> Can you fix the broken? > by Odes > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > 1: An awaited return > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia P.O.V Today...Today was the day, today Nightmare Moon will return with her, her dear little sister. Oh did Celestia long for this day over the past millennia, a thousand years of waiting, waiting while staring at the moon for what felt like countless nights, Yet, the Princess of the Sun kept count, she had stared at the moon for 365250 nights in a row counting today. The princess stood still as the stars aligned and made way for her sister to return, she could feel her getting closer by the second, she could feel her overwhelming presence race across the large expanse of space between the earth and the moon....and soon she felt her behind her. Taking a deep breath that puffed out her chest, she turned around shakingly, slightly at least, trying to gather whatever courage there was left to grab and to finally face her sister again. There she stood, standing proud with that smirk of superiority and triumph. Terrifying tooth grin from the monster she helped make, loneliness was the assistant in the creation of that look. She was talking about something, most likely about her breaking free and getting her revenge, whatever it was it didn't register to Celestia’s ears; it did not matter to the sun princess after all, she had her sister back and that was it. That was all she needed. To see her, to know she stood there. That..that broke the resolve that took who knows how long to conjure up. Tears that she didn't know were present started to stream from her eyes, burning over the other tear trails that scarred her face. She saw her sister’s confusion at the falling river of tears, it didn't matter really. Without much thought Celestia rushed towards her sister and gave her a hug, her first contact with her sister felt like she reached heaven, she did not deserve to feel this good. Not this relieving bliss. Not after what she did, not with her being the reason her sister was like this or gone in the first place. Trapped alone on the moon, most likely spiraling slowly but surely into insanity. She continued the hug in silence while Nightmare M- No, while Luna tried to break it. Nightmare Moon's P.O.V The nightmare was baffled, just what was happening here? She just broke her imprisonment and now that she's back, that thing she has for a sister is just staying silent and giving her her back?! She was her greatest enemy and soon-to-be usurper and she was just ignoring her! The gall of that mare is unbelievable! She expected the so-called ruler of Equestria to be in full regalia and be ready for a battle that would dwarf their previous one, not whatever this is! No, she will not let this ruin her mood, she will explain to this brain-dead buffoon if she needed to, to get her to understand the predicament she was in. With a smirk to mask the insult and anger she was about to demand that she turns around only for her to tense as she saw the other princess's body get ready and heard what was a deep breath, what was she preparing for? She was not building up magic as far as the horn indicated and she was too far away to be bucked by the extremely tall mare. Maybe a cue for something she couldn’t see? A trap perhaps? Readying herself for combat, Nightmare gets into position only for her to relax again as she saw Celestia turn around slowly, by Faust, she is shaking! The great princess of the sun was fighting herself just to turn around and face her! Her mask soon turned into reality as pride got into her head. Well if the princess was scared then this will be easy. “Well well, Celestia! Shaking in your boots are you? I have guessed that you feared my return but I never expected it to reach this–....what….why are you crying?” Now things went full circle as Nightmare was once again baffled and confused. Why was she suddenly crying? Was she feeling guilty? Happy? Was she accepted that she was going to die? Just what was going on here?!! This was not the Celestia that she had known for thousands of years! This was not the Celestia that defeated her! THIS WAS NOT HER SISTER! No! She refuses to believe it. This is a fraud! The Celestia she knew would’ve been at her throat by now!! Not crying a river for who knows what. Before she could develop that train of thought further she was interrupted by a sudden feeling of being pulled and having a body pressed against her own. At first, she felt confused..then she felt relaxed as she took the warmth of her sister….damn it. As much as she didn't want to acknowledge that this shaking and crying mess was her sister but..this warmth, this embrace..it was hers alright. No mistaking that strange familiar feeling, but why was she doing it? Soon her relaxation turned into panic as a thousand thoughts ran through her mind. Was Celestia about to pull a secret attack? Seal them both on the moon? Destroy them both? So many possibilities and so little time. Nightmare began to try and break the hug but Celestia wasn't letting go, eventually, she used magic and pushed her- No, threw her at the wall and took a couple of steps back. “J-Just what are you doing? What is wrong with you? Where is your fight? Where is the mighty princess that banished me? Where is the ruler that ruled this land and had everypony in it grovel at her hooves? Where is my sister damn you!” said Nightmare Moon while all but screaming with her own tears in her eyes. She expected to meet her sister when she returned, expected to fight and let all the frustrations of a thousand years on her. A battle that would change the land around them! But that was for her sister, not this pathetic mess of a mare. “I'll get back to you later. If I find you as this pathetic mess I'll kill you without a thought.” she all but growled before she flew away to the furthest town from this castle. She did not want to even see the look on Celestia’s face as she left. Broken and desperate for whatever she was seeking that made her scrunch her face into the ugly crying. She did not want to think about this…if her sister is nothing but a pitiful shell, she will make her go back to normal one way or another. Hell, if she had to beat sense into her before she got the battle she so so craved then so be it…she did have a couple of interesting spells developed on the moon. Maybe she should give forming the shadow army a shot? Nightmare didn't dwell on her thoughts for long. She was far away enough and this town looked like it was having a celebration. Maybe it's time for a real welcoming for the Queen of the Night. She couldn't help but chuckle darkly to herself before she went to make her entrance. Celestia’s P.O.V She laid unmoving as her sister threw her at one of the walls breaking the hug. If Celestia was honest with herself, she couldn't blame her. Who would want to be embraced by the one who caused them such unimaginable torment and loneliness? But…then she heard what Luna said…even as Nightmare Moon and even after a thousand years of torment she had it in her heart to call her sister? Celestia could barely fathom that thought. Yet here she was, crying and yelling about where the sister she knew was…did she miss her? How can she miss such a monster as herself?? And she's even giving her a chance to get herself together and fight later on! The sun princess’s mind was occupied by a thousand and one thoughts as she watched her sister fly away. M-Maybe there is hope for Luna? Maybe they can put an end to this without fighting again! Luna did not seem to want to kill her. Maybe just maybe…she can have her sister back without any drastic measures. With a new goal in mind and with something to look up to, Celestia stood up and went to prepare herself. Not for battle, but to try and deal with her sister. She just hopes that Luna won't do anything drastic so soon. She could not fail her ponies AND her sister. ~3 hours later~ …..okay maybe getting ready took too long and the idea of it not working and her having to fight Luna again terrified her. The idea was so terrifying that she didn't even leave her chambers and tried to follow Luna till a couple of hours later. Eventually (and in a panic as she realized how long it took) Celestia flew out of the canterlot castle and started the search for her sister. Of course, picking up on such a strong magical signal wasn't very hard after all. Of course, whatever sense of calm and control the esteemed princess had vanished into thin air as she saw a dreadful array of colours shooting out and for her sister’s magical signal to almost disappear entirely. It brought too many bad memories from her fight with Luna long ago. In a panic, the Princess immediately teleported to her sister’s magic signal with no thoughts or acknowledgement to the 6 ponies behind her, Celestia was desperately fighting the feeling of dread as she saw the outlines of a limp body in the dust. With fear and worry as fuel, she quickly used her magic to push the dust cloud around her away and the coughs of others behind her didn't even register to the Monarch's ears. Those don’t matter, not in the current position “LUNA!” screamed the usually calm princess in a total break of character and now with worry and fear evident in her movement and voice. She moved closer to the body only for her hoof to freeze mid-step as her eyes registered what she saw. Though all thoughts went to the side as she heard a voice that was as much of a relief as it was a painful stab in the heart “T-Tia?” called out a weak, scared and breathless voice. Hearing it alone brought tears and for the second time today, Celestia cried at seeing her sister again. Only this time, it was HER her. Before the other ponies knew it, their kind and benevolent ruler was hugging a young mare with a dark blue coat that had what can be described as tendrils of black over what can be seen of her body and coat, as the rest was being covered by the crying princess who was bawling her eyes out. > 2: Darkness falls > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight's P.O.V Twilight was staring at the scene happening in front of her with mixed emotions. She was happy and relieved from defeating Nightmare Moon with her friends, a feat that would have made even Celestia extremely proud …..yet that was immediately followed by Celestia teleporting into the chamber with fear and worry and that terrified the young mare. What could have made Celestia the literal example of PERFECTION so afraid and worried? And then after clearing the dust she went and hugged some mare that emerged from the dust while crying! Twilight could not even begin to understand what would cause Celestia to cry like this. To react like this, it just felt so….unreal, so wrong. it felt more like a dream- no no, it felt like a nightmare. Twilight couldn't help but feel pain and hurt in her chest as she saw her mentor and what is basically her second mother cry like this. She quickly looked around to see the reactions of her new friends, unlike her, they don't have the same emotional attachment to the sun princess and so they were more confused and shocked rather than the Primal fear and pain that she felt. She was oddly grateful for that. She did not know if it was out of a selfish reason or because she didn't want to see her friends also hurt…she didn't exactly know but she was grateful nonetheless. “P-Princess? Are you okay? W-Who is that?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Twilight felt regret for speaking. She did not gain the attention of the still-crying and shaking princess, instead she got the attention from her.  Twilight froze as she made eye contact with the black and dark blue mare. Nightmare Moon, or Luna (a name that she is sure she heard before but can't remember where or when at the moment) as Celestia called her, was absolutely terrified.  To be fair, Twilight herself was also afraid of that Luna and felt a sort of resentment towards her. Her resentment came from the fact that this pony showed up out of Nightmare Moon after her defeat and the first thing she caused was Twilight seeing her mentor so weak, vulnerable and afraid for the first time in her life. Princess Celestia held her like she was going to disappear at any second!  Her fear however… Twilight had no explanation for that. She didn't know if it was because of the calming Hum that she started feeling when Luna appeared, forcing her nerves to feel things that contradicted with her mind’s wakefulness and unrest. Or if it was because of her effect on Celestia, or if it was that unnatural feel that came from her. Princess Celestia’s presence is always calm and inviting, a true ease of the heart but this Luna? Just looking at her made Twilight feel like she was an inferior, as if she was staring at a sole presence in a sea of nothing, as if she was a speck of dust in a desert staring at a raging tsunami. It all felt so odd and surreal that it left the unicorn wishing she was still fighting Nightmare Moon! Honestly, even the reasons and feelings she got from the mare were contradictory in nature. And then….there was the look in her eyes. She did not know why but the look in her eye…it was a window that displayed the Primal fear and terror that the mare was feeling. Twilight felt it herself getting lost in it for a moment, she felt overwhelmed and separated from the world around her. It was only for a second but it was more than enough to disturb Twilight…but it also made her wonder, what was this pony afraid of? Only option is Celestia but that made no sense! Unfortunately, before Twilight could ask any more questions or tell the princess to stop because she was scaring the unicorn (as ridiculous as that notion was), she suddenly felt lightheaded and lost sense of the world around her once again. Her legs grew weaker and so did her magic and the power she felt from the elements of harmony. Something somehow touched the magic of friendship…she could feel it but it only took part of the magic's power. The warm and calming feeling of friendship didn't change, it's just the power of her magic that felt weaker, and with a quick worried glance to her sides, Twilight deduced that her new friends also felt it.  As soon as Twilight was able to focus back on the princess and the mare. She saw that her horn was glowing, and before she could warn the princess, the dark-coated mare disappeared in a white flash of light leaving everyone dumbfounded (and slightly dizzy with the exception of Celestia) and leading to the Princess falling into a panic….which didn't help at all with the current mood “No, no, no! Where did she go? How did she go? She's too weak to be on her own!” She heard the princess talk to herself as if she was a mother looking for her foal while trying to focus and find the mare's magic signal if Twilight's guess was correct. Fearing that the princess would disappear without explaining anything or possibly do something rash in her panic, Twilight decided that now was the best time to gain the princess's attention and hopefully get her to calm down a bit… also she really wanted an explanation for what was happening. “PRINCESS!” Twilight yelled to get her mentor's attention, and much to the lavender pony's delight (and slight terror as realized what she did) it worked. “Yes, Twilight? As you can see I'm kind of busy at the moment,” she said in a tone that can be easily misinterpreted as dismissive (she refuses to believe that it is) as she turned her head and looked at Twilight with a raised eyebrow “Princess just what is happening? Who is that mare? Did you feel the magic getting weaker? Why is she terrified of you? Or at least I assume that to be the case. I'm so sorry if it's not and please don't toss me into the dungeons! Also What happened to Nightmare Moon? Is she Nightmare Moon?” The lavender unicorn wanted answers as soon as possible, her curiosity and worry did tend to cloud her vision and judgment, she even missed the hurt look on Celestia’s face in the moment that it appeared. “Yeah! Just who is she and where did she go?” she heard Rainbow Dash's voice say. Twilight almost forgot that her friends were also here with her and wanted to Facehoof because of that. Before anyone else could ask any questions though, a voice spoke up above the rest, not too loud, just the right amount of volume needed at the moment “Sorry princess but what Ah believe mah friends and Ah want to say is that we want an explanation,” said Applejack "We're plum confused 'bout all this hullabaloo is all. If you don't mind, that is.” ‘Faust bless that mare’ is all that went through Twilight's brain as Applejack more or less became the voice of reason or the equivalent of it in this situation. She watched as the princess smiled apologetically at them and started speaking in a tired tone that made Twilight feel like a horrible monster for pressing any matter onto the tired mare. “I apologize my little ponies, I'm just busy at the moment. I'll explain it all afterwards.” “Princess please explain it to us, we want to help you! Right?” Twilight's gut wrenched in guilt for pressing the matter more but convinced herself that it was too important for guilt to stop her, she also turned to her friends with hope that they agreed with her, and much to her relief they did. It made her heart warm up as she saw all of them nod with smiles on their faces…except Rainbow and Pinkie. Those two just screamed “Yeah!” instead of being calm as the situation called for. She watched as Celestia’s smile turned into a happy/proud one as she stared at Twilight and her new friends. Twilight couldn't help but feel giddy happiness inside. Unfortunately though it did not last long as the princess’s attention returned to the matter at hoof.  “I suppose that this is the least I can do for you, my little ponies. You all heard of the tale of the mare on the moon, right? Well, there is more to it than you know. This is what actually happened….” Luna's P.O.V Luna appeared with a flash in front of the nearest lake that she could sense and she hurried and almost fell and hit the ground as her hoof tripped on some root of a nearby tree. She groaned before walking again and looking to see her reflection on the lake. With each step, she felt dread rise within her. It was quiet…too quiet in her head. She can not hear her voice. It felt wrong, she felt light, she was smaller, and it was quiet inside. It's not supposed to be quiet, not when she was there, why was she in control!?? Why is she alone?! What did the elements do!? That and a million more questions rose in her head before she saw her reflection on the lake, the moon princess became as stiff as a corpse and her eyes shrunk into pinpoints as she stared at her reflection…she was her old self, a bit younger than usual and her coat was….different, but she was still her old self, her old teenager and pathetic self… and she did not like that one bit. The moon princess started shaking and hyperventilating and then sobs escaped and soon the sobs turned into crying. She was not thinking, she did not want to think, not when it is empty within….damn her sister for not fighting, damn HER for being merciful and allowing those ponies to get the elements, damn their arrogance and pride for not letting them escape. Now she is alone again, she can not be alone…not again, not now not ever. She has to fix this. She has to get rid of the quiet, she has to get HER back somehow, but how? She cannot feel her mind within….oh Faust she could not feel her mind within! Oh Faust, Oh Faust, OH FAUST! Just where was she? She can't be gone. Luna refused to even consider that idea! Then She looked up to try and see the moon in hopes of finding the image of a mare on it… and yet, her silver treasure and prison for the last 1000 years was a clean slate of silver that was as clean as can be….she couldn't help but loathe it at the moment, she felt her rage rise and hatred sorrow almost hit like a flood. She extended her will to it with as much restraint as she could without ordering it to break, and then she felt the moon, felt it gleam with joy as their connection returned, a feeling that was all but mutual at the moment. The moon was happy for the return of its master and representative on Equis, but soon that happiness turned into confusion and hurt as she forced it to go down with hatred seeping into her magic as she bellowed out her command. She does not want to see this monstrosity now or anytime soon! Yet as ever faithful as it was, the moon obeyed without any resistance, seemingly feeling the sorrow and emotions that affected its master. “Oh great, I'm throwing temper tantrums like a filly now! How bad can this get?” for a moment she was thankful that she was actually alone at this moment…well not really thankful. It sucked to be alone, she doesn't want to be alone. Why did the elements have to take away her only solace and source of happiness for the past millennia? And most importantly, how will she get her back? With no answers and no one to ask and share her thoughts to, Luna was forced to dwell on her thoughts. Slowly the realization of her loneliness started sinking in and without even her own symbol in the sky to keep her company thanks to her tantrum, the Alicorn mare couldn't help but chuckle to herself as her home was gone from sight and the night lost its faint, and calm illumination. Now with only the stars to look at from the darkness and the only thing to look at in the sky and keep herself distracted, she couldn't help but let out a small yet somber smile as stared at the darkness. The ponies of this land have shunned her moon and their night for the longest time, if she was not here to enjoy the moon with her then she will give them what they deserved. Loneliness and fear, confusion and darkness, the silver hope and ease provided by the gentle moon gone. A truly dark night. It is what the ponies of this world hoped for and it is what they deserve. They deserve to feel the despair and fear that she was feeling right now. She knew her actions are petty and uncalled for, especially now with night and day muddled and tracking time becoming that much harder without the moon as a tell tale sign, but it wasn't for petty reasons that she did this. She could not stand the sight of the moon at the moment. It was painful to look at her lovely moon, not without her companion….not on her lonesome again. No… No, No, NO, NO. With ample time to dwell on her circumstances, She let out a  sigh (a thing that she started doing a lot since her return, but can you blame a mare for missing air and wanting to feel it move through her body again?) and tried to wrap her head around what happened. Okay, so they returned to the earth and found a pathetic Celestia who seemed to accept that Luna and Nightmare are actually the same person (or so she assumes, even then Celestia is only half correct). That Celestia was too weak to fight and so they wanted to get her ire by causing a ruckus somewhere else. Some ponies went to the forest after her introduction and in her curiosity she followed them. They went to the old castle where she and her sister used to live…and then it was too late for her as she was stupid enough to allow them to use the elements… She does not want to think about this anymore. She relaxed her muscles as much as she could and sighed before eyeing her surroundings in the new darkness that enveloped it. She needed to move, who knows when Celestia would raise the moon again or maybe even the sun to bring forth light. She doesn't want to be in the open when that happens so she decided that it was time to leave. With a groan of frustration, she finally stood up with shaky hooves and wobbly legs and tried to get used to the new length of her limbs so she could move normally again without the risk of tripping with each step. After getting the hang of it, she started heading towards the forest again. 15 minutes or so of complete silence passed  before she heard a couple of loud and croaky howls. She couldn't help but lick her lips, maybe she could get a meal out of this? She shook her head before she continued walking and thinking. Trying to hold back whatever excitement she had for a fight. …..who was she kidding? She was only looking for distractions at the moment. She knew that and was so angry because of it….why did they have to take her? She did not need fixing! The elements could have just killed her and got this over with! Why did those stupid gems like to torture her so much? Why could they not just turn her to stone like what they did with Discord or just kill her or banish her again and get this over with! Ugh, at least they didn't do their job right anyway. She doesn't feel consciousness but feels a bit of the nature and power left of her inner counterpart ... .which honestly hurt that much more so her previous statement was in a place of doubt now. Would she be ok? Will she come back? Nonsense, of course she will! Why wouldn’t she? Right?  With her temper and worry rising again and no important sound other than her own thoughts, she stopped paying attention to the area around her and did not hear the 2 tree-like creatures with glowing eyes jumping from tree to tree. She only stopped when she felt their magic essence rising and then she waited for them to show themselves.  “No doubt animals are in a panic now. Beasts will also run amuck. Ponies might have magic and lamps to have light but the animals have nothing of the sort….dealing with them should keep me busy at least.” She thought with somber amusement while giving in to the idea of a distraction despite her previous protest. Her eyes moved to the location of the magic signals she was sensing.  After what felt like forever the princess decided that she had waited for long enough, she sent a weak (by her standards at least) yet focused magic blast near one of the Timberwolves and smiled as it tumbled and fell out of surprise. She quickly turned behind for the other Timberwolf before he attacked, her horn glowed and so did the new dark lines on her coat, casting a slight violet glow that would have otherwise gone unnoticed if they were not in complete darkness. The Timberwolf hesitated and stopped so it could growl at her and the glow she emitted. She knew it was considering using her as a tool of sorts or mayhaps as a chew toy at the moment yet she was not afraid. She simply took a step closer to it and watched it back away slowly as if surprised by her actions. It’s an animal, it’ll respond in animalistic ways. Just challenge their nature and they’ll panic because their instincts aren’t used to being challenged by something smaller than them. She felt its body tense and heard the low growl it made as a warning to the other timberwolf once it got its bearings. Luna did not care though and returned to work. Finally putting her mind into it, she focused on siphoning the magic out of it. It's not an ability that Luna likes to use a lot, she doesn't usually lack the magic or face a threat powerful enough to justify using it (plus it felt wrong to use it at times) but she lacked magic and needed an outlet for her frustrations and those wolves just happened to be her outlets. It was only a matter of seconds before almost all the magic was drained from both beasts. She felt their bodies slowly deconstruct and revert back into logs and vines as the magic that kept them alive and formed their body was being drained out of them. Luna is not going to lie to herself and she fully admits of knowing how horrible what she is doing is. But it didn't really matter for the princess right now, she just stopped when she felt like she had enough. The wolves were already just piles of timber at this point. She did feel enough sympathy for the wolves to keep just the tiniest bits of magic so they might be able to reform one day though. Although she couldn't help but smile at her accomplishment. She felt refreshed and slightly energized…and the feeling of being the one in power again did feel great if she was honest to herself  “At least I can still do that ...now, where to go and hide? It will be only a matter of time before Celestia finds me.'' She almost spat when saying her sister’s and consequently felt a bit of sadness when she realized that. It was a bit sad. How she can not say her sister’s name without the rage and contempt that she was feeling at the moment seeping through. It didn't feel right to hate her sister like that when she tried to accept her. Although she is still enraged at her inaction and banishing her and all. Who would banish their flesh and blood? And then just after that turned into a pathetic mess. ThE GrEaT SuN PrInCeSs. What a joke. Still, she couldn't believe that Celestia of all people would give up on fighting and decided to accept Nightmare as Luna (still only half correct but it meant a lot to the younger Alicorn). It felt comforting yet also sad because it was obvious that her sister was guilt-ridden. She will not forgive her though, not yet. Accepting her and feeling guilty does nothing to what she did and fixes nothing. Still a nice thing to know though. Less of a kick to the hide. After walking around for 5 more minutes or so (again it was hard to keep track of time without any Celestial object in the sky) she saw that the sun was starting to rise, she then immediately cursed under her breath for wasting so much time getting distracted, in her desperation (and slight panic) she found the best decision is that any place would work regardless of quality. She Decided to hide inside one of the many caves that filled the area. She just hoped she did not have to fight anything inside which fortunately, she didn't. After going into the deeper parts of the cave with no trouble, she found a comfortable enough spot to lay down on and rest. Exhaustion was finally catching up with the princess and before long, the Princess of Night fell into deep slumber on the spot before even casting any spell to hide herself or for protection. Hm. Twilight's P.O.V  Twilight and the others waited for the sun to rise so they could start their search, Celestia almost had a heart attack when they walked out of the castle to find a night without a moon and in turn Twilight herself almost had a heart attack because of her mentor almost having one. It was stressful if she was being honest. They needed a moment to prevent Celestia from going Catatonic out of shock and after that she looked like she was about to have a heart attack  while Twilight looked like she was dealing with both while also becoming so pale that she was as white as Rarity and Celestia. After that whole… ordeal or so to say, they decided that splitting up was the best idea, sure the forest was dangerous but that was the only way to cover as much ground as possible, and Celestia casted a minor protection spell on all of them and even if it broke she would know and teleport to help. Then they all set out to search and Twilight couldn't help but think about her mentor. Before this, she was thinking about staying in Ponyville with her new friends but she wasn't so sure now. Sure the princess would be busy with her sister when they found her eventually, but it won't be fair to have the princess deal with that alone, especially with all the apparent stress that she was having at the moment. There was also the fact that she could learn so much from the other princess as well and Twilight was a sucker for knowledge. Who knew what a pony like the new princess might know? What stories or knowledge about the night she could tell or even tell her what it was like to look at the planet from the moon! She surely could see everything all on her own! With nopony to bother her… or keep her company or having anyone to talk to… OOOHH. Twilight hastily made a mental note to NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES mention her exile on the moon. Honestly she was feeling horrible for thinking about that or even about resenting the princess earlier (okay she was not fully over that but she likes to think that she is) It was already noticeable enough that the dark blue Alicorn was afraid and she would definitely have a hard time dealing with the modern world. Having her think back upon her times of exile will not do the princess any favors and frankly Twilight didn't want to be the reason for the Moon Princess to have a mental breakdown. Twilight sighed as she continued walking around and looking for any noticeable magical presence nearby. During her walk, she came upon a tumble of woods and vines with some residue of magic on them. It was odd…of course, this was the everfree forest but still, it made no sense for logs and vines piled together to have magic remnants of their own. Did something put them there? Possibly a nesting technique for a creature in the woods. Yes yes, that makes sense. Twilight did not notice the small hole that burned through a couple of the trees above. Twilight made another mental note to ask either princess about this later (that is if she gets on speaking terms with Luna or a chance to talk to Celestia afterwards) as she continued her search for the lunar princess. After 40 minutes of walking around almost aimlessly, Twilight suddenly broke into a gallop as soon as she felt a strong magical signal, the young unicorn didn't think much or even consider that it might be a danger and instead went with the blind hope of it being the princess. Soon she came to a halt as she neared a cave system and recast the spell to confirm her suspicion. She gulped as she felt the results and felt a great amount of magic from within the caves, it was nothing compared to Celestia’s own magic but it was still well above what an elite unicorn would have and that's without mentioning that the princess barely rested since her ‘cleansing’ by the elements….now that she's thinking about it, she felt kinda stupid for thinking that the princess was a unicorn but hey, she was not able to see her wings with Celestia hugging her like she was in the castle so she's not to blame for that! Just a slight miss in observation. After taking a deep breath to think of what to do, Twilight decided that it was best if she ventured alone. After all, Luna was apparently afraid of Celestia (as ridiculous as that is) and coming with her friends will surely not be the best idea after earlier today..or was it yesterday now? Eh it doesn't matter. Find the princess, make sure she’s ok, coax her back, and reunite the sisters! Easy as rereading her favorite book. After pacing around and gathering her courage the young lavender unicorn puffed out her chest as an act of reassurance before heading inside the caves. It being a cave of course meant that it wasn't easy to see, nothing that a light spell couldn't fix but it still made her that much more noticeable to whatever laid within. With a final prayer to Faust, Twilight hoped for the best and ventured deeper into the caves as she looked for the missing princess. > 3: A close call and a deal > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia’s P.O.V Celestia was not in the most clear state of mind at the moment. She was fighting too many emotions as well as the panic for her sister’s sake. She cannot, and will not falter in her mission to find her sister. She herself would not allow it. She can still hardly believe that her Lulu was back. Oh if she wasn't afraid for her sister she would have been jumping around like a filly out of joy. It was a dream come true, finally, she could make amends for her mistakes, and finally, she could see her sister smile and laugh again! They can be happy again! It just felt so good to know that she was not alone anymore. Neither she nor her sister will be alone again. Such a curse loneliness was, but they will finally have each other and be together forevermore, as it was intended by the world. As it always will be. Well, that is when she finds her sister. She did not expect Luna to have enough magic to teleport away after being blasted by a fully charged harmony blast. She did not blame her sister for teleporting away though, oh poor Luna must have been so confused to see everything be the same after the blast of harmony. Her poor sister must have thought she was going to be banished to the moon again. Okay, to be fair, even Celestia thought that to be the case, although she was ready to go for drastic measures to ensure that her sister would not be alone this time. No matter the consequences. It always ate away at Celestia knowing that she had imprisoned her sister in the manner that she did, she wished that she was not afraid, she wished that she wasn't so scared that she didn't just command the elements to ‘get this thing away from everyone!’. She wished she could say that she was young then, but that was another excuse she would give herself to make the guilt soften. For the longest time, the sun princess tried to convince herself that she banished this ‘Nightmare Moon’ and not her sister. But it was all for nought, Nightmare was her sister, there was no denying that. She still had her cutie mark, her passion, her love for the night, and as she saw her first hoof today, her compassion and honour. ‘Never fight a defeated foe’ was practically her mantra for a while. Celestia secluded herself away from the world after that realization, which didn't take long, really, all it took was a quick visit to her sister’s old room and after a bit of exploring, she found all the reasons and the desperate ways used to deal with them. She kept herself in the castle for the first 400 years after that. She almost became a legend if it wasn't for the Sun celebration. It was the only time of the year that the public saw her for centuries, and even then it was almost filled with regret. She celebrated her sister’s banishment of all things! Cruel is what she thought of it as, even barbaric, but she had to make that celebration to please the public and ease their worries! Of course, she also kept no records of her sister as both Nightmare Moon or Luna so no one would question why she was gone or worse, ask if her being gone was the reason for the celebration to exist in the first place. While it is technically true, she still didn't want others to spread heinous stories about her sister and she had to calm the populace after the sun returned for the first time in a week. With things possibly going out of hoof she had to come up with something for when her sister’s plan ended. So a celebration came to be, a celebration that ponies loved across the globe…and one she dreaded and hated more than anything else. How could she not hate it? It was a reminder of her failures as a sister and as a friend to Luna, she failed her sister and then banished her to the moon! In all honesty, it did feel good to be thrown away by Luna earlier today. She deserved to be hurt like that for keeping that celebration going after the first decade or so. It was her punishment, and she was fairly sure there was more to come. Oh, buck she was getting distracted by her thoughts about the past again! `focus Celestia focus! You have a Lulu to find for Faust's sake!` she thought as she flapped her wings harder to boost her speed, she was never as fast as Luna considering their origins and expertise, but she was still faster than most Pegasi out there. Staring at the vast expanse of the Everfree forest below her, she found out that she was glad that she accepted the help of her student and her little friends. She just hoped that she was the one to find Luna first. After all, they had nothing to do with this, and Luna might view them as enemies as they were the ponies that defeated her. Of course, she was as big of an enemy as them if not bigger but unlike them, she could handle the other alicorn’s offence and aggressiveness (in all honesty she felt like she deserved to be attacked some more). She knew accepting their help was risky but they were more or less beacons that would summon her before they got seriously hurt. She was proud of her student for finding such good and kind friends in a single day. Sure it was meant to be considering the plan but she didn't expect them to face her sister so early. She meant to meet her student and tell her of a plan after awakening the elements of harmony, it didn't occur to her that her sister would go to Ponyville out of all places in the kingdom. But even then she was still proud of her student. Twilight has been her second attempt at taking a student ... or well they were more of what can be called companions rather than students. Sure she taught them but they were suggested for company that made her calm, happy, and ‘lively’, whatever that meant. During her time without her sister, the loneliness just got too much and as much as she enjoyed staying alone and hiding from the population that hurt her sister so much (it was the only one of the 2 causes that she could get away from after all), she still desired an actual and honest regular social interaction. Now admittedly her first attempt went poorly, unfortunate events made by mistake that were both done by her ‘student’ and herself. Well, Celestia likes to think that she learned from those mistakes and also learned that cake is a fabulous snack to eat to drown your sorrows. The sugar intake did wonders that ice cream couldn't even dream of achieving. It really was a miracle food and she regretted not hiring that wondrous grey mare that made those oh so wondrous Strawberry jam and cream cakes! …aaaaand she was doing it again wasn't she? Ugh, why can't she focus like usual? What's so hard about finding and talking to your little sister? Before now this was all that she could think about! The little sister that she wronged and dearly missed. She has to and will fix this, she will get their relationship to be better than before and she will find Lunariana ‘Selena’ Hurricane even if it's the last thing she'll ever do in this life! Twilight's P.O.V To put it simply… Twilight regretted a lot of actions in her life. She regretted not solving the problem of language barriers, she regretted not learning how to bake butterscotch cookies, but most of all, she regretted venturing into a dark cave in the middle of a magical forest alone while also searching for a magical princess that controlled the moon! The moon of all things! Couldn't she have been the princess of flowers instead of the old symbol of all things magic? Oh, wait…that probably had a reason. She should note that down later. Now that she thought about it, this princess was probably there when the moon was considered the symbol of magic…most of all she controlled it. Now Twilight was hit with the terrifying thought that Princess Luna might be the very reason why the moon is the old symbol of magic. It made sense for it to change when she was gone but oh boy does her cutie mark feel odd to her now. Was it even magic? Or did Luna change the symbol of magic during her reign and go back to what it was before when she was gone? Agh! She was getting off-topic! She had to get rid of this habit sooner or later. Seriously, it caused her so many troubles that are much worse than it's worth. She groaned before she shook her head and refocused on her search. The cave ceiling wasn't that high so it's most likely not a home of a very big creature…and even if it was, the Princess probably took care of it. You know, unless it's not the princess that's waiting for her inside, which will be a really unideal situation or so to speak. Many things were unideal now that she thought about it. Shaking her head to focus again she continued walking further into the cave, she cast a quick spell to muffle her hoof steps so she was least likely to get noticed…well if you ignored the horn light that is. Still, even then she was nervous and her approach was slow, she didn't know how long she walked and how many dead ends she reached in the cave and didn't bother to count, she memorized the paths that she took so she was not afraid of getting lost, what she was afraid of is not finding the princess here…okay she might also be afraid to find the princess as well. Who can blame her? Nonetheless, she eventually reached a dead end with a body silhouette near it. Holding her breath, Twilight approached the figure as slowly as she could and hoped to not lose focus and trip. As she approached she saw toned and slim hooves and legs in front of her and with a small push of extra magic she increased the light from a safe distance so she could get an actual look at the princess. Twilight didn't know what to expect but the princess was….exotic to say the least. Her body was smaller than Celestia's (that one is obvious), and her coat was mainly dark blue but there were these..weird yet beautiful sets of black lines that spanned across her body, from her barrel to her neck, even her wings had them. After taking a step to get a closer look she noticed the details. It also became apparent that her lines extended from some black splotch on her flank where the moon cutie mark was. Leaving that to return to later she focused on the princess's face and horn, by all means, it was very impressive. Of course, it was not as tall as Celestia’s horn so the precision was not going to be the same but it was definitely denser and thicker, it was obvious that her spells, even the weaker ones, would be extremely powerful.- It explains why her magic was returning at such a rapid pace. Her body uses more magic and makes even the simplest spell that much more intricate and so her body compensates by generating magic insanely fast! That has to be it! Her mane and tail on the other hand, it was as if she was staring at a reflection of the night sky, from its flow and colour to the subtle silver shine near the edges to indicate what she can only assume to be the moon. It brought into question the nature of Celestia’s own mane but that is for later. Going back to the topic of the wings, they were certainly bigger than that of the average pegasi and the muscles in them were strangely showing. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The lines on her wings spanned across it whole, it spread and branched like a tree between and on every feather and pinion. It almost looked like a set of veins or as if a forest was drawn on her wings. Looking past them she saw that the lines continued over her back and went down to her legs and hooves. They went down in a spiral manner that ended touching one side of her slightly larger hooves. Then there was the front section which wrapped around her neck as if it was a necklace of sorts, that part was the only section that made her wonder if this was natural or not. It was…well unique is one way to put it, but yet it also feels off as if it's incomplete. She couldn't help but feel like something was missing but yet she was also sure the lines shouldn't exist. The abstract displays of the princess of old or even the images in the stories book bore no mention of such lines or markings on the Lunar Monarch's body. In her wonder, Twilight failed to notice the pair of turquoise eyes staring at her. A pair of narrow confused and enraged eyes. It's safe to say that Twilight didn't even get time to react before she found herself tackled and before she could even try to cast a spell, she felt Luna's horn jam into hers and send a small surge. Whatever that was, it was obviously not a good thing as the light spell had faded away and she couldn't get her horn to channel her magic anymore. Oddly enough though it did not hurt, not that she was paying enough attention to notice that. Not yet at least. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?” Twilight heard the princess say but she was too shocked for the words to actually register, let alone respond to them. She was shaking and the pony on top of her was snarling with anger. It's safe to say that Twilight was never more afraid of her, she was stripped of her magic, the Princess can probably kill her in one spell despite the protection spell and Celestia will have to— wait! The princess! Suddenly finding her courage she opened her mouth to speak while hoping that her voice won't betray her more than the rest of her body. “Princess wait! If you attack me you'll break the protection spell and Princess Celestia will be here!” The words had the desired effects as she saw the body above her stiffen. Soon enough the princess lifted her head and took 2 steps back, she was still on top of Twilight yet not as much as before. “You didn't answer my questions, and do you think I'm afraid of her for that to be a warning of sorts?” She asked with irritation and slight confusion, which in turn confused Twilight. Wasn't she afraid of the princess when she first showed up? “Um….yes? I mean…you did sorta of kinda panic when Princess Celestia showed up earlier” Her response immediately earned Twilight a glare. Well apparently she said the wrong thing “or totally not! I could be entirely mistaken, it would obviously make more sense if you weren't afraid of her but it was the only explanation at the time-” that caused the glare to intensify “or I can just ask you what caused you to panic of course!.... Please don't turn me to dust and spread me across the night sky as an example for ponies or lock me up in the dungeons..” The princess just stared at Twilight for a second with confusion in her eyes, she then raised an eyebrow as she stared at Twilight as if she was trying to judge if she was serious or not. The princess eventually came to her conclusion and took another step back. Twilight got up and it was her turn to be confused about why the Princess let go of her. Why would she do such a thing? Sure she couldn't use her magic and probably couldn't outrun- oh it all makes sense now. Twilight realized that she was simply not a threat at all to the night princess. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. “Why would it make sense to fear my sister when she was obviously panicking? I might not have registered what she had said at the time but it was clear that she was not in an ideal state to do anything but panic.” Luna said as if she was stating the obvious, and now that Twilight thought about it…well she indeed was saying the obvious. “B-But Why were you panicking then?? I saw the look in your eyes, and it was pure Primal fear! If not Princess Celestia then…then what was it that scared you?” Fear and nervousness were coming back full throttle towards the young unicorn. She did not know if she wanted the answers to her questions, just what could have made Princess Luna so…so scared. That was the most fear that Twilight had seen in anyone's eyes before, and now it is scaring her even more because there had to be something ELSE that scared the princess like that. “WE-” The princess suddenly stopped her outrage as soon as it began, Twilight blinked as she didn't have time to do anything but flinch at the volume. Before Twilight could inquire about why she stopped or why she used the term ‘we’, she was interrupted by the princess who decided to continue talking, though it was different. Her tone was hurt and sad this time as she spoke. “I was not panicking, I was simply shocked….yes shocked, after ... after you used….You..You…YOU” Twilight stiffened at the growl-like tone, but before she could even react. The princess already tackled her again and pressed her against the wall with rage, hate, and…wait was that sadness? The princess was CRYING Now???? “YOU, YOU ARE THE ONE THAT GATHERED THE ELEMENTS, YOU ARE THE ONE THAT ACTIVATED THEM, AND YOU ARE THE FOOL THAT KILLED HER” Princess Luna screamed with magic boosting her voice, it did not help at all that they were in a cave with a lot of Echo, nor did it help that the voice sent enough vibrations through the walls of the cave that she made the whole cave start to shake. None of that caught Twilight's attention, it was the hate and rage in the Princess's voice that caught her attention, it was what she said that caught her attention, it was the last part that shook Twilight to her core. “K-k-killed?” Twilight spoke with a whimper. She…she couldn't have killed anyone, could she? All She and her Friends did was destroy Nightmare Moon and free Luna. Suddenly it clicked in Twilight's head, though she still did not understand the reason. “Nightmare Moon?!” Twilight almost yelled herself at the piece of information. She didn't have much time to think about it though. “Don't you DARE say her name you piece of filth!” The princess's voice was less angry than before but the biting hatred was still there…and so was the princess's sorrow. Why was she sad, Twilight could not know. It made no sense! With fear forgotten as her need to rationalize took over, she talked back and asked questions that while sensible, it was not the time for them. “But why would you not be happy? S-She’s not even a person! She's just your negative emotions taken form!” upon further thought, she really should have closed her mouth. “What?! How dare you! What fool has told you that? She's not my negative emotions, she's everything to me! And YOU, alongside the other elements have killed her!” The princess was all but shaking with anger now. She pressed her hoof against Twilight's neck and the unicorn was almost crying now, it wasn't hard to breathe or anything thanks to the protection spell. No, what made her almost cry was the anger and sorrow that the princess was showing, did Nightmare Moon mean that much to the princess? And…and then they just went and destroyed her? Now that she thought about it, Nightmare Moon and Luna were alone together for 1000 years. They had no one but each other for all that time, and it made sense for her to care. If what Celestia said is true then Nightmare is… well was part of Luna’s emotions for a long time, so it only made sense that she must have found the capacity to care about Luna and vice versa during their banishment. Oh Faust what have they done? With the realization setting in, Twilight did actually cry. She felt horrible for what she did. She felt like she was the monster if anything, despite the nature of what happened. If what she did was good then it certainly did not feel like it. How could she when she killed someone? As bad as they were, they were still cared for deeply by someone, and she killed her just like that. This was the Princess's only friend! Only companion for 1000 years of Isolation while the world moved on without them, she was part of the Alicorn in front of her for Faust's Sake! Just thinking about what she and her new friends did made her feel sick. Finally, after sorting her thoughts, Twilight gave up and relaxed her body, letting her fate be in the hooves of the Alicorn princess. Whatever it may be, it will be deserved. She just hoped it wasn't painful. Though before whatever judgment the princess made would be cast on her, she gave a final barely audible whisper. “I'm sorry…” Luna's P.O.V Luna froze and stared at the crying mare that she was pinning, her ears twitched and flapped a bit as the princess made sure that she heard correctly. Did the mare that led the charge and attack that killed Moon really just apologize while crying? It… it made no sense yet, here she was. Giving up on survival and simply apologizing for what she has done… Why did this runt have to make this hard? She sounded so honest in her apology that it was hard to even tell herself that she was lying. This could’ve been so much simpler if Moon took—… stop that, Luna, not now. She let go of the mare before taking a step back and sighing. She had to get more information from this unicorn after she got her to stop crying of course. She snarled as she let go of Twilight and immediately wrapped her up and grabbed her with her ethereal tail. The mare looked confused with tears still flowing from her eyes. A quick glare was all that Luna gave her before she gathered herself and started to hold back the sobbing, it didn't stop but it was certainly a start. “We have much to talk about. You knew about us and the elements, and unfortunately, we lack knowledge about the world due to my lovely sister’s Judgment. Now, tell me what happened to Celestia during the past millennium.” She saw the confused look on the mare's face…actually now that she thought about it, she should ask the mare for her name. It will be awkward to call her unicorn or mare over and over. “Before that do tell us- do tell me your name.” Luna couldn't help but roll her eyes as she saw the dumbfounded look on the unicorn's face but at least she was distracted enough that she wasn't crying anymore. “T-Twilight, my name is Twilight Sparkle. It's an honour to um….meet you, your Majesty.” Luna couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the title used but didn't waste time inquiring about it she didn't have any time to inquire about anything at all as the unic- as Twilight Sparkle talked again. “Well..as far as I know, nothing happened to the Princess…well except the state of panic that she's in, I've known the princess for almost all my life but this is the first time I've seen her so…so worried, I've seen her worried about ponies or whatever happens at court before but never this much… princess you ne-” “You don't tell me what I need to do Twilight Sparkle, you tell me what I tell you to tell me, got it?” Luna unintentionally slipped into the Royal Canterlot Voice which pressed Twilight harder against the wall. Just how long was her tail to go that far? However, it still seemed like she didn't give up. “Princess Luna, please! Like I said I-I have known Celestia for almost all my life but it's still relatively nothing compared to her entire life, all I can tell you is that as far as I know nothing happened to her but she's worried beyond anything I've seen, and she's worried for you. You've seen how she hugged you and cried, you should have seen her when she saw the night without the moon!” Luna wondered how a simple question of what happened turned into this but she might as well set things clear so she can continue her questioning … although it did feel good to know that Tia- That CELESTIA still worried about her. I suppose some care remained after all. “Do you really think that I'm just going to her? She banished me to the moon for the past 1000 years and now that we're back she's acting like a broken coward. That's not the sister I knew and even if she was, what would happen if we talked? Apologize to each other and then go back to living together? As if!” Luna unknowingly started walking around in a circle while stomping angrily and cracking the floor of the cave with each step. She saw the bits of fear that were followed by defiance and hints of anger at her words in Twilight's face but she did not give her the chance to talk, tightening her grip on her to send the message. “And even if that whimsical scenario happens, what's next? What will happen next? Does it make up for the time I lost?! Does it make up to the pony that I lost?! No! Once ponies learn about me and my return they will only see the monster that you all viewed us to be! They will always look at her image as if she was a monster!” “I-....I cannot deny any of that, and I can't say that what was gone will be returned, but princess, times have changed, ponies have changed…a-and you're not alone…I-I want to make up for what I've done…I owe you way more than I can pay so please…allow me to help you, allow me and Celestia to help you. She's your sister, she'll understand, she'll help.” Oh my oh my, this one might as well be asking for her teeth to be knocked inwards. She got her motivation of guilt but did she have to involve Celestia every bucking time that she spoke?? It really grates on her nerves. “Girl, who am I speaking to at the moment? You! I'm speaking to you, and not Celestia. When you talk you talk about yourself and what you'll do. Stop talking about what she will do. I'll be the judge of everything involving her. Got it?” Luna allowed a slight smile to grace her lips at the quirky curt nod that she got from Twilight. “Now, the idea of you helping me is intriguing, and honestly the only option you have other than getting obliterated, but that still ignores the matter of the other 5.” “NO! Princess please, let them be, I gathered them, I told them what to do and I am one that activated the elements in the first place. It's no fault of theirs, princess. I'm the only one deserving of punishment.” Twilight all but cried out, it was an impressive display of loyalty while also making her job easier but still felt like it wasn't enough Luna sighed as she sat down to think and considered her options. She can take the path of ‘fixing’ her relationship with her sister but so many things can happen and most of them damage Moon's legacy in one way or the other. The only saving grace out of all of this is that both Celestia and her student are now guilt-ridden. She can use that to her advantage but the thing is, was it worth the risk? In all seriousness, just what would she get out of fixing her relationship with Celestia? People will still hate her, and most of all they will still hate Nightmare Moon. Sure it will help when their lovable ‘goddess of the sun’ tells them to not hate the Moon but even then, not all will listen. Even she knew that such a scenario would be just wishful thinking and nothing more. Hmm, it leaves nothing much to do as well, there is a course of action that will bring the most ease towards her but it would be rather…unpleasant and disrespectful to her origins. She'll revise this plan and see if it is indeed the best course of action…who knows? This might as well work. It's certainly better than anything else she came up with till now. She took a deep breath and sighed again before turning towards the squirming Twilight “Listen here Twilight, I'll leave your friends on one condition,” She paused to see if Twilight would talk and avoid getting rudely interrupted. “A-and what is the condition princess?” Luna was decently surprised by the eagerness in the lavender unicorn's tone, not enough for it to change her own tone though. “You will become my own personal servant that will attend to me 24/7. You will be given the time needed to do other duties should it be required, but other than that? I cannot risk you getting away from my side for long periods, if you ask why I'll tell you now already. You need everyone for the elements to work, and you are the main link for the other elements and with you by my side, there will be little to no chance for you to use the elements against me.” She stared at Twilight to see her reaction throughout her whole explanation, first came shock and what seemed like a will to protest but that was soon gone and replaced by a thoughtful expression then a nod of understanding. It was amusing now that she thought about it. She began to see why her sister apparently kept her….and then there would be making her sister agree to this, hopefully it wouldn't be too hard. “I-I understand, I'm sure the princess would understand as well…thank you,” Luna blinked and her ears twitched to make sure that she was hearing correctly, what was she thanking her for? “Thank you for giving me a chance, and thank you for leaving the others be. Though um…can you let me out of your tail, please? It's quite cold in here.” Twilight said a bit sheepishly before she found herself suddenly plot first into the ground. Twilight got up and stretched before turning back towards the princess, she wanted to say something but was interrupted by Luna suddenly shoving her horn into Twilight's own at the same spot that she hit before. Luna saw Twilight's eyes widen before she suddenly froze as the feeling of her magic definitely rushed back at her. Luna then cast a repair spell to fix the chipped parts of her horn left by her attack. She then turned around and motioned for the shell-shocked Twilight to follow her. “Well, since it should be obvious that I settled for a chance of peace, you might as well take me to your friends and my sister. I'm sure that the lot of you agreed to have a meeting point to report after a certain amount of time right?” Luna smiled to herself at the nod she received. “Well then, what are you waiting for? Lead the way.” Twilight nodded once again and sped up so she could walk in front of the Lunar princess. Luna couldn't help but wonder about what was happening inside her young little mind. Celestia’s P.O.V 2 hours have passed and just as agreed, the Princess returned to the castle grounds, a smile adorned her face as she saw the other ponies there and unharmed, though that smile soon turned into a slight frown as she saw a lack of a certain lavender pony “Where is Twilight my dears?” Celestia knew her student almost better than anyone else, even Twilight's parents knew her less than she did, so it stood out to her that the most punctual pony that she knew was the one late. It did not calm her nerves or soothe her worries when the other ponies all gave varying shrugs or words of ignorance, Celestia was getting worried. She knew Twilight was safe and sound due to the protection spell she placed still being active but it was not like her at all to be this late. Maybe she got lost? Yes, maybe that was the case. In her deep moment of thought she almost missed the rustling of bushes and cracking of sticks. Almost. She jolted and quickly turned her head to look at the source, and what she saw made her jaw drop. There she was, Twilight slowly walking forward with her head a bit down as if she was deep in thought (which she probably was) and behind her was Lulu walking forwards calmly with a stone face that portrayed zero emotions. What shocked her the most was how her sister looked. She didn't get a clear look of her sister before in the castle so she didn't notice much of the details except Luna being younger. The lines and broader wings are what caught her attention the most. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough time to dwell on her thoughts. Celestia found herself in front of her sister, right there and right now, she was face to face with the person she wronged the most in her immortal life. Staring at her with cold indifference that stung and hurt more than the ice age or the magic downpour of falling meteorites. Celestia didn't think, Celestia didn't hesitate, she didn't even realize that she wrapped her sister in another hug until she felt her sister slightly and ever so subtly lean in. Before she knew it, Celestia was crying once again. What's worse is that she didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say or what to think. She had 1000 years to plan for this but how was that supposed to matter? Even if she did plan, even if she did have a set course of action, she wouldn't have listened to it, she would have given up to her emotions and let them take control. After what felt like an eternity (yet it still felt too short) she felt herself getting pushed away by the stone-faced Luna. Oh now did she want to grovel and beg for forgiveness at the moment, how she wanted to abandon all sense of self-respect so she could properly convey how sorry she was, how much she regrets her actions…but she can't. Not only were they not alone, but Celestia knew that whatever respect Luna had for her would fade away if she did do such things, she knew her as the strong leader, not the grovelling mess. Celestia took a step back and did her best to do some breathing exercises to calm herself before she addressed her sister again. “Welcome back Luna, I'm glad to see you again.” She said with the warmest smile on her face, even then, Celestia sincerely doubted that it conveyed a fraction of the happiness and joy she was feeling. Luna in turn only raised an eyebrow at Celestia before she spoke “See me again? Have you not seen our Visage every day on the moon every time you beckoned it to rise against its will?” Luna's tone was cold and accusing, there were also hints of irritation and anger in her words but that was to be expected, it is hard to say such a thing without her emotions seeping in. Not that she blamed her, Luna has every right to feel the way that she did, but it still hurts. “Luna I'm-” Celestia didn't get to finish before she felt a hoof press against her mouth and shut it. “Save it, Celestia. We have more important matters to talk about at the moment. Your feelings and rationalizations can wait for another time. Now before you ask, yes I will be coming back with you to Canterlot. But things will not be the same, I wish for you to send the ponies here home, except Twilight. The less they know the better it is.” Celestia just stood there stunned for a moment. Her sister was coming back? Just like that? J-just what happened? What did Twilight say or do that caused her sister to agree to return? Oh, she will reward that mare with the strongest hug that she could muster (that is nonlethal of course) after this is done. Nonetheless, she had to return to the matter at hand and she had to question the last 2 parts. “And why is that Luna? They are the new holders of the elements-” Celestia found herself unable to finish what she was saying for the second time in less than 5 minutes and she was interrupted by the same pony. She couldn't get mad though and just allowed it to happen. “That, dear sister, is precisely why I want them sent away and why it would be better for them. The matter at hand only concerns the 2 of us and Twilight.” Celestia blinked and she could already hear a set of protests around her from the other bearers of the elements (unfortunately she didn't get a chance to know their names yet). She quickly lifted her right wing up to silence them before she nodded to her sister. “Dear little ponies, please do so and return to your homes. I'm sure your families and other friends are worried sick about you and would prefer to see you again. You'll get news of what will happen soon. Till then you can safely tell everyone that the threat has been dealt with and that I'm safe and sound.” Celestia only waited for a couple of moments to see if the ponies would leave by themselves but it seemed that they refused. She sighed before turning towards them. “I am sorry for this, my little ponies.” in less than a moment, her horn glowed and a bright golden light enveloped the area and the 5 element holders were gone in an instant and back at Ponyville. She turned back towards Luna and gave her a slight nod with a small smile, Luna simply nodded back before getting back to business. “On our way here, I asked your student about the nature of the world and recent history, and of course, the topic of myself came into the conversation and imagined my surprise at finding that I was practically erased from history. Now before you go on a tangent and try to explain, I'll have to say that I'm thankful for it. It makes what I have in mind that much easier to accomplish.” Celestia raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her student who was standing at the side nervously and digging her hooves into the ground. She then turned back towards Luna and motioned for her to continue. “Since the world forgot about it, it can be easily said that after the defeat of the mare on the moon, harmony saw it fit to bring forth a force to represent the moon and the night on earth and fix its tarnished image. Yes, I am proposing that we say that I'm a newly made Alicorn who's here to ‘fix’ the ‘wrongdoings’ of the mare on the moon. It's also more believable since I made the moon disappear and kept the night. It can be said that it was because I was ‘born’ at that moment. It will make my introduction to the public that much easier and should prevent most of the negative theories and conspiracies of the public from forming for what is hopefully enough time for me to adjust.” Celestia simply smiled and nodded before walking closer to Luna and resting her head on top of her neck. She saw nothing wrong with this plan and as odd as it might be, it still made sense AND also allowed her to be Luna’s older sister once again. She still had questions though, she stepped away from Luna’s unmoving body and turned to look at Twilight. “May I ask what Twilight has to do with this?” Luna simply nodded before she stared at the young unicorn. The mare in question shrank from the attention of both princesses and looked around nervously to avoid eye contact from the two of them, very interesting. “She agreed to become my personal servant and my aid in the modern world as a way to pay back for what she and her friends did,” Luna said simply and plainly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Celestia on the other hoof stared at her sister as if she had grown a second head. “What. What do you mean by that Luna? She's my student and not some servant or whatever it is that you're thinking of! She may help you, yes, but she's not a servant.” Luna simply stared at her with a raised eyebrow before speaking again. “Don’t worry, she will remain as your student and you'll be free to call her for her studies. I am afraid that the other parts are non-negotiable and she already agreed to them. I am simply stating the state of things to be soon. Now ignoring that matter, do we- do I have your support on this plan sister?” Celestia simply stared at Luna with a dumbfounded expression, was she being serious? Did Twilight agree to this?! She quickly turned to her student to look and found her, staring at the ground nervously as she continued to avoid her mentor's gaze. “...I know you said it's non-negotiable but we will talk about this later on Luna,” she said while staring at her sister with a stern and serious face for the first time since her return. She didn't know exactly why but Luna simply rolled her eyes at her this time. “Whatever the case may be, it will be for another time. I do believe it's about time for you to confront the masses about what happened. Before then we would like to be transported to the castle that we confronted you on when we first returned. I do believe that this is where your new home is, correct?” she gave her sister a quick nod. “You can keep Twilight to calm the nerves of the others but her element will stay with me and you are to transport her to me as soon as possible.” her sister quickly turned towards Twilight once again. “Twilight, be sure to return to my side before the late afternoon. That is if you want me to keep my side of the deal.” Luna then promptly turned to the silent Celestia and waited for a moment, Celestia was confused for a moment as she forgot what she was supposed to do. She let out a simple “Oh right.” After Luna introduced her hoof to her face. Luna simply gave her a blank expression while holding the element of magic with her own magic. Celestia simply shook her head before attempting to cast the teleport spell. She blinked in confusion and shock as she felt her spell get interrupted, the magic of it taken and then Luna disappearing in her silver glow of magic rather than Celestia's golden colour. The Sun Princess simply shook her head to focus again before addressing the other matter at hoof. Celestia then turned towards the sheepish-looking Twilight before she rushed in and gave her the promised hug from before. The mare let out an ‘eeep’ at being hugged so tightly but Celestia still kept it going until it was fully out of her system. With a sigh of relief, she let go of her student and stared at her with the happiest smile she could muster before nuzzling the unicorn. “Twilight my dear, thank you for bringing Luna with you, I sincerely thank you for that, but I must know what you have done to get her to agree. What is this about you becoming her servant? What is this deal?” Celestia couldn't help but worry for Twilight. Sure she took her to be a friend and a person to interact with but with time, Twilight became more of a daughter for the princess and she cannot let her do something that will harm her. “It's…” Twilight wanted to speak but couldn't get the words out of her. Celestia looked at her student with worry etched into her face before her eyes widened as her student launched herself forwards and hugged the princess as tightly as she could “P-Princess…I've..I've done something truly horrible with Nightmare Moon…I promised to fix it and pay the price for me and the others, she agreed to let them be on the sole condition that I remain by her side for as long as possible.” Celestia couldn't help but frown as she hugged Twilight back and kept the girl close to her and her warmth “Why would she do that? Your intelligence and nature in magic is something remarkable, yes, but I can hardly see why that will compel her to keep you like that.” “It's…it's because *sniff* it's because I'm the connection link…the elements wouldn't work without me. S-So she decided to keep me by her side instead of getting rid of all of us for what we did… please allow it, princess..it's the least I can do to her and I'll also be keeping the others safe!” Celestia froze as she delved into her thoughts again….sure that plan made sense. Magic requires a lot of magic and an understanding of friendship, and the people who hold the elements for them to work…Celestia shook her head and sighed. This was no time or place for her to go deep into her thoughts. Her student wanted to do this, her student needed her support not some way to get around it. Not yet at least. She sat down and continued to hug the smaller frame of the lavender unicorn while enclosing her wings around her to keep her privacy and comfort. She didn't know what caused the need to pay her sister back to rise within Twilight but Celestia doubted the mare wanted to talk about this at the moment. Celestia stayed like that with Twilight for the next 2 hours or so, the girl quickly fell asleep on the princess. The night's exhaustion finally caught up to her. To give the mare the time to relax and recover, Celestia decided to simply walk towards Ponyville and go at a comfortable pace. It didn't take TOO long for them to reach their destination. Soon they reached the town and both mentor and student (Twilight was used to early morning lessons so thankfully she woke up easily thanks to her internal clock) found themselves busy with the inhabitants of the town. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celestia teleported both herself and Twilight home after a tiring morning that she dealt with without any sleep. She might be an Alicorn but she likes to rest as well. Thank you very much! Ugh if this day was any more tiring she would have probably forgotten about Luna's whole deal with Twilight. It was a good thing she remembered (as well as the fact that it gave her an early way out) before things got bad and Luna got tired of waiting. Speaking of the night Princess. She was currently sitting on the bed ignoring its owner and her companion and was just reading a book as if this was just another Tuesday. Honestly…it was kinda fair considering all the things she and Luna faced when they were younger. Still, she couldn't help but crave her sister’s attention. She missed her dearly and wanted to make up for lost time while also fixing her mistakes. She didn't want it to be all cold like this all the time. Getting back into topic, she faked a cough to gain Luna’s attention which seemed to work as she raised her eyes to look at her. No words left the darkly coated Alicorn, she just stared at Celestia with an expectant look on her face which left her confused. Oh right, she wanted Luna’s attention so she could say something. She got so invested in Luna's reaction that she forgot what she momentarily forgot what she was doing. “Well sister, as glad as I am to have you back (she was still holding herself back from jumping like a filly), I do believe that we need to further discuss….your plan.” Luna simply sighed, setting the book down, it was only then did Celestia notice that the element of magic was nowhere to be seen. “The plan is simple. As you are aware, after I left the castle I made the moon disappear. I have to admit that that decision was out of rage but it gave me an idea. It can be easily said that since the Vanquishing” Celestia felt a shiver of guilt run through her spine as she heard the venom in Luna’s tone. “That the world required balance and so the elements of Harmony saw fit to create a new Alicorn for the Moon. It will also help the populous morale for a celebration of having a second Alicorn princess in Equestria. “ Celestia knew that Luna did not like her plan for what it implied and what it meant, but it was the most practical...except there would be a minor complication. It was no fault of Luna’s that she didn't know about this but Celestia knew that she wouldn't be pleased. From the corner of her eye, she saw that even Twilight came to that conclusion. “Well that is a splendid plan Luna…but there is a detail that you are unfortunately unaware of. You see um- it will be the celebration of the third Alicorn princess in Equestria.” Celestia winced as she saw the frown form on her sister’s face and the glare she aimed at Celestia. “I beg your pardon, dear sister?” she almost spat the last part out. “You see Luna…during your time gone another Pegasus ascended into an Alicorn and became the Alicorn princess of love…so uh surprise?” she said with a nervous smile and a slight shrug. She then gulped as she saw her sister’s eyes shrink into pinpoints and for her magical aura to flare, knowing what was about to happen she immediately clamped Twilight's ears shut to shield her from the stream of profanities that flowed out of her sister’s mouth after a mountain shaking “WHAT!” > 4: Cadenza's interesting day > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight's P.O.V Princess Luna was, by all means, the furthest thing from pleased at the moment. Her wings flared open and wide while her aura took over the room, and despite the supposedly small amount of magic restored, she still managed to shake the room as her aura ran wild and infused itself to what it touched in the chaos caused by emotions. The room took a darker colour tone while the temperature dropped. Luna's body heat rose causing the air around her to almost distort when looked at. It was a scary thing to look at, It was almost as scary as Nightmare Moon…Twilight suddenly felt the air being heavier than it already was as her thoughts went back to the mare. However, she didn't get the chance to get distracted as the Princess's rage-filled voice filled the room “GET OUT NOW!” her command shook her body to its very core thanks to the magic that infused itself to it. Twilight couldn't object to the order, nor would she have dared to even if she could. Nonetheless Twilight found herself being surrounded by the warm feeling of sunlight and then she was out of the room before she could blink. She turned around with a confused look on her face as she stared at her mentor. She wasn't confused by the fact that she teleported her out, what confused her was that she teleported both of them outside of the room. Why did she also leave and not try to calm down the raging princess? and what was this look on Celestia’s face? “Um, Princess?” Twilight started hesitantly, hoping to get her mentor's attention. It apparently worked as the mare turned her head to stare at Twilight with her left eyebrow raised. “Why…why are you also outside and not calming Princess Luna? What if she destroys the room or loses control?” Twilight saw her smile softly before she shook her head and had that strange look back on her face as she stared at the door. “There will be no point. Things didn't go well the last time I tried to tell Luna how to feel and so… I believe it will be better if we allow her to get rid of her frustrations,” she said with a sombre tone. The princess and Twilight stayed silent for a while as they both stared at the door. Twilight for her part, just didn't know what to do. Even if she did, she would have to stay close in case the princess called for her when she calmed down The silence, however, was broken by the Solar princess “Twilight?” She asked. Twilight did what her mentor did and turned so she could stare at the princess before answering. “Yes, Princess Celestia?” She asked with curiosity written all over her features. However, the Princess was still staring at the door and not at her student. “When I first appeared and yelled out my sister's name, did she…” Was that hesitance and nervousness in Celestia’s tone? “Did she call me Tia?” The princess asked with a hopeful tone at the end Twilight didn't answer for a while. She unconsciously frowned as she tried to remember what happened after using the elements…back then it felt like this major accomplishment and heroic deed. Now it felt like her greatest sin. Nonetheless, she was also annoyed by her lack of clarity after their use. She remembered rubble and remembered being dumbfounded as she saw Princess Celestia teleport and yell out a name. It was a mess and she needed to concentrate to remember correctly but she thought she heard the faint impression of a voice calling back, she didn't get what was said but she was sure that it was something that started with a T. “I- I think so? When you first showed up I was so shocked and dumbfounded by how worried you were and the name that you called that not much registered to me. I do believe that I heard the vague impression of a word starting with T being said,” she knew that her answer was probably not what the princess sought, but she couldn't lie to her mentor and so she told her the truth. She saw the princess's face brighten a bit while at the same time, her hunches and withers fell. Either out of disappointment or relief, she didn't know. She hoped it was the second option though. “Thank you, my student. I do apologize for worrying you back then, I was not…thinking rationally and I have to admit, I did panic heavily,” she said the last part almost sheepishly. It didn't take a genius to see that Princess Celestia was embarrassed by her bout of panic. But as Twilight thought about it, she didn't know how she could have had any other reaction. After all, this was her sister in the end. Twilight would have panicked if either Shining or Spike were blasted by the full force of the world's natural energy…wait “SPIKE!” She suddenly yelled which startled the white mare beside her. It didn't matter to her though. She was worried about her number one assistant, her almost brother but most importantly, her son. How could she have forgotten about him?! He must be worried sick at the moment! “Twi-” Celestia started before she got interrupted by the panicking unicorn. “Princess! Can you please send a quick message to Spike to tell him that everything is okay? Or better yet, can you teleport him here?” The sun princess gently shook her head with an apologetic expression on her face. “I'm sorry Twilight but I'm afraid I can't teleport him here if I don't have his location. I will, however, send a message to him to tell him to get here,” She said as she faced the young unicorn and nuzzled her. “I do have another question, Twilight. I don't know if my eyes deceived me but was Luna’s magic silver in colour?” said the princess before pulling away and began to write the message without even looking at it. Twilight nodded in response but now the matter caught her attention. She remembered Nightmare Moon's magic being purplish, yet when Luna levitated the element of magic it was surrounded by a silver aura and not the previous purple. Was Nightmare Moon truly a different person? It wouldn't make sense for one person to have two colours for their magic, even if they were an Alicorn…right? “Wasn't it supposed to be silver? I mean, your magic is golden yellow like the sun, so isn't her magic supposed to be silver like the moon?” Asked the unicorn mare curiously. The princess's response was that of denial, however. “No, it was a blueish purple ever since Luna started using her horn for magic.” her response only confused Twilight. “I'm sorry princess but started using her horn for magic? Isn't a horn the only way to project magic in a non-passive way?” the princess's answer intrigued her, how could it not considering what it implies? The shining princess smiled at her, something that Twilight could easily find comfort in (much-needed comfort at that). She visibly relaxed again as her teacher began to talk. “Not necessarily, there are ways for all kinds of ponies to use magic. The pegasi and earth ponies of today are mostly ignorant of those forms due to how they integrated the basics of their magic into a passive state of being. They don't need any thoughts to use their magic in the way that they want to use it anymore. Unicorns always took pride in their ability to use magic intricately and so developed it and had its use remain mostly non-passive and requiring conscious thought and knowledge to perform,” Celestia explained with a gentle smile still plastered on her face. However, it was mostly lost to Twilight whose eyes were as wide as dinner plates at this piece of information. Not only did she learn that there are other ways to cast and use magic consciously, but that the other types of ponies mastered the basics of their magic to the point that it's instinctual without learning. Sure, unicorns have telekinesis and almost every unicorn knows it and it can be self-taught, but it still needs to be taught. She always thought that it was because the other species don't have horns that their magic can only manifest in a passive state, but the fact that it's instinctual to the point that it became a passive quirk is more impressive than anything she can do! “So earth ponies and pegasi can cast spells?! What sorts of spells? What was your first type of magic to use? What was Princess Luna's first type of magic to use? What are the pros and cons of earth and pegasi magic?” Had Twilight been left to her own accord, the questions would have never stopped. Thankfully, however, Celestia placed her hoof on Twilight's mouth to silence her while chuckling. “I'm glad that your thirst for knowledge is still there. Now, yes they can cast spells if they are taught how properly, my first type of magic to use was unicorn magic, Luna's was pegasi magic as it was-” Celestia stopped for a second as if she remembered something. She sighed before speaking again. Weird. “Luna's was pegasi magic. Would you like to guess why?” Twilight blinked in confusion as she stared at the princess. Was she supposed to know why? She barely talked to the princess and most of the time that she did was under the impression that she was going to die! And even then, Celestia Didn't know about that so she couldn't have been referring to something that happened then. Wait…her mind dialled back to the earlier conversation with the Lunar Princess before she snapped. Specifically to what Princess Celestia said about Cadance. What did the princess mean when she said another pegasus became an Alicorn? Was there a pegasus who has done the same before Cadance? But the only other Alicorns are Celestia and…oh Faust. As the realization sunk in her eyes widened and threatened to almost pop out. She tried to get words out of her mouth to ask the princess to confirm but no words came out of her mouth. She only stared at the princess with a dumbfounded expression. Princess Celestia slowly nodded before speaking with a sombre expression “Yes, Luna was originally a Pegasus and not an Alicorn, she ascended into an Alicorn the day she got her cutie mark. I'm afraid that knowing that another Pegasus ascended might have brought her to the idea that she was replaced during her banishment.” “B-b-but How?!? Isn't she, your sister? Wait! Were you a pegasus before too?! How did she even turn into one? I mean Cadance defeated some evil love witch but you said that Princess Luna did it when she got her cutie mark. What was it? How did you get yours now that I think about it? Is becoming an Alicorn related to having a cutie mark?” Twilight was struggling to deal with this information, it brought so many questions and made her doubt things she thought were facts now. “Yes, Luna is my sister Twilight. No, I was not a pegasus either. I was born an Alicorn. What Luna did was raise the moon for the first time, and I got mine for raising the sun for the first time. No, it is not related to the cutie mark as Cadance already had hers before becoming one,” The princess answered patiently. Twilight just sat there as she contemplated the answers she got. Then she remembered the matter at hoof. “But Princess. If Princess Luna thinks that she is being replaced, shouldn't you be there to comfort her? She already lost Nightmare Moon a couple of hours ago and now she thinks that she was replaced” she asked worriedly. She couldn't imagine what Luna was going through with Nightmare Moon gone, and now she thinks she was replaced by her sister. “Dear Twilight, trust me, if I thought it was the best thing to do I would have teleported only you and helped comfort her. She…I hurt her so much before her banishment. I never allowed her to just express how she feels and not bottle up those emotions. I'll try my best later when she calms down,” said her mentor reassuringly with a soft smile, yet Twilight knows her mentor. She can see the worried and tense expression hidden beneath the smile. Not knowing what to do, Twilight just silently sighed and waited. After what felt like forever, the angry aura that emanated from the room dissipated. The door opened and the Lunar Princess walked out. Her face and behaviour showed no emotion as she walked almost like a statue. She was so calm that it was off-putting. Luna's P.O.V Luna simply looked at her sister and her student who were just sitting next to the door. She simply raised an eyebrow before addressing Celestia. “Sister, would you kindly take us to see this Cadance? I believe that was the name that you called her by.” She made sure to keep her tone cool and collected. In all honesty, she can't even believe this. She was gone for a mere 1000 years thanks to her sister and now when she's back, she learns that she was basically replaced. Not only was there another Alicorn, but it was also an ascended pegasus! It was too much to be a coincidence!...yet what if it was? Luna remembers the day she became an Alicorn and remembers how sudden it was. What was it that this Cadance had done that kicked the gears of the world into making her an Alicorn? She was as curious as she was displeased now. Nonetheless, her train of thought was broken by Celestia finally answering her. “Yes, her name is Cadance. I'll invite her for dinner today as she has duties at the moment. My niece is currently in a diplomatic meeting but should be back soon.” Now that caused a frown to form on her features. “Niece? So she is family? Is she your niece-in-law?” she saw a smile form on her sister's lips, it seemed that what she said pleased her somehow. “No, not-in-law, and yes, she is family,” Celestia said with her ever so sweet and calm tone as she stood up and walked closer to Luna. Luna meanwhile just gave a glance to the sitting Twilight before staring back at her sister. “You do realize what a niece is right? For her to be your niece she has to be my daughter. So pray tell, how is she part of the family? As far as I know, there isn't even a blood Oath ritual to make someone a niece or nephew. And the reasons are obvious.” Celestia's eyes widened a moment before giving a sheepish smile… she did not think this through, did she? “Well…after I found her I decided to adopt her but not as my daughter as that would have placed way too many expectations and responsibilities on the young one, and…she kinda reminded me of you so I made her my niece by adoption. I will admit, at the time I did not think of the implications that it would have. If you want to, can she also be your niece and call it a day?” She ended with a small hopeful smile. “It will make no sense for her to be my niece! She will have to be your daughter and also my daughter at the same time! So unless we deal with that can of worms she'll be stuck with a new mother and I'll be stuck with a daughter. A daughter that, to the public, is older than me!” Seriously was Celestia even thinking when she did that? What do you say Moo-...right. Luna sighed before looking at Twilight. “Get up.” She commanded with a hint of anger. The unicorn mare immediately stood up as she was addressed. “When in the presence of royalty, you stand in respect and bow when they enter the room. You'll need to learn proper etiquette Filly.” From the look of it, Twilight was about to protest but a simple glare made her shut up. Good, she had some sense at least. She turned back to her sister with annoyance written all over her face “We'll have to talk more about the daughter I unknowingly have. Cancel her meeting and call her, say it's important and concerns the disappearance of the moon the night before.” Her sister slightly frowned, apparently not glad about the idea of interrupting this Cadance and disrupting her work but it was of no importance for Luna. “Luna, she's dealing with the worries of the night and comforting the other nations. Let her deal with this so we can talk about it. Now if you want to, she doesn't have to be your daughter, when can say that she's your sister instead of me and you become my-” No, she will not allow her to even say it. “SHUT IT. I will not be your lesser. I will be known as your sister as is it meant to be, my rightful place will not be taken from me. If I need to deal with having a daughter then so be it. Got it?” Luna might have been too loud and she might have used the RCV (Royal Canterlot Voice) in the beginning but it does not matter. She had to make her point clear. Apparently, it did the job. Celestia looked hurt (good), she simply nodded and then said something to the guard. “Let's head to the meeting room.” She said softly as she led the way. Leaving Twilight to walk beside Luna. Twilight, the unicorn who brought the end to the pony that Luna cared about the most. Just seeing her was enough to make Luna tense, yet her logic knew how useful she could be. She won't harm her yet, she still has much use for her and not to forget her status as a bearer of the elements. She looked at the unicorn and saw her stare at Celestia with a worried expression, she was looking for something on her sister. Perhaps signs of discomfort? She saw how lax her sister was with this unicorn so it's more than likely that those 2 are close. The 3 of them eventually reached the meeting room. Celestia took her seat which was at the head of the table, Luna begrudgingly sat to her right. Twilight tried to sit but was stopped by Luna's wings and a side glance. Getting the message she simply stood there while looking at the ground nervously. Now it was a matter of waiting for the new Alicorn to show up. Luna didn't know what to expect from her but she hoped it wouldn't be disappointing, especially considering that she's her daughter now. Ugh, how will she even deal with being a mother? Sure it will barely matter considering her age but it will still complicate matters beyond their already complicated nature. How would she even react to all of this? Would she ask to be Celestia’s daughter instead? It will make sense since they have been family for a while now…the idea did not sit well with her, it will be yet another thing taken from her by her sister. Sure she didn't even choose this or necessarily want this but the idea of her adoptive daughter choosing Celestia to be her mother was not a pleasant one. Everyone chose her sister over her after all. So what if she and this Cadance had both originally been pegasi? It means little to nothing now. The only person who would choose her willingly is gone now… Her thoughts then switched and went to Nightmare Moon. Nightmare always wanted to have a child and be a mother, she would have been delighted by this news…or maybe she would have gotten mad because of the nature of how it came to be. What would she think if she was here? What would she expect of Cadance? What will she do if she chooses Celestia instead? So many questions, yet there will be no answers. She cannot converse with the dead nor would she want to disturb the dead and bring her back no matter how much she wanted to…why was she taken from her? Why? Why not allow them to be gone together?! Cadance's POV Princess Mi Amore Cadenza otherwise known as Cadance, had an interesting past 24 hours. First, her auntie was attacked by something or someone, then auntie flies out alone saying she has to deal with something, the sun doesn't rise in time and oh, The Flipping Moon disappears from the night sky. Now, after trying to calm the people, she gets called by a guard on orders of her aunt. Cadance followed the guard who called for her attendance with a confused expression, she was confused about why Auntie Celestia would interrupt a meeting. Not that she was complaining, dealing with panicking nobles and foreign diplomats was not something she enjoyed doing. She understood their fears but could they not act like children? The sun rose, whatever attacked her auntie and messed with the moon was gone now. Everything was back to normal. Sure, it was also freaky for the night to remain without the moon in the sky but it didn't last that long. Everything was fine now. They were fine and safe…but then why did the princess call for an urgent meeting regarding the disappearance of the moon? Would it still be gone and not shine again? Or what? And what was this sorrow that she was feeling close by? Whatever the deal may be, her questions will be answered soon after she reaches the room. The guard knocked on the door before slightly bowing and returning to his post. Cadance used her magic to open the door and froze at what she saw. Her auntie and Twilight were there, which was relatively normal, but what shocked her was the 3rd member. Sitting there was someone she didn't know, sitting there was an Alicorn. By the looks of it, she was young, perhaps a teenager. If she were to guess, she'd say that the new Alicorn was a bit shorter than her. Of course that is not what made her concerned or what caught her senses. As the princess of love, she can, of course, feel love and all the emotions that relate to it. This Alicorn had a tremendous amount of love, which would have been a sight for sore eyes not in the form of sorrow and heartbreak. It was not like anything she had seen before in her life. She almost wanted to cry as soon as she saw it. What could have caused such a thing to the young one? She immediately wanted to just rush there and embrace her and tell her that it would all be all right. But she couldn't, not now. She'll meet her later and do her best to help then, now she has work to do. “Cadance, it's nice to see you, my dear. Please, do take a seat. We have a lot to talk about today. I'm sure you have a lot of questions at the moment. They will all be answered soon, so no need for you to worry.” odd. Auntie Celestia isn't usually this serious or curt. She was fine though, but her emotions further confused the pink Alicorn. She felt a great deal of love towards the new Alicorn. It was family love, sisterly love to be precise, and it held back a lot of regret. She didn't know what this was about but she was both looking forward to this and dreading it. She made herself smile for her auntie before she went and sat down on the chair to Celestia’s left. “Hello Auntie Celestia, it's nice to see you too. I must thank you for calling me out of the meeting, the nobles and ambassadors were getting slightly out of hoof back there.” The newcomer simply stared at her with an intrigued (and somewhat smug) expression on her face. The princess of love didn't know why, but she felt as if she was being studied and analyzed by the teenager Alicorn. Not exactly knowing what to do, she simply waved her hoof to her as a way of saying hello. “Right. Well since you are, we shall discuss the matter at hoof. Now as you are seeing, we have another Alicorn present with us. This is Princess Lunaraina Selena Hurricane. My sister and the former mare on the moon. You can call her Luna for short.” Said her aunt softly and casually as if she was introducing her to another noble, she also looked at the ‘princess’ for approval and she seemed to get it. Meanwhile, Cadance was left with her jaw on the ground as she stared at the mare with eyes the size of saucers. Did her aunt just say that this teenager of an Alicorn is not only her sister but the mare on the moon?? All those stories and tales about the monstrous mare that hunts and eats children, the one that haunts the dreams and causes nightmares is just a TEENAGER?? BUCK WAITING. Within an instant, Cadance teleported next to the mare and abandoned all formality as she gave her the tightest hug that she could give. She felt her tense and even attempted to push her away but she stood firm. No wonder she felt all that sorrow and heartbreak. This poor child (okay now she wasn't sure that was the correct term considering the mare on the moon was definitely older than her) was the subject of the hate and fears of countless people for generations! “Oh, you poor thing! Don't worry, we'll fix that, no one will fear you like that again, no one will hurt you or will say those hideous stories about you anymore. I promise you that Princess Luna.” she softly whispered to the mare who went stiff after hearing her. “What…what are you talking about? What hideous stories?!” What? Did she not know? “you don't know? The stories about the mare on the moon? Nightmare night? You don't know about them?” she said as she let go of the hug with a confused look on her face “...well now I want to but it's a matter for another time. Now let go of me and return to your seat child,” Princess Luna said after a moment to realize what she was told. Sensing that the princess was a bit happier now, Cadence simply nodded as she walked back to her seat now a bit confused. If that's not what caused the emotions to the princess, then what did? “oh um, I'm sorry for the sudden break of formality Auntie.” she said sheepishly before she sat down. “It's alright Cadence, you don't need to worry about it. Now would you like to introduce yourself to the Princess?” Well, Celestia was also happier so that's an improvement. “Oh right, My apologies, Princess Luna. My name is Mi Amore Cadenza, The princess and Alicorn of Love but you can call me Cadence.” Cadence couldn't help but chuckle at the confused look on Twilight's face, it was probably the first time she heard her full name after all. Luna on the other hand just stared at her for a moment before blinking slowly. Did she say something wrong? “Are you sure of the fact that that is your name?” Now it was Cadance's turn to stare at her for a moment. “Luna, would you please be nicer to dear Cadance and um, not ask her such questions?” Thankfully, Auntie Celestia broke her out of her moment. “Oh no Auntie, it's quite alright really! Um, Yes Princess Luna, my name is indeed Mi Amore Cadenza.” Luna stared at her for a moment before shrugging to herself. “So the princess of Love's name is My Love Cadenza. I would have commented further but seeing that my name has two instances of the moon in it, I'll just say that Pegasi names hold an intriguing mystery.” “I admit, it is quite a coinciden- wait what now?” is the princess implying what she thinks she is implying? Now that she thought about it, her name was definitely a pegasus name…and then there is her last name. The young(est? It's up for debate) princess simply nodded before speaking. “Yes, I was born a pegasus and ascended into Alicornhood just like you. I did not think such a thing could happen again but it seemed I was wrong. Now to explain why you are here. As my sister has just told you, I am the former mare on the Moon, what she did not tell you is that I am the princess of the Moon.” The princess stopped speaking for a moment to allow her to digest the information. Cadance just sat there for a moment before speaking. “But you're so young? The mare on the moon was there before I was even born, yet you're a teenager! Erm- no disrespect, of course, I'm just…confused to say the least. Also since you're Auntie Celestia’s sister, does that make you also my aunt?” Luna sighed, apparently she expected such a question. “I am younger due to the elements of harmony, they sapped a considerable amount of my strength and age among other…acts.” she felt the sorrow and heartbreak inside the princess rise as she said that. Also, why were the elements used on her now? “So, instead of being an adult the size of Celestia, I am now a mere teenager. As for your other question, the answer is an unfortunate no, the moment Celestia made you her niece is also the moment she made you my daughter. By law at least.” Excuse me, what now? She's her what? “Making you the niece of both of us requires us to have a brother or a sister or it will be a confusing legal mess. I'll give you a moment considering this is a lot.” Saying that it was a lot was not even scratching the surface. So, the teenager in front of her is the living legend of the mare on the Moon and actually an adult who got age regressed into a teenager by the elements of harmony AND thanks to Auntie Celestia, she is also her mother according to the law? All of that is without even mentioning that she is also a pegasus who ascended! “I…I need more than a moment for this…but you might as well tell me the rest before I begin dealing with this.” Ugh, her throat felt dry and her head hurt a bit. Maybe she should get a drink later on. The princess (should she call her mother now?) simply nodded before she continued. “The reason I was gone is that I was banished by the elements of harmony for 1000 years after a fight with Celestia.” The solar princess looked at the ground in shame at that. “And now that I am back, my duties to handle the moon, and the night will return to me and so will my duties to the public. Now as far as you and the public know, I did not exist a thousand years ago and it will remain like that. The story that will be told to the public is that after the defeat of Nightmare Moon, the elements saw fit to create an avatar for the Moon and that will be me. Any questions?” What the buck? Of course, she has questions after such a dump of information! “Luna, don't you think that you dumped a bit too much at once?” Celestia began. “No, she asked for the rest and she received it. Now, do you have any questions?” Luna ended and returned to her previous question. Well of course, but among the many questions that plagued her mind was simply why? Why was she banished? Why is she Luna's daughter now? Why are they lying to the public? “Why?” Before she even noticed. The question slipped out of her mouth. In response, she only got a raised eyebrow. “Why what? I'm afraid you have to be more clear.” “Why were you banished? Why did you fight Auntie? Why are you lying to the public about who and what you are?” She flinched at the sharp inhale that came from the other 2 Alicorns at the table, looking behind Luna she saw Twilight tense. Did she say something wrong? “My fight with my sister is a more complicated matter that I'm not sure even she understands. The why for my banishment can be attributed to fear and the same can be said for why we're lying to the public. Me and Nightmare Moon used to be practically one, and so it is us who attempted to bring eternal night. If the public knows that then we will meet riots and mistrust from the general public and the nobles. So, to make sure that we keep the peace and to make the most of a decision out of rage and a coincidence, we will lie. A lie that will keep the peace and does no harm to anyone. Do you understand now? “I-...yes? Not really? Dealing with the consequences of who and what you are now seems like a better idea than dealing with the consequences of the public finding out the truth later on, no matter how unlikely that situation may be. Also um don't get me wrong and please don't consider me selfish for wanting to address this matter first buuutttt...why are you my mother now exactly? What did Auntie Celestia do exactly to make me your daughter?” She did not know why, but she felt the Moon Princess tense up as she asked her questions…the last 2 questions to be specific. Instead of her answering though, it was Auntie Celestia who did. “Since it's my mistake I'll explain. You see, I adopted you as my niece, which enlisted you as the daughter of my sibling, and by ancient law and bonds with blood-” with? “That landed you as Luna's daughter. Now I admit, I did not think it through or even consider what your position will be as my niece, and my lack of foresight is what landed us here. If you want to, we can give a compromise to the public, but as far as the truth and law are concerned, I accidentally made you Luna's daughter … on the Brightside now you're a princess Twice! For your status as the princess of love and the daughter of the moon princess!” Okay, the ending was a bit lame but any effort to lighten the mood was appreciated. Cadance nodded before she stood up “Okay, I think I get it. Having a mother who's younger than me in appearance will be odd but nothing that I won't get used to.” she then smiled as she looked at the Moon Princess (who looked rather anxious) “I know this is a sudden thing, and I can only imagine what you're going through with your return and finding out that you're a mother now but um…I would like to get to know you, Princess. Mother? I'm sorry I just don't know what to call you yet, but perhaps we can both get used to this together?” she ended with a hopeful note at the end. She didn't know what happened between the 2 sisters or the full events of the past day, but what she knew was that it was a lot for everyone. What she also knew was that she wanted to help the returning princess get rid of all those pains that she was harbouring. Who knows, perhaps this situation will be a blessing in disguise. As she looked at her new ‘mother’ she couldn't help but smile at the nod she received…or at the fact that her pains were not the focus of her mind, perhaps she was happy at the moment? She'd like to think that she is. “Now if you all please excuse me, I'm going to get a drink,” she said before teleporting out of the room while giggling at the shocked reactions on the faces of the others. As she arrived in her room she would lay on her bed and thought back to her day. Deal with terrified people and nobles? Check. Meet a living legend? Check. Have history and princess lore dumped on her? Check. Gain a new mother? Check. Learn she's not the first pegasus to ascend? Check. Be part of a future nation- no, worldwide lie? Check. While shifting on the bed Cadenza called a bottle of brandy towards her from the closet with her magic. She couldn't help but think about the one way to describe her day. Interesting. Today was an interesting day indeed. Actually, now that the night will be ruled by another Princess, what changes will occur to it? Other than no mare on the moon that is. Perhaps the night will also prove to be interesting.