outside Ponyville’s town hall. Her sudden exclamation drew several odd looks from the townsponies walking past her, but they walked on, used to slightly strange behaviour from Twilight and her friends. “Curse it!”

“Will the Princess be OK, Twi?”

“I,.. I don’t know, Spike.” Terrifyingly, that was the truth. Twilight didn’t know. “But I know that we need the girls.” The closest place that they might be to the town hall was Sugarcube Corner, so Twilight set off at a gallop towards it, Spike on her back. The eatery, when she arrived, was quiet - only Pinkie Pie behind the counter, Rainbow Dash sat at it, and a couple she vaguely recognised at one corner table. “Rainbow Dash, thank goodness you’re here! You need to bring the girls here, now!”

“Whoa, easy there, Twi!” The pegasus was halfway through a bowl of ice cream, and instinctively rose off her stool. “What’s going on? Aren’t you supposed to be in Canterlot.”

“Bearer business.” Twilight hissed, looking over at the couple with more malice than she intended, that made them uncomfortably stand from their table. “Equestria’s in danger.”

Knowing not to argue, Rainbow Dash nodded, and set off out of an open window in a streak of rainbow light, leaving Twilight to slump in a stool and sigh.

“Wanna milkshake?” Pinkie asked, and Twilight shot her a look.

“Pinkie, this is serious.”

“Nothing’s too serious for a milkshaaaaaake!” She sang as she vanished into a back room.

Still, Twilight had to admit, the cold, sugary drink did make her feel a little bit better, and it seemed to give Spike another burst of energy. And just as they were finishing, Rainbow Dash and the other three appeared, Dash locking the cafe’s door behind her.

“What in the hay’s goin’ on, Twi?” Applejack asked. “Why are you back from Canterlot?”

“Luna’s sister is back.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Rainbow Dash asked and, in response, Twilight teleported the book of the Tale of Two Sisters to her.

“No. See, apparently, she left because she went mad, and refused to lower the sun. Luna said that the Elements had burned the madness and evil out of her, and she’d left to figure things out for a while, but…”

“But she’s still unfriendly.” Fluttershy ventured, and Twilight nodded.

“She’s refusing to lower the sun.” Should the sun be moving down in the sky by now? Twilight didn’t know if it was paranoia, or if noon was already dragging on. “She’s got a crown that lets her control the Royal Guard, and Sunset, Luna’s other student, is working with her. Luna,” Twilight gulped. “Looked like she wouldn’t fight.”

“Well, darling,” Rarity stood. “We certainly won’t be letting some… ruffian push dear Luna off the throne! Come along, girls, get your Elements, and we’ll be on the first train out of here!”

The others exclaimed their agreement, but Applejack was quiet, and spoke to Twilight. “The Princess lied about her sister bein’ better?”

“Yes. Her name is Celestia, but she calls herself the Daybreaker, and she says that she’s the Queen.”

“But… why’d the Princess lie?” Applejack sounded almost offended.

“I… don’t know, Applejack.” Twilight had spent a good chunk of her life at the Princess’ side, and lying wasn’t in her character; she was honest to a fault normally, even white lies of omission being tremendously rare. Why would she lie about something so significant, so important, especially something that could become an issue for Twilight and her friends? “But it doesn’t matter - it’s happening now, and we need to stop it, before things get really bad.” Applejack could agree with that, and gave a determined nod as she stood, joining the other bearers.

“Alright girls - get your Elements and meet me at the station as soon as you can. We have a sun to set!”

Canterlot had accepted its new ruler quickly and, within a few hours, the crowds in front of the castle had dissipated. There had been protests and questions from ponies and nobles, of course, but Daybreaker’s powerful words and sharp glares had dismissed many of them. Already, messengers from amongst the Royal Guard, bound by their oath to the sun and the memory of the sun's Princess, were moving to the other towns and cities, to tell them of their new ruler.

“This was expected, of course. After a thousand years, who knows how powerfully that witch could’ve indoctrinated the ponies.” Daybreaker mused, sitting on the great, golden throne in the beautiful foyer of her castle. A simple burst of magic had converted it from the melancholy décor of the monster’s, and it was covered in murals of sun and fire, a stained glass window behind her showing the false Princess with her head bowed low, Daybreaker standing triumphant.

“Even with your undivided attention, it took many months to teach me, your burning majesty.” Sunset offered. She sat at Daybreaker’s right side, as had been promised to her.

“Burning majesty.” Daybreaker crooned. “I like that. But do not speak of that as a negative, darling Sunset.” With a motherly affection, Daybreaker touched the unicorn’s back. “She groomed you from foalhood. It would’ve taken a less intelligent filly many years to work through those lies.”

“You honour me, my Queen.” Sunset said, her chest puffing out with pride.

“Ah, and here is the first loyal subject to petition me.” Casting a long shadow in the well-lit hall, and looking small beneath the glare of the Royal Guard, a white-coated stallion approached. Sunset could feel herself sneer: Blueblood, one of Luna’s adoptive nephews. An odorous stallion, if ever there was one. “Come, child. Bow before your Queen, and state your name.”

The stallion hesitated for a moment at the foot of the throne - their stations being nominally equal, the Princess had never demanded a show of supplication from her nephew. Still, he bowed low. “I am Blueblood, Prince of Canterlot… your majesty.” His voice trembled slightly with worry, even as Daybreaker beckoned him to stand again.

“And why do you come before your Queen this hour, Blueblood, Prince of Canterlot?”

“I-” He gulped. “I wish to see my aunt, your majesty.”

Sunset felt her eyebrows raise. Brave, to ask to see the just-deposed monarch. Or foolish. Who was she kidding, this was Blueblood, deeply foolish.

“Your aunt, Blueblood, is locked away for your own safety. She is a monster in the guise of a pony, one who enforced darkness on Equestria for many lifetimes, and you would be a fool to believe otherwise.”

“I do believe that, your highness,” he crooned with a negotiator’s ease. “I only wish to see the illusion dispelled for myself, that I might best know how to serve you.”

“No.” Daybreaker said without hesitation, and Blueblood’s ears drooped. “She has groomed you from birth. I cannot know the strength of the geas that she has placed on you, nor what she might have you do. Perhaps, one day in the future, I may permit my ponies to see the truth for themselves, but not today.”

“O-Of course, your majesty.” Blueblood said, failing to hide his disappointment, and bowed his head before he left the castle.

“Sunset, take a note.” She said after a long pause, and the unicorn conjured a pen and parchment before her. “Have a missive sent out summoning all of Canterlot’s nobles to a meeting here in two hours’ time. I should address the nobility more personally, and see just how thorough the monster’s control over them is.”

“Done, your majesty.” In another burst of magic, Sunset sent the note off elsewhere in the castle.

“Thank you, dear Sunset. I hope, one day, that all ponies can be as free and loving as you.”

Of course, given the fact that a strange Royal Guard had arrived at the station claiming that Equestria now had a Queen shortly before the Bearers made it there, the trains weren’t exactly running as normal. It had taken persuasion, bribery, flirting, and general cajoling to persuade somepony to drive the afternoon train to Canterlot.

And on the train to Canterlot, despite it being only a brief jaunt in relative terms, it became very clear that things were very wrong. The sun, which should be dipping west in the afternoon now, was instead still hanging directly overhead, hot and bright. Whatever doubts the other Bearers might’ve had about Twilight’s story were dispelled as the uncomfortable, summer heat remained when they’d hoped for some relief.

The sheer wrongness of the situation remained clear once they arrived in Canterlot - the numerous banners of many designs, ready for the Summer Sun Celebration, had been replaced by banners of fiery orange, depicting a stylised sun. The streets were quieter than usual, and the many plants by their sides already appeared to be wilting. And the Royal Guard, always a constant, had changed, not engaging in friendly conversation with passers-by, but glaring at those who passed them with unnatural, orange eyes.

Fuelled by fear, hope, and more than a little anger, Twilight was leading her friends directly to the spires of the castle, but she was stopped by Rainbow Dash dropping from the air directly in front of her.

“OK Twi, I want rid of this freak as much as the next pony, but is this really a good idea? Like, what’s the plan here?”

“Go up to Daybreaker,” Twilight stepped around her friend, continuing to speak. “Say something about the power of friendship, Elements, rainbow blasts, Queen gone.”

“And who says that’s even going to work? We’ve only used these things once, Twi! Maybe they only worked against Discord because he’s all about disharmony.”

That felt like a reasonable point. “Well, according to the book, Luna used them against Daybreaker.”

“And that didn’t fix her, just sent her away for a while!”

“Well sending her away would be a lot better than just leaving things as they are!”

“But Twi,” Spike said from her back. “Wouldn’t that upset Luna?”

That made Twilight pause. Yes, that would upset Luna. It would devastate her. Even at the airship dock, when seeing that her sister’s mind remained corrupted, there was an immense hope in the Princess’ eyes, a belief that, somehow, the pony she loved was back. To completely squash that for another thousand years...

“It would. We can’t do that to her.” They stopped walking, only a couple of streets away from the castle, and looked between each other.

“So, what is the plan, then?” Applejack asked.

With a sigh, Twilight considered her options. “OK. We’ll use the Elements if we can’t think of anything else, before things can get too damaged. Say, in two days. Or forty-eight hours. Until then, we’ll think of… another plan.”

“Pardon me, my dear ladies, I couldn’t help but overhearing and I would like to offer my aid.”

They all turned to the source of the voice. A tall, ivory, blond-maned unicorn, a smart tie and collar around his neck. Twilight recognised him immediately as Prince Blueblood, one of Luna’s many adoptive nephews. From how Rarity ‘subtly’ adjusted her mane, she probably recognised him as well.

“Oh?” Was all that Twilight could think to say. He’d been polite in their conversations before, of course, but he was a politician, not exactly a mighty hero of legend.

“Of course, your scepticism is understandable,” he dabbed at his forehead with a monogrammed handkerchief, sweating in the intense sun. “I’m not exactly a warrior. But I am a pony with significant pull in Canterlot, and the Queen has imprisoned my aunt. I, and a good number of Canterlot’s aristocrats, are not best pleased, and were considering a sort of… resistance. I’m sure that we’d all be very pleased to offer our aid to the heroic bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”

That… didn’t sound like a terrible idea, actually. “Alright, your majesty. Lead on.”

“My beloved ponies… so afraid.” Daybreaker said softly as the last noble left the room from her address. “How powerful is the monster’s influence over their minds?”

Canterlot’s nobles had obeyed all the traditional court’s etiquette, of course, and behaved respectfully for their new Queen, but that was the limit of their enthusiasm. No questions had been asked, no comments on the new order raised, and the tension in the air had been palpable for the duration of Daybreaker’s speech.

“It is understandable that they are afraid; this is the first transition of power in a millennium.” Daybreaker nodded, but Sunset could see that her ruler was still troubled. “Perhaps a gesture of goodwill would assure them more?”

“My removing them from the monster’s control is not a gesture of goodwill?” There was a dangerous edge in the Queen’s voice, and Sunset raised her forehooves defensively.

“Of course it is, your highness! But the nobles of Canterlot don’t see it - they see the change of power away from a ruler they believed that they loved. We should do something to prove to them that you are a loving, benevolent ruler.”

“Hm. The point has merit.” Sunset swelled with pride and more than a little relief. “What gesture would you suggest, then, my student?”

“Well, the morrow was the day of the Summer Sun Celebration. If we were to throw a similar, even more grandiose celebration, that would certainly indicate your goodwill and provide a time of pleasant celebration for those who doubt you.”

“Yes, a festival… the servants will prepare food, we shall bring musicians, and we shall invite all of Canterlot to celebrate in the gardens, under my beautiful sun. The celebrations will continue for a long time, long enough that they can see the beauty of endless day.” She hummed thoughtfully. “But what shall we call it? It shall be summer forever, after all, so we shouldn’t phrase it as a celebration of summer.”

“The Eternal Sun Celebration?” Sunset ventured, and Daybreaker gave a sharp smile.

“You are good at this, my dear.” Sunset was already writing the various missives to the ponies necessary to prepare the celebration, two quills in her magic. “Yes, we will show them the joys of my day, and that they will never have to fear the night again. Within a week, they will have forgotten all about the ‘Princess’ that endangered them for so long, and my Solar Empire’s reign will truly begin.” Daybeaker gave a pleased smile, and Sunset mirrored it.

The Daybreaker and Sunset had stumbled across each other in a Zebrican jungle, barely a month after the Queen had returned to the world. Sunset had been seeking exotic alchemical reagents for her experiments when she had seen the incredible, angelic, fiery form streak above the colony. Eagerly, she had followed the shape, forgetting her petty experiments, and found the alicorn’s incredible form.

Initially, on seeing the powerful body and sensing the immense magic, Sunset had been afraid, especially given the hostile reaction of the alicorn when Sunset mentioned that she was Luna’s student, and had been considering trying to teleport away from the jungle. But when Daybreaker saw the young unicorn’s fear, she showed mercy, and, over the course of several days, exposed all of the Princess’ lies and opened Sunset’s eyes to the truth.

Right away, Sunset had sworn to be the true Queen’s student, and support her in her return to Equestria. They had found the Crown after years of searching, Sunset assuring her false mentor that all was well and she was still occupied with her petty alchemical studies, before returning to Equestria, and finally placing a just ruler on the throne.

Sunset had many doubts, and still wasn’t convinced that things had gone as well as they had, but here she was, at the right hoof of the Queen.

“Your majesty,” a Royal Guard said in monotone. “Our search parties have failed to locate the Bearer of the Element of Magic in Ponyville. Some say that she has left the town.”

“Curse it!” After Sunset told the Queen of the Elements’ new paragons, one of her first priorities had been their removal - or the removal of one, seeing that they needed to be together to work. Given that the unicorn, Twilight, was the most loyal to Luna, she seemed to be the most logical to detain. “The cunning little filly must have left after the monster moved her there. You, tell all your fellow Guard to be on the lookout for any and all of the Bearers. Detain them and bring them to me if you can, but do not allow them to come as a group.”

Saluting, the Guardspony trotted away, to begin the hunt for those who would stop the new Queen.

Gathered at Prince Blueblood’s manse, only a few streets over from the castle, was a much more impressive group of nobles than Twilight had expected to see - it looked like just about all of the Canterlot nobility was gathered there, and quite a few nobles from other parts of the nation.

Unfortunately, Twilight was right in her worry that the nobles would all be full of hot air - she’d heard significantly more arguments than ideas, and they all seemed utterly convinced that they were the only one who could stop the Queen. Add in the fact that, although the clock said it was early evening, the sun was still overhead and incredibly hot, and tempers were only growing more frayed. She suspected that it wouldn’t be long before somepony got challenged to a duel and the whole thing fell apart.

“Ugh, this is pointless!” Twilight threw up her forehooves in frustration, apparently unnoticed by the nobles. “Some resistance this is! A bunch of nobles playing pretend at-”

She was cut off by a knock at the mansion’s door, one that seemed to resonate and pull the attention of everypony in the area. Twilight stood nervously by the door as Blueblood pushed through the crowd of nobles, opening it with his magic.

“Good day, sir.” Said the monotone voice of a controlled Guardspony. Twilight couldn’t see him, nor could he see her as she stood to the side of the door, just out of his line of sight. “You and all citizens of Canterlot are invited to the inaugural Eternal Sun Celebration, in celebration of our new Queen.”

“Ah, thank you, my good man.” Blueblood said somewhat hesitantly, and took the proffered invitation.

“Have you been in contact with any of the mares known as the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony?”

Twilight felt her breath catch in her throat, and she pressed herself hard against the wall beside the front door. Blueblood glanced at her for a second, and she felt afraid that the Prince would sell her out.

“No, I haven’t seen any of them. Why do you ask?”

“The Queen wishes to meet with them. Please report their locations to the nearest Royal Guard if you hear of them. Good day.”

Blueblood shut the door and sighed with relief, before looking at Twilight. The entire mansion looked to be gathered in the lobby, almost certainly having heard the entire thing. “It appears that you’re wanted, ladies.”

“Wanted like bandits, from the sound of it.” Applejack grumbled, to a chorus of quiet agreement. “Looks like we’re stuck here.”

“I’m not so sure.” Twilight said, and everypony turned to her. “Think about it, apparently the entire city is invited to this Eternal Sun Celebration: there’ll be so many ponies that we can easily slip into the crowd!”

“And then what?” Rarity asked.

“Well, I think that the best plan would be to get into the castle and find Luna. She’ll know what we can do better than anypony.”

“But if Daybreaker’s looking for us, the Royal Guard will catch us in an instant!” Rainbow Dash explained, and Twilight had to give a disappointed nod.

“True. We’d need a bigger distraction for while we slip into the castle.”

“I think that’s where we’d come in, ladies.” They all turned to Prince Blueblood. “We all want rid of this ‘Queen’, so we’d all be happy to help.”

“Are you sure, Prince?” Twilight asked, with a new respect for the somewhat vapid Prince. “If you’re caught, who knows what she’ll do to you.”

“My dears, we’re nobles, causing a fuss without getting in trouble is what we do best. Now, come along, you’ll have a very busy day tom- later, I have a few spare bedrooms and you need all the rest that you can get.”

Even if she was filled with pride at what they’d achieved, fatigue caught up to Sunset after a while. Sleeping at noon felt deeply wrong, but it was the only option, and Sunset was sure that she’d get used to it.

“Forgive me, my Queen, but I’m tired. I must rest.”

“Don’t worry, my dear Sunset. You and I have worked hard, and you have more than earned your rest.” Another motherly touch from Daybreaker. “I couldn’t be more proud than you, and I’m sure that the time of your ascension will come soon.” The ascension - when Sunset would become an alicorn, Princess in name and power. The very idea of it filled her with great anticipation. “Now, I have taken the eastern tower as my quarters, and your quarters lie just below its pinnacle. I have already had your bags moved there. Sleep well, my dear.”

Bowing, Sunset left the foyer, and forced her aching legs to climb up the spiral stairs of the east tower. In layout, it was a mirror of the west tower that had been the Princess’ colour, and its decoration was almost the polar opposite - Luna’s tower was decorated in warm, dark, wintery colours, while this tower - the one she’d saved for her sister - was in brighter, more summery shades. It seemed that Daybreaker hadn’t felt the need to change this area’s décor.

Sunset was thoroughly fatigued when she reached the grand, circular rooms that were her quarters, and she barely even acknowledged the bags that had been delivered before collapsing in bed, relieved after this long, exciting, terrifying ordeal. She extended her magic to close the curtains and-

No. No, she and her new mentor had defeated the darkness, she wouldn’t just hide within it right away, so soon after their great triumph. No, Sunset, like all ponies, was a creature of the light, and she would behave as such, not crawling back to Luna's embrace so quickly.

It took a long while of tossing and turning in the light and heat before sleep found her.

They knew that this was going to be a risk, of course, but in times like this, risking it was all that they could do. They’d had a surprisingly good ‘night’s sleep thanks to the Prince’s expensive blackout curtains, and, after a remarkably restrained breakfast, they had begun to walk to the castle, alongside many other ponies. Spike had been picked up by his parents, just this ‘morning’, and would be kept safe while they walked into this immense danger.

They had, for a while, debated disguising themselves, but had concluded that it’d only draw more attention to them. No, their best bet was to hide in the midst of the crowd of nobles where nopony would be able to get a good look at them. They had the Elements of Harmony on their person, but not clearly on display, instead hidden in borrowed saddlebags, out of sight but very close at hoof.

All of the banners that had been placed for the Summer Sun Celebration had been replaced, the usual pleasant oranges and yellows now replaced with solid scarlet representations of the sun. The Royal Guard, who dotted each street corner but seemed to not be too observant in their hypnotised state, were in fiery, orange armour instead of their traditional gold, and some wore weapons at their hips, something that the Guard hadn’t done outside of a crisis for centuries.

Just as the city’s streets felt wrong, so too did the castle’s gardens: countless ponies, from all walks of life, were gathered in them for this festival, yet the atmosphere was not a festive one. Ponies shuffled nervously beneath the beating sunlight, glancing cautiously at the towers of the castle that had seemed so benevolent, now seemed domineering. There were more Royal Guards present that Twilight had ever seen outside of the changing of the Guard, and they weren’t subtle about their presence. After twenty-four hours of sunlight, the normally vibrant grass had already begun to yellow, and crunched beneath their hooves.

“There aren’t any Guards at the side entrance.” Blueblood whispered, slipping through the knot of nobles to stand beside Twilight. “If you want us to start the distraction, you should be able to slip in.”

Twilight was more scared than she’d ever been. The changeling attack on the wedding had been scary, and facing Discord had been terrifying, but both times she’d known that Luna was doing everything in her power to help, even if she wasn’t exactly there. Now, though, Luna had surrendered, and was doubtless locked away in some dank cell. Twilight and her friends had to do this without her help.

“OK.” Twilight whispered back after swallowing hard. “Start it when you’re ready.”

After a few select whispers, the nobles began to disperse, in a clearly planned manner. A dozen or so split off from the knot that hid the Bearers, and began loudly conversing about nothing in particular at the Guards standing on the way to the side entrance. Once they were in place, and the sleepwalking Guards sufficiently distracted, the Bearers split off from the knot, right as Blueblood raised his voice.

“I say,” he projected, drawing a great deal of attention from the festival-goers. “I propose a toast! A toast to Equestria, and all of its inhabitants! From glorious Canterlot to distant Vanhoofer, I know that we are all brave, strong, noble ponies, and together, we can triumph through any day or night!”

A cheer rose through the crowd as the Bearers walked as casually as possible towards the side entrance, and Twilight had to give Blueblood credit; that was a smart speech. It could be interpreted as pro-Daybreaker, enough so that he probably wouldn’t find himself in trouble, but had enough revolutionary overtones that the unhappy common ponies would support it.

And it had worked - all eyes were on the Prince and his gaggle of supporters, letting Twilight and her friends gallop the last few yards and vanish into the side entrance of the castle, one step closer to their goal.

“Forgive me, your majesty,” Sunset galloped into the throne room, somehow more tired than she had been before she’d slept, and bowed before Daybreaker. “I had to sleep for a long while.” That was a lie - it had taken her so long to fall asleep, she hadn’t slept nearly enough.

“Do not worry, my dear.” Sunset was deeply relieved, and stood at Daybreaker’s gesture. “A young lady needs her rest, and you have more than earned it.”

“Well, I am well-rested and ready to serve you again, highness.” Another lie, she was anything but well-rested.

“Good. We shall be having a busy day, the first guests for the Eternal Sun Celebration have already begun to arrive.” Daybreaker seemed well-rested. Had she even slept? Did she need to? Luna certainly did, but it was clear that the Queen was in a league of her own compared to the former Princess.

“What would you have me do, your burning majesty?”

“Well, Sunset…” A long pause from the monarch, and she turned to study the unicorn at her side. “Your name isn’t the most appropriate, my dear.”

“Excuse me, Queen?”

“Sunset. Not appropriate, is it, when there will be no more sunsets? Especially for the Queen’s right hoof. Sunrise might be more appropriate. Or Sunlight?”

Trying to control herself, Sunset still gritted her teeth - even more than most ponies, her name was a major part of her identity. As far as anypony knew, the first few years of her life had been spent on the streets of Canterlot. Once the civil servants - who she had initially been afraid of and hidden from - caught up to her and took her to the orphanage where she’d spent much of her foalhood, she hadn’t been able to tell them anything other than her name. It was her connection, the only connection anypony had, to a forgotten lifetime.

“I’ll consider it, your majesty.” She said after a long moment, managing to keep her composure.

“Of course, my dear, of course. Come then, dear, we have much to do.”

“Are you going to give a speech at the Celebration?” Sunset asked as the Queen stood.

“Yes, but there’s something I want to check on first.”

Once they’d slipped into the castle, the Bearers immediately donned their Elements, and were led by Twilight through the stone corridors of the castle, uncanny in that they seemed to be almost entirely empty. It had been a long, long time since she’d had any need to visit the castle’s dungeons, but she could never forget the dank, narrow corridor, hidden away like a dark secret in the labyrinthine castle, that led to the steep staircase down into the dungeons.

They were laid out as a long, almost black corridor, smaller corridors branching off from it where the cells lay. In Twilight’s lifetime, they had almost never been used - sometimes to hold criminals awaiting trial, and sometimes to hold particularly heinous criminals while somewhere more secure was being readied for them, but they almost lay empty. But now, from the sounds, they were much more populated, shouts and cries echoing up the dull stone corridor. According to the rumours that the nobles had heard, Raven was down here, having refused to work for Daybreaker.

But, however much Twilight wanted to help them, she had to focus on what they were here for - Luna. She had wondered how they’d find her, but one of the side corridors leading to the cells stood out; a powerful, white light was shining from down it. It took them a few moments to adjust to the powerful light when they turned down the corridor, but then they saw that it shone from behind the bars of the cell, with no obvious source, like the walls themselves were the source of this stronger, harsher sunlight.

“Princess!” Twilight exclaimed, running forwards when she saw the shape. Lying on the floor of the cell, clearly outlined in the powerful light, was the sprawled form of Luna. For a long moment, she was still, and Twilight feared the worst. But Luna looked up at her with exhausted, bloodshot eyes.

“Twilight, my dear.” She said, barely above a whisper. “You should’ve stayed away. You’re in far too much danger.”

“Princess, it’s OK. We have the Elements of Harmony, and we’re going to stop Daybreaker. Can you tell us how?” She examined the cell, but she knew that there was little she could do - these cells naturally suppressed the natural magic of all tribes, to the point where even a highly skilled unicorn could barely perform more than a basic levitation spell.

“You don’t understand. She’s right. She’ll keep you all safe. I never could. You just need to let her.”

Luna was more than just tired, she seemed drained, almost sleepwalking, like the crystal ponies under Sombra, or the Royal Guard controlled by the Queen. They had to get her out of there. “Applejack, can you buck the door open?”

The mare stepped forward, and turned around the buck with both rear hooves once, twice, thrice, right beside the lock mechanism. The door rattled loudly, but stayed stuck. “Take more’n me to open that, Twi.” Applejack sighed, panting slightly. “It’s sturdier than an apple tree in a boulder.”

“Don’t worry, Princess, we’re going to get you out of there. Come on, girls, there’ll be a Guard somewhere down here with us, they’ll have a key.” They all trotted away from the cell, entering back into the main corridor of the dungeons and looking around for-

“Well, well, well,” An uncomfortable silence fell over the Bearers, and they all cautiously stepped down the corridor, deeper into the dungeons. “I have all of Canterlot looking for you girls, and here you are walking right up to me.”

Daybreaker stood tall in the corridor, Sunset Shimmer at her side. The fiery Queen loomed over the bearers, grinning maliciously. They were unsettled, half of them standing as though to fight, the other half as though to flee.

It was Twilight that made the decision. “How dare you?” She shouted, stepping forwards. Her Element had begun to glow with power, mirrored by the others. “You’ve locked up my mentor, my family, and you claim you’re here to save us! Let her go, and-”

She was cut off, choking, as a fiery aura closed around her neck, lifting her slightly off the ground. “My, you have passion, my dear. Loyalty is an admirable thing, misguided as it is.” She casually knocked the tiara off Twilight’s head with one hoof, its glow dying, and began to carry her away. “I hope that I’ll be able to make you understand, one day, just how much that monster has betrayed you.”

“And where do you think you’re going, you ruffian?” Rarity exclaimed. “We certainly won’t be letting you make off with our friend!”

“There is very little that you can do to stop me.” Daybreaker said, not deigning to look back. “Without one of their Bearers, the Elements will do nothing. And you all have no way to touch me without them.” She walked to one of the cells, opened it, and casually discarded Twilight onto the stone floor inside. The young unicorn gasped for breath as the door rattled shut behind her. “You may all leave. Or you may try to fight me, and win yourselves a pleasant, stone room to stay in.”

She was, of course, right - they couldn’t fight her. They could try, and they were certainly considering it, but the look that Twilight gave them, and the subtle shake of the head, told them to flee. “We’ll be back!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she scooped up the Element of Magic, before the five of them fled.

“I’m sure that you will.” Daybreaker smiled at this victory, glancing back to confirm that, yes, Twilight Sparkle was imprisoned, and lying on her cell floor listlessly. “Now, Sunset, to the festival.” No response. “Sunset?” The young mare wasn’t at her Queen’s side. Daybreaker stalked down the corridor back towards the other cell, the one prison of inescapable light, Sunset crouched down in front of it, her head level with that of the monster within, talking quietly.

“I’m sorry, Princess, but we have to do this.” Sunset glanced back after saying that, and blanched when she saw Daybreaker.

“What was that, Sunset?” The Queen took a step closer.

“N-Nothing, mighty, eternal sun queen, I was merely-”

“It sounds to me like not only did you apologise to the monster we have risked it all to defend Equestria from, but you called this imposter ‘Princess’!”

“No, no, your highness, please!” The alicorn was looming over the unicorn, and panic had set deep into her, so that she could only raise her forelegs defensively and cower against the cell door.

“You still worship this monster? You still revere her? Consider her your master? After all she has done to endanger you? After all these lies?!” Sunset shut her eyes, waiting for the Queen’s inevitable, savage display of magic. “Then stay with her.”

The cell door swung open, and Sunset collapsed backwards into the burning light within the cell, her magic fading as soon as she was over the threshold. She scrambled back to her feet, shouting incoherent apologies as she tried to run out of the cell, but with a slam of metal on metal, she was imprisoned.

“No!” Sunset screamed, more an animal sound than that of a pony, raw with grief and fear and loss. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please don’t leave me! Please!” Futilely, she thumped the cell bars with her forehooves. “I'll do anything! Just don’t leave me alone! Please!” The rest of the words died in her throat and tears began to well in the corners of her eyes as she tried to shake the door open, her fur like fire in the hard, white light.

“My darling student.”

That voice changed the emotion Sunset felt, fear and grief crystallising into anger and indignation. She turned to the alicorn with fire in her teary eyes. “You lied to me.”

“Sunset.” Luna looked weak. Not just weak - pathetic. She was sprawled on the stone floor like she had fallen, her eyes were sunken, and she was covered in sweat. Her wings and limbs were still bound, the chains clearly having dug into her skin, and the magical binding ring on her horn, in addition to that of the cell, rendered her helpless as an infant.

“All my life, you lied to me!” Sunset loomed over Luna’s prone form, and for a few moments, she was tempted to use that position to hurt her. To kick and stamp on her.

“I’ve never lied to you, Sunset.”

“You told me I was perfect just the way I am.” Sunset hissed. “You told me that I was one of the cleverest unicorns you’d ever met. And you told me that if you could make me into an alicorn, you would. But you didn’t! And Daybreaker promised me that she would!” Sunset had been abandoned. She was alone now. And she’d never be an alicorn.

“I can’t make you into an alicorn, Sunset. Nopony can. Even I don’t know why Tia and I are the way that we are. If I could make anypony like me, I would’ve.”

Suddenly, Sunset was struck with the sheer age of Luna. How many ponies had she watched wither away? But no, the anger was still there. “She said that you could’ve left the sun up forever.”

“I could have.” Luna admitted calmly. Despite the fact that Sunset was looming over her, face a mask of anger like never before, and despite how hurt and exhausted she was, Luna seemed perfectly calm - or perhaps lethargic.

“Then why didn’t you? The monsters come out at night!”

“A long, long time ago, my sister and I agreed that as we need day, so too we need night. Balance in all things. It’s the only way to ward off chaos. The night is dangerous but, unchecked, so too is the day. And I thought… well, I’ve always thought it was quite beautiful. And I thought that beauty might help the ponies see how I care for them.” Her façade slipped for a moment, and she looked down.

Since she’d been a little filly, all Sunset had wanted was somepony to call her own. Growing up, she had been juggled between orphanages and group homes where she was loved, yes, but only as one of many foals. There were no consistent figures in her life, and she never quite received the attention that she deserved. She’d loved the Queen because the Queen gave her praise, and power, and attention, but it had been stripped away after the first mistake. Yet…

“Do you love me?” Sunset whispered, her legs suddenly trembling.

“Oh Sunset.” Luna looked up, smiling gently. “I loved you the day I first saw that confused, frightened filly, and I will love you until time forces us to part forever. And then I will love your memory.”

“But I… I led Daybreaker here. I let her take you and toss you away. I let her end your beautiful night. And now…” She trailed off, sniffling, all of those conflicting emotions finally bursting out of her body. For all the praise that Daybreaker had heaped onto her, for all the grooming and requests of the past few years, the white alicorn had never, never said that she loved her.

“Oh, don’t cry, Sunset. If you start crying, I’ll start crying, and then what will we do?” Luna said with a smile. It was the same silly thing she’d said when Sunset was a little filly and grew upset over something. “You did hurt me. But I love you just the same. And I forgive you.”

“I-I’ve ruined everything.” Sunset was sobbing now, the weight of her mistakes and her betrayal beginning to settle onto her. “I don’t understand how… I don’t understand why you’d forgive me.”

“Because that’s what family does, Sunset.”

That was it. Sunset’s legs buckled beneath her as she began to sob great, wracking, howls of pain and grief and relief. She realised she’d made a mistake. How could she not, when she had been so callously tossed aside this way? She had made a mistake that had ruined everything, potentially dooming Equestria to an eternity under the blazing sun. It was unforgivable. And yet Luna forgave her, just like that.

“My sweet filly.” Unable to even stand, she crawled across the floor to Sunset’s side, and struggled to hold her with her chained hooves. Sunset leaned into the embrace, sobbing into the soft fur of Luna’s chest. “I’ve missed you so.” The Princess rested her cheek atop Sunset’s head.

“I have a gift for you.” She said after a long while, when Sunset had cried most of her tears, and sat more upright to clumsily search herself. It had been hidden in her regalia ever since she got it, and nopony had bothered to search her when she was chained. Her forehooves were clumsy, both from the binding and the fatigue, but she managed to produce the slip of paper from where it was hidden behind her jewellery. “I do hope that you’ll like it.”

Tentatively extending her weakened magic, Sunset took the slip of fine paper from Luna and unfolded it, blinking away tears to read what was marked in the black ink.

This is to certify that, with her consent, Sunset Shimmer shall be formally adopted as the daughter of HRH Princess Luna Equestria.

There was more beneath that, instructions and spaces for signatures and a hologram seal of authenticity, but Sunset just kept reading that line over and over again, trembling slightly, fat tears discolouring the ink as they dropped down..

“You’ve always been family to me, Sunset. And no little slip of paper, or lack of paper, will ever change that, but even though I can’t make you an alicorn, I thought that… I thought that you might like to be a Princess.”
Sunset started to sob again, discarding the paper to the side so that she could hold Luna, and that was when Luna finally started to cry, too, struggling to wrap her chained forehooves around the unicorn.

In the dungeons beneath the castle, Sunset and Luna held each other and cried.

Chapter 12 - Dawn, part 2

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“We can’t just stay here.”

“I know, my dear, I know. I promise that I won’t surrender again. And I promise that we’ll get out of here.”

In the just under seventy-two hours since the sun hadn’t set, Equestria had gone to Tartarus. The intense heat had caused almost all of the plant life to wilt, and the wildlife seemed to be fleeing from the unnatural sky. Thestrals were leaving their homes around Equestria, supposedly trying to hide around Hollow Shades, one of the only places in the land sheltered from the sun, and many other ponies were fleeing to Griffonia, the Crystal Empire, and even into the Undiscovered West. The ponies of Canterlot were clearly displeased, but keeping it quiet enough to avoid the ever-present Royal Guard, clad in fiery armour and carrying weapons in a way that they hadn’t for centuries. Supposedly, anypony who was too open regarding their dislike of the Queen was carted off by these Guards, presumably to be imprisoned somewhere in the caste. As such, while there were rumbles of revolution, they were all quiet and hidden away.

And Applejack was furious. Her little sister was likely scared and confused, her brother was breaking his back trying to harvest what apples were ready before the entire crop wilted away, and she was stuck on a wild goose chase in Canterlot searching for somepony who could utilise the Element of Magic and bring this to an end. The teachers at the School, Twilight’s parents, Prince Blueblood and several of his noble friends, that irritating showmare, and several random ponies off the street had tried and failed to conjure any life of it.

“This is pointless!” She shouted, knocking her drink aside in a fit of rather foalish pique. “We need Twi, or we’re going to be stuck like this forever!”

None of the Bearers looked to be in great condition - they were exhausted, unable to sleep well in the heat and light, covered in sweat and, perhaps most of all, demoralised. Spike (who’d insisted on joining them after hearing what had happened to Twilight, and his parents had agreed to let them take him, figuring he’d probably be safer with the heroes of Equestria than anywhere else) seemed to be sleeping the best of them, but he had many other reasons for his anxiety.

“I am inclined to agree, darling.” Rarity yawned.

“Um, I don’t think that we can just, you know, walk in and get her. I mean, safely.” Fluttershy seemed deeply affected by this, more than the others, probably because so many of her animal friends had left. Pinkie Pie was face-down on the table, having finally fallen asleep after a long while, as they sat outside one of the last functional cafes in the city.

“I’ll distract ‘em!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “I’ll take on queen sun-face and all her Guards!”

“Easy there, sugarcube.” Applejack bit her tail to pull her back to her seat - she didn’t know if it was paranoia or what, but the fatigue seemed to be making the pegasus even more reckless than usual. “We can’t have you do that, we need all the Elements together for this to work. So we need all of us together.”

“Given that the Guard are becoming stretched rather thin, perhaps we can just sneak in through the gardens.”

Rarity raised a good point - the Royal Guard’s number certainly seemed to be reduced, many of them being shipped off to quiet whispers of rebellion in other towns and cities. Even within the castle gardens, they appeared to be few and far between.

“Well, it’s the only plan we’ve got, and I’ll go loopy if we just sit here much longer.”

“How did you become an alicorn, Princess?” The question had been on Sunset’s mind ever since Luna had admitted that she couldn’t create an alicorn. In the time (how much time? There was no way to tell, even the meals being delivered very inconsistently) since they’d been imprisoned together here, they had simply been talking, catching up on years of lost time. It felt like they should be doing something more, but her probing had revealed that they were quite thoroughly captured here. What else was there to do?

“I don’t know, Sunset. For all I know Celestia and I have simply always been alicorns.”

“But you must know something.” She was lying close to Luna, and leaned over to rest her head where she could hear the alicorn’s powerful heart.

“The earliest thing that either of us can remember, we lived like nomads in the Undiscovered West. We were both foals, though Celestia was older, on the cusp of adulthood as far back as I can remember. And we were both alicorns already.”

“Did you still control the sun and moon?”

“No. No, you have to remember, this was during the Spirit’s reign. The sun and moon didn’t behave themselves like they do now, each of them rising and setting at his whim. The days were things of unceasing, burning white, and the nights were times of terrifying blackness and monsters.

“Celestia was never told, but she knew right from the beginning that it was our duty to stop him. But I couldn’t do it as a mere filly, so we spent many years living in those untamed woodlands, with nopony but each other. It was honestly… pleasant. We had no worries, far beyond the Spirit’s attention span, and simply travelled, foraged, and survived.”

“It is a peaceful life.” Sunset noted. She would know, having spent much of her time in Zebrica living in a very similar way.

“I would do it all again, and live my life in service of Equestria again, but I do miss it sometimes.” She sighed heavily, trying to see the dark corridor beyond the illuminated cell, but it was impossible, after many attempts.

“I love you, Luna.”

“I love you too, Sunset. And I know that we’ll see the moon again soon.”

No matter how poorly-guarded the castle was, they still didn’t think it’d be wise to try the front door. No, instead the Bearers snuck through the gardens (briefly losing Pinkie in the hedge maze) around to the rear of the castle, to the servants’ entrance attached to the kitchen. It was part of the castle not meant for civilian eyes, bins and bags of rubbish stacked by it. Flies buzzed around them, and the smell was impressive - like a lot of services, rubbish collection had fallen off as many ponies fled the city that was the seat of Daybreaker’s power. The sun hadn’t set anywhere else in the world, but they still had to try to escape the endless day.

Gaining entrance to the staff entrance was easy; the door was open. Just forty-eight hours ago, the door would’ve certainly been guarded, but so many of the Royal Guard had been diverted to keep the peace in other cities, even the castle couldn’t be guarded. It being mid-morning (according to the clock, at least - times of day held very little meaning with an unmoving sun), the kitchens were almost entirely empty, one cleaning pony wiping down the surfaces being the only occupant. He looked at these famed ponies, their immensely powerful artifacts donned, and turned back to his work, apparently deciding that this was above his pay grade.

None of them had regularly been to the castle before, especially not in these behind the scenes areas, but they had been there often enough to know that it was far, far too quiet. No servants or Guards walked the various corridors, and there weren’t sounds of conversation from any side rooms - not even from the foyer where the Queen held her court.

“Now, does anypony remember which way it is to the dungeons?”

“I do!” Pinkie Pie leaped up vertically. “A Pie never forgets a castle!”

None of them quite had the energy to debate that, so they just followed Pinkie as she bounced through the corridors. Many of them had been beautifully decorated with murals of the sun and moon a short while ago, but they had all been defaced, removing any trace of the moon and the night sky. Some had been professionally painted over with an eternal sun, ponies happily frolicking in its light. Some others had simply been destroyed, whether through magic or brute force.

“Here we are!” They stood by the small staircase that led down into the dungeons, murmuring vague approval and relief, the relief vanishing as they descended.

Somehow, it looked to have grown even darker than last time, and the silence was even more absolute. Rarity conjured a light from her horn and the others flustered around her, but it produced barely a pocket of light, as if the sheer blackness was fighting back against the light. Despite how much they had grown to hate the sun, they dearly missed it down here.

Using the white light of the corridor to Luna’s cell as a guiding light, they sought the cell next to it, the one that Twilight had been tossed into.

“Alright, ladies,” Rarity cleared her throat. “Now remember, Twilight’s been down here for two days. Who knows how she’ll be feeling. We may need to simply take her away from here, and come back for the fight later. But whatever we do, we have to look after Twilight, yes?” They all nodded in agreement and, holding their breaths, braced for the possibility of a deeply unpleasant sight, they turned into the corridor.

“Try it again, Sunset.”

“But Princess-”

“I love you, and I trust you. Just give it a try.”

Reluctantly, Sunset reached up to Luna’s horn, Luna bowing her head to help. A few times Sunset had tried to remove the magical restraint on Luna’s horn, but it was near-impossible: the horn is the most sensitive part of the body, resistant while untouched, but anything breaking the surface would be intensely painful. Restraints like this were built with small spikes on the inside of the ring, which retract when the key is used. When it's stationary, they are uncomfortable without being overly painful. When it’s removed without the key, the spikes will dig deep into the horn, causing immense pain. They were only intended to be temporary restraints, preventing use of magic until the unicorn was put into a cell like this, but it appeared that they had chosen to leave it on Luna.

Hesitantly, Sunset took the ring in her hooves, knowing that they’d be stronger than her suppressed magic. Luna smiled up at her and indicated, with a subtle nod, for Sunset to begin. So she began to pull.

Despite what the other children she’d grown up with and some unkind rumours around the castle said, Sunset didn’t enjoy seeing ponies in pain. Discomfort in ponies who irritated her, yes, that was a bit of a guilty pleasure, but not pain. Luna didn’t scream or yell or cry as the ring scraped along her horn, contracting as the horn grew narrower, but she grimaced and shut her eyes tight, her face making it obvious that she was struggling to hide her pain. Sunset shut her eyes too, pulling blindly to avoid the pain on Luna’s face.

She stopped pulling when she heard a whimper, shouting out; “Princess, we can’t do it like this!”

“Oh I know, Sunset, I know, but we’re making progress.” The ring was closer to the end of her horn, which they both hoped would mean freedom, but it had left clear gashes in the appendage’s surface too. Her eyes were full of tears, but restrained, she couldn’t wipe them. Sunset delicately did it for her with her fetlocks. “Thank you, sweetheart. I know you dislike it.”

“I hate it.” Sunset said bitterly, leaning against Luna’s side. “But I hate being stuck in here more.” It was uncomfortably warm in this brightly-lit cell, and the constant illumination meant a near-constant headache, but a simple spell she could just about cast despite the restraints on the cell helped her to sleep.

“I don’t want to fight Daybreaker.” Luna whispered after a long moment.

“Princess?”

“She… I know that I should. She’s done wrong and she’s hurt so many ponies and it’s my job to stop her. But I know that under that monster is my beloved Celestia, and she truly believes that she’s doing the right thing, and I can’t bear the idea of losing her again. I can’t send her away again.”

Sunset hadn’t ever had family, so she didn’t know what love of that scale felt like. But how would she feel if Luna had gone away? “I’ll stop her.”

“What?”

“I’ll stop her for you, Princess. Me and Twilight and her friends and… and Cadance! You won’t have to fight.”

“Oh, Sunset.” Luna lay her head against Sunset’s, relieved that the headstrong filly didn’t think that she’d be able to do it alone. “Thank you.”

Daybreaker rubbed her temples with her forehooves, trying to dismiss the intense headache that had become near-constant for her. Despite the power of the Crown of Amantyok, her Guardsponies were stretched much too thin, and attempts at recruiting more didn't seem to be going too well.

How deep was the false Princess’ indoctrination that they still utterly refused to celebrate and thank her? How strong was her hold over them that fools still asked her to return them to the empty, dangerous, heartless darkness of the night? How corrupted were their minds that she heard rumours of rebellion, supposedly headed by agents of some dark ‘Night Guard’?

Her hold over them was too strong. Did they still fear the monster? Yes, that was it - they were afraid of her! They didn’t understand that the Queen was their true savior, that they would never have to fear her again. They believed that, by defying Daybreaker, they’d prove themselves to the monster, not knowing that she would never return.

Daybreaker had to remove the very memory of the false Princess. And, as she stood, she knew just the way to do it.

Twilight paced back and forth in her cell. Despite her friends’ fears, she looked well, probably better-rested than they did, though she still looked unwell and distressed. That emotion vanished though, replaced with hope and relief on seeing the others.

“Spike! Girls! I’m so glad to see you!” She rushed to the cell bars, and they all struggled to reach through and hug with their forehooves. “Do you have anything to eat?”

“Darling, they haven’t fed you?” Rarity said, aghast, and Twilight shook her head.

“Not for… a day, I think, it’s hard to tell. I haven’t seen anypony for a while.”

Then it seemed that the shortages of the Royal Guard in Canterlot were affecting more than just a state of unrest in the city. “I’ll fix you up some grub.” Applejack promised. “Once we’ve got you out of there.” She extended one forehoof through her bars, presenting the Element of Magic to Twilight. Before even touching it, Twilight could feel it call to her.

“Once more, Sunset.”

“Princess…”

“For me, my dear. We’re so, so close, and I can’t bear to watch you suffer in this prison for much longer.”

“OK.” Sunset gritted her teeth after a long moment, before taking the horn restraint in her forehooves again. It was close to the tip of the horn, now. If it weren’t for how long Luna’s horn was in comparison to any unicorn’s, it would already be off. Maybe all it’d need would be one good pull.

So, with all the strength she could muster, wanting to end it quickly, she pulled.

This time, as the thorns scraped at her, Luna screamed.

“My beloved ponies!” Daybreaker proclaimed over the castle gardens. The crowd of citizens that had gathered to listen to her was smaller than she would’ve liked, but many still came to hear her words. And some of her scribes were noting down what she said, to be sent to all of the other settlements. “I have spent much time meditating on why you seem so afraid, and I understand now. You still fear that she will return. You do not have to fear that.

“Already, my Royal Guard are removing symbols of her tyranny from around the nation, be they statues, paintings, or plaques upon places of learning. Within a year, you shall never have to think of that witch again.”

It was true - all around Equestria, statues were being demolished and the many schools that Luna had sponsored were being defaced. Only a short distance away in the castle’s gardens, portraits were being stacked in preparation for a great bonfire.

“But that is not all.”

Twilight had done a lot of research into the Elements of Harmony since she and her friends had bonded to them, but information on them was hard to come by. One thing that was clear, however, was that they were somehow alive, thinking things with an agency of their own. That was how they had so instinctively understood how to use them against Discord, and why the Elements had chosen to be taken by the Bearers.

Now, as Twilight donned it, she could almost hear the Element of Magic. It was alive, buzzing with nervous energy and desperation and relief. It wouldn’t take effort to use it right now, it was practically begging to be used to stop this tyrant.

The waiting while her friends bucked the cell door in was agony. It took less than a minute, them all fuelled by fear, desperation, and the heightened emotions of their own Elements. Spike had reached through the bars to hold her hoof while it happened, the colossal sounds of damaged and twisting metal echoing throughout the dungeons until, with one great kick, the locks shattered and the door swung in, thudding off the stone wall.

“Come on, everyone.” Twilight said, stepping out of the cell and feeling her magic rush back into her body. “Lets end this.”

Sunset fell backwards as, suddenly, the restraint was away from Luna. The Princess’ scream reached a pinnacle as it finally separated, but then the two ponies in the light-filled cell could sit, panting, regaining their strength. Sunset gazed in wonder at the restraint in her hooves, disbelieving that it was actually detached, then up at her mentor - her mother, as unreal as that still felt. Luna caught her eye and smiled, before standing up.

She raised a field of magic, winging slightly at the pain in her horn, and snapped the other restraints away from her limbs, stretching out and sighing with relief. Her magic was still dampened by the cell’s enchantments, but she was an alicorn - she had more than enough for this.

“Well, Sunset,” she said in a strangely light-hearted way. “Shall we get out of here?” As the unicorn nodded, Luna turned to the cell door, and raised another magical field. With a blast, the door flew off its hinges into the blackness, clattering to a halt after bouncing off the wall of the main corridor. “After you, my dear.”

Sunset stepped out, sighing with relief as her magic returned and her eyes adjusted to the blackness of the main corridor. She glanced left, to the entrance of the dungeons and a sound of commotion. One pony’s silhouette, of the group there, was familiar to her.

“Twilight?”

“You will never, ever have to think about that witch again. In six hours, at this very spot, she will be executed, alongside any of her wicked Night Guard.”

That got a reaction from the crowd, gasps and mutters and the occasional, barely-coherent shout. She let them get it out of their system, knowing that the false ruler’s brainwashing was still bearing down on them and prompting this reaction, before she continued.

“My promise to you, Equestria, is that any trace of her will be gone from this land. From the witch herself, to anything that has received her corrupted touch.”

“Sunset.” Twilight said, a clear anger in her eyes. “So your new teacher got fed up of you?”

“Twilight,” Luna emerged behind Sunset, and Twilight, with Spike on her back, gasped in shock. “Sunset made a mistake. We have all made mistakes, I think. I have forgiven her, and I know that she wishes to make this right.”

Twilight looked at her mentor, clearly hurt, and then to Sunset, who looked meek and ashamed. Distrust was clear on Twilight and the others’ faces, but she nodded. “Of course, Princess. What should we do, then?”

“Tell me what has occurred above.” Luna instructed the Bearers. “And then we can plan.”

She turned to the castle, its two towers rising into the sky above Canterlot like monoliths. One, facing where the sun rose, had become Daybreaker’s imperial quarters, already decorated in a style that she found strangely appealing. The other, facing the sunset, had been the chambers of the false ruler. What atrocities had been committed there? How many times had the sun been forced from the sky at those windows?

Anger in her eyes, Daybreaker conjured sunlight in her horn, a great power of fire and fury rising as the crowd below her gasped and gaped. The power emerged from her horn as a beam, one of immense power, and she swiped her head to the side to cut the tower at its base like a tree, and watched with a grin as the tower collapsed in a flurry of dust and debris. It crushed part of the west wing as it fell, yes, and part of the arbouretum, but it was worth it to know that she was rid of one more symbol of the tyrant.

“Today, ponies, the memory of the night dies!”

They’d just finished their hurried explanation and made it to the doors when the great rumbling came. Instinctively, they all ducked back into the castle until the shaking ground and clouds of dust receded. Even halfway around the castle from where it had fallen, there was dust and scattered debris, and they could all see the broken stump of the tower on the castle’s roof.

“That was my home.” Luna said softly, the sounds of Daybreaker’s maddened speech drifting to them from all this way away. “I must find something in the wreckage. Children, do not do anything foolish.” She spread her wings and was off towards the debris.

“Well, girls, lets…” Twilight trailed off when she saw the yellow-orange shape storming off in the direction of the crowd, Sunset clearly furious. “Oh no.”

“Daybreaker! You won’t get away with-” She was cut off as a rainbow streak knocked her to the ground, and Rainbow Dash pinned her down.

“What are you doing, you crazymare? You’ll get us killed!”

“We can’t let her get away with this! She’s never going to give up! It’ll be day forever, and Equestria will…”

“She’s right.” Applejack said, approaching them as the rest of Sunset’s words died in her throat. “You’ve heard the news - it’s so dang hot, there’s fires starting everywhere an’ all the plants are dying. We can’t let this go on much longer.”

“You’re right that we need to stop her, but we need a plan.” Twilight said, pulling Rainbow Dash off Sunset. “If we just charge in like madmares, what’s stopping her from doing what she did the last time we tried? It takes time for the Elements to work, and she won’t give us time.”

“We need to distract her.” Rarity suggested.

“I’m real good at distractions!” Pinkie offered with her usual enthusiasm. “Oh. But I also have an Element, so maybe not.”

With no more suggestions offered, they all turned to Sunset, who smiled a little smugly.

“OK. Fine. Sunset, go and make a scene. But don’t get yourself killed, understand?”

“I wasn’t planning on it, Twilight.” She turned, more calmly, and walked towards the sound of the crowds and the front of the castle.

“Wait! I’ll come with you.”

“Spike, no!” Twilight gasped, but the little dragon raised a claw to stop her.

“Twi, you don’t need me. You six have the Elements, and I don’t want to just sit back and not do anything!”

“She could kill you, Spike!”

“I’ll protect him.” Sunset said, extending a forehoof protectively. “I promise.” It was clear, from the look in her eyes, that Twilight didn’t like this idea, still hurt from Sunset’s betrayal of Luna. “Please. We don’t have time to argue. If Spike wants to do it, you should let him. He can help me make a fuss.”

“I don’t like this. But we don’t have time to argue.” She looked at Sunset with an unfamiliar coldness, one that reminded the others of the ancient, stern portraits of Luna. “If you let my baby brother get hurt, Sunset, I will hurt you.”

“I know. Come on, Spike. Let's go and make a scene. You girls stay out of her sight until you’re ready.”

“Come on, my sweet, come on.” Luna whispered as she sifted through the debris with her bare hooves, already covered in dust and cuts. “There you are!” She had to exclaim as she pulled the dust-covered squirming form of Tiberius from the rubble, hugging him against her cheek. “Oh my sweet Tibbles.” She whispered, feeling an immense relief. He wasn’t hurt, thank goodness, but he was covered in dust and utterly terrified, based on how he clung to Luna’s fur. “It’s OK, my darling, Mama’s got you.”

After taking a few seconds for his breathing to steady, and for him to climb to a familiar perch at her shoulder, she resumed her search through the ruins of her home, pushing aside rubble with hooves and magic. However much she wanted to, she couldn’t get distracted. The great shape of her bed was splintered and half-buried, and everywhere she could see ruined books and shelves. Foals’ drawings and burning embers thereof drifted down like flakes of snow, and countless mementoes had been shattered into tiny fragments of porcelain. A few objects had been enchanted with ancient spells of protection, and she knew they’d be OK once she found them - the talking diaries of all of her students, some ancient gifts from her sister, that sort of thing.

But they weren’t what she was looking for. She took a few strides through the rubble, understanding how the tower had fallen and seeking a room a couple of floors below her bedroom. There, shining from beneath the rubble, was her ancient armour, a silvery reflection of Daybreaker’s and somehow still intact, unused for many centuries. But what she sought lay beside it, half-buried in rubble and in a thick, enchanted case that hadn’t been opened since before she’d even worn that armour last.

Unhooking the case’s latches with a reverent hesitation, she produced her ancient weapon: a spear - or perhaps a halberd - with a shaft of black wood and a tip in the shape of a crescent moon, still sharp enough to split a hair even after so long. With a little whisper, she sent Tiberius running to safety in the gardens, then faced the shining blade.

“My Night Guard,” she whispered. “I need you. Protect your ponies. Subdue the Royal Guard, but do not harm them. Then, come to the castle. With your help, we will save Equestria.”

She thumped the base of the spear into the ground through the rubble, and it made the city tremble. Everywhere, from the Undiscovered West to deepest Griffonia, her loyal allies’ weapons would be calling to them, calling them to come back to her.

For the first time since its founding, the Night Guard was assembling.

“Do you understand now, beloved ponies? You are safe. You are free from ever having to worry about darkness! That witch’s hold on you will exist no longer. I, Daybreaker, have given you safety and-”

“Is that so?”

Immediately recognising the voice, Daybreaker turned away from the crowd (much reduced after she felled the western tower) to see Sunset Shimmer approaching, a small figure perched on her back.

“Ah, the prodigal student returns. I will not ask how you made your escape, but I will assume that you have returned to apologise to me for your insolence.”

“Not exactly.” Sunset said, smirking confidently. “I’m here to tell you that I know that you’ve been lying to me. I know that you’ve manipulated me. And I regret that I ever worked with you, but I’m doing everything in my power to stop you.”

Daybreaker’s face twisted into a snarl at the perceived betrayal. “I haven’t lied to you. But if you insist on being an enemy of your Queen, we are not safe having you in our world. You or your little friend there.” She began to conjure a blast of magic, but was interrupted by shouts from the crowd below her.

“Hey, that’s Spike!”

“We can’t let her hurt him!”

“He’s only a baby!”

“M-My ponies,” she stuttered, realising why they would protest this. “I have no plan of harming either of them, they are merely misguided. No, they will simply be put away for their own safety, and for that of all Equestria. After all, it is not as though they pose any great danger to me.”

“Tell me, Daybreaker,” Sunset’s confident expression hadn’t faltered. “Who was I in a cell with?”

The Queen’s slit-pupilled eyes narrowed as she realised. “You stupid foal, you have freed the monster?!” Before another shout of outage could escape her, the light dimmed. The crowd shouted with hope and amazement as they looked up at the sky, Slowly, the great, black disc of the moon moved to entirely eclipse the sun, leaving Canterlot lit only by a faint ring of fire. “No.”

“You’ve failed!” Spike shouted gleefully from Sunset’s back as the crowd began to cheer.

“You’ve lost, Daybreaker. Give up.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to do anything foolish, Sunset?”

Luna’s fur was coated in stone dust and clumps of debris, yet in that instant she was resplendent. She wore her ancient armour - a smooth, silvery set somewhat like Daybreaker’s - and strode towards the crowd. Her face was serene, with no anticipation, no sadness, no anger, and no fear.

“Hail Princess Luna!” The voice of Blueblood raised from the crowd, and it was followed by a number of others, until the entire throng was chanting, Spike and Sunset too. “Hail Princess Luna! Hail Princess Luna!”

“Shut up!” Daybreaker screamed at them, red in the face. “She is a monster! She’s tricked you all!”

“That’s enough.” Luna said, silencing them with a raised hoof. “Return to your homes, I cannot guarantee that you will be safe here. Sunset, take Spike to safety, now.” Without any hesitation, the ponies eagerly obeyed, leaving only the two alicorns facing each other on the castle lawn.

“So,” Daybreaker spat. “You have decided to fight.”

“No. I will only fight if you force me to, if I truly believe that you are endangering my little ponies. I do not wish to fight you.”

“Good. Guards,” there was a rumble as the crown activated. “Seize her!”

Silence for a long moment, and the Queen could really feel control of the situation slipping away from her. She shouted towards the castle, but the figures who emerged weren’t her fire-armoured Royal Guard, but a trio of purple-armoured ponies, bruised from a fight but walking confidently. More ponies in the same armour, many carrying spears, began to descend on the castle, surrounding the two duellists.

“Night Guard reporting for duty, your highness.” Ember Light said, saluting smartly.

“No.”

“Thank you, my dears.” Luna smiled at them, knowing that the crowd would only grow as they found their way to Canterlot from far-off parts of Equestria. “Form a perimeter and ensure that no civilians or coerced Royal Guards join us, I would hate for them to be harmed.”

“No!” Daybreaker bellowed. “Not only have you corrupted the citizens, you have corrupted the Guards who swore fealty to the sun?! Monster! Witch! Beast of Tartarus!” Spittle flew and she panted, veins bulging in her neck, staring with open hatred at Luna.

“I love you, Tia.” That stunned Daybreaker into silence, blinking in confusion at the other alicorn. “I’ve always loved you. However much we fought and argued, you were always my sister, the one pony who had always been at my side. I didn’t understand how much I loved you until you were gone, and I didn’t understand how much love you gave to me until it was gone. I almost fell, without you calming me, and tried to force the ponies to love the night. But I knew that you’d be so disappointed, and they’d be so afraid, and that held me back from it. I want you back, Celestia, because I love you so much.

“But you, Daybreaker, are incapable of love. You are a parasite in my sister’s skin, a creature of fire and brimstone manipulating her desire to protect and love into tyranny and hatred, and I will purge you so that I can have my sister back.”

The white alicorn roared, incoherent, and leaped at Luna with her horn aglow and forehooves outstretched, genuine hate and fury in her eyes. Luna waited until the last second to step aside, Daybreaker hitting the ground hard enough to carve a furrow into the grass, staining her fur green and brown. Roaring again, she got to her feet with one flap of her mighty wings, and fired a blast of magical energy that Luna blocked with an opalescent shield.

“I will not fight you, but that does not mean that I’ll allow you to harm me. Surrender. Please.”

Another furious, desperate scream, another flying tackle with magic charged. This time, Luna didn’t step aside. Instead, she reared up on her hind legs, spread her forelegs, and wrapped them around Daybreaker. She fell onto her back as she held the other alicorn in a bear hug, flinching at a blast of magic to her cheek but not releasing her hold, adjusting to pin Daybreaker’s wings.

“Release me! Take your filthy, corrupted hooves off me!”

“Twilight,” Luna said softly. From the crowd of Night Guard, the Bearers stepped forward, their Elements already aglow. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“It might hurt you, Princess.” Twilight said hesitantly.

“I know, my dear.”

There was a long moment of pregnant silence before rainbow light burst out of the bearers, and Daybreaker screamed as the corruption burned out of her body in an intense, white light. Despite the pain of the Elements’ power, Luna held her sister until the transformation was done, and finally the sun set.

“It seems that we live in hard times, my little ponies.” Luna said, speaking to the massive crowd that had gathered before the castle. “You all know what has happened this past week, you have all been hurt and scared by the false Queen of the sun. It has warmed my heart to see how you have all united to help each other during and after this time of crisis, but it will be many moons before Equestria can fully recover. But you know what must be done to help Equestria recover, and that’s not why I come to speak to you today. I come today to speak of forgiveness.

“Many ponies will likely be feeling betrayed, but I want them to open their hearts and offer forgiveness to those who have wronged them. The Royal Guard, for example, were used as tools to hurt you all, and many of you likely greatly distrust them, and I understand that. But know that they have been hurt, too. They were forced to harm you, controlled by a wicked, ancient artifact - an artifact that I have personally destroyed, rest assured - and they have been hurt physically and mentally. Indeed, forced to stand guard without break for so long, with no control of their own bodies, some of them will never recover. Please offer them mercy.

“Everypony who worked alongside Daybreaker was manipulated by her wicked machinations, and I hope that you will all be able to understand that. Sunset Shimmer, my beloved student, was responsible for my arrest. I’m told that I would’ve been executed, all thanks to her, had the Queen had her way. And I forgive her, because she was not herself. Forgiveness will let us heal, my ponies, no matter how hard it may seem.

“Most of all, I ask forgiveness for the Queen. The pony you know as Daybreaker who, in truth, is Celestia, my adored sister. I know it must seem strange to think, but it is her, my closest friend, returned after a thousand years. She was corrupted, my little ponies, controlled by a force that twisted her desire to help you all into possessive tyranny and dread. I know that many of you will hate and fear her, but I ask you to forgive her. She is your Princess, just as I am, free of this corruption, and I know that she adores you as deeply as I do.”

Luna cleared her throat, looking down at the apparently stunned crowd. “Thank you all.”

Some ponies shouted questions and entreaties after her, but she simply returned to the half-ruined castle, sighing heavily as she entered the familiar yet damaged corridors. That had been a hard speech to make, and she’d initially wanted to conceal Celestia’s identity from her ponies. But no, she’d lied regarding her enough times over the centuries. The truth was necessary.

The castle’s infirmary had been expanded to cover half of the ground floor, and many retired and learning doctors and nurses had been pressed into service. There were badly exhausted Guardsponies, ponies hurt by prolonged heat or fires, and ponies who had been left unattended in the dungeons for days. Indeed, most of the Royal Guard was off-duty, recovering from their prolonged period of control, and the Night Guard was covering most of their duties, helping with recovery efforts and keeping things calm in the streets, assisted by the Bearers and a number of brave volunteers. Luna had feared that her Guard would be distrusted, out in the open for the first time, but after the madness of the everlasting day, the ponies were grateful to have somepony looking out for them - especially somepony vouched for by their returning Princess.

“Hello, Raven.” Luna smiled at the unicorn walking down the corridor, in the opposite direction to her. “You’re well again?”

“Yes, your majesty, the doctors have just discharged me.” She had been locked away right after the Queen had seized power, and found herself malnourished and dehydrated in a cell after a few days. “Just had to get some fluids back in me. I’m ready to resume my duties.”

“No, you aren’t. You’re taking a week off.”

“Really, my Princess, I-”

“Raven, you haven’t taken a day off for years.” Luna said sternly. “You are taking a break, even if I have to banish you from Canterlot and have my Night Guard chase you out of the city.”

“Well, this is an argument I won’t be winning, I suppose.” She smiled. “Thank you, Princess. Are you sure that you’ll be alright without me?”

“I’ll survive.” Luna hugged her briefly with one foreleg, before resuming her walk.

She walked slowly down the corridor, offering smiles and encouragement to all of the hurt and the haggard-looking doctors. Though she wanted to run to reach her destination, she had to be seen, to offer what encouragement and kind words that she could.

Her destination could be seen from afar, because it was the only room flanked by a pair of Night Guard, some of the most junior, both in their ceremonial armour and with their spears at their side. She didn’t need them here, there was no danger, but caution was key: after everything that had happened, she couldn’t afford to be reckless.
“White Star. Underground. I trust that there has been nothing unusual?”

“Nothing to report, your majesty.”

“Thank you, my dears.” She took a deep breath and pushed into the room, a small one with a window overlooking the ruined gardens and a hospital bed, a chair beside it, identical to so many others. It was the two mares already within that made it different, a red-headed unicorn sat beside the white-furred alicorn who slept peacefully in the bed. A beautiful, fiery bird was perched on the sill, head tucked under one wing.

“You should rest, Sunset.” She jumped a little when Luna touched her shoulder, but smiled up at the alicorn. She held the paper form close to her chest, crumpled from constant handling but signed neatly, waiting for bureaucracy to resume so that it could be handed in and her joy could be formalised. “Come, thank you for doing this, but a filly needs her sleep.”

Bleary-eyed, Sunset nodded and stood from her chair, stretching out her legs with audible pops. “The doctors say she’s stable, but she hasn’t stirred.”

“Thank you, darling. There’s a bed set up for you in the chambers I’ve been using, just let yourself in.”

“Princess?”

“Yes, Sunset?”

“Can I call you mother?”

Luna had to smile at that. “Of course, Sunset.”

Sunset smiled back before leaving the makeshift hospital room. She'd been smiling more than Luna recalled lately. Ignoring the undersized chair, Luna sat directly on the cold stone floor, examining the peaceful sleep of the pink-maned alicorn before her. She wanted to wake her and tell her, well, everything, but Celestia needed her rest. For whatever reason, the Elements had hurt and exhausted her, perhaps due to burning such deep-set corruption from her soul. She had been unconscious the whole night since then, but was apparently healthy.
Luna was snapped from her thoughts by Philomena’s squawk, and she looked up to see a pair of bleary, mauve eyes blinking at her.

“Luna?”

“Tia.” Luna whispered, trembling in place for a moment, before diving forward to hug her sister, heart dancing in her chest. Philomena leaped onto the bed beside her, singing joyously. After a moment’s hesitation, disoriented, Celestia hugged her back.

“We… You’re so big, little sister.”

“You’ve been away for a long while.” Luna gave a ragged exhalation, a mix of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “I’ve missed you.”

In the half-ruined castle, in the light of a summer evening, Luna held her sister for the first time in far too long.

Moon and Stars

by keelekingfisher

Prologue - The Break of Day

Chapter 1 - School Days

Chapter 2 - Hollow Shades

Chapter 3 - The Summer Sun

Chapter 4 - Spirits of Stone

Chapter 5 - The Everfree Reborn

Chapter 6 - The Planning Phase

Chapter 7 - Can You Hear the Bells?

Chapter 8 - The Changing of the Guard

Chapter 9 - Ghosts of the North

Chapter 10 - A Day in the Life

Chapter 11 - Dawn, part 1

Chapter 12 - Dawn, part 2

Epilogue - A New Day