Prologue: Rise and Fall (Revised and revamped)

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Over a thousand years ago, years and years before Nightmare Moon made her debut, there were twelve divisions in the Equestrian Army. All twelve were conveniently numbered one through twelve. There were plenty of soldiers in the military and peace was present throughout all of Equestria.

One day, a young Princess Luna approached her sister and asked, "Sister, may we have your permission to create a military division of our own?"

"Why would thou want to do that, Luna?" Celestia responded.

"So that we may prove to you that we have grown enough to manage something bigger than us. As well as forming our own royal guard so that thine shall not have to protect both of us. No offense my dear sister, the unit thou hast given us to use as our personal guard is most excellent, but they seem to lack enthusiasm for their assignment. If thou understand what I mean."

"Of course. It only seems fair as we already have one or two divisions dedicated to us. Do as thou wishes. You have my blessing my sister."

"Thank you my beloved sister!" Luna said as she gave her sister a big hug.

And so upon that day, the 13th Infantry Division was born. Since thirteen was the next number in the sequence, it made perfect sense that it became the thirteenth division in the army. From day one of the division's existence, Luna watched over it as carefully as a hen watched over its eggs. Princess Luna personally oversaw the training of all soldiers in her division as well as personally congratulating everypony who successfully completed training.

Luna would not settle for less than the best. The training was the best in the military, and only about three out of every five ponies made it through to the end. The troops came to adore and admire the Princess of the Night, as they felt she truly cared about them and their performance. As a result, the division officially dedicated themselves to Princess Luna during the official unit activation ceremony, much to Luna's delight.

The entire division was issued purple armor and helmets with webbed crests. Princess Luna also saw to it that each pegasus warrior in her division was gifted with webbed wings. They were little more than cosmetic enhancements, but they also waterproofed the wings. This allowed her pegasi to fly with ease at extremely high altitudes and when their wings were wet.

The majority of the division consisted of pegasi, each the descendent of a great pegasus warrior who fought long ago. While there were a decent number of earth ponies, only a handful of unicorns were in the division. The reason for this huge imbalance of each of the three types of ponies was unknown. Although, racism and Luna’s disdain for nobility have both been raised as possible explanations.

At its height, the 13th division comprised of around ten thousand troops. Three brigades made up the division, known simply as; 1st brigade, 2nd brigade, and 3rd brigade, each consisting of around 3,400, 3,300, and 3,300 troops respectively. Each brigade also consisted of about three or four battalions.

The 13th was ready, trained, and anxious to prove themselves. Little did anypony know, that they would get their chance far sooner than anypony could predict.

A disturbance in the far south quickly turned into a hasty and bloody conflict. Large groups of desert dwelling, nomadic ponies attacked the southernmost outpost and settlement on Equestria's border.

Diplomacy with the nomads revealed that Equestria had encroached upon their ancestral lands, and that they would not cease until the settlement was erased from the map. Further negotiations fell out as the last ambassadors who were sent disappeared. Their heads were discovered the following day, stuck onto spears with blood dripping down through the empty eye sockets.

Survivors of the nomad attacks described the strange ponies as being black and white with stripes along their entire bodies. Survivors also claimed the ponies were extremely fierce and hostile. One battalion from the 3rd Infantry Division posted in the area was decimated, as it was encircled and chipped away at mercilessly. Other units from the 3rd division began moving in to reinforce the settlement.

Celestia was outraged and demanded, "The immediate reinforcement of the southern colony and the deployment of a force of substantial size to deter or otherwise defend against aggression from hostile forces."

The only problem was what division to send to the southernmost border? Most of the divisions were currently posted throughout the entire country and could not be redeployed elsewhere. The 3rd division was in the vicinity, but was becoming overwhelmed by the constant attacks and large area they had to protect. Two divisions were currently on standby for R&R (rest and relaxation/recuperation), but both had just rotated into R&R from a nine month tour and the soldiers were tired as a result. Three more divisions were being trained and formed, but it would be too late by the time they finished training and were deployed.

Celestia wracked her brain frantically for a solution to this conundrum. She could use the new 13th Lunar Division, but she wanted other perspectives on this matter. She sought out advice from her advisors, commanders, and even members of the representative body. Her advisors and the majority of the representatives told her to avoid using the new Lunar Division at all costs, while her generals and commanders stopped just short of begging her to send the 13th Division.

Both sides made compelling arguments, and created a stalemate in her mind. That is, until one pony who Celestia trusted a great deal commented on the situation. The decision Celestia reached was not well received by one Lunar Princess.

"Why won't thou send them!?" Luna yelled loudly.

"They are untested and we cannot afford to lose the colony in the south. We need experienced veterans to handle this situation, not giddy colts who have never seen combat."

"Just give them a chance! They want to prove themselves and they will fight with great ferocity. We hath faith in them and they will not disappoint us."

"Nay! They are not going and that is final!"

"Tia! Use thy head and listen to reason. Thou plan on sending a tired, under-equipped, division while thou hath one that is well rested, well-equipped, and ready to mobilize immediately. Send the 13th, they can handle this. We'll give them a speech before they leave and motivate them. They can accomplish anything if we motivate them."

Celestia let out a long sigh. She had to admit that Luna was right. The 13th was ready to deploy at a moment's notice and was well rested and stocked. She conceded and overturned her previous decision. "Thou hath made a good point. Thou shalt motivate thy division tomorrow before they shall march to the south. I'm warning you Luna, more than Equestria’s pride may rest upon this conflict. If thou should fail, our own country could be perceived as weak, and a ripe target for our more aggressive neighbors.”

The next day Princess Luna gathered the 13th division, and in her royal Canterlot voice, addressed them and began her short speech.

"My dear soldiers of the 13th Infantry Division! Thou all know the reason we hath gathered you! There hath been a large disturbance in the south of the kingdom. The Royal 3rd Division is being overwhelmed and are in need of immediate reinforcement. We have been given the glorious honor of pushing these nomadic infidels back into the barren wastes from which they came! The enemy we face is unknown and mysterious, but that shalt not deter us! They hath attacked our country and killed our fellow citizens. We shall make them pay! We hath watched all of thou train and and are most pleased with the result. It is our time to shine and show these savage whelps that Equestria is a place that should never be trifled with. We are most proud of all of thou and now thou must prove thy-selves, not to your fellow divisions, not to these uncivil nomads, but to thy country and thine Princess! We give all of thee our best wishes and royal blessing for a triumphant victory in the coming campaign. May your wings never fail you, your swords stay ever sharp, and may honor and glory become yours!"

As Luna finished, the division went into a frenzied state. The soldiers pounded their hooves against the ground, creating a large, deafening thunder that shook the ground. Her soldiers also all began chanting her name as one over the continuous hoof pounding. "Luna! Luna! Luna!" The division standard (flag) bearers began waving their flags back and forth frantically, displaying the vivid colors of the flags.

Luna was overwhelmed with pride and awe as she witnessed this great spectacle. Thousands of ponies chanting her name and pounding their hooves onto the ground. While above the soldiers, the flags waved overhead and she saw several copies of her cutie mark staring back at her. For one of the few times in her life, she felt like she had accomplished something truly amazing.

Within a week, the division was on the southern border, thanks to taking a train. Upon arriving, the 13th took responsibility for the settlement and its surrounding area. The remains of the 3rd division regrouped and took charge of the military outpost and its surroundings. The nomads were aware that another large amount of ponies had just arrived, and became excessively wary and skittish.

Nomad attacks almost stopped completely due to the presence of the 13th division. Whenever a patrol was set out towards a nomad controlled area, the nomads scattered and ran when they saw anypony approach them. Even one soldier could send dozens of them scrambling away and out of sight.

The appearance of Luna’s troops is what truly frightened them. With their fangs, gold eyes, and webbed wings, the nomads thought they were demons. Rumors among the nomads circulated that these so called “demons” were here to hurl them all into Tartarus for breaking tradition and waging unjust war.

Afraid, and doubting their capability to win the conflict, the nomad ponies prepared to make amends and return to peace. Or that was the plan until a mysterious mare appeared before them, offering military aid in the form of a small army of mercenaries. All she asked for in return was the total destruction of the 13th Lunar Division.

The nomads were suspicious of this mare and her reasons, but accepted her offer nonetheless. Bolstered with this large force, the nomads laid in waiting. Waiting for the opportunity to strike and take the Equestrians by surprise.

On one scorching summer morning, a pair of Lunar soldiers ran out into the sandy wastes. Their purpose was to scout out the nomads, as no contact had been made with them in over a week. Fearing something diabolical, command had decided to see what those pesky desert dwellers were up to.

The two scouts ran up and down the usual patrol routes, and found nothing, as usual. Spurred onward by orders, they abandoned the routes and the safety of being in the settlement’s immediate area. They plunged deeper and deeper into the desert, occasionally looping around to make sure they covered every dune and hill in the area they explored.

By now, the familiar settlement was just a heat distorted visage on the horizon. Realizing how far they had traveled, they wondered how they still had found nothing. The sun had reached its pinnacle, and its oppressive heat was making the scouts extremely uncomfortable in their armor. They were about to turn back and cross the sea of dunes to return to the settlement, but they reluctantly decided to check over the last hill in front of them.

They fell onto their bellies as they slowly crawled up the sand dune, being careful not to make too much noise. Upon reaching the crest, they peered down unto the other side. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they tried to process what they were seeing.

After the hill they sat on, the desert evened out into a large flat plain, dotted by the occasional cactus. What occupied this large stretch is what made them gasp in shock. Tents as far as the eye could see met their gaze. Many were of the strange nomad design, while the rest took a more familiar shape, like those used by the Equestrian military.

Hundreds of nomad ponies could be seen milling about, their black and white stripes seeming to blend them all into one large congenial mass. Other ponies were present as well, their coats being of many varying colors just like normal ponies. The one thing they shared in common, was the golden-bronze armor they all wore.

Terrified of their new discovery, they quickly decided that they needed to return to base immediately and report this. As they were about to climb down, a nomad suddenly looked up at their hill and spotted them. For a tense moment, time stood still, as both parties only stared at each other in fear. The silence was broken by the nomad finding his voice and shouting.

“Demons!”

The two Lunar scouts were gone. They slid down the hill, trying to start running while doing so. By the time they reached the bottom, both were at a full gallop as they raced toward the glistening beacon in the distance. The settlement.

Moments later, the two scouts found themselves with company. A group of six nomads accompanied by two of the bronze-armored ponies were in hot pursuit. One of the bronze-armored ponies was a unicorn, the other a pegasus. During the chase, the nomads were whooping and shouting, while the unicorn and pegasus remained stoic.

Nodding to each other, the pegasus spread his wings and took flight. He winged his way closer and closer to the two fleeing scouts. His wingblades shimmered brightly in the desert sun, highlighting his ill intent.

Looking over their predicament, the two scouts devised a quick plan. The pegasus would distract the group while the earth pony would escape. The pegasus volunteered, even though he knew he was likely to die. He pushed that thought out of his head as he remembered his mission. This information had to get back to headquarters, no matter the cost.

Bidding his comrade farewell, he spread his wings and rose to meet the other pegasus. He attacked the bronze-armored pegasus with his own wingblades, knocking him off balance as blade connected with blade. The other pegasus tumbled in the air, and withdrew to regain his bearings.

While the pegasus was temporarily indisposed, he made a couple of quick swooping attacks at the earth-bound members of the party. Dodging magic attacks and the jabbing of spears, he managed to get one nomad. The sand turned red as he bled to death from the fatal wound.

The earth pony scout had escaped by now, lost in the sea of dunes as he made his way towards the settlement. Still, the pegasus fought on, for he wanted to make sure that they would not get to his comrade.

The bronze pegasus was back, and flew in a large lazy circle around the Lunar scout. The nomads and unicorn sat below, waiting for him to make the first move. He sat still for a minute, considering his options as his opponents quietly waited for him. He took one last breath as he dove straight for the unicorn.

The pegasus bolted after him, hot on his tail, while the unicorn began firing magic attacks at the Lunar scout. Dodging and weaving, he avoided them all and closed the distance. He collided with the unicorn, and the two tumbled across the desert sand for a brief moment, creating a dust cloud. As the cloud dispersed within a few moments, the Lunar scout emerged over the broken form of the now dead unicorn.

Enraged, the bronze pegasus bellowed as he came down like a speeding bullet upon the Lunar scout. His hind leg connected with the scout’s head in a furious kick. Thrown a couple of feet, the scout could only stagger weakly and attempt to stand back up. He never got the chance, as the nomads descended upon him and ran him through with their spears. Satisfied, and knowing the other scout was impossible to find at this point, the surviving nomads and the pegasus returned to their camp. Bearing the bad news of what had transpired.

The scout ran without pause. Only when he was within the safety of the settlement did he bother to slow down. Between tired, ragged breaths, he told his fellow soldiers of the nomad and mercenary camp, as well as the sacrifice that their brave comrade had made. Shocked by the news of reinforcements acquired by the nomads, the information was quickly passed up the chain of command. It even went so far as to reach Luna’s ears.

Luna’s reception of the news was dulled, as if she had suspected such a thing all along. Ordering caution, she gave her permission to proceed with the planning and execution of an attack. All the while she quietly mused to herself, thinking about matters of the past.

The 13th Lunar Division assembled, and prepared to march for the camp. The plan was simple. Take two brigades of the division, and leave the last to guard the settlement. The attacking force would descend upon the enemy encampment and obliterate it. While the defending force would watch over the base and make sure it was secure.

Formed up into rank and file, the attacking force marched into the desert. Led by the earth pony scout, they came to the spot where the camp was located. It was empty.

All the tents were gone, as were the nomads and mercenaries. The only thing that indicated there was a large camp here was the huge amounts of churned up sand, and some small fire pits and rings.

After this disappointment, the Lunar army prepared to march back to the settlement. Suddenly, loud war whoops and shouts were heard as nomads and mercenaries appeared from the dunes on all sides. They descended upon the Lunar force and encircled them, trapping them in the desert. A fierce and bloody battle erupted in the sands.

Swords and armor clashed against each other. While spears, arrows, and magic attacks flew through the air. The screams of the wounded and the dying were enough to drive anypony insane. Blood splattered everywhere and painted the sand and many ponies an evil red.

The nomad fighters stood little chance against the elite soldiers of the 13th, and hordes of them fell. The mercenaries fared better by far, for they had received proper military training. Still, many on both sides fell as the battle progressed. Every time the nomads and mercs tightened their circle around the 13th, they were rebuffed.

After a couple unsuccessful hours, the nomad forces with their mercenary allies broke contact and withdrew into the dunes. With losses higher than what they wanted to accept, the 13th begrudgingly pulled back to the settlement. There was a problem though, it was currently under attack.

Another large force of nomads and mercs had attacked the settlement while the bulk of the 13th were away. The remainder left on defense was holding, but just barely. A large number of mercs and nomads suddenly appeared and bolstered their attacking brethren. With horror, they realized the ones reinforcing the attackers was the large group the bulk of the 13th had engaged in the open desert a few hours prior. With the situation becoming dire, with nomads breaching the walls of the settlement, the rest of the 13th plunged into battle once more.

They swung upon the rear of the nomad forces, who were focused on attacking the walls of the settlement. Chaos filled the battlefield as the armies clashed once more. The front lines disintegrated and ceased to exist, as the battle turned into an all out melee with forces on both sides mixing and entangled within each other.

After hours of fighting, and numerous casualties on both sides, the two armies broke their engagement. The nomads and the mercenaries pulled away from the settlement, towards the desert. They tried to form up in a semblance of order, but failed to do so with the untrained nomads panicking and running about haphazardly.

The 13th was able to regroup and fell into formation with practiced military precision. As one, they marched toward their scattered foes. Seeing this, the mercenaries knew they stood no chance now. The 13th outnumbered them by a hefty amount and were well organized, while their own forces were scattered. Avoiding a senseless massacre, they turned tail and ran into the desert. Their floundering nomad allies trailing behind them.

Shouts of joy and victory emanated from the 13th division. They had won their first battle.

That night the soldiers celebrated their baptism of fire and partied well into the night. Much drinking and yelling were to be had. The news of this victory was sent to Canterlot and many soldiers praised the scouts who had found the enemy encampment.

Several toastings were made that night. Many were for the memories and the families of those who had fallen. While many hundred more were made praising Princess Luna for her blessing and the great care she had shown in training and inspiring them. Luna had given them a chance to prove themselves, glory, and victory. They felt that their devotion and praise to her was the least they could offer.

The 13th had suffered many casualties, but not nearly as many as the nomads and mercenaries had. The nomads realized they could no longer confront the Equestrian army head on or they would lose massive amounts of soldiers. Instead, they resorted to small hit and run strikes against various targets. Several nomadic base camps were spaced throughout the nearby desert and they would often appear from the desert, raid a settlement, and disappear before soldiers could react. The Royal Army commanders knew they needed to find these bases and destroy them, but how?

When news of the victory hit Canterlot, it made many a pony jump for joy. The princesses were especially happy at the good news, and Luna was ecstatic. The great news spread throughout the rest of Equestria rapidly and the whole country was in a joyous uproar. In celebration of this victory Luna made a new constellation, named “Triumph”, and made the moon shine brilliantly in the night sky for several nights afterward.

The soldiers in the south saw the beautiful moon the next night and saw it as a sign from Luna. To honor their Princess of the Night, they stayed up all night to gaze and marvel at the magnificent night sky and the bright moon.

From the brilliant display of the moon at night, the commanders of the division had an idea. Since they could not approach a nomad base by day undetected and without them all running away and setting up elsewhere, why can't they attack at night by moonlight?

The next week was spent doing night time search and destroy missions. They found, attacked, and destroyed several base camps. Very few nomads and mercenaries escaped such attacks, and most were taken prisoner. One nomad had this to say to his captors.

"You are all mad. Only demons and monsters attack in the night. You serve the moon and it glows brightly for you to carry out your evil deeds. You call it "Luna" and you are its servants. This is madness! You are all lunatics! Your brains have been addled by this Luna!"

From this, the nickname "Luna's Lunatics" was born. It was adopted wholeheartedly by the soldiers and became a distinct part of their legacy.

After a few more months of fighting, the nomads had had enough. They brought themselves to the negotiating table and surrendered. They had lost several thousand of their population and were fearful their people could die out if this war persisted for much longer. Not to mention, that their mercenary allies and the mare leading them had mysteriously disappeared one night. The nomads promised to never attack Equestria again as long as Equestria did not expand further south.

Celestia fully embraced these terms and signed the peace agreement. With the war finally over, the nomads disappeared back into the sands from whence they came and the 13th Lunar Division or "Luna's Lunatics" celebrated their victory once again.

Years and years after their first victories, the 13th division was one of the most well known divisions in the entire army. It was also one of the most prestigious and exclusive. It was the dream of many a soldier and officer to join this elite group of soldiers, who had an impressive record of winning almost every battle they fought.

The 13th division was also the only way to join Princess Luna's personal guard. Many wished to have the privilege of serving Luna personally, as this time was the height of her popularity with the pony folk.

Princess Luna had a small group of the most elite of the 13th's soldiers who served as her permanent personal guard. While at the same time, she also gave every qualified member of the 13th the opportunity to serve under her as a temporary guard for a short period of time. No pony passed up her offer.

Luna used this mix of permanent and temporary guards to maintain a close relationship with her guards and soldiers. As well as to continuously gain fresh insight as to what was going on in the division from both officers and enlisted personnel. This tactic was effective as it kept her in high regard with her division and her subjects.

During this time, it was not uncommon to swear loyalty to the princess the division was dedicated too, so all soldiers in the 13th pledged their allegiance to Princess Luna and Equestria. Some ponies (politicians especially) thought that Luna was secretly trying to shift the balance of power in the kingdom. They saw that the only division that was dedicated to the Night Princess, was also the most well-known and best trained in the entire army.

In the meantime, Luna had received approval from her sister to create another two divisions that would be trained and formed to the same rigorous standards as the 13th. Opponents of Luna quite openly accused her of trying to take over the government. Stating that a total of three fanatically dedicated divisions could seize the capital and support a coup of the kingdom.

Princess Luna and Celestia both denied these claims and claimed to be in good standing with each other. They are sisters after all. Celestia also publicly announced that she approved the commissioning of these two divisions herself and said, "After seeing how the 13th turned out, it would be a great asset for the military to have more divisions like it. As for a coup, how could that happen? We are sisters, and we share our power equally.”

Even so, Princess Luna had begun to feel resentful and bitter towards her sister. Regardless of her great accomplishments and military prowess, It was well known throughout Equestria that many thought she was playing second fiddle to Celestia. They thought she was a pawn. A pawn under the influence and control of her elder sibling, who could never fully achieve greatness on her own.

At the same time, less and less ponies were enjoying the night, and many wished the days were longer instead of night and day being the same length. These things angered and insulted Luna, who took them personally. Bitterness, resentment, and hatred filled Luna's heart and soul, taking a firm root in each. Bitterness and resentment, for the ignorant and ungrateful subjects whom she ruled over. Hatred, for her sister. For Celestia always outshined her no matter what, and was often credited for things that Luna had done.

The powder was primed, and the fuse was set. The only thing needed, was the spark to set it all off.

The 13th division was stationed in Canterlot for some R&R, and it was just like any ordinary day. That was, until Princess Luna visited the Royal barracks.

She approached the 13th’s commander and said, "Gather the troops, there is something that must be done."

The commander thought something seemed different about Luna. She didn't look any different, but he sensed her attitude was off and her voice sounded harsher and colder than usual. Being a military colt though, he didn't say or ask anything.

"Of course, your majesty." He replied as he bowed before her.

"Good, make sure they are ready for combat by midnight." She said icily as she trotted out of the room.

The commander’s mind was filled with suspicions that threatened to drown out all other thought. What could she possibly be planning? Please, Luna, dearest princess, do not take a course of action that could very well lead to self-destruction.

At midnight that night, all the troops were assembled in formation wearing full combat gear. They all stood there waiting for Princess Luna to come and meet them. An hour passed, but nopony dared to break formation, in case this was some discipline drill. Shortly after the first hour of the new day, a messenger ran into view and delivered a message to the commander, then ran elsewhere.

The commander took the message in his hoof and unrolled the scroll. Inside were orders to invade the castle, and strategically place units all over the city, to prevent anypony from entering or leaving. It also detailed the seizure of the representative body and the military command structure, so as to effectively paralyze the government and prevent it from acting. The instructions also ordered the subduement of those who resisted, or threatened to impede them from carrying out their orders.

The commander was shocked as he read through this, and thought that Luna would never order something so aggressive and controversial. He was proved wrong and his fears seemed to be realized as he saw the Royal Seal and Luna's signature on the bottom of the scroll. These alone proved that this order was authentic, and had to be carried out. He sighed and ordered his soldiers to do as the scroll said.

And so, in the dead of the night, ten thousand Lunar soldiers rushed through the streets of Canterlot. All had their objectives and proceeded to carry them out. The occasional pony who was still up this late gasped at the sight, and grew frightened as they saw the city gates forcibly occupied by Lunar soldiers. Many thought and feared the worst, especially after patrols of Royal guards were seen being detained by members of the Lunar corps.

The outer walls and gates had been secured, which left only the interior and the castle left. Standard Royal guard units were in a panicked frenzy, unable to decide what to do or what was going on as the Lunar corps detained hundreds, if not thousands of them.

Making their way to the castle, the 13th forced their way inside, rushing past confused and alarmed guards and staff. Their destination was the throne room as they made a beeline straight towards it. Solar guards attempted to bar their entrance, indicating that Celestia was currently in the throne room, but were battered aside as the tide of Lunar soldiers surged through the doors.

Upon entering the room, the soldiers were greeted with the sight of the two alicorn monarchs of Equestria. Princess Celestia, the white and pure, was talking with her sister as the large group forced their way in. Surprised and startled, Celestia paled at the sight of the large armed group before them, while Luna merely smiled.

“Wh- what is the meaning of this!?” Celestia stammered, her eyes darting back and forth from Luna to her soldiers.

“A most excellent execution.” Luna merely stated, turning toward her Lunar soldiers and ignoring her sister. “Thou all hath performed admirably, and it is apparent thine loyalty has not wavered. I declare this “Emergency Government Seizure” drill a success. Thou may all stand down now.”

The soldiers did so, and the Solar guards were allowed back up, albeit with much cursing and grumbling.

Celestia exhaled in relief, and her normal calm demeanor returned. “Luna, don’t do that again without giving prior knowledge. Thou hast startled me most severely.”

Luna shrugged and said ominously, “Thou must be prepared for anything, sister. Everything and anything.”

As the next couple of weeks passed, several more of these drills took place. Some were during the night, others during the day. They became so common, that nopony was surprised when they happened anymore. They were more annoying than anything else, according to politicians anyway. So when one happened on a particular night, nopony thought anything was awry. Oh how wrong they were.

As per usual, the city had been secured and a small force had entered the castle. They walked, rather than ran, as they knew there was no urgency. That quickly changed as they heard shouting and sounds of a struggle from behind the throne room doors.

Rushing to the door, they heard Celestia shouting at somepony. “Stop this at once! What on earth has possessed thou to do such a thing!?”

“You!” Another mare shouted back, her voice sounding familiar to the Lunar soldiers outside the door. “Thou art a tyrant and oppressor!”

The fighting continued as the reverberations of the magic attacks shook the very castle down to its foundation.

Pounding on the locked door, the commander shouted, “Open this door at once!”

“Hah! Thine time hath ended!” The mare behind the door triumphantly stated.

“Princess Luna?”

“Yes, ‘tis I. Help me, mine own soldiers, for my sister hath attacked me! She wishes to usurp my position and rule the country all by herself!”

“Lies!” Celestia interjected.

“Silence, traitor! Thou shalt burn in Tartarus for thine betrayal!”

The attacks continued once more, and the Lunar soldiers hastened to open the doors. They could not believe their own ears had accurately recorded what had been said. How could such a thing be happening!? Regardless, they had a job to do, and a princess who needed their help. They threw themselves at the door, battering it as one giant living ram.

After a tense couple of minutes, with the magic battle raging all the while, the lock on the doors finally gave way. The doors flew open as the soldiers rushed into the room with weapons drawn, ready to aide their ruler of the night.

What they saw, made them stop dead in their tracks. Princess Celestia was engaged in a magic duel with another alicorn who had to be Luna, but she looked completely different. She was now the same size as Celestia, instead of slightly smaller. Her coat was no longer a dark blue sapphire, but now a very dark shade of cerulean. Her eyes were different now as well, containing cat-like irises to make her look like a fierce predator. On top of it all, she wore light blue armor.

Her guards were unable to move. They were only able to gawk at this strange sight in front of them.

Looking over to the door, the alicorn who had to be Luna cried out, “My soldiers, aide me! Attack the Princess of the Sun!”

Dumbfounded, they did nothing.

“Imbeciles! I gave thou an order, carry it out!” Her true voice had emerged now, harsh and cold as ice.

“Who are you!?” The commander questioned. “You are not Princess Luna, even if you do look similar to her. As such, we shan’t take orders from thou!”

“But I am your beloved princess!” The dark mare sneered. “I was Princess Luna, but now I am so much more. I am Nightmare Moon, and the world shall learn to fear my name as I shroud it in night eternal!”

“How?” Celestia asked, tears forming in her eyes. “Why?”

“Why!? How!? Only now you ask these questions!?” Nightmare shouted. “It is thou who is responsible for this transformation. Thou hath treated us as second rate, and hath stolen the light from us in your selfish endeavors! We art viewed as a pawn, a pawn doomed to lay in the shadow of the one who guides us. No longer! ‘Tis you who hath caused us to turn to the bitterness and anger in our heart. Thou hath created this monster, now find thine own courage and face it!”

“It’s true… all of it is true…” Celestia stated sadly as tears started to trail down her cheek. “I-I-I saw the signs, but… I did nothing… I knew how the public saw you, I knew how you were feeling undervalued, yet still I did nothing. I’m a horrible pony and an even worse sister for letting this happen…”

“Confessing won’t change anything now, it’s a bit late for that!” Nightmare yelled. “Thou all heard her confess, now seize her and throw her in the dungeon!”

Still the Lunar soldiers sat unmoving, unwilling to believe what they just heard. Unwilling to believe that their princess had been turned into a monster.

“Do! As I command!” Nightmare Moon screeched, as a blinding flash of light blinded everypony for a few moments.

When the light faded, several Lunar guards looked… peculiar. Their eyes had been glossed over and were a pure white.

“Seize her!” Nightmare commanded.

As one, the guards with glossed over eyes pivoted toward Celestia, drew their weapons, and advanced in a battle ready stance. Hastily, their comrades tried to block them from advancing while the commander started shouting orders at them to stop. Undeterred, they pushed on, disregarding their friends and commander.

Realizing that they had been possessed, the remaining soldiers could think of only two ways to stop them. Attack and possibly kill their comrades, or defeat Nightmare Moon. Some attacked their possessed brethren, and were surprised when they fought back. The others surrounded Nightmare moon and began an effort to subdue her.

When Royal guards came rushing in the throne room from hearing the large ruckus, they were greeted by a rather strange sight. A group of Lunar soldiers were fighting against each other, while the rest were surrounding and being repelled by a dark alicorn mare. At the same time, this mare was engaged in magical combat with Celestia.

“Yield, Celestia. Thou cannot match my power, for the bitterness of your sister’s heart fuels it ever so greatly!”

“Do not force me to use the Elements, Luna. I will if I must!” Celestia shouted through her tears.

“Hah! I doubt thou could! The elements would have to disown me for that to work!”

Suddenly, the Elements of Harmony appeared, with three circling around each ruler. The three around Nightmare Moon peeled away from her, one by one to circle around Celestia.

“It appears they have, sister.”

Nightmare Moon’s look grew fearful, as did her tone of voice. “Thou wouldn’t, thou can’t, we’re your sister!”

“Thou are, and that’s why this hurts mineself greatly. I’m sorry Luna, please forgive me. I hereby banish thee to the moon!”

“NO!” Nightmare shrieked, as a blinding light enveloped the whole room.

After the light faded, the possessed soldiers were back in their normal state, with some minor confusion. Looking out upon the moon, one could now see the sight that would be known as; The Mare in the Moon. Exhausted and saddened, Celestia fell to her knees as she began to sob.

“Well, this can’t be good news for us, considering what just happened.” The commander of the 13th said, as Royal guards surrounded him and his soldiers.

The Nightmare Moon fiasco came as quite a shock to everypony. It came without warning and it had happened so suddenly. The one who was hardest hit by this was undeniably Celestia herself. She regretted what she had done but hated to accept that it was a needed course of action. Celestia spent the next week moping in the palace, not speaking to anypony or venturing outside. Worse still was the damage to Luna's once prestigious reputation, and those who were associated with her directly.

The 13th division was heavily criticized for its actions on the night of Nightmare Moon's coup attempt. No mercy was shown to them, even though this all happened under the pretense of a drill. All major entities, civilian and military, dropped all affiliation with Princess Luna like a hot brick. Even the two new divisions that were trained up to par with the 13th rescinded their position to dedicate themselves to Princess Luna. All but the 13th Infantry Division removed any trace of being involved with Luna.

The now severely anti-Luna government took immediate and drastic action against the 13th division. The whole division was slashed and reduced to one brigade. The loyalty of every member of Luna's personal guard and the entire division became questioned. Most senior officers in the division, including the division commander, "retired". As for the troops, most were discharged, while those who stayed in military service were under constant surveillance.

Training, discipline, and pride in the remainder of the 13th division dwindled as the months and years went by to almost non-existent. The only things the 13th were trusted with were to guard the empty part of the palace where Princess Luna used to live, and other places of "utmost secrecy" such as the cellar.

The politicians and the military did their best to put the 13th division out of sight and out of mind. They succeeded, as the 13th faded from public knowledge and memory. The only ones who remembered it now, were the politicians and military who used it as their horrible joke.

Two hundred years later, the 13th was briefly mentioned in a nation-wide expenditure cut. The government deemed that it was too expensive to maintain a brigade sized force in a non-combat role in Canterlot, especially since one combat capable division was already posted in the city, the 1st Infantry Division. The plan called for the permanent disbanding and deactivation of the 13th Infantry Division.

Just as this particular bill was about to go through, Princess Celestia intervened. She proposed that the bill be amended so that the 13th division could be reactivated if needed and prevented it from being disbanded. Celestia also suggested that a unit of not more of 100 soldiers from the 13th shall always be in service, to perform ceremonial and honor guard duties.

The politicians argued the point of why they should even keep that many soldiers in the 13th division. Princess Celestia remained firm and would not budge on the issue. Grudgingly, they passed the new amended bill. The 13th was again reduced, but it was saved from total destruction. Nopony knew why Celestia was so opposed to the liquidation of the 13th division. Many assumed it reminded her of older times, and of her sister, and that she did not want that link to the past to disappear.

Those reasons were only part of the truth. For she was wise enough to know that when or if Luna returned in the future, she would be in a world where everything and everypony she knew would be gone. Celestia hoped that Luna would return one day and know that her sister had saved something of hers, so that she would have at least one familiar thing in the cruel unforgiving world of the future. She thought of it as a way to make it up to Luna of sorts. Unfortunately for Celestia, and the 13th division, that day would have to wait for another 800 years.

Chapter 1: Haunted by the past

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A/N: I would like to thank all you readers for inspiring me to keep writing, and for your patience. I will try to get the chapters out as fast as I can, but I can't make any promises. The only promise I can make is that I will finish this story. I would love to give a huge thank you to Arkenai for editing this for me. Thanks alot man, I really appreciate it.

"We don't think we can do this Celestia."

"Why not? You'll do fine, just mingle a little and get acquainted with some of the nobles. Then you can meet some of our subjects and let them see how radiant and benevolent you are."

"We appreciate your comments but we have not participated in an event such as this for over 1,000 years. And we are afraid that our subjects may not welcome us warmly after what happened." Luna stammered as she looked down at her front hooves.

"I know that it must feel awkward for you to be thrust into a large social gathering after being in isolation for so long, but I'll be there if you need me." Celestia said as she laid a wing on Luna. "If it gets too stressful for your liking, you can leave and I'll make an excuse for you."

"Oh our dear sister, we cannot have you doing everything for us." She walked out from under Celestia's wing and turned to face her. "We shall, nay, we must be confident and meet with our subjects and those nobles." Luna said raising her right fore-hoof into the air.

"It's great to see you have such enthusiasm, Luna."

"Before we go, we would like to ask about some current affairs and how some laws have changed over the years."

"Of course, what would you like to know?"

"First off, is the death penalty still used?" Luna asked with a genuine, morbid curiosity.

"No." Celestia replied. As she said this she could have sworn Luna gave a slight grunt of disappointment. She pretended not to notice.

"We see. What about the laws on theft, assault, or damage to property?"

"All are punishable by a fine or jail sentence."

"Have there been any murders, hardships, or wars within the recent past?"

"Well let’s see.... The last recorded murder was just before you left, the assassination of... what was his name again?"

"Duke Heypenny?" Luna suggested with a quizzical look on her face.

"Yes, him. What a terrible business that was."

"Did thou find the murderer?"

"No. He or she was never found."

"Well, the perpetrator who committed that crime has long since passed away."

"Indeed. We had a small skirmish with the griffins about 600 years ago. Thankfully, it was resolved quickly before it could spread. There was a short drought and famine about 500 years ago. There was a problem in the weather pegasi's coverage of a few areas that caused it. A few outbreaks have occurred every so often, but advances in medicine have made the disease almost harmless. Some changelings were spotted on a few rare occasions. There were no wars; however the griffins seem to be getting a little restless again."

"Most impressive Celestia. We commend you for keeping the country in such a good state while we hath been away."

"I really didn't need to do that much Luna. Everypony has just learned from the past and used it to better themselves." Celestia glanced at a clock on the wall. "We better get going Luna, the ball is about to begin. I'll meet you in the grand ballroom." She said as she turned to leave and headed towards the room's exit.

"Yes Celestia, we shalt be present in a few minutes."

Celestia stopped in the middle of the doorway. "Luna?"

"Yes dear sister?"

"Do you hate me for what I did?"

Luna sat there in silence for a few seconds as she carefully thought over a response in her mind. "No." She said cautiously. "You did what you had to do and we realize that now. We forgive you sister, even though there is nothing to forgive."

"It's good to have you back home."

"It's good to be back home." Luna replied as she stared at the large, pale-glowing orb that was the moon through the large open window.

"MAKE WAY FOR PRINCESS LUNA!" Shouted a royal guard at the top of his voice, as Luna stepped into the large ballroom.

The ballroom had a high vaulted ceiling and several pillars reaching up to support it. A few tables filled with various kinds of food were scattered haphazardly throughout the room. Everything in the room was a bright white and immaculately clean. Milling about throughout the entire room were several multitudes of ponies of various shapes, sizes, colors, and dress. They all turned to see her enter. Feeling the gaze of hundreds on her, Luna gave a big smile and dipped her head ever so slightly. Most ponies gave a small bow and returned to their previous activities.

Luna had only been back a few weeks but much of her previous luster had returned. Her dark sapphire coat shone brightly, and her starry cobalt blue mane flowed majestically behind her. Few could not stare and marvel at Luna's appearance as she passed them by. She looked so innocent and young many thought, others were wary of her. Evil one day then benevolent and innocent the next? How could Celestia trust this wretched sister of hers so quickly?

Luna didn't know anypony at the ball (except her sister and hastily appointed guards of course), but that didn't stop her from trying to mingle with the crowd. What frustrated her to no end though was the fact they all seemed to clam up whenever she addressed them. The first poor ponies she tried to talk too were frightened to death as she blasted her Royal Canterlot voice at them. They made Luna realize ponies can jump higher than she ever thought possible. Most ponies were afraid of her and either became extremely quiet and formal or made a hasty excuse and retreated from her presence. Luna understood why they tried to avoid her but it still didn't make her feel any less disheartened that they did. After attempting to converse with a noble who was clearly unfamiliar with archaic terms and phrases and claimed she insulted him, she decided to give up. Luna trotted to a corner of the room, her two guards in tow, and sat down on her haunches sulking.

She attempted to converse with her guards, but even they seemed evasive. One, she could tell, was clearly intimidated by her to such a degree he could not make eye contact and answered quickly and evasively whenever she asked him a question. The other one however could make eye contact perfectly fine, but he clearly didn't want to talk. She thought he seemed irritated for some reason. It's probably because he's not guarding Celestia, She thought bitterly to herself.

In the past before she was banished, she knew just how much guards hated guarding someone else other than who they are normally assigned. Luna had switched guards with Celestia for one entire day to see how the guards would take it. Throughout the whole day, it was clear Celestia's guards were uncomfortable and uneasy around her. Even though they were respectful and obedient she could tell they weren't happy, and noticed that a few openly disliked her for taking them out of their norm. The story was the same when she asked her purple clad guards how it felt guarding Celestia instead. They replied, "It was the most awkward, uncomfortable, and disorienting day in our careers."

As that memory receded back into the depths of her mind she suddenly remembered; We have our own personal guard, or at least we did before we were banished. It probably doesn't exist anymore. We're sure that our political opponents saw to that. We'll have to talk to Celestia about setting our Royal Guard up again. She looked up from the ground and saw Celestia trotting over to her.

"Why are you sitting in the corner Luna?" Celestia asked. "The socializing isn’t going too well?"

Luna just shrugged and continued to stare at the ground with downcast eyes.

"It's okay Luna; I don't expect you to be mingling effortlessly with society after being gone for such a long time. Just a few things to remember, not very many ponies understand or use the archaic phrases anymore, also I suggest lowering your voice. Practically everypony is afraid you'll yell at them. The Royal Canterlot voice hasn't been used for a few centuries. I should have told you earlier but it slipped my mind. Just please don't give up, I know you can do it if you try your hardest."

"Okay Celestia, we shall try again."

"That’s the spirit, I'll see you after the ball." Celestia said as she trotted away.

Luna got up and plunged back into the huge mass of ponies once again. This time she was able to make some headway and got acquainted with several of the lords and higher ups in society. She even met her royal nephew, Prince Blueblood. He was her nephew on her mother's side about 50 or so times removed, or so she was informed.

Her first impressions of him were anything but pleasant. She thought he was the most self-absorbed and spoiled colt she had ever seen. His self-centered side became apparent when he almost bumped into her and he expected her to apologize for being in his way. The nerve! When she recounted their relationship and told him her name, he was aghast. He quickly apologized and slunk his way back into the crowd and disappeared, much to Luna's amusement.

A short time later she had grown tired of associating and talking with nobles and dukes. She desired to speak with someone who wasn't so.... formal. Then she remembered that many citizens or commoners were invited to the party as well, albeit in the other room. Luna trotted her way into the next room, and was greeted by a room that looked the same as the previous one but had fewer ponies in it.

"This is our chance to get to know our subjects, and show them we are not a monster." Luna said to herself.

She saw a young filly standing alone and decided to go up and introduce herself to her. "Hello there loyal subject, we are Princess Lun..."

The filly cut her off and screamed, "Run! It's Nightmare Moon!" The filly dashed away from Luna as fast as she could and cowered on the other side of the room. At that moment the rest of the ponies in the room realized Luna had entered and began to edge away from her. All of the citizens were terrified of her save a few exceptions, but even they were a bit unnerved by her. Whenever she tried to start a conversation with someone they either bolted away in fear or started babbling things like: Please don't eat me! I don't want to die! Some even started crying.

Defeated, Princess Luna let her ears droop and hung her head low, as she gave a loud sigh and began to walk back toward the other room. A group of three young colts came within 15 feet of her and started hurling accusations and insults at her. They dared not come closer as the guards next to her and Luna herself, intimidated them.

"Why are you scaring everypony? You like terrorizing little colts and fillies or something?" The first one sneered.

"We did not mean to scare anypony." Luna responded, trying to stay calm and handle the situation with grace.

"Yeah, right." The second one interjected.

"We only wanted..."

"Wanted to what? Eat us for a midnight snack?" The third one cut her off.

"We would never do something so vile!" Luna retorted promptly, becoming defensive.

"What’s with referring to yourself as "we"? You think you're better than us don't you?" The second one said mockingly.

"No, we do not. We are merely using the Royal we..."

"Royal we? Wow, she is better than us." The first one remarked sarcastically.

"What hath we done to deserve this?" Luna demanded hoarsely.

"Nightmare Moon deserves everything she gets hurled at her!" The third one shouted at her.

"We are no longer Nightmare Moon! We are Princess Luna!" Luna yelled, anger building up inside her rapidly. Her eyes started to glow white as loud thunder boomed overhead.

The colts backed away filled with fear. They would have retreated but by then the crowd had clearly sided with the colts on the issue. A murmur began to rise in the room, and shouts of support were clearly audible. Emboldened by the crowd, they came even closer to Luna and began to insult her again even as their bodies shook with fear. They were only about two yards away from Luna and her guards promptly stepped forward and placed themselves between Luna and the three colts.

“Wow, hiding behind guards. That’s royalty for you, always hiding away and making others do their work.” The first one loudly sneered.

“Why don’t you go back to the moon? No one wants you here!” Shouted the second colt.

Several approving murmurs emanated from the crowd, as well as some booing and hissing directed at Luna. Some members of the crowd even started throwing food at her. This was the last straw for Luna. She reared up on her hind legs and brought her front two down hard on the ground. As she did this the loudest boom of thunder ever heard in Equestria sounded above their heads. Everyone in the room cringed from the sound.

Luna, with her eyes still glowing a bright white, became enraged further and started a tirade.

"How dare you do such a thing you insolent whelps? We are a Princess of the Night and of Equestria, we should have you all thrown into the dungeon for your insolence! If it were 1,000 years ago we would hath had troublemakers like you whipped until they showed some respect!" She boomed in her loudest Royal Canterlot voice.

The crowd became silent, afraid to incur Luna’s wrath further. Luna stepped forward past her guards and stood firmly in front of the second colt, who was shaking uncontrollably with fear.

“You!” She screamed at him, still using her enraged Royal Canterlot voice. “How would thou like to be sent to mine moon for a millenia!? For we could surely arrange it!!”

He ran away from her as fast as he could stumbling and tripping over himself as he ran.

“What gives you the right to talk to my little brother like that?” The first colt demanded angrily.

Luna turned to him and shouted, “What gives thou the right to address the Princess of the Night in such a disrespectful manner!?”

They both were locked into a state of staring at each other, neither one willing to back down. The third colt ran up to both of them and yelled, “Why won’t you just leave us alone!” as he swung around and kicked at Luna’s head. She dodged the kick effortlessly while everypony in the room gasped, even Luna’s guards were dumbstruck by what they just witnessed.

Luna turned to the third one and shouted,"Guards! Arrest him for his insolence!"

The guards hurried to comply as they moved forward to arrest him. However when Luna had turned to face the third colt, she had left her left side facing the first colt. And she was too focused on the third colt to know what the first one was doing until it was too late.

He had positioned himself so his back was facing Luna’s left and shouted hoarsely, “You are nothing but a bully Nightmare Moon! Go back to your moon and leave us all alone you evil nag!” As he kicked at Luna’s head.

He was too close for Luna to dodge and he caught Luna in the face. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for Luna as she fell. She felt an intense feeling of pain in the left side of her face and around her left eye. In mid-fall she noticed that the guards that were with her had already started after the colt who kicked her. Luna felt the pain as her side hit the hard ground and a thud reverberated throughout the room. Time returned to normal speed as she hit the floor. A mere second after falling the guards had tackled the colt who kicked her and his accomplice. They were holding them down on the ground and trying to restrain them. The colts were struggling and trying to get away, but the guards wouldn't give them a chance.

Luna rolled herself upright slowly. The whole room was as quiet as a graveyard, as everypony stared at Luna in shock. Luna felt her face with her hoof and found it was bleeding, with small drops of crimson dripping down to the ballroom floor. From the pain around her eye she could tell it was probably bruised and from that, deduced she had a black eye. Her lip quivered as she tried to keep her composure for some degree of self-control. An intense feeling of sorrow overwhelmed her and drowned her huge amounts of anger and rage. Tears slowly began rolling down her cheeks. She tried to stifle them but could not hold back any longer as she began to sob quietly and cry. The sobs grew louder and the tears began to flow as she hurriedly stood up and galloped away as fast as she could through the two ballrooms, tears streaming down her bloodied and bruised face all the way. Luna could feel the stares of hundreds of ponies as she ran past them. All of them wore expressions of shock and surprise.

Celestia shouted something, but Luna was too distraught and overcome with sorrow to even care. She burst through the doors leading to the rest of the castle, and made a beeline towards the living quarters. Many servants and guards could only gape in surprise and be taken aback, as they saw a crying Princess Luna sprint past them. After a minute or two of running Luna made it to her destination, her room. She rammed through her doors and then promptly slammed them shut behind her. Luna leapt onto her bed and buried her head deep into her pillow as she wept loudly and openly.

Celestia was as furious as a diamond dog in a barren mine shaft. As Luna ran past her crying, she tried to ask her sister what was wrong, but it was obvious Luna didn't hear her. After Luna ran out of the room, Celestia ended the party immediately. She asked her guards who were guarding Luna what happened after they had restrained and taken away the two colts. As they described what happened, Celestia's face turned from a neutral expression to one of anger. She asked the guards to accompany her to the next room, in private. The guards knew they were in for it now, an angry Celestia is the most frightening thing in all of Equestria but also the rarest. Celestia exploded at the guards and gave them a thorough verbal chastising.

"How could you allow this to happen!?" Celestia bellowed, her voice filled with rage.

The guards cringed from the harshness of her voice, but they said nothing.

"What if they had intended to kill her!? You are supposed to keep unruly ponies from my sister and I, that's your job! You know what signs and behaviours to look for! I am very disappointed in both of you, I know you may not enjoy guarding my sister but that was the duty I assigned to you. Good soldiers follow orders whether they like them or not. As a punishment you both shall be removed from my personal guard and be placed on castle ground guard duty until further notice. Do I make myself clear?"

The guards bowed their heads in understanding.

"Good. You may leave."

The two guards stepped quietly out of the room and trotted down the hall. Celestia's rage subsided as she turned and exited from the other side, "I better go see how Luna is doing."

Celestia stood at the outside of Luna's bedroom door. She could hear her sister crying on the other side.
"Luna, can you please let me in so we can talk about it?"

"Go away!"

"Listen Luna, you'll feel better if you talk about it."

"No. Just leave us alone!" Luna yelled through the door.

"I heard what happened Luna, and I apologize. It seems I made a poor choice of choosing guards for you. Perhaps you would like to discuss about assigning you permanent guards if you don't want to discuss what happened tonight."

After Celestia said that, a light blue aura glowed on the door handle as Luna opened it for her sister. Celestia entered the room and the door closed behind her. Luna lay sprawled on her bed, her tear stained face resting atop her pillow. Celestia noticed Luna's left side was facing away from her as she did not see the bruises or cuts on her sister's face. While she looked at Luna's right eye and saw it was teary and filled with the troubles and thoughts that were on Luna's mind. Celestia sat down next to her sister and attempted to lay her wing across Luna to comfort her. However, Luna used her wing to intercept and deflect Celestia's. Celestia withdrew her wing and sat there in silence with her sister for a minute.

Until Celestia finally asked, "You're disappointed in me aren't you? You have every right to be and I apologize for what happened. I just wanted you to feel like you were home, and that you were included. Apparently I did not foresee the difficulty of the citizens accepting you after 1,000 years. I am such a fool, I should have been there, by your side. If I was none of this would have happened."

"Celestia... Stop being like that. It's not your fault that our subjects are afraid and hate us. After all, we did threaten to place the world in eternal darkness, and nearly did. We are the Princess of the Moon, the Mare of the Night. Our job is to govern the darkness, why should the subjects not think we’re dark and heartless?"

"Luna!" gasped Celestia, "Why are you thinking and saying such horrible things? She is still inside your mind isn't she?"

"Yes." Luna replied bitterly. "She cannot hurt us but we can hear her venomous voice. Even now as we speak, she reaches out to us, trying to bring us back to her."

"You will not think nor speak of such horrid things again! I will not allow it! You are my sister, my family, my friend. I cannot bear to lose you again. You are a good pony and you have a loving heart. Do not listen to that heartless monster of a mare." Celestia said as she embraced her sister. "I love you Luna, never forget that."

Luna looked up at her sister, gave a small, sad smile and said, "We love thou as well sister."

They both sat there in silence just enjoying the company of each other. It was Luna who broke the silence and finally spoke.

"We appreciate your concern Celestia, we will never let her take us again. We believe thou said something about giving us our own personal guard?"

"I'm not giving you your own personal guard." replied her sister.

Luna became confused and stated, "You said you would arrange for us to have our own guard did you not?"

"I did, but I'm not giving you any guards."

This only perplexed Luna even more. "But you said..."

"Don't you understand?" Celestia said with a grin on her face. "You already have your own personal guard."

Luna bolted upright and her eyes widened. "You don't mean... they still exist...?" Luna asked with some barely contained excitement.

"Yes, the 13th still exists. They've been around since you were banished."

At this Luna couldn't contain her joy. She launched herself at her sister and grasped her tightly. "Thank you so much sister!" she exclaimed. "We never imagined that it would survive after what happened. We were sure they would have tried to destroy it, but thou hast saved it!"

"I may have saved it, but it is not as you remember. I was only able to save it by deactivating it and making it an honor guard. It was also cut down to only 100 soldiers. I'm sorry I could not have done more."

"Celestia you have done more than enough. Where is the nurse? I wish to be in prime condition for meeting my troops."

"At this late in the night Luna?"

"Why not? My soldiers thrive on moonlight," Luna replied with the most confidence she had all night.

"Well, at least they used to thrive on moonlight." she commented to her sister.

Standing in front of the two princesses were 100 soldiers standing at attention in a courtyard in front of the Royal Barracks. By looking at the state of their manes it was apparent most, if not all had been sleeping minutes earlier. As Luna gazed at all of the soldiers she noticed that most wore no armor, some had a few pieces put on, while only a very few had the discipline to correctly don their full set as was required by the rules of roll call. She did notice, approvingly, that one or two individuals in their full armor had also donned their extra combat gear, but there were only a couple.. Celestia was right; it wasn't how she remembered it. It was apparent discipline had slackened as the unit was posted in a non-combat role, and perhaps that was to be expected. However, the lack of discipline shown tonight told Luna that the 13th needed an immediate refresher in training, discipline, and respect. Somewhat disappointed, she spoke loud enough for all of the troops to hear her.

"What we have seen tonight is a disgrace to the proud memory of the 13th Division, starting tomorrow you all shall begin an intensive training schedule. Hopefully that will weed the laziness and the lack of discipline out of you. If you are used to riding through life on a lax and cozy ride you may want to leave. There shan’t be room for laggards and troublemakers in our unit."

At this, one pony started laughing very quietly, so quietly that Luna had to scan the group for a good minute or so until she found him. Luna beamed a hateful glare at him and demanded, “Pray tell, what has amused thou as such to make thou laugh at a princess?"

He stopped laughing as soon as Luna addressed him. He sat there trying to pretend it wasn’t him. As Luna continued to glare at him he became increasingly uncomfortable. That is, until Luna yelled at him. “Well? Out with it!”

He spoke quickly in a dull monotonous voice, “You probably don't know since you've been gone for so long, but the only thing the 13th is known for these days is as a garbage disposal. Laggards and troublemakers form the entire group you see before you. This is the place that officers dump their undesirables and their troublemakers from the entire army. Good luck with trying to improve them, you'll need it." He finished as he started to snicker slightly.

"Oh? You doubt us do you? See if we care what thou hast said. Stay or leave, the choice you make does not matter in our eyes. As we said earlier, those who wish to leave may do so. Things will become intense quickly and many of you may want to leave as it would be beyond your capabilities." She boasted, testing and inciting them. "Training starts tomorrow at two hours after sunrise. Only show up if you think you can handle it. You are all dismissed." Luna finished.

It was only a few hours before dawn and Luna sat alone in the garden just outside her room. She lay there enjoying the fragrances of the flowers and the calls of the birds. She pondered all that had happened tonight and returned to staring at the night sky. Suddenly, she heard a loud snap as somepony stepped on a fallen branch. She turned to her left and saw one of the stallions from the 13th. She recognized him as one of the two ponies who wore their full armor set with the extra combat gear. Although at this moment he was not wearing any armor. He was a pegasus and had a very light blue-purple coat with a dark blue and black mane and tail. Both of which were cut fairly short. As Luna looked at him he had an expression of surprise and embarrassment.

"I'm sorry Princess." He stammered out quickly. "I did not mean to disturb you. I was just passing by and..." He spat out his words quickly, as he was struggling to explain himself.

"Peace." Luna said. "Why are you here in my garden?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"I was..." He started, while nervously fidgeting.

"Don't try lying to me. I have been around far longer than you have been alive. I can already tell what you are about to say is going to be a lie. Now why don't you tell me the truth."

The stallion sighed as he knew he was defeated and let his head fall low. "The reason I'm here is that I was going to gaze at the moon and the stars." He said as he kicked his right fore-hoof at the ground. "I've always admired your night sky and I noticed one night that your garden gave a spectacular view. So I have been spending a part of every night for the past two years staring at your beautiful night sky from your garden. I kept coming back every night to star gaze even though I knew you had returned. I apologize, I knew what I was doing was wrong and I'm sorry. I should be on my way, I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Princess." He bowed deeply as he turned to leave.

Luna was surprised, to say the least from what she heard from the stallion. Ponies do truly appreciate my night sky she thought. "Stop." Luna said to the stallion. He stopped dead and turned back to the princess. He braced himself for some sort of punishment or a verbal reprimand. Instead Luna stared at him and looked him up and down for a minute, then said, "Come, sit with me."

The stallion felt all the tense feelings that built up recede slightly as Luna told him this. He trotted over to where Luna sat and layed down next to her with a respectful distance between them.

"Why do you gaze at the night sky?" Luna asked him as she was staring at the moon.

"I don't fully understand myself, Princess. I always have since I was a small colt. I guess it allows me to momentarily escape the worries of our world and be alone with my thoughts. There is just something so mesmerizing about the night sky I can't describe it. It's like... it’s part of me in a way." He slowly finished.

"Well its glad to know that somepony actually appreciates our night sky." Luna said as she turned to face him. "You are not afraid of us. Why are you not afraid like everypony else?" She asked as she stared him straight in the eye.

"Because unlike some ponies I can tell the difference between Princess Luna and the horrible Nightmare Moon." He replied unfazed, as he kept eye contact with Luna.

Luna smiled with amusement and laughed. "If only the world had more sensible ponies like you."

They sat there gazing at the night sky until the first rays of the golden sun came up over the horizon. They spoke no more after that, as they didn't need too. The company of each other was all they could want. Luna was happy to have somepony accompany her while she gazed at the night sky. She felt a new feeling inside of her, one of indescribable joy. “Is this what friendship feels like?” she asked herself. She came to realize that many appreciated her night sky and her role in the kingdom, and that you can never truly be swallowed by loneliness if you have friends. In this stallion she had somepony to share her nightly stargazing with, as well as the start of a new friendship. Luna noted with irony that while tonight had been one of the worst in her life, it was also one of the best.

Chapter 2: Training

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The next day was the start of the new training regimen. Luna personally attended to overview the training. What she saw that cool, breezy morning didn’t disappoint her. Standing at attention in the training field were 63 stallions, all dressed in full armor. Luna could not help but feel elation at the fact that over half of the 100 had shown up. She swelled her chest with pride, as if she were a proud mother.

There among the gathered ponies she saw the stallion from last night. Even in his armor, his light blue-purple coat and short dark-blue and black tail made him distinct from the rest. She had not bothered to ask his name, and she felt bad for doing so. The thought quickly emptied from her head as she reminded herself why she was there. Luna had to be fair and treat all her troops equally. She could not play favorites, as others would take notice and spread baseless rumors.

The most elite of the soldiers after the long training regiment would immediately start as Luna's personal guard or the Royal Lunar Guard. The others would be the first NCO's (Non-Commissioned Officers, such as a Corporal or a Sergeant) in the 13th Lunar Division. As time would go on the 13th would recruit more members and train them to the strenuous standards needed to be a part of the division.

A military official came up to Luna and gave her a clip-board. He bowed before turning and trotting away. Luna grabbed it with her magic and began to flip through it. She desired to know the past experience and capabilities of her soldiers. As she flipped through the pages she seemed to notice a few things in common with all the ponies who had shown up. All of them were ranked either as a Private or a Specialist, most were actually combat veterans, and the reasons they were transferred to the 13th were all vague and contained more questions than answers. Luna tried to puzzle why all of their transcripts were so vague on the transfer details. She decided to investigate further into this matter later. As she glanced over all of their transcripts she came across the stallion's name she was looking for.

Name: DarkFury
Rank: Specialist
Age: 21 years
Service History: Served with distinction in the 1st Inf. Div. Served two tours of duty in the Griffin Highlands. Transferred to the 13th Inf. Div.
Awards: N/A
Medical History: Accidental Injury; Compound fracture of the right wing. Wing has since healed, and individual was allowed to return to active duty. Otherwise, individual is fit and healthy.

"So that's his name, DarkFury." Luna mumbled to herself. She gazed out over the training field where they were doing their pre-training warm-ups. "DarkFury, t’is a fitting name." She said as she stared at him. While she stared a strange, long forgotten memory jumped to the forefront of her mind. Either her mind was playing tricks on her or he reminded her of somepony from long ago. "It can't be..."

The memory flashed in her mind. She was in a large open building. From the nature of the decoration she observed from her memory it seemed like she was in a town hall of some sort. She could see about 100 or so stallions seated in chairs like in an auditorium. She stood upon a stage in front of them all, and she was keenly aware of a few stallions on stage with her. Suddenly, Luna turned to address one of the ponies onstage and began conversing with him.

As the two talked, Luna could only guess what was being said in her memory. After a minute or so of talking Luna saw herself give him a medal she instantly recognized. "No... that is impossible." She muttered to herself. The stallion smiled as Luna put the medal around his neck, then he saluted her. The memory faded as Luna stood there rooted to the spot. "T’is a coincidence and nothing more!" She said as she shook herself from the paralyzing grip of the memory.

"The stallion we appointed as the leader of this division over 1,000 years ago is surely dead. However, that still leaves the possibility..." She trailed off as she became lost in thought. "It matters not. We must move on and oversee the rebirth and training of the new 13th Lunar Division.

Since this was day one of the training they went over the basics again. Standard one-on-one CQC (Close Quarters Combat) drills, strength, endurance, and agility training, unarmed combat, and teamwork drills. What she saw on day one gave her hope that they might be able to make it to the end. This schedule was repeated for one week. By the end they were all back into shape and ready for the real training to begin.

The first day of the second week marked the start of the advanced, special ops rivaling training. As the ponies gathered in the field that day, they noticed a huge rock in the middle of the training area. The drill instructor came out and addressed them, "You see this rock here? You guys got to get strong enough to move it by yourself. Do this and you will have just about completed your training." The fact that the rock was about three to five times the size of any stallion there made his words seem ludicrous. ‘How is that even possible?’ many of them thought.

"You all look like you need convincing." The drill instructor said. He turned to the rock and with some grunting and sweating, he managed to raise one side from the ground slowly. He kept pushing until it reached the halfway point and it fell the rest of the way. "See? It's easy." The stallions sat there dumbfounded, many with their mouths agape. "What are you doing standing there!? Get your dumb mule asses in gear! Move! Move! Move!" The instructor shouted at them. "I want to see that rock turned over by each and every one of you!”

All 63 stallions formed a line on one side of the rock. One by one the stallions tried to overturn the rock individually. None of them succeeded. The closest anypony got was raising the rock an inch or two off the ground. All the while the instructor was giving his “encouragement” to the troops.

“You call that a push!? My dead great grand-mare, may she rest in peace, could push harder than you!”

“Push! I said Push! Can you hear me Private!? MAYBE I SHOULD YELL LOUDER!”

“I’m trying to figure out whether they sent me mares or fillies, because I certainly don’t see any stallions here!”

As the last pony failed to move the rock the instructor began,” Well that was one pitiful display, and you all have the gall to call yourselves soldiers.”

The soldiers lined up and stood at attention as the Drill Sergeant paced in front of all of them and yelled,”Listen up, because I’m not going to repeat myself. Until you can move this rock on your own your asses are mine! You will do exactly as I tell you, and you will do it without hesitation! You will not sleep, you will not eat, you will not rest, and you won’t so much as sneeze without my permission. Do you maggots understand!?"

"Sir, yes sir!" All the stallions shouted in unison.

“It is my job to break you down back into the malleable metal of a fresh recruit from the hardened soldiers most of you are. It will not be easy, and I do not expect all of you to be able to make this transition. All I expect is that you do as I say. Do you all understand!?”

"Sir, yes sir!" They all bellowed.

"Alright then fillies, drop down and give me 100! After that, let’s see how far you can run!" The instructor screamed.

Luna watched from afar with amusement lighting up her face. "It seems we have chosen a suitable instructor after all." She grinned.

The weeks went by as the troops made headway into their special training. They were performing strenuous drills and exercises daily. Long runs that lasted for miles and left them exhausted and dripping with sweat. Strength training that made even the strongest of them quiver under the intense weight. Agility training that forced them to tirelessly move or else they would be battered mercilessly by rocks. These intense regimens and others were built for one thing and one thing only; making the best possible result from the raw materials that were poured into them.

It soon became apparent that not everypony was capable of surviving the training. Three ponies collapsed from exhaustion and dehydration after a 10 mile run one day, and had to be sent to the aid station. They did not return for further training. Another five strained themselves too much during strength training and messed up their backs. Still another four became too fatigued to continue.

Twelve had been removed and only 51 remained. After the first few left, the remainders saw getting sent to the aid station as good as a death sentence. If you fell and didn’t get back up by your own power, you were done, gone, finished. There was no room for anything but the best in the Lunar Guard and the 13th Lunar Division.

One day they did advanced lance and spear training, with actual spears. They were required to throw them at each other and either dodge or catch them. One earth pony named Fudge Chip was unfortunate to get grazed by one. He didn't say anything, and he didn't stop either. In fact the drill instructor had to order him to the aid station to treat the large gash on his side. Even then, he was obstinate and wanted to continue training with his buddies. The drill instructor had to essentially promise that he would not be removed from the division for going to the aid station. Only then did Fudge Chip walk toward the medical building to have the gash on his side treated.

A couple of months passed and another 17 stallions were removed from the training. At this point everypony left was struggling to meet the demands of the new limits imposed upon them. They were stronger, faster, and could endure much more than when they started, but still they began to fall behind. Once again the exercises became almost unbearable in length and in physical demands. Every run left them gasping for air, every agility session left them dizzy and lightheaded, and every strength and endurance exercise made their limbs and muscles scream in pain as if they were on fire.

One pony in particular who was known as Rowan felt he was at the end of his limits. He collapsed during strength training from the heavy load on his back. Rowan had been a lumber-pony before joining the military and hard work was no stranger to him. This training however, was strange to him. Only by the encouragement of his comrades around him was he able to get back up on his feet and finish the day’s strength training session. Even then he was not convinced that he would last until the end of this training regimen.

Some began thinking of doing the unthinkable and told themselves they couldn’t finish the training, even though they have come so far. They thought of quitting. They thought of letting their goals and ambitions go, and settling for a sub-par existence. The other soldiers however, would have none of that. All of them rallied together and motivated each other and reminded themselves of what they were going to accomplish. “All the inspiration we need is over there.” One soldier said as he pointed towards Luna. “We are just like her, we’re just ponies trying to regain our footing and prove to others and ourselves that we are something more than second rate product to be swept under the rug.”

They all turned to look at Luna while this fact set in. Luna stood a short distance away upon the top of a hill. She gave a small grin and a nod to the soldiers below, as if she knew what they were talking about. This made the troops pause as they considered the possibility of her hearing them. Luna smiled again as the soldiers scratched their heads in confusion. As she was leaving she telepathically told all of them, We are proud of what we have seen up to this day. We are sure all of thou will serve us with distinction and proudly carry the legacy of the 13th Lunar Division.

The next day the training seemed to be slightly more bearable. The troops gave everything they had and more. No matter how much pain they felt or how exhausted they were, they pressed on. They would not let themselves down or disappoint the princess. Luna looked on as always and was pleased that everypony left continued to train every day. The time when their training would end was approaching quickly. Only two trials remained in their way before they would complete their training.

---------

The large rock in the center of the training field greeted them all once again. Today was the day they all had to turn it over individually, or else they would fail their training. Of the 34 remaining soldiers all were determined to pass this test. The first one was a young stallion named Starbuck, who was the colt of the group. That is to say, he was the youngest member of the 13th at the age of only 18. His buds came up with many nicknames for him, almost all of which were inspired by his young age compared to those of his comrades. The nicknames that seemed to stick the most though were ponyboy, little colt blue, and youngster.

Starbuck approached the rock slowly as he eyed it up and down. He found a particular spot and pressed the entire side of his body against the rock. With a huge amount of strength he shoved against the large rock. It began to move slowly while he continuously strained to turn it over. It took about 30 seconds for him to push the rock up to the halfway point. The rock stopped defiantly and refused to move further. He gave one last surging shove and pushed it past the tipping point. The rock fell on its other side with a loud thud.

Starbuck sat there breathing heavily, his eyes fixed on the fallen rock. His buddies began cheering wildly as they went up to congratulate him. He only became aware of his friends surrounding him when they broke his line of sight. He couldn’t believe that he had turned it over, that he made it to this point. He finally exited his dazed stupor and began to bellow triumphantly. Always watching from a short distance away, Luna could not help but smile at this sight. The others then proceeded to tip the rock over one by one. A loud fit of cheering erupted from the large group every time one of them turned over the rock. After all of them completed this challenge they all celebrated wildly the following weekend and almost drank the neighboring bar dry.

Only one more obstacle remained in their way to graduation. It was a half-mile long obstacle course filled with simulated hazards. Such as arrows, spears, falling rocks, and leaping through flames. It was the last step to finish the training. Luna was genuinely curious about the nature of the course and asked the instructor about it. He replied that all of the hazards were simulated with magic mostly or were other objects disguised to look like the real thing. Rocks were magically concealed pillows, the flames were contained heat and illusion spells, and so on. The arrows and spears were real he explained, but they lacked their points and could at the most inflict only a bruise.

All 34 of the stallions gathered at the starting line waiting for the beginning whistle. Luna was overlooking from a nearby ledge. An approving smile was upon her face as her soldiers turned to see her watching. The whistle's sharp cry filled the air and they turned and ran through the gate. The first obstacle was jumping over a small pit with illusionary spears lining the bottom. They all cleared it without a problem. The second was running through a volley of arrows. Luna watched as they all ran into the cloud of screaming shafts as a group. Countless audible "pings" and "dings" of metal hitting metal could be heard as arrows hit and bounced off armor.

“Those arrows even sound real. This is a good illusion indeed.” Luna said to herself.

Next up was a simulated rockfall. The ponies all ran through dodging the fake rocks easily. Dust and rock fragments showered them as several rocks nearly missed a few of them. At this Luna became confused, since the rocks were supposed to be large pillows disguised by magic and as such should not break or throw up what appeared to be rock fragments. Luna thought for a moment considering possibilities. She soon deduced that additional illusionary as well as small earth expulsion spells were the cause. She noted that so far this training course seemed to be exceptionally realistic.

Up ahead was a pit filled with the illusionary fire. They all had to leap over it and expected to feel the simulated heat. As the first soldiers leapt over, a few gave a small yelp. The heat from the so called “fire” had scorched some of their fur. Others crossed the fire pit without a problem, although most swore it was a real fire since it felt so real.

A pair of pegasus twins named FireMane and FireTail were running the course together as they came across the fire pit. They were identical twins and besides for a few physical differences they looked exactly alike. Both had a light orange coat and dark blue eyes. FireMane had a two-colored mane with the outer part being red while the inner color was a dark, but bright red orange. His tail however, was a solid jet black. FireTail had the same colors in his mane and tail as his brother except that his mane was a solid jet black and his tail had the two colors his brother’s mane had. They were born with these mane and tail colors naturally, and had to tell practically everypony they met that they did not die their hair.

Twins were rare and they often required special doctors to help the mother give birth to both offspring. As the two colts were born their unexplainable mane and tail colors befuddled the most experienced and respected doctors in all of Equestria. Nothing like this had been seen before and nopony to this day understands how or why such a thing occurred. Several tests and experiments were performed on the strange pair of twins but all of the results did not indicate anything abnormal. Whatever the cause, FireMane and FireTail were truly unique.

They both leapt over the pit together and FireMane gave a small yelp. He had a small patch of fur on his belly burned and it stung slightly. FireTail landed next to his brother near the edge of the pit. He turned to his brother and said,

“You got burned? Ha, I guess I’m more awesome than you.”

“Why? Just because you didn’t get burned?”

“Exactly bro. Luck is an elusive mare and it seems she favors me today!”

FireMane looked straight at his brother and saw a small stream of black smoke rising near the end of his brother’s tail. He turned his head to look at an angle to confirm his suspicion.

“Uh, FireTail?”

“Yeah bro?”

“Your tail is on fire.”

“Yeah, yeah, haha. Really funny FireMane. It’s not like I’ve heard that joke over a thousand times in my lifetime.” FireTail remarked sarcastically.

“No I’m serious bro, your tail is on fire!”

FireTail just noticed at that moment a slight burning sensation at the tip of his tail. He wheeled his head around to look at his tail. His brother was right, his tail was emitting a small stream of black smoke and he saw the flames. He began to feel the pain as he realized what was happening.

“YEEEOOOWWW!” He screamed as the searing pain surged up his tail. He bolted frantically and darted around desperately. However doing this only fanned the flames and they enveloped most of his tail.

At this FireMane lost it and started laughing uncontrollably as he fell on his stomach and rolled on his back. His legs flailed into the air as he rocked on his back laughing so hard tears started to form in his eyes. Between the bouts of uncontrollable laughter he managed to yell out, “Hahahahaha! FireTail, FireTail, really needs a water pail! Ahahaha!” Before the uncontrollable fits of laughter took hold of him once again.

FireTail was running around panicking as he heard this and yelled back at his brother, “BUCK YOU, YOU DIRTY MULE! OW! OW! HOT! HOT!”

A soldier who was on a ledge above had several water buckets next to him in case such an accident happened. As FireTail ran by under him, he threw two bucket’s worth of water at him. To FireTail it was as if a waterfall fell from the sky and landed on him. He was confused since he was dry one second then soaked the next, but relieved that the pain in his tail subsided considerably. He fell on his haunches then let himself fall on his back and lay there trying to regain his breath.

Looking up, FireTail saw the source of the water from the sky. “Thank you!” FireTail shouted at the soldier on the ledge above him. The soldier gave him a nod then returned to watching the rest of the ponies jump over the fire pit.

FireMane trotted over to his brother and said, “Look on the bright side bro.”

“What bright side?” FireTail asked, out of breath.

“Now you can say your tail really was on fire and that you were lucky enough to survive the embarrassment.” FireMane said as he started laughing again.

“Buck you FireMane, buck you.”

After the fire pit most of the ponies were able to continue the course without an incident for the most part. A few “close calls” here and there and maybe a scratch or two from a spear shaft grazing somepony’s flank. The last stretch was another arrow run albeit longer than the first one. Once more they all plunged into a screaming sea of arrows and the sound of metal hitting metal filled the air once more. The first few made it through to the end and waited for the rest of their comrades to finish. All had went well up until the point when a piercing cry sounded throughout the air.

The shrill cry startled everypony in the vicinity. Luna, the instructor, and all of the other ponies turned to see the cause of the noise. A pony was on his stomach in the middle of the last arrow run. He was curled up in a ball hiding his head and his side.

“Ouch.” Said the drill sergeant to Luna. “Occasionally a fake arrow will hit somepony in the face or another ‘sensitive area’.” Luna winced as she could only imagine the pain somepony would suffer if hit in that particular area. “Don’t worry, he should be fine. He’ll probably be up in a minute or so.”

A minute passed and the downed pony barely moved at all. All the rest of his comrades had finished the course and were staring at him concerned. “He must have gotten hit pretty hard if he still can’t get up.” The instructor said. He turned to the end of the course and selected two stallions, Rowan and a coal black unicorn named Coaldust. “You two, go get him will you? He must be hurt pretty bad if he still can’t get up.”

They hurried to comply and ran back through the storm of arrows to their downed friend. Arrows bounced off of their armor as they reached their friend. They asked him if he was okay and all he gave was a groan for an answer. Rowan grabbed him and began to drag him, but the injured pony convulsed with pain and broke free of Rowan’s grasp. As he convulsed Coaldust got a clear view of his side and was horrified.

On the pony’s side and underbelly a total of three arrow shafts were embedded deep into the poor earth pony. Blood covered the pony’s side and underbelly and more was gushing from his wounds. A small, but steadily growing pool of blood lay underneath him. His breathing was labored and he could barely move. The earth pony was dying. This revelation hit Coaldust and Rowan who had looked over to see what Coaldust had seen.

“Sarge!” Coaldust shouted, as arrows whizzed past him.

“What is it?” The instructor yelled back.

“He’s been hit by real arrows. He’s bleeding real bad and he can barely breathe!”

“Holy sweet bucking Celestia!” The instructor exclaimed. “Get him out of there now! We need to tend to him immediately!” The instructor turned to a pegasus named Shadow Chaser and screamed, “Go to the aid station and get some medics out here now! Double time it soldier, that’s an order!” Shadow Chaser unfolded his wings and flew as fast as he could toward the aid station.

The instructor began yelling at the ponies who were running the simulated hazards to stop them when another scream filled the air. Everypony turned once again and found Rowan cursing up a storm with a shaft embedded in his left foreleg. It had entered his leg and had punched clean through it to the other side, obviously missing the bone. Coaldust had dropped to the ground and clung to it as if he were a foal clinging to its mother. He was struggling to erect a magic barrier to shield all three of them from the arrows.

The instructor turned to the unicorns running the hazards again and screamed at them to stop them. Panicking, the unicorns began trying everything they could think of to stop the arrows. Until they realized that somepony was still casting the spell and hurriedly found the unicorn maintaining it. He was sitting in a room overlooking the arrow run in the side of the narrow rift the course was in. They found him sitting at a desk reading a Daring Do novel with wads of cotton stuffed in his ears. His friends knocked the book out of his hooves and ripped the cotton wads out of his ears. He was then overwhelmed with everypony screaming at him to stop the spell, which he did after somepony hurriedly explained the situation to him.

As soon as the arrows stopped over half of the members of the 13th ran over to their two injured comrades, and quickly carried them into the neighboring clearing. As they placed their two casualties onto the ground a few of them clustered around the injured earth pony while Coaldust tended to Rowan. The others moved a small distance away and sat there watching helplessly. Most of them fidgeted nervously and did various things to try to keep themselves calm. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Fire Mane and Fire Tail started telling some light-hearted jokes. They would have elicited several laughs under normal circumstances, but nopony could laugh at a time like this.

Most of them had their gaze concentrated on the earth pony, who had four of his buds attending to him. The first thing they did when they began applying basic first aid was to strip off his armor. They also had to remove the arrow in his side at the same time since it had punctured his armor. With his punctured and bloodied armor tossed aside, they had much better access to the wounds on his underside.

Somepony pulled out his field kit and began applying bandages to the hole in his side. Others applied pressure on top of the bandages and to the surrounding area of the other two arrow injuries. The hole in his side gushed blood at an alarming rate and they frantically tried to stop the bleeding. Seeing this, they refrained from removing the other two arrows in case those wounds would also shower out blood, and cause the earth pony to bleed to death. One other pony was next to the earth pony’s head keeping him conscious and reassuring him that he would be fine.

The injured stallion convulsed again and coughed loudly. As his head returned slowly to the ground, dark red splotches covered the grass next to his mouth. He was coughing up blood, which meant at least one of his lungs were punctured. If he did not receive proper medical attention soon he would drown as his lungs would fill with blood. Everypony frantically gazed at the aid station which was a mile or so away. Only just now did they see a team of stretcher bearing medics sprint out of the medical building, following Shadow Chaser to the field.

Luna watched the entire tragedy unfold before her eyes and was just as shocked as everypony else, if not more so. She looked at the earth pony dying in the field, and then back to the medics sprinting towards them. Doing some math and estimations in her head she calculated that the medics traveling at their current velocity would not reach the dying earth pony in time. From what she overheard from the soldiers he would be drowned in his own blood by the time they arrived. She decided that she had to act.

Turning quickly to the Drill Sergeant she said hurriedly, “We demand a thorough investigation into this matter Sergeant. Begin by interviewing your unicorns. I want a copy of your report and your findings by next evening.”

“Yes Princess!” He said as he sprinted over to the unicorns.

Luna spread her large wings and quickly flew the short distance to the field. She landed next to the group attending the injured earth pony. Even from this distance she could tell he was faring poorly and clearly in the throes of death. His side and underbelly were covered with blood and several bloody bandages. His body was becoming pale and the pool of blood underneath him was growing ever rapidly. Her troops were startled as she approached closer, as they obviously hadn’t noticed her landing right next to them.

“Move aside.” She said.

The soldiers hovered over their friend hesitantly and looked at the Lunar Princess.

“If thou value the life of thy friend, then thou must move.” Luna stated roughly.

They backed away slowly and regretfully as Luna advanced. They watched her every action like a hawk watches prey. At this point every stallion from the 13th noticed her presence and watched her intently. Luna layed next to the injured earth pony while she closed her eyes and dipped her head to touch her horn to his punctured and bloody side. Her horn glowed with her light-blue aura as she began singing in some unintelligible language. Or at least it sounded like singing to all of the soldiers around her.

The language she sang was one that had died out long before she was banished to the moon and held untold power in its words. To her troops it sounded as if she was singing a beautiful song, particularly a lullaby, in some ancient and long forgotten language. Her voice rose and fell pleasantly on their ears as if she had the voice of an angel. As she sang, the wounds of the soldier began to shrink and heal, she removed the remaining arrows from his side, and the blood on his side and underbelly disappeared. She finished as she opened her eyes and lifted her horn from his side.

The injured stallion opened his eyes and breathed deeply. “Thank you Princess Luna.” He said gratefully. His eyes closed as he drifted off into sleep. Luna smiled as she stood back up and turned to the other troops. She attended to the less severe wounds of the others, but did not sing in the strange language again.

When asked why she didn’t sing again Luna replied, “The secrets of the past shouldn’t be trifled with or taken lightly. The Ancient Lunar Language is no exception. While having the great power of healing it also has the capacity for mass amounts of destruction. It should only be used in the gravest of situations when the need is great. We are actually glad this language died out. Now we are the only pony in the world who wields it, and as such must safeguard its secrets from those who would seek out its power for evil purposes. We trust that thou all understand our reasons.”

Seeing the wisdom in her words they did not inquire further. The medics finally arrived and were shocked that no one was hurt, even though they were told otherwise. Upon asking, the soldiers told the medics that Luna had healed all of them by herself. Although they made sure to leave out the part of her singing in an ancient and long forgotten language. As they all picked themselves up to go back to the barracks Luna bid them farewell.

“We look forward to seeing you all at the graduation ceremony in three days time.” Luna said proudly as she spread her wings and flew above the clouds, disappearing from sight.

Three days later all 34 stallions stood at attention, side by side in the parade ground. This was the day they formally completed their training. This was the day they became the few, the elite, the soldiers of the 13th Lunar Division and the Lunar Guard. Their purple armor and webbed head crests shone brilliantly in the midday sun. Princess Luna stood in front of them along with several military officials. She went down the line congratulating, promoting, and addressing each soldier by herself personally. Finally she reached DarkFury and congratulated him.

He sat there tense as he stared into her cyan eyes as she spoke to him. "Congratulations Specialist DarkFury. We expect you will perform most admirably in our division."

"Thank you princess."

"We also believe there is something else to be given to you on this day."

He knew what was coming and he calmed himself, while the excitement coursed through his body.

"We have decided to promote you to Sergeant. Congratulations Sergeant, make us proud." Luna said as she attached the NCO insignia to his armor.

He was dumbfounded. Sergeant, I made Sergeant? He thought to himself. This was one of the happiest days of his life, he only expected to make Corporal, but Sergeant? He was overjoyed and he could barely maintain his composure as he replied, "Thank you Princess Luna." He saluted her as his eyes gleamed with happiness.

Luna saw the huge amount of joy in his eyes and she allowed herself a small smile. Before she moved on to the next one in line, she sent him a telepathic message. Luna told him, There is something I wish to discuss with you. Meet me in the training ground at midnight. Come alone. DarkFury became confused as he heard this message, but still he nodded his head at her. Leaving him to wonder why Luna wanted to speak with him.

She proceeded with her royal obligations until she had gone over every soldier. As she finished and returned to the head of the group, a soldier had turned around, picked up a pole, and held it aloft as he turned to face Luna again. Luna was overjoyed when she realized what it was. The standard of the 13th lay blowing in the breeze before her and the large copy of her cutie mark stared back at her. The small crimson text below the image of her cutie mark read:

The 13th Lunar Infantry Division
“Luna’s Lunatics”

Seeing this, several emotions welled up inside of Luna as she proudly addressed her troops.

"We have watched you all from day one and we are proud to have you all as our troops! You have sworn your loyalty to us and all of Equestria. All of thou are strong, dependable, and brave. Thou all hast proven themselves to me, thine comrades, and most importantly thyselves. We have the utmost confidence thou shall all serve with honor and distinction in the 13th Lunar Division. Now let us move onward to victory and redemption!"

As she finished her speech, her horn lit up with her light-blue aura. A similar colored glow could be seen around the wings of all the pegasi warriors. With a flash all of the pegasi gasped. Their wings had been transformed from their normal feathered state to the webbed wings the Lunar Pegasi were known for. At this the soldiers entered a frenzied state of cheering.

"Luna! Luna! Luna!" They all shouted as they pounded the ground with their hooves. Finally, after 1,000 long years, the 13th division was back.

----------

It was near midnight and the moon hung high and full in the sky. Luna sat on the grassy ground in the training field, staring once again into the boundless night sky. She was busy contemplating about adding some more constellations to a somewhat bare spot in the sky, when DarkFury arrived. She did not mind the distraction as she had been waiting for him.

During the months of training they had spoken occasionally, and the two got to know each other somewhat well. They considered themselves as friends and they often dropped some formality when they conversed, but remained entirely respectful towards each other. He wordlessly trotted over next to her and sat down on the cool grass. His now webbed wings glistened in the moonlight as the two ponies began to speak.

“Hello Princess, are you feeling well tonight?” DarkFury started, somewhat nervously.

“As well as should be expected.” Luna stated as she turned to him. “How about you?”

“I'm... Alright. Thanks for the promotion.”

“It was nothing, although you already thanked me. There is no need to thank me again.” Luna replied.

“I know but I just felt like thanking you without being in ‘character’ if you understand what I mean.” DarkFury stated as he averted his eyes.

“If you insist.” Luna replied.

“So... why did you want to meet me this particular night?” DarkFury asked timidly.

“For a matter of great importance to you, as well as your new station.”

DarkFury tensed. “And that is what exactly?”

“To discuss and instruct you in the new duties that will be expected of you.”

“What?” DarkFury asked perplexed, his tension receding slightly.

“You were ranked as a Specialist correct?”

“Yes.” He replied plainly.

“While many of your comrades in the 13th were ranked as Corporal before being promoted to Sergeant. Is that also correct?” Luna asked.

“Yes."

“Then most of them have experience with basic NCO duties and should not have much of a problem. You on the other hand were a Specialist, which is on the same pay-grade as a Corporal, but you did not have to perform NCO duties since Specialist is not considered an NCO rank. Therefore, you have no experience performing the duties that would be required of you now that you’re a Sergeant.” Luna droned out rather factually.

“I suppose that’s true.” He stammered, looking down. “It might take me a bit to get the hang of it, but trial and error will teach me well enough. Right?” He asked nervously.

“That is one way to learn, but that is not a good method to learn by while in combat. Being responsible for those under your command dying is something you do not want to bear, nor will it make you popular with your troops or those outside the military.” Luna countered with a grave tone. “Nay, you must learn before you enter combat with others under your command. I will make sure you are educated, for I shall instruct you myself.”

DarkFury was instantly thrown into a stunned silence. He processed what Luna had said to him, before trying to convince her that such a thing wasn’t necessary. “B- b- but surely you have much more important things to do then instruct one insignificant NCO in your division. I- I mustn’t keep you from your nightly royal obligations.” DarkFury protested weakly.

As Luna heard this she began laughing rather deeply. DarkFury sat there uncomfortably during the short while it took for Luna to calm herself. “Oh DarkFury, if only you knew the truth. My list of royal obligations is rather straightforward and quite short. I raise the moon, lower the moon, look after my troops, hold the midnight court, discuss events with my sister, and then I sleep through the day. Not to mention the fact that not one single pony has sought my counseling during the midnight court since I have returned. I have more free time then I know what to do with. Imparting knowledge to you would actually give me something to do, so it is not a problem at all. Besides, why would I consider you as insignificant? While you are my subordinate you are also somepony I can call a friend. Friends are supposed to help each other, are they not?” Luna finished.

DarkFury sat there dumbfounded by what he just heard. He could only sit there and try to process the information Luna had just told him.

“For your first lesson you shall learn to compare and contrast the qualities of ponies for assigning them to certain roles.”

“How do you plan on teaching me that?” He asked as he snapped out of his daze.

“By you helping me pick members for the Royal Lunar Guard.” Luna said, matter-of-factly.

DarkFury could not believe his ears. “Are you sure?” He asked as he almost fell over. “I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of choosing the members by yourself. I don’t know all that much about managing others.” He stammered.

“Well now is the time for you to learn. Since you are a Sergeant now, managing other troops will become part of your job. So I suggest you pay attention to this conversation.”

They spent the next hour or so discussing combinations of troops and suggestions on who should be in Luna's guard. DarkFury made several suggestions, comparisons, and recommendations. Most of them were rejected by Luna as she explained he had often overlooked the strengths and weaknesses of the individual soldiers. She told him that he had to consider both of their strengths and weaknesses when choosing troops for specific roles. Basically, she told him to balance the pros and cons of each soldier and see how they fit for the role they are being considered for. The closer the fit, the better they were suited for the role. They had decided for sure on 10 members by now, and they were trying to find two more to fit the remaining two slots.

“How about Shadow Chaser?” DarkFury suggested.

“He is fast I’ll admit, but he also seems to be a bit too easily agitated. I would hate to see him lose his temper trying to keep unruly subjects at bay.”

“Yes you’re right, I forgot about that. Coaldust then?”

“An excellent suggestion.” Luna beamed. “Coaldust is a level-headed, strong, and patient unicorn. He should fit the role quite nicely. Now only the last spot remains.”

Luna looked at DarkFury as he lay there contemplating who would fit the last spot the best. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he pondered the remaining members in his mind carefully. She patiently waited for DarkFury to come up with the last suggestion, but her mind began to wander. For some reason she found herself thinking about the past. While the memories she was reliving weren’t depressing as such, they weren’t the happiest.

As Luna lay deep in her own thoughts DarkFury noticed she seemed troubled. A frown lined her face as she gazed blankly into the night sky. He wanted to ask her to see if he could help, but he stopped himself. He stopped because he was afraid that he'd open the emotional wounds of her past. He didn't know much detail about her past, few ponies did, and most thought primarily of Nightmare Moon. That was not a good topic to bring up.

Luna noticed he was looking at her after a brief period of time and flashed him a smile. She then proceeded to actively stare at the night sky. Her eyes darted around ceaselessly as she traced her constellations and became lost in the memories of creating and naming them. All the while a warm smile could be seen on her face. DarkFury relaxed as he saw this and assumed whatever troubled her had been resolved for now. He resumed his mental debacle and was struck with an idea.

“I got it!” DarkFury triumphantly declared.

“Huh, wha?” Luna stuttered as she was pulled back into the real world from her trip down nostalgia avenue.

“The last guard member. I figured out who would be best for it.”

“Yes?” Luna asked, leaning forward, awaiting his answer expectantly.

“Frostburn.” DarkFury confidently stated.

His conclusion threw Luna off balance. While Frostburn would be sufficient for a role in the guard, he was not her first choice she had lined up. “Are you sure?” Luna asked him slowly, recovering from the unexpected answer he had given.

“Positive. Frostburn is capable, loyal, strong, agile, and independent. He may have just joined the military a year or two ago, but I can see him becoming a fine career soldier. Why do you ask? Do you not approve?” He asked, his face showing worry.

Luna paused before answering, thinking carefully. “Frostburn would be well suited but there are few faults that would make me pause.” She said cautiously. “First off as you said, he is independent. He obeys orders but he thinks for himself quite a bit. Often the way he accomplishes his objectives are unconventional, as well as occasionally showing a disdain for rules and authority.” Luna finished on a stern note.

“Yes well, he hasn’t disobeyed an order yet has he?” DarkFury asked cautiously.

“No, but what alarms me is that he might have the audacity to do so in the future. Do you know why he joined the military or why he rebels against authority?” Luna asked boldly.

“No, but how does this pertain to this conversation?” He questioned carefully.

“I will iterate.” Luna explained. “Frostburn joined the military after he saw his mother murdered in front of his own eyes, by a drunken Royal Guard who was on leave in the frigid north. Apparently he wanted to lay with his mother but she refused. So he raped her and began beating and choking her to death. Frostburn had just come home from the neighboring town and saw what was happening. He rammed into the guard and started yelling at him to stop. The guard did not move and only continued to strangle his mother. Desperately he tried everything he could think of to save his mother. Nothing worked until he noticed the guard had left his sword laying on the ground. Frostburn unsheathed the sword and stabbed the guard through his neck, killing him instantly. However, it was too late. His mother died just as he had killed the guard. He was discovered cradling his dead mother in his hooves crying, as a neighbor came over to investigate the commotion. What greeted that poor pony was that macabre scene.”

“I had no idea.” DarkFury said shocked. “Was he tried for killing the guard?”

“No. The following investigation determined that he used reasonable force in an attempt to save his mother. He was only 16 at the time and taken to a clinic to have his mental health evaluated after such a traumatic event. He was deemed healthy and he spent the next two years living with his older brother and his wife. After the incident though, his friends and family reported that his once happy and outgoing personality had changed into a dark, grim, and introverted one. He was changed from that day on and I’m sure the scars are still fresh in his mind.” Luna finished rather sadly.

“I see your point. You’re afraid he’s a loose cannon, while at the same time you’re concerned about his mental stability.” DarkFury concluded.

“Correct.” Luna said approvingly. “Currently I’m considering of keeping him from combat when the division is returned to full operational strength. At least, until he proves he can pass another mental health test without difficulty. Make no mistake, your suggestion was a good one, but you did not know about his past or condition. That is not your fault and you made a good recommendation besides. However, I would prefer somepony else instead of Frostburn for the time being.” She finished tentatively.

“Alright then.”

DarkFury once again entered a state of deep thinking. Luna could hear him mumbling to himself as he considered the other members who had not yet been picked or disqualified from the selection currently. He stopped and bolted upright as if he had it. Luna earnestly waited for him to turn around and share his revelation with her. However, he mumbled something that sounded like, “No, that won’t work...” and he continued thinking and mumbling to himself.

DarkFury contemplated everypony left from Rowan all the way down to Starbuck. He was torn between two ponies for the last spot. The obvious choice was Arctic Blast, a pony from the frigid north who was very strong and followed orders to the letter. The other less obvious choice lay in the earth pony known as Fudge Chip. Fudge Chip came from a family of bakers in Canterlot, but decided he wanted to pursue a military career. He was loyal to the extreme and he was very kind-hearted. DarkFury weighed the pros and cons of each pony, but both seemed to have one considerable flaw that made this a predicament for him.

Arctic Blast was a good soldier and he always carried out orders without a second thought. That strength of his however could also be a weakness. Arctic Blast didn’t question his orders, no matter how he felt or thought about them. If led astray he could, and would, turn on his former friends in a heartbeat. His loyalty was put within the hierarchy of the military above everything else. While soldiers were supposed to obey their superiors, it was also their duty to defend Equestria, its citizens, and others from threats both foreign and domestic. Arctic Blast would obey whatever commander he was under, no matter what they stood or fought for. This unnerved DarkFury and put a rather dark spot on Arctic Blast’s otherwise perfect resume.

Fudge Chip on the other hoof had his own tragic fault. Fudge Chip was rather kind-hearted and hated the thought of killing or harming others. While not particularly alarming in of itself, DarkFury could see several implications caused by it. Would he be able to emotionally detach himself and prevent himself from sympathising with their enemies? Could he be able to bring himself to perform his orders, no matter what they were? And most importantly, would he have the resolve to kill others to save the lives of his comrades, himself, or civilians?

Both ponies seemed the best out of the rest for the position but each had their own Afilles Hoof. DarkFury was tormented by trying to choose the lesser of the two evils before him. No matter which one he chose the trade-off was steep. Choose Arctic Blast and you had a pony whose true loyalty was with whomever commanded him, and could kill his friends as easily as his enemies. Choose Fudge Chip and you possibly endangered the lives of Fudge Chip and those around him, depending on whether or not he would be able to make himself act in a crisis situation.

After a few minutes of thinking, DarkFury had his answer. He decided to choose Arctic Blast over Fudge Chip. In his mind’s eye it was better to have a ruthless performer than a potential liability and safety hazard. Besides, Arctic Blast will be under the direct command of Luna so he shouldn’t be able to go turncoat no matter what, he reasoned.

DarkFury turned to Luna again and said, “I have the answer now.”

“And that is?” Luna asked expectantly.

“The pony best suited for the last position in the Lunar Guard is Arctic Blast.” DarkFury stated somewhat hesitantly.

A smile gleamed from Luna as she said, “Very well chosen indeed. He shall make a fine member. Out of curiosity, who were you comparing him against for so long?” Luna asked.

“Fudge Chip.”

“Fudge Chip? That is interesting...” Luna said as she trailed off in thought. She shook her head and regained herself. “It seems that all of the members have been chosen.” She continued. “I hope that you have learned something useful this night DarkFury. I thank you for your time and your suggestions.”

“It was nothing Luna. I think I actually did learn quite a bit from tonight. I must thank you Princess, for taking the time to instruct me.” He replied respectfully.

“As you know it was no trouble in the slightest. Would you be able to make it here tomorrow evening at midnight? I was thinking we could begin to discuss tactics.”

“Of course Luna, I wouldn’t miss it. If you would pardon me Princess, I think I need to sleep.” DarkFury said as he stood, stretched, and yawned.

“Yes, of course. Everypony needs their rest.”

DarkFury turned to leave as Luna said this, but was stopped when she asked, “DarkFury?”

“Yes Princess?” DarkFury replied as he turned to face her. His mind filled with confusion as to what she wanted to ask him.

“I noticed that during the entire conversation, you did not once recommend yourself for a position in the Lunar Guard. Why is that?” Luna asked, her eyes glaring at him with a source of intense scrutiny and interest.

“Well... I don’t really know myself.” He stammered under her gaze, while Luna noted every detail of his reaction. Intimidated, DarkFury felt a primal response surge from his being: fear. “I guess I didn’t want to sound presumptuous. I mean, how rude and selfish would I appear if all I did was use this opportunity to assure myself a spot in the Lunar Guard?” He began fidgeting nervously. “Especially since you personally asked for my input in helping you choose its members. Helping you choose its members was just as great if not a greater honor than being chosen to serve in it. For that I thank you Princess Luna.” DarkFury finished respectfully as he gave a large bow, while spreading his webbed wings and laying them on the ground next to his head. An ancient and almost forgotten sign of great respect to the rulers of Equestria.

Luna just sat there, staring at the still bowing figure of DarkFury. “Was this a test, or did I do something wrong?” DarkFury thought to himself, his mind racing rapidly. He tensed, and hoped he hadn’t angered her.

“Rise.” Luna said harshly as she rose, then approached him.

DarkFury stood upright and folded his wings against his body. He remained in place unflinching, as he tilted his head up to look into the cyan eyes of the tall alicorn. Her stern face looked down at him. He suddenly felt very small, and wanted to curl up and hide. He braced himself for a stern reprimand or other punishment.

“Thou art a dimwit.” Luna proclaimed as a large smile crept across her face.

“Huh?” DarkFury blurted, losing his composure upon seeing Luna’s smile after her unexpected remark.

Luna began laughing once more. “DarkFury, when considering troops for assignments you are also allowed to include yourself. In fact it is imperative that you consider yourself as well. If you cannot consider your capabilities along with those you command, then you might as well not even exist.”

DarkFury sat on his haunches with his mouth open. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.” He moaned as he face-hoofed.

“It’s nothing to beat yourself up over.” Luna chimed. “I do not expect you to know or anticipate everything. That is the purpose of me teaching you, is it not?”

“Of course it is, but I still feel like an idiot.”

“Go and rest DarkFury, tomorrow will be another busy day. I will expect to see you at midnight tomorrow. Have a pleasant evening DarkFury.”

“May you have a pleasant evening as well Princess.” He said as he bowed before her once again. He then briskly trotted away towards the barracks.

Luna sat there alone with her thoughts for a long while. What she had noticed that night was very interesting indeed. “DarkFury seems to remind me of him more and more as time goes on. This is only furthering the conviction of my suspicions.” Luna said to herself. “He himself does not know, nor does he suspect. Would it be wise to share this with him?” She paused, carefully thinking the matter over in her head. “No, now is not the proper time for such a thing. I might not even be right, as I have only suspicions to go on.”

Luna watched her pale moon cross the sky in its nightly route. She sat there pondering and thinking of everything she had learned and seen over the past few months. Only when the first bright rays of the sun climbed above the horizon did she stir herself from her deep thoughts. She stood and trotted her way into the castle toward her room to rest and to dream. Her dreams would be only a temporary respite for her, but she wholeheartedly embraced them. As she lay in her bed the familiar and comforting darkness of sleep gripped her body and mind. Smiling, she slipped into her realm of peace and serenity.

Chapter 3: Change

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In the barracks for the Lunar Guard, several members awoke and found that many things about them had changed. The pegasi had their wings changed by Luna, but they and the other races began to acquire more features than they thought they would have.

DarkFury stumbled out of his bunk and hobbled over toward a wash basin. Groggily, he shoved his head into the cold water to awake himself. Shivering from the cold, he pulled himself out of the basin and stared at his reflection.

“By the power of the stars and the moon!” He suddenly exclaimed as he almost fell over backward.

Jolted awake by his shouts, the other members jumped out of bed and rushed over. As the Lunar soldiers looked at each other, several more shouts and exclamations filled the barracks. Some soldiers had begun to grow fangs, while others had tell-tale signs that their eyes were beginning to change color.

“What the hell is happening!?” FireMane shouted.

“We’re changing!” FireTail, his twin, responded.

“Why is this happening!?” Somepony shouted in the background.

Panic consumed the barracks as everypony tried to figure out what was happening to them and why. Several accusations and wild theories flew about the room, many fueled by racism. The pegasi and earth ponies blamed the unicorns, while the unicorns blamed the “dirty earth ponies”. The cacophony of sounds turned into a large uproar, until somepony had had enough.

“Everypony shut the hell up!”

The barracks became dead silent as all the members turned to the pegasus who shouted out the stern report.

A snow-white pegasus was standing alone, staring at the large gathering of ponies in the room. Slowly, he walked towards the large group of soldiers, his ice-blue eyes stared coldly ahead, seemingly devoid of warmth or emotion. As he faced them, the gray markings around his left eye and on his right foreleg became visible, not to mention the extremely pissed scowl that lined his face. Frostburn’s short, dark-blue mane and tail swayed as he approached them. A large snowflake with flames streaming off of it served as his cutie mark, while another blotch of gray could be seen under the cutie mark on his left flank.

Upon realizing that the quiet Frostburn was the one who yelled for silence, all of them became stunned. Many became afraid, as they remembered Frostburn’s troubled and dark past and his cold, indifferent attitude.

“Listen,” He began. “We all are growing fangs or having our eyes change, right?”

Several heads nodded up and down.

“Since that is the case, none of us is causing these transformations. If anything, it might be a side-effect from Princess Luna’s magic on us.”

“But that would only explain the changes in the pegasi!” Some unicorn retorted.

Frostburn gave a shrug. “I don’t know. It’s just a theory.”

With that, the pegasus trotted back to his bunk and donned his purple armor. Afterwhich, he left the barracks for the training field, leaving his comrades to muse over what he said while they readied themselves for their daily training.

As the weeks passed by, it soon became colder and trees began to shed their leaves for the upcoming winter. The Fall season was rapidly approaching and Luna was looking forward to a particular holiday; Nightmare Night. This would be Luna’s first Nightmare Night since her return and she was looking forward to visiting Ponyville for the holiday that was made in her (or Nightmare Moon’s) honor. At the same time, a rather perturbing thought bothered her constantly. She needed to find a suitable commander for her forces. After digging through the military archives for hours she came across a file, hidden and buried at the very bottom that grabbed her interest.

Her interest grew as she read his file. Numerous victories, ambitious, master strategist, it seemed he had everything desirable for a commander. But why was he not currently commanding any forces? If he was, Luna would have heard or known about it one way or another. At the very end of the file she found a segment that read,

“Wounded in action, promoted to Colonel and re-assigned to logistics and support for the Royal 3rd Infantry Division.”

Promoted and then assigned a desk job after being wounded in combat, typical of insecure superior officers. Luna thought to herself. She hoped that this would make him easy to stir, that he would willingly jump at the chance to command troops again. That is, provided he didn’t enjoy his desk job. It was a chance Luna had to take.

A distinctly unhappy Colonel pored over the stacks of paperwork littering his desk. His dark mood was contrasted with the bright white office he occupied. With eyes downcast to the papers in front of him and a scowl lining his face, he was clearly annoyed and bored. After painstakingly filling out and signing papers for about two and a half hours, he neatly stacked the completed papers and forms and leaned back in his chair. He smiled smugly to himself, thinking he might be done for the day.

Colonel Thunderbuck’s mind began to wander to the days when he was younger. The days his coat wasn’t a faded bronze, the days his light blue hair wasn’t graying with age, the days where he received a scar just above his right eye, and the days he commanded troops in the field. Oh, those were the best of days! Back then he was in his prime, an officer fresh out of the academy eager for his first taste of action.

How foalish and stupid he was! Looking back on his past, he picked out more than a few moments when he did something foalish or dangerous. How could he have known? He was as inexperienced with combat as a newborn is with the world. Now, he was old, his life filled with experience and wisdom. He stopped mid-thought to contemplate the word known as ‘old’. Was he really what you could consider old? Sure, he was past his prime and that he accepted, but was he old?

The door to his office sounded with a short knock and stirred him from his thoughts. He called to the pony on the other side to enter. It was his assistant. She was a young mare just entering her twenties, wore a pair of glasses, and always had a smile on her face. She was shy and often timid, which the serious and straightforward colonel had learned to tolerate (Well most of the time anyway). Wordlessly, she trotted up to his desk, gave him a brief nod, and took the papers on his desk and placed them into her saddlebag. Thunderbuck happily thought that he was done with paperwork for the day, as she turned to leave.

To his horror she stopped mid-trot, and turned back to his desk. With an apologetic smile, she pulled out a huge stack of papers from the other side of her saddlebag and placed them on his desk. This new stack was a tower compared to the one he had just finished. Thunderbuck gave out a small sigh, while his aide looked at him and gave the “I’m sorry” look. After which, she turned and briskly trotted out of the room.

After she left, Thunderbuck gave out a groan of frustration and let his face fall to the desk. He then banged his head against the hard oak several times. Sighing rather loudly, he straightened himself in his seat and stared at the mound of papers before him. Without a pause, he opened one of the drawers in his desk and placed the objects within on the desk. A shot glass and a bottle of Stalliongrad vodka. Pouring himself a shot he said, “Well this is going to be another long day.”

As his work went agonizingly slow, having a shot after every few papers he finished, he thought about his past exploits once again. Those were the days of glory and excitement! Now though, he was trapped behind a desk doing paperwork. He was willing to do almost anything to get out of this mind-numbing desk job. His aching hind leg though, served as a painful reminder that such a thing wasn’t ever likely to happen again.

He recalled with contempt, the day he had his field command taken from him. He was on a hill, overseeing the battle that was unfolding before him. Whenever it looked as if the tide had turned against him, he gave a new order and the scales tipped in his favor. He was a brilliant strategist and had quite the reputation for pulling wins out of seemingly hopeless situations.

Several combatants from both sides had strayed close to the hill and were fighting like vicious feral animals. He thought nothing of it and continued to observe and give commands to his troops below. Suddenly, one of the enemies below had apparently looked up the hill and spotted him. His Major’s armor was easily distinguishable from the junior officers near him as the rogue pony ran straight at him, blade at the ready. Keeping calm and collected, Thunderbuck waited for the enemy pony to close the distance and the opportune moment.

His junior officers scattered and fearfully watched from a distance. The other pony was closing fast, yet their commander was doing nothing. He was thirty feet from Thunderbuck now, twenty-five, twenty, fifteen. Suddenly, Thunderbuck grasped the hilt of his sword with his mouth and quickly drew it. He galloped two quick steps to meet his opponent. In one fluid, practiced motion, Thunderbuck evaded his opponent’s blade and brought his own across the throat of his enemy.

Blood gushed from the large gash on the swift runner’s neck, and he fell to the ground in a heap. Gurgling sounds emanated from his throat as he tried to breathe, while his sword remained clutched in his mouth. Thunderbuck looked at his fallen opponent for a moment, then sheathed his sword. He stood over the corpse of his enemy and kicked him to make sure he was dead. A low gurgle sounded in response, indicating he was still alive, but the injured soldier was firmly and hopelessly clasped in the hooves of death.

He turned away from the almost lifeless figure on the ground and returned to observing the ongoing battle below. A scuffling noise came from the direction of the fallen foe, but Thunderbuck believed him to be convulsing in his death throes. He realized how wrong he was when he felt a sharp, red-hot pain in his right hind leg. It was the most painful thing he had ever experienced and he screamed loudly as the blade was twisted and shoved deeper into his leg.

Tearing his leg away in a burst of pain induced panic and surprise only made his wound even worse. Snarling angrily, he whirled upon the pony and crushed his skull with his uninjured hind leg. A loud ‘crack’ sounded as the pony’s skull was shattered like a vase. His body finally fell completely limp and stirred no more. Only then did Thunderbuck scold himself for his foalishness and incompetence. He should have ran his sword through the other pony to be certain he was dead.

The sound of steel shoe clad hooves marching in unison echoed in the hall outside his room, disrupting his thoughts. He thought nothing of it as groups of soldiers marched through the halls often. The sound continued for a short while, then slowly faded away in the distance. Taking a glance at the clock, it seemed to move oh so slow. Returning to his work with a sigh, he grabbed his quill and began to scribble away at the seemingly endless pool of papers when another knock sounded on his door. Without stopping his writing he barked, “Enter.”

He glanced up quickly, seeing his aide poke her head through the doorway. Still focusing on his paperwork he asked, “What is it ?”

“Sir.” She replied. “There is something that requires your attention.”

“If it’s more paperwork, throw it in tomorrow’s pile.” He said rather crossly.

“It’s not paperwork, Sir. It’s a summoning from the Princess.”

Thunderbuck stopped dead and sat completely still. “Which one?” He asked as he looked up at his aide.

“Princess Luna, Sir.”

Thunderbuck felt a twinge of fear upon hearing her name, although he gave no outward indication of such a thing. Why would that mare possibly want to see me? He thought to himself with a frown.

Colonel Thunderbuck was afraid but unwilling to show it. He never really expected (or wanted for that matter) to be summoned by one of the princesses of Equestria, let alone Luna, the Mare of Darkness and Shadows. He approached the large doors of her throne room and was startled slightly, as two purple clad guards seemed to materialize from the shadows of the large doorway. With their polished armor, they looked like two gleaming stars of purple in the darkness. The two guards crossed their spears in front of him, blocking his path.

“Halt.” Said the one on the right. “Are you Colonel Thunderbuck?”

“I am indeed Colonel Thunderbuck” He stated calmly, just wanting to get in and out quickly and get this whole thing said and done. His right hind leg ached, as it always did nowadays.

A loud creak from the heavy wooden doors pierced the silence of the hall as they slowly began to open. The guards uncrossed their spears, clearing the way.

“Enter.” The one on the right spoke.

“Her majesty is expecting you.” The one on the left added.

Thunderbuck slowly and carefully limped into the large dark room. A large square of light illuminated the entryway, only to run into a wall of impenetrable darkness further in. He turned his head to get a look at the guards in the doorway behind him. What he saw astonished him. The two door guards had vanished from sight, as if they seemingly vanished into the endless shadows that filled the room and the doorway. The large thick, wooden doors closed behind him with a loud boom, taking the last of the light from the hallway with them. The room turned black as night and Thunderbuck was rendered blind.

Being blinded by the darkness, he slowly limped forward along where he thought the pathway was. He felt some hooves push him to the right, and panicked for a brief instant.

“Stay on the path.” A gruff voice said to him, as it stopped pushing him.

With his eyes adjusting to the darkness, he became aware of two guards walking on either side of him. As all three of them moved forward, he noticed that there seemed to be be the dimmest of lights coming from the ceiling. Looking up he gasped.

From a distance that seemed to equal the height of the sky, a large starry black and blue field greeted his eyes. He was awed and could not help but smile upon seeing this amazing sight. The ceiling looked exactly like the night sky, it even had a moon. A shooting star flew across the ceiling, and he could only follow it with his gaze, mesmerized.

His eyes, now totally adjusted to the room’s light level, began to sweep around the rest of the room. Judging from the size of the great throne room before him, he estimated it to be as large as Celestia’s, if not slightly larger. Two columns of huge, polished, dark marble pillars were on either side of the pathway through the room. They reached up to the high ceiling up until a certain point, then faded away so as not to obstruct the view of the magic mural of the night sky. While the floor and walls were colored with various hues of blue, black, and purple.

Looking at the far away sides of the room he saw several large, evenly spaced, and arched windows on both sides of the room. All were heavily curtained with a fabric as dark as the night sky to prevent sunlight from entering the room. At the very end of the pathway, he could barely make out a large towering structure surrounded by darkness. As the small group got closer to it, Thunderbuck realized it was Luna’s throne. It was made of some dark blue material that was unfamiliar to him, and was of an aggressive and gothic style.

Sitting upon the throne, and looking right at home, was the Night Mare herself. Her dark sapphire coat glowed softly from the pale, dim light created from the stars and moon of the sky mural. While her starry, moderate cobalt-blue mane flowed slowly in the air of its own accord. Thunderbuck took a deep breath, wishing that he was anywhere other than here.

As the group reached about forty feet away from the throne, the arched windows had stopped. Instead, a stone balcony of sorts lined both walls at a height of about twenty feet. Under these balconies were several heavy wooden doors spaced about ten feet from each other. Their purpose and destinations were unknown to Thunderbuck, and his thoughts of where they lead were rather dark and grim.

Thunderbuck suddenly had the very akward feeling that he was being watched. Looking back up at the balconies on both sides, a couple dozen pairs of piercing eyes stared back. Thunderbuck locked with one pair of eyes until it’s owner blinked. Taking the chance to look away from the balcony, he thought to himself as he grinned, I’ve still got it. He turned his attention back to the throne and the imposing monarch upon it. He began to think about his current situation.

I’m surrounded by dozens of Lunar soldiers, here all alone, and I’m about to meet the cold and ruthless ruler of the dark ages. This is going to be interesting, to say the least. I’ll just have to hope the rumors where she drank the blood of ponies way back when, and practiced black magic on those who displeased her are false. Although I rather doubt them. Celestia would never allow her sister to do such atrocities, as far as I know.

They stopped a few feet away from the throne and the soldiers escorting him took a couple of steps forward and bowed deeply. Both guards who escorted him from the door were pegasi and spread their wings on the ground in front of them. Doing this was a great sign of respect and obedience, as their wings were exposed to Luna and she could trample them if they displeased her.

“Your highness, the one who you summoned has arrived.” The one on the left said.

Luna stirred slightly, as she was apparently reading a scroll of some sort. She placed it down on the arm of her throne with her magic and stood from her seating position. Wordlessly, she started to descend her throne and her cold, piercing, cyan eyes fell on Thunderbuck. Meeting her gaze with his own, he held it for a few seconds before breaking eye contact and bowing politely. Reaching the bottom she stopped before her two kneeling pegasi guards.

“You have pleased your Princess, now go.” Luna said, her words filled with authority.

The two pegasi wordlessly folded their wings against their sides and backed into the shadows, vanishing. Luna then stepped closer to Thunderbuck, with only a few feet separating them.

“Rise.” She commanded.

Thunderbuck rose to his hooves slowly, but confidently, being careful not to put too much pressure on his maimed hind leg. He looked at her directly. Her piercing gaze seemed to tear into his soul and see through his entire being. It was unnerving and he shuddered ever so slightly, and apparently, Luna noticed.

A frown lined her face as she spoke, “Perhaps I was mistaken.”

Thunderbuck asked, “Mistaken about what Princess?” His voice steady and firm.

“You.” She replied. “From my understanding, your report says you are a battle hardened veteran, and a prodigy of a commander. That seems to be a lie, however. All I see before me is an aged pegasus filled with fear. You may not show it, but it is there.”

Thunderbuck took immediate offense and was about to fire off a snide retort. He restrained himself however, knowing what could happen if he did so. He hardened his face and remained silent.

“What’s this? Did I offend you Colonel? Perhaps you have something you would like to say to me?” Luna said mockingly.

“That depends.” Thunderbuck replied. “On whether or not you could handle what I dish out.”

“Oh-ho! Perhaps there is some fire in you still. Please, do tell what is on your mind.”

*This is a game, Thunderbuck realized. A game that he had played several times before. “I’d rather not. Such vulgar language is unbefitting for royalty to hear.”

“Say it. I know you want to.” Luna crooned. “Hurl your worst insults at me. There is not a single insult that you could come up with that I’ve not already heard. I order you to say it.”

“If you insist Princess. If I may be so bold as to ask, is it true that you yield to your sister? They say that Celestia’s right hoof has returned. Is this true?” He replied with a grin, glad that he had remembered something from history class all those years ago.

Princess Luna suddenly began laughing, her laughs echoing throughout the room. Smiling she finally said, “Check and mate Colonel. You know how to play the game. But to answer your question no, Celestia’s right hoof has not returned nor ever will. This mare you are referring to has now pledged to only serve the interests of herself and her country.” Luna’s speaking tone softened to it’s regular volume. “I do apologize for that Colonel, but seeing that you know what you’re doing, you must know why I did that.”

Thunderbuck nodded his head. “Of course Princess. You were testing my resolve, seeing whether or not I had backbone.”

“Indeed I was. Again I apologize for such a thing. Politicians and officers enjoy their games as I’m sure you know. I needed to know whether or not you could go hoof-to-hoof with others in this dangerous game of chicken.”

“I am. Although to be frank, I hate politicians. I’ve dealt with a few of them but they won’t speak plainly, or straight for that matter. They just keep going in convoluted circles accomplishing nothing. It’s great to know my bits are going to great use in the political sector.” He finished sarcastically.

Luna nodded her head and said, “I concur Colonel. I once had to listen to a politician give an extremely convoluted and dense speech for five hours, just to tell us that he wanted a .3% tax increase on the sale of alcoholic beverages. It was unbearable. It’s no surprise they never get anything done around here. That’s why most ponies try to propose their laws and ideas through my sister. The waiting list may be long, but it’s shorter than trying to pass it through the representative body.”

Thunderbuck nodded, then asked, “Pardon me Princess, but what is the exact reason you summoned me here?”

“I’m glad you asked. I have brought you before me to give you a proposition, if you are willing that is.”

“And what is it?” He asked with genuine curiosity.

“Would you be willing to command troops once more?”

Thunderbuck looked as if he had been struck. His mouth hung agape.

“I know I’m asking a bit much,” Luna continued. “But if you would rather keep your desk job, you are more than welcome to turn down my offer.”

“No!” He shouted.

Luna raised her eyebrow from his unexpected shout. “No? You’d rather keep your desk job? Honestly, I’d think doing paperwork all day would be boring.” Luna gave a sigh and shrugged. “Well, I guess I have to find somepony else.”

“No!” Thunderbuck yelled again. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh? Then what did you mean?”

“I meant that I want to accept your offer. I’ve hated every single day of sitting and working at that desk. I’ve been dreaming that one day, I would get out of that stuffy office and back into the field. But now my wildest dreams have become my reality. Thank you Princess Luna, thank you so much.” He said as he bowed deeply to her, being careful to shift most of his weight to his left hind leg. By now his emotions of fear directed toward her had been replaced by admiration and gratitude.

Luna smiled as she stared at the old pegasus before her. She motioned to the shadows and all thirty-four members of the 13th Lunar Division emerged from the darkness of the room. They formed two rows on either side of Luna and Thunderbuck, and remained motionless.

“Colonel Thunderbuck,” Luna boomed in her loud, commanding tone. “Will you pledge your allegiance to your Night Princess, do what is just and right, and defend Equestria from foes both foreign and domestic?” Her voice echoing across the large room. Her eyes locked on Thunderbuck, waiting for his response.

The echoes faded into silence until it became deafening. All eyes of the Lunar soldiers were focused on him as well. As they stared at him waiting, many of the soldiers thought of the stories they heard of this once great commander. Others were indifferent, while one particular snow-white pegasus was giving him a stare of pure hatred and malice. For in his mind, dark memories were resurfacing from seeing the aged Colonel.

“Yes, my Princess. I pledge my loyalty to you, I swear to do what is just and right, and I will commit myself to defend Equestria from threats of either foreign or domestic origin.”

Luna smiled as she touched her horn to the top of his head. Her magic aura surrounded his body as she removed her horn. “Rise, Commander Thunderbuck. May you bring us great victory and have our enemies flee before us.”

A loud clash of metal rang throughout the room, as all of the Lunar soldiers clicked their steel shod hooves together and saluted their new superior officer. A flash of light followed, revealing Thunderbuck’s new webbed wings. He rose back onto his hooves, looking at his wings with a newfound curiosity. Luna approached him once more, and placed the commander’s insignia on his uniform. With liquid pride starting to form in his eyes, Thunderbuck saluted Princess Luna.

Thunderbuck’s first assignment from Princess Luna was to try to obtain more troops, specifically officers, from other divisions or units that were over capacity. He went around asking for troops and was well received for the most part. That is, until he was asked what division he commanded. When he replied that it was the 13th, almost every officer looked at him like he insulted them. On top of that, many began laughing and all potential deals fell through. Apparently, the news that the 13th had been retrained and was being rebuilt from the ground up had not circulated throughout the military yet. To most it still was the place for the lowest of the low, although many commanders and officers wondered why the 13th was rejecting all transfer requests for their “undesirable” soldiers.

A few officers though, were sympathetic and listened as Thunderbuck elaborated that the 13th was being reborn. From these understanding and generous commanders, Thunderbuck was able to scrape up around five-hundred troops. About four dozen or so of these soldiers were officers. In addition to these soldiers, several individuals from various units volunteered to serve in the 13th.

Surprisingly, the most individual volunteers came from Celestia’s personal Solar Guard. Almost all volunteers from the Solar Guard were commissioned officers. In total, Thunderbuck had managed to gather roughly six hundred troops, of which an estimated six or seven dozen were commissioned officers. While it was a lesser number than he had hoped for, it was a lot better than getting no troops at all.

Thunderbuck discussed his difficulty of procuring troops with Luna. They decided to spread the information that the 13th was being rebuilt by distributing posters and fliers. In addition, they began laying the groundwork for a large scale recruitment campaign for the 13th division. Luna planned to kick it off in Ponyville during and after her visit there for Nightmare Night.

In the meantime, they decided that they would have to promote from within the division and/or recruit officers directly from the few Royal Officer schools scattered throughout the country. The six-hundred or so troops that Thunderbuck had procured were immediately enrolled in the 13th’s harsh training regimen. Although only slightly more than a third were expected to meet the strenuous demands of the training.

Nightmare Night was fast approaching and Luna became rather excited. So excited in fact, she could not use her newer, more modern, pattern of speech. Whenever she talked, archaic terms and phrases escaped like water from a burst dam. Luna had to consciously focus while talking just to attempt to speak in more modern terms. Even then she was only successful part of the time.

She planned on using this visit to befriend her subjects and rebuild her public image, as well as using it as a starting point for the recruitment drive. For a few days after Nightmare Night her thirty-four Lunar Soldiers would be camping near Ponyville, showing off their capabilities and trying to recruit members for the 13th Lunar Division. Luna would also be there to personally meet and greet citizens and recruits.

The night finally arrived and Luna made her grand entrance on her royal chariot which was pulled by two Lunar Guards. The two pegasi she chose for this job were named Typhoon and Overcast, as they looked almost identical to each other. As Luna landed it soon became apparent that most of the citizens were frightened senseless. Her two guards and her aggressive, gothic styled chariot seemed to intimidate her subjects. Many cried out that she was Nightmare Moon and the bad memories of the event at the ball several months ago popped in her mind.

Without breaking stride, Luna attempted to reassure the citizens of Ponyville and calm them. However, she used the Royal Canterlot voice, forgetting it was no longer a good way to address the subjects of Equestria. Her loud and commanding tone only served to frighten the ponies further.

A pink mare dressed as a chicken and leading a group of foals began shouting wild and unthinkable accusations. This only served to cause widespread panic as most of the ponies began screaming and panicking. Becoming confused and saddened, Luna ambled away from the town square by herself, lost in deep and sad thought.

A lavender unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, approached Luna and struck up a conversation with her. Luna briefly remembered that she was the Element of Magic, and was the first pony she saw after being awoken from Nightmare Moon’s state. Twilight had a plan for how to have Luna become more sociable and accepted by the citizens. While doubtful and skeptical, Luna agreed to accept Twilight’s help, albeit reluctantly.

Twilight led Luna to a small cottage on the outskirts of town, with many animals on the outside. Even they seemed to shy away from Luna’s presence, while she commented about how futile this plan was. Undeterred, Twilight knocked on the cottage door, calling for a pony named, “Fluttershy”. According to Twilight, this Fluttershy was demure and had a soft voice. What met Luna’s ears made her sound anything but.

“Go away! No candy here! Visitors not welcome on Nightmare night!” Shouted Fluttershy from behind her door.

“Fluttershy, it’s me, Twilight.” Twilight replied.

Opening the door, Fluttershy remarked, “Oh, it is you. Ah, and Nightmare Moon. Huh, Nightmare Moon!?”

Fluttershy screamed and slammed the door shut.

“Ahehehe.” Twilight nervously laughed. “Wait right here.” She told Luna as she entered the cottage.

A loud din along with the sounds of several animals could be heard after Twilight entered the building. After a moment the door was thrust open and Twilight pushed Fluttershy out of door.

“Fluttershy, you remember Princess Luna?” Twilight said as she pushed her toward Luna.

“Charmed.” Luna spoke to Fluttershy, although a bit too loud.

Fluttershy gave a small screech and rocketed back into her house. Exasperated, Twilight grabbed her with her magic and pulled her back out the door.

Levitated hopelessly in front of Luna, Fluttershy put on a nervous smile and said softly, “Likewise.”

With the help of Fluttershy and Twilight, Luna was able to lower her voice to a normal tone and volume. Happy and filled with gratitude, Luna grasped Fluttershy with her magic as Fluttershy was reaching for her cottage door. Thanking Fluttershy, Luna hugged her repeatedly.

Unluckily, at this point in time, the pink mare in her chicken costume reappeared. Trailing behind her was a large group of foals. She started going on about how Fluttershy needed to hide them from Nightmare Moon. Upon seeing Luna holding Fluttershy, she screamed that Fluttershy was being eaten by Nightmare Moon and ran away screaming with the foals behind her.

Luna called out to the group, but to no avail. Deeply saddened, Luna looked as if she might cry. Twilight reassured her that things would be alright, and that she had a backup plan.

Walking back into town, with the Ponyville citizens still cowering in fear, Twilight led Luna to an earth pony named Applejack. Applejack gave Luna several pointers about how be more sociable, and suggested that she should mingle with others by having fun and playing games. Upon Luna’s initial confusion, they showed Luna how to play a couple games, which she enjoyed immensely.

Immediately, the citizens started warming up to her. They were having fun alongside with Luna, and had overcome their initial fear. Being delighted by this, she asked that her subjects call her Luna, instead of addressing her formally. This news was warmly met by the citizens.

Luna was about to be shown how to go bobbing for apples, when she noticed a young colt fall into the applebob. Quickly, she reached in with her muzzle to grab the foal by his costume. She was about to set the colt down when a loud shriek rang throughout the air. Moving her eyes to the side, she once again saw the pink mare in the chicken costume.

This mare screamed that Luna was eating him. This colt, apparently named Pip, cried out that his backside was being gobbled. Shocked, Luna dropped him to the ground as he ran away. Feeling that this whole thing was uncalled for, Luna yelled while she caused a boom of thunder to sound above her.

Remembering that she shouldn’t yell, Luna calmed herself and tried to reassure her subjects. In an attempt to spark some more fun, Luna used a spell on all of the spiders for the spider toss, making them come to life. This did not create the reaction Luna had envisioned, and mass panic broke out as the ponies became scared.

Seeing this mass scene of chaos, Luna could not think of a way to regain control of the situation. Eventually, she yelled in her Royal Canterlot voice for everypony to be still. Now having their attention, she claimed that Nightmare Night was an offense to her as her subjects had chosen to fear rather than love her. Upset in this fashion, Luna proclaimed that Nightmare Night was cancelled forever.

Going after Luna, Twilight tried to convince her to reverse her decision about the holiday by telling Luna how popular a holiday it was.

Luna replied close to tears, “I could tell by the adoring shrieks of the children, as they ran away.”

Not wanting to give up, Twilight devised another plan. Cornering Pinkie Pie with her chicken costume, Twilight learned that ponies thought being scared was fun. Enlightened by this new piece of information, Twilight hatched yet another plan, telling Luna that it was certain to work.

Hiding behind the statue of Nightmare Moon, Luna had donned fake fangs and disguised herself as her evil alter ego. Luna reluctantly went along with this plan, not fully grasping how this would win her subjects over.

The time soon came when the annual candy offering was made. The foals piled candy at the foot of the statue, a tradition to make sure Nightmare Moon would eat the candy instead of them. Luna sprung out as the last offering was made, disguised as Nightmare Moon, and frightened the children terribly. After they ran away, Luna dropped her costume and asked what the purpose of this stunt was. She soon had her answer.

A colt, in fact the very same colt she pulled out of the applebob, came up to her. Pip asked if Luna would come back and scare them next year, even if Nightmare Night was cancelled. Upon her asking why, Pip replied that it was fun to be scared, scary, but fun. Finally understanding this holiday, Luna proclaimed that Nightmare Night wouldn’t be cancelled after all, much to the delight of everypony. She promised to come back for next year and spent the rest of the holiday scaring ponies and having fun.

Nightmare Night finished with much fanfare and the Lunar Princess and her soldiers set up camp on the outskirts of town. The citizens of Ponyville slept through the night, seemingly unaware of the bustling activity happening in their dark streets. During the night, posters and fliers were hung everywhere in town, to advertise the recruitment campaign. Tents and a makeshift recruiting office were assembled and erected. The field on the outskirt of the town where the soldiers camped was also prepared for the coming days. It would be used by the soldiers to show off their capabilities, and even possibly accept challenges from inquiring citizens.

The next day, many Ponyville citizens were in disbelief at what they saw that morning. Fliers and posters were plastered everywhere, and the field to the west of town had sprouted several tents and small temporary buildings. While many were confused as to what was transpiring, word soon spread. Soon, several curious ponies were watching several members of the 13th participate in jousts, sparring matches, archery, magic and strength contests, and races. What drew the attention of the citizens the most though, were the golden eyes, fangs, and dragon-like wings that characterized all of the Lunar Soldiers.

Some of the more daring passerby challenged some of the members to contests or races. Most of which were easily defeated by the soldiers. Although one mare in particular beat every single soldier she challenged to a race. The best fliers in the division, FireTail and Shadow Chaser, were no match for this mare. Even in full armor the two soldiers were able to keep the grueling pace set by Rainbow Dash, that is until Rainbow Dash put on a seemingly impossible burst of speed and performed a sonic rainboom right in front of them. Exhausted and crestfallen, the two pegasi bowed their heads and conceded defeat.

To the surprise of many, Princess Luna was also present. Most of her time though, was spent mingling with the ponyfolk in town and personally greeting those who had enlisted for her division. Unbeknownst to Luna or her four accompanying guards, a pony with unknown motives and intent watched from the distant shadows. This cloaked pony had been observing her actions for several hours. Having his fill of observing, he stealthily slid into the dark alleys of Ponyville and disappeared without a trace.

By this time dozens of ponies had already enlisted and several more were eagerly lining up. One earth pony in particular enlisted as soon as he learned what was happening. His name was Quicksilver. He had a bright, pure white coat, a bright orange mane and tail, green eyes, wore square glasses, as well as a black jacket and hoof band. On his flank was a cutie mark of an open comic book. Quicksilver deeply admired Princess Luna and secretly had a crush on her, even though he never met her. His dream was to meet her and become one of her Royal Lunar Guards.

While signing up for enlistment, Quicksilver was faced with a problem. As he filled out the sheet with his personal information, a small notice in the corner stated: *Only ponies of the age of 18 or older may enlist in the Equestrian armed forces.* Quicksilver was only 17, having had his birthday a couple of months ago. He did the only sensible thing a pony in his situation would do; he lied. He gave the completed sheet to the recruitment officer and left the hastily built wooden shack.

Walking down the street towards his house, he turned a corner and bumped into somepony. Whoever he bumped into was larger than him as he fell to the ground from the impact. He gathered himself up and looked up, ready to yell at whoever ran into him. He stopped and his eyes widened exponentially as he saw who was in front of him. Towering over him, with a concerned expression on her face, was Princess Luna.

Quicksilver’s heart skipped a beat. He shakily pushed himself upright, moving very slowly. Luna thought he was afraid of her and was about to apologize for knocking him to the ground when he did something unexpected.

“Ohmygosh it’s Princess Luna!” He exclaimed as he threw himself on the ground before her.

Luna was surprised and unsure of what she should do. Not one of her subjects had ever been this happy to meet her before. She tried to say something but the words were stuck in her throat. Clearing her throat, she opened her mouth to speak, but Quicksilver began speaking before she could.

“I’m so so so so sorry for bumping into you, your majesty. It won’t happen again I promise.”

Luna finally found her voice and said, “Nay, it is I who should be apologizing. I’m sorry for knocking you onto the ground. Do you accept my apology dear subject?”

Quicksilver practically fainted as he heard Luna’s melodic voice. “Of course!” He almost shouted. “It would be a sin not to forgive you.”

“I don’t know about that dear...” Luna stopped, realizing she did not know the young colt’s name.

“Quicksilver. My name is Quicksilver.” He chirped, seeing her predicament.

“I don’t know about that dear Quicksilver,” She resumed. “Nopony is required to forgive or like anypony. Such a thing would be rather prohibitive towards our society. There are many who like or dislike others for a number of reasons.” She paused for a moment, mentally tracing the path she assumed he took before turning the corner. Judging from his reaction upon meeting her, she assumed he just came from the recruitment center. “Say, what were you doing before we just so happened to bump into each other?” Luna asked, waiting to see if her assumption was correct.

“I just enlisted!” He proudly stated, swelling his chest with pride.

“What on Earth would possess you to do such a thing?” Luna asked, even though the answer was going to be obvious. “Joining the military is a serious commitment. You could end up injured, if not killed, should the need to fight arise.”

“I know that but Equestria has been at peace for ages. Besides, it’s my dream to serve you as a member of your personal Lunar Guard.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Luna replied, a smile crossing her face. “That’s a pretty big goal you’ve set for yourself. If you try hard enough, maybe you will one day achieve it. If you’ll excuse me Quicksilver, I must take my leave. I wish you the best of luck in chasing your aspirations.” Luna said as she began to walk away.

“Thank you Princess.” Quicksilver said as he brought his hoof up to his head and saluted her.

Luna chuckled softly to herself upon seeing this, as she walked away toward the field. Her four guards, marching two by two, followed her closely. As they marched past, the two guards on the side facing Quicksilver eyed him suspiciously. They did not move their heads but used their eyes to look him over and give him a threat level; None.

The last guard who passed Quicksilver was a dark gray pegasus. He eyed the white earth pony and thought to himself, It’s a damn shame these kids are throwing their lives away. Devoting yourself to the military should not be a personal goal. You should be enjoying your youth kid, it will be the only one you’ll ever have.

The next couple of days passed by fairly quickly and easily. Finally, the day to leave Ponyville arrived and the 13th packed up its bags and gear to move on to the next town or city. Luna was excited, since the beginning of the recruitment campaign went so well. In Ponyville, she and her troops were well received and were able to recruit about thirty to forty ponies from Ponyville and its immediate area. Quite an impressive number, considering how small Ponyville is population wise. She was confident that the next phases would proceed smoothly. They began to travel North to the frozen arctic where the fabled Crystal Empire used to exist.

On their way to the Frozen North, they stopped at Cloudsdale and various other cities. From there the division entered the Frozen North. Frostburn, Arcticblast, and a few others seemed relatively comfortable in their home climate. The others however, Luna included, thought it a bit too cold for their liking. After visiting several towns in the arctic region, they traveled a long distance to the southwest. They then followed the coast towards Los Pegasus, stopping at towns and cities they happened upon along the way.

“You will not find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than that of Los Pegasus.” Luna stated disgustedly after the division’s horrible experience there.

Los Pegasus was home to many of Equestria’s famous celebrities, thus giving it the appearance of a prosperous and welcoming city, right? Wrong. Beneath the gold engraved exterior, a putrid core laid underneath. Most of the city was run-down and left in a horrible state of repair. Citizens openly showed hostility towards Luna and her soldiers. Gangsters, mobsters, and crime lords ruled the city, while their numerous underlings enforced their will. Crime and poverty was rampant, and black markets flourished. The local Royal Guards were genuinely afraid of the downtown area and avoided it as if it were filled with dragons. While several had long been corrupted and only stared blankly at the crimes that were committed in front of them.

In fact, crime and corruption in the city was so bad, Luna had all of her troops stay within their hotel most of the time. She also ordered that all of her soldiers should carry their weapons at all times and that nopony should leave the building by themselves. The Lunar soldiers took her orders to heart. The few occasions where troops had to leave the hotel consisted of groups of 4 soldiers minimum, even if they only went across the street. This setting of hostility and crime unnerved almost every soldier in the division. Even the few, hardened, seen-it-all combat veterans in the division were put off by the city’s evil glow.

Thankfully, their stay was cut short and they quickly moved out towards the next destination. Heading west now, they ventured into the desert territory known as Apple Loosa. Upon being this far south again, Luna wondered what had become of the nomad ponies who had caused so much trouble in this region 1,000 years ago. No trace of the mysterious nomad ponies had been seen for several decades. Many believed they traveled much further south, into unknown and unmapped territory. Pushing the thoughts out of her mind she focused on the reason she was here.

Upon arriving into the desert settlements, many did not seem to care about why they were there. Luna could easily see why. Just like the desert settling ponies of a thousand years ago, they lived on the fringe of civilization as Equestrians knew it to be. Life was hard and hard work was the norm.

Seeing that she would probably earn few or no recruits from these settlements, she put her soldiers to work, literally. Luna and her soldiers did what they could to help anypony that needed it. The local ponies were gracious, and became rather accepting of the Lunar soldiers. By the time Luna left the desert region, she may not have had any troops to show for it, but the headway she made with her subjects more than made up for it.

Finished with visiting practically three quarters of Equestria, Luna contemplated visiting the east coast of the country. She rejected the idea, and opted to return to Canterlot. Luna and her troops had been traveling across the country for the past few months. It was time for her and her soldiers to return home. Not to mention that Luna had rather abruptly left the castle and Canterlot those few months ago. All she left for her sister was a brief note explaining that she was traveling around the country.

Knowing her sister, Luna thought Celestia must have been alarmed (and annoyed) that her sister had just upped and left without so much as a warning. Luna expected to receive a verbal chastising from her sister upon returning for making her worry. While it was nice to have family who missed and worried about you, Luna thought Celestia was overdoing it a bit.

Ever since Luna had returned from the moon, Celestia had been brooding over her like a mother hen over her chicks. It was suffocating for Luna, as Celestia was always smothering her and acting all motherly. She was a grown mare for Tartarus’ sake! Not some little filly who needed constant supervision.

Celestia even wanted to know where Luna was at all times, much to her immediate dislike. Her sister claimed it was just a cautionary measure to make sure Nightmare Moon had totally been eradicated from her being. Luna accepted this reasoning, for the first month anyway. After the first month and the beginning of the second one, Luna saw that her sister was just being overprotective. She voiced her disapproval and protests with Celestia who, reluctantly, gave in to Luna’s wish.

After this small victory, Luna thought she was free. That is, until she noticed the same two Solar Guards who shadowed her from a distance wherever she went. This was the last straw for Luna. She loudly protested to her sister about the guards and she relented, finally giving Luna free reign. Then the horrible event at the Royal Ball happened. After that incident Luna was almost never alone. If Celestia wasn’t trying to act like their mom to her, then the large amount of guards and staff around her were always trying to cater to her incessantly. All Luna wanted was the one thing they wouldn’t give her, time alone.

Even to this day Luna had no idea how she freed herself from that suffocating arrangement. All she knew was that she did and she was glad. Walking down Canterlot’s main street to the castle, Luna noticed the pre-dawn activity. Shopkeepers and other ponies were scurrying around preparing for the coming day. Almost no attention was paid by the resident ponies to Luna or her tired soldiers. She was happy about this, as she was in no state to deal with questioning ponies or the press. Like her troops, she was tired and only desired the comfort of her bed.

Reaching the main doors of the castle, she bade her troops a good morning and entered the castle, while they slowly lumbered over to their barracks. Walking down the corridor to her room she found a somewhat angered and annoyed Celestia blocking her way. Just as Luna predicted, Celestia began her long “Where were you and why didn’t you tell me” speech. Luna couldn’t hear her sister however, as she was automatically tuning her out. Luna simply walked up to Celestia, who was still berating her, and put her hoof to her sister’s mouth, silencing her.

“I’m tired and I’m going to bed. I will speak with you later.” Luna said abruptly, lowering her hoof back to the ground.

Celestia was stunned and could only stare as Luna walked past her and into her room. Upon entering the bedroom, Luna closed and locked the door. She walked onto the balcony connected to her room and lowered the last visible bit of the moon below the horizon. Yawning after finishing her morning duty, she turned and re-entered the bedroom, closing the doors that separated it from the balcony. She drew all of the dark thick curtains over all of the windows, bathing the room in darkness. Luna then removed her regalia and placed them upon her nightstand, and crawled into her large bed. Snuggling up in the cool sheets she quickly succumbed to the inescapable grip of sleep.

A few weeks after Luna’s return from her cross-country vacation, had her planted firmly into the same boring routine she carried out almost automatically. Wake up, raise the moon, deal with politicians and officials, hold the midnight court, end the midnight court early (since nopony ever seeks out Luna’s help), meet with DarkFury some nights to instruct him, spend her few hours of free time doing whatever she feels like, chat with Celestia over dinner/breakfast, lower the moon, and finally pass out in bed.

Luna felt trapped in her routine. Nothing changed and every night was the same as the one before it. The only thing she could do in her ‘occupied boredom’ was entertain herself with her own thoughts. Many were the nights she envisioned herself making a dash for freedom from this life of boredom and repetition. It would be so easy for her to disguise herself with magic and wander the world as a seemingly normal pony. As tempting as these thoughts were, two things always stopped her. Her sense of duty and responsibility to her country and subjects was one. The other was that she knew ‘mother’ Celestia would chase after her until she was found.

She could run to the ends of the known universe and Celestia would be right behind her, hot on her tail. Luna fantasized about how long she would be able to evade her sister. If she slipped away undiscovered, that would give her a couple of days before Celestia would think something amiss. Afterward, assuming she continuously traveled the world and changed disguises, Luna estimated that she would be able to roam free for about fifty to one-hundred years before Celestia would catch her and drag her back to Canterlot. This was a very optimistic estimate though. A more realistic one, Luna conceded would be about twenty years, if not less.

Celestia could be very determined and crafty when she needed to be. Luna had learned that long ago when both sisters were still foals. They played hide-and-seek often and both became exceptionally good at it. One day, Luna found a perfect spot and hid there all day. Celestia could not find her, but kept searching anyway. Night fell and Luna returned home, careful to not be spotted by her sister.

The next morning, Celestia was absent from breakfast. In fact, she was nowhere to be found. Shortly after breakfast Celestia returned home, branches and leaves filled her hair while her eyes had the crazy look of a madmare. She had been out all night looking for Luna, only returning home after she found the abandoned hiding spot and hoof prints leading back to the house. On that day Luna learned that she could never successfully hide from Celestia for any length of time. Celestia was too determined, and too thorough. If Luna had to avoid her sister for any reason, running would be her only option.

As these memories receded back into the depths of her mind, Luna could not help but be bored again. Sitting upon her throne in a most undignified manner, she lazily gazed at the timepiece she kept next to her. According to this clock before clocks, it was about midnight. She sighed and pushed herself into a proper seating position. Clearing her throat loudly, so as to draw the attention of her guards, she addressed them.

“As you all know, tonight has not differed from any of the previous. The midnight court is now closed and you may all take your leave for the evening. Dismissed.” She finished plainly, while she stared at the night sky on her ceiling.

All eight of Luna’s on duty guards, (six in her throne room, two outside the doors.) quietly left and walked down the hall. All of them except for one coal black unicorn anyway. Coaldust was about to leave the room, but he looked back over his shoulder and saw Luna perched upon her throne. The Night Princess gazed sadly around her throne room and she gave an audible sigh. Coaldust turned away from the door back towards Luna and spoke.

“Permission to speak, your highness?”

Luna jolted upright suddenly, as if she thought she was alone. Seeing Coaldust she calmed down and replied, “Granted sergeant, what is it that troubles you?”

“To be frank princess, that was going to be my question to you.”

Luna sat there unmoving for a second, a blank expression on her face. After a long while she said, “I would have to say it is my rather uneventful and unbroken cycle of repetition. Does this answer your question?”

As one of Luna’s personal guards, Coaldust knew Luna quite a bit better than the average pony. While the answer she gave was true, Coaldust could tell there was more she was not sharing. Being the selfless pony he was, he dared to go out on a precarious limb and say, “Yes and no. With all due respect your majesty, I believe there is more that is troubling you. I only ask because I want to help you. Do you want to talk about it?”

Luna’s neutral expression immediately changed into one of anger. Her brow furrowed intensely as she glared daggers at him. Coaldust realized too late that he said something he shouldn’t have. It was an unspoken rule throughout the entire castle, followed by guards and other staff alike, to never ask either of the princesses to discuss anything, particularly their thoughts or feelings. Having broken this unspoken law, Coaldust tried to recover quickly, but to no avail.

Coaldust quickly stated,“I’m sorry princess, what I meant to say was...”

“Was what!?” Luna yelled fiercely. “That I’m a sort of basket case who needs to discuss my feelings!? When did you become a psychiatrist? I can’t believe that ponies think such things of me, let alone one of my guards!”

“That’s not what I meant...” Coaldust tried to explain, before Luna cut him off.

“It matters not how you say it, as the meaning is still the same!” Luna boomed loudly. “Leave my presence now, and maybe by tomorrow I’ll forget about your grievous mistake you made tonight.” She finished with a tone of malice.

Coaldust quickly bowed and scurried out of the room as fast as he could. The two large doors slammed shut behind him and a loud ‘thud’ reverberated through the room. Alone at last, Luna’s anger faded and she let out a sigh. She collapsed into the large padded throne she sat upon and dwelled upon her present and not too distant past.

“I am not happy.” Luna blurted aloud to herself. She was shocked that she was able to come to this conclusion so quickly. She was even more shocked when a voice responded to her.

You were never happy. Not then and not now.

Alarmed, Luna spun around looking over the large room. She found nothing and realized the voice was in her head. Immediately, Luna threw up several mental barriers around herself. Preventing Nightmare Moon from seeing into her thoughts and emotions, save the ones she was conversing. “Nightmare Moon. I was wondering what you were up to. It has been a rather long time with you being far too quiet.”

Really? Are you saying you missed me, dear Luna? Nightmare Moon replied. Her voice deep and assertive, yet rich and seductive at the same time.

“As if anypony could miss such an evil and malignant presence as thou.” Luna retorted.

Oh! Your words! They wound me terribly! Nightmare Moon snorted with unrestrained sarcasm.

“What do you want?”

Nothing much really. I only want to possess your body, destroy Celestia, shroud the world in Night Eternal, and become Queen of Equestria.

“Ambitious. Should I fetch you a quill and parchment for you to write your plans out on?”

Luna, together we can accomplish great things. All you need to do is let me control your body. I will take care of everything.

“The last time I listened to you we ended up trapped on the very orb we are supposed to raise. No, I do not think I shall listen to you ever again.”

Think Luna, everything you ever wanted will be yours. But what is it exactly that you want?

“I want you to cease to exist.” Luna said harshly.

What is this? Some fragment of a thought or emotion you did not conceal in your haste to erect your barriers? Nightmare Moon laughed in that loud maniacal way she did. Oh this is rich! What you desire most is acceptance and love from your subjects! How pathetic. It seems you are still just as weak when you created me.

Her statement stung, and caught Luna off guard. This momentary lapse in concentration weakened Luna’s mental barrier and Nightmare Moon pounced upon the chance. The two entities clashed and for a moment Nightmare had gained the upper hoof, with Luna’s whole mind being exposed to her. With victory seemingly in hoof, she began to cover Luna’s entire being with her aura to possess her. Luna began convulsing as small parts of her coat were being changed into the almost black shade of blue that belonged to Nightmare Moon. Her mind also ached terribly and she could feel fangs pushing their way out of her mouth.

With her thoughts scattered and disorganized, Luna began to panic. She was being possessed by Nightmare Moon, and she was afraid. Afraid of being a helpless spectator once more if Nightmare Moon took over her body. Nightmare’s possession was spreading rapidly, as Luna soon found that her limbs and body would no longer respond to her. Already she felt the overwhelming despair of helplessness and loneliness creep over her.

As her thoughts became enveloped in the cold shadows, her wavering resistance against Nightmare’s presence ceased altogether. Assured of victory, Nightmare began to possess the last remaining pieces of Luna’s body, saving her mind for last as a cruel method of torture. Making sure that Luna would be entirely aware of the fact that she was utterly helpless to her whims. A pit of bottomless sorrow opened up inside of Luna as she gave up, resigning herself to her fate as a puppet.

Dimly, she absently thought about the few happy experiences she had since returning from the moon. Meeting Twilight and having fun on Nightmare Night, meeting and talking with her subjects, bumping into that Quicksilver pony, and finally, of meeting and befriending DarkFury.

For some inexplicable reason, a solitary tear managed to manifest itself and trickle down her cheek. Suddenly, Nightmare stopped, as she was seemingly confused by something.

What is going on!? She screeched.

Somehow, the darkness of Nightmare Moon’s possession began to fade. The light and happiness of Luna’s memories serving to fuel her power and reverse Nightmare’s transformation slightly. Focusing on these happy memories, and giving her something to fight for, Luna took up an offensive against Nightmare Moon eagerly. Nightmare Moon snapped out of her stunned inactivity and tried to subdue Luna once more. It was no use, as Luna was slowly pushing her dark power back.

As the effects of the transformation slowly began to reverse, Nightmare Moon snarled with rage and surprise. Mustering her mental strength, and fueled by her memories, Luna shoved Nightmare Moon out of her mind. Free from the evil aura, Luna returned to normal as she regained control and erected her mental barrier once again. Nightmare Moon could only scream in surprise and frustration at what had just happened.

How... how is this possible!?

“Never underestimate your opponent, that is the first rule of combat.”

You are weak! I should have easily surpassed you!

“I am stronger than I was when I succombed to your toxic influence originally. Also, I no longer have feelings of bitterness or hatred toward my sister. These being the feelings that feed you more power. Without them your power cannot grow, while in the meantime I grow stronger. I may not be able to best you entirely at present, but soon my power will become greater than yours. Upon reaching this pinnacle I will be able to remove you once and for all.”

Upon hearing these words, a river of separate yet mixed emotions flowed from Nightmare Moon. Some distinguishable to Luna were anger, arrogance, pride, sadness, realization, denial, and the one that struck her as the most curious; fear. Apparently Nightmare Moon was trying to comprehend what Luna had just said. She responded in a hysterical tone that was lined with several indistinguishable emotions.

No! You can’t do such a thing! You need me! Without me... without me you’d...

“I’d what? Wither away and became a shadow of my former self? No, it is you who needs me. You are nothing but a shadow, a nightmare if you will, of me. If you are removed I will continue to exist as I am now. You however, are doomed to die one way or another. If I am slain you shall fade away with me, or you shall be removed by myself and meet your end that way.”

With intense feelings of pure hatred and sorrow Nightmare Moon screamed, BUCK YOU! I curse you, your lovers, and your foals to die slow, painful, and lonely deaths! May you never find happiness you horrible nag!

“Me? Having foals? Unlikely.” Luna said as she forcefully isolated Nightmare Moon’s consciousness in her mind. She pushed the isolated consciousness deep into her subconscious. It would be quite a bit before Nightmare Moon could resurface and regain mobility. For a moment Luna thought she was too harsh and felt a twinge of remorse for Nightmare Moon. After all, how would she react if a higher power said she was going to die in a short time and be able to do nothing about it?

She immediately discarded these thoughts and told herself not to sympathise with Nightmare Moon. Doing so would only make it more difficult to remove her when the time would come. She was a nightmare, a monster that cared nothing about others. A parasite concerned only with its survival, and corrupting everything she touched. Nightmare Moon had shown no sympathy or similar feelings to others during her existence. She would be repaid with the same treatment that she had shown; cold, uncaring indifference.

You reap what you sow.

Author's Notes:

New formatting, Yay!

Here is the long overdue chapter for you guys. It took way to long due to life and stuff, but here it finally is. I sincerely thank you all for being excessively patient with me beyond belief as it took me forever to crank this out. I'm truly sorry and I know that no amount of excuses will justify this extremely long wait. I can only hope that you'll forgive me and enjoy this chapter.

I'm not too proud of the Nightmare Night segment, but I can't think of how else to do it. Plus you guys have waited long enough.

As always, please leave your constructive criticism and let me know if you find any mistakes so I can fix them. Thank you all again for your patience. You guys are awesome!

Chapter 4 will be out VERY shortly.

Thanks to Arkenai for editing!

-Nocturnal

*The character known as Quicksilver, is copyrighted to his creator, Colt in the Moon, and is used with permission.*

Chapter 4: Shenanigans

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A few days later, DarkFury reluctantly approached Luna. Even though he knew her pretty well, his natural shyness was taking over. She was in the Royal Archives pulling books off the shelves, as if she was searching for a particular one. He quietly sat down at a nearby table and patiently waited for Luna to notice him, as he did not want to distract or disrupt her.

Luna was sitting in front of one shelf in the history section. Several books were levitating in spirals around her as she scanned the covers quickly. Pulling more books from the shelf, the snaking spiral around her grew until it looked as if she was trapped in a whirling vortex of literature. Her face had a frown upon it, and it seemed to grow with the vortex.

A few books stopped in front of her as she scanned the covers. Her frown lessened somewhat upon reading them, and she tossed them at DarkFury. Or rather, the table he was sitting at. The three books landed in quick succession on the table directly in front of him. Curiously, he peered at the titles of the books. The Secret Army of the Princesses, Legend or Lore: The Sol Ponies, and Cults and Conspiracies of Equestria were the titles that greeted his eye. To him, they were vague and the subjects they spoke of were unfamiliar. Although he wondered why such unknown and bizarre topics would appeal to Luna.

A fourth book came flying in and narrowly missed DarkFury’s head. This time though, the book was set down on the table gently. Gazing at it DarkFury could see why. It was aged and in a horrible looking state. The cover and the pages had an unnerving, bleached bone white color with light blue runes acting as a title. He had never seen runes that looked like this before, and could only wonder what language it was written in.

He looked back up just in time to duck his head. Another book sailed through the air and landed on the table, then another, and another. These books had brown covers and bindings and looked rather plain and uninteresting. He looked over them trying to find their titles.

Meanwhile, Luna had finished looking through the shelf and was putting all of the books back. She had one last book she was interested in, and it happened to be a rather hefty tome. She tossed it towards the desk as she placed the last books on the shelf.

As it landed it made a loud ‘Whump!’ and DarkFury yelled, “Buck!” as it hit him in the head.

The archive keeper promptly hissed a loud “SSSHHHHH!” to him as he sat up rubbing his head with his hoof.

Turning after hearing his exclamation, Luna gasped as she saw what happened. She quickly walked over to DarkFury and said, “By the Moon! I had no idea you were there DarkFury, are you okay?”

He groaned, still rubbing his head. “Yeah... ow that hurt. Where were you when I was in the Griffon Highlands?”

“Beg pardon?” Luna replied confused.

“We could’ve used a good tome thrower. I’m sure you would have been able to defeat countless griffons with the power of books.”

Luna smiled as she shook her head. “DarkFury, what will I do with you?”

“Well...” He started. “You almost gave me a concussion, so finishing the job sounds like a logical place to start.”

She chortled lightly then said, “While it may be a logical starting point, I would prefer to not give my troops injuries. Is there something you need? As I’m sure you weren’t at that table when I started searching through those books.”

“Yes actually...” He trailed off as he eyed the books on the table once again. “But first though, what are those books for? If you don’t mind my asking.” He quickly added on.

Luna gave a shrug and said, “I wanted to read and just threw whatever caught my fancy on the table.”

DarkFury suspected something was slightly amiss. He saw her deliberately searching for a particular book, and all of the books seemed to share a common topic or theme. Was it really coincidence that the chosen books just happened to be about similar subjects? It’s too convenient, he thought. He wanted to ask her what the real purpose behind the books were, but he knew better than to try to pry Luna for information.

He nodded and responded, “Fair enough. It’s nice just to kick back and read once in awhile.”

“Indeed it is.”

“Princess...” He began hesitantly.

“Yes?”

“About my officer training session tonight...”

“What about it? Is there something troubling you?”

“No... I was just wondering if...” He fidgeted nervously. “If we could put it off until tomorrow night?”

“We could, but why? Are you not feeling well?” Luna asked.

“No I’m fine. It’s just that... I was wondering if I could have the night off.” He said as he looked downward.

“Of course. I see no reason not to give you the night off. By all means, enjoy your evening.”

“Really?” He asked as he perked up.

“Yes, really.”

“Thank you Princess.” He said as he bowed to her. DarkFury then happily trotted out of the room.

Princess Luna sat at the desk thinking to herself.

I wonder what that was all about. He almost seemed afraid that I would say no. He’s been doing so well in his officer training with me, that I’m sure he will become a great officer in my division. He’s such a dedicated hard worker and rarely asks for anything, why wouldn’t I say yes? Besides, It’s nice to have an eager student willing to learn tactics and strategy. It’s such a great change of pace from my usually boring routine. In fact, it reminds me of the other officer I took under my wing all those years ago...

She stopped mid-thought.

I shouldn’t dwell on what happened during those... turbulent times. My focus should be on the present, not the past.

With that, Luna opened the books she had piled on the table and engrossed herself in studying their contents.

That night was like any other night, the same boring routine for Luna. After dismissing her guards early from the midnight court as usual, she opted to walk around the castle for a while. Walking through the west wing, she looked at all of the stained glass windows that depicted major events in Equestrian history. Many of the first ones depicted her and her sister. Luna smiled as she remembered the adventures that she and Celestia went on when they were younger.

Defeating King Sombra and Discord with the elements of Harmony, sprang readily into her mind. Then she came upon the windows that depicted her transformation into Nightmare Moon, and her banishment. She stopped walking and stared at the images tensely.

“Never again.” She finally said aloud to herself before moving to the next images.

After Nightmare Moon’s banishment, not much had happened apparently. One window depicted a war with the griffons about five or six hundred years ago, while the others depicted smaller events Luna did not know about. Farther down the hall, several more windows were filled in. With them clearly having been installed rather recently. All of them depicted six ponies that had become the elements of Harmony, by defeating Nightmare Moon.

She recognized them, as they were the first ponies she saw after being awoken from Nightmare Moon’s state. Luna even remembered meeting three of them during Nightmare Night a short while ago. Looking beyond, the rest of the windows were empty. Finished with this detour, she wandered aimlessly around the castle. She encountered the occasional staff member, who often bowed then quickly backed away in fear. Sighing, she found herself at the main entrance of the castle.

She wondered how she had gotten here, but then decided that she really didn’t care. Luna stood in front of the two heavy wooden doors trying to decide what to do with her evening. The only thing she had planned tonight was DarkFury’s officer training, but he had asked for the night off. Luna thought about spending her free time making more constellations or getting back to her books. The clip-clop of pony hooves interrupted her thoughts as she saw five ponies walking towards her.

All five were stallions and they were talking and joking with each other boisterously. They were about seventy-five feet down the hall from the door, and Luna could easily tell what kind of ponies they were. One was a unicorn, while the other four were pegasi. Seeing one flit his wings, she realized that the pegasi’s wings were webbed, making them some of her Lunar soldiers. Curious as to why her troops would be here, she patiently waited for them to get near the doors.

As they came closer, Luna was able to identify them. The unicorn was Coaldust, as his coal black color was unmistakable. Two of the pegasi were FireMane and FireTail, she could tell by seeing their manes and tails. The one who was snow white and had a gray blotch around his left eye was Frostburn. He was easy to pick out due to his color and the fact he was barely talking and spent most of his time listening.

The last pegasus was light blue-purple in color, and had a black field filled with angry red stars in the shape of the constellation known as ‘Wrath’ or ‘Fury’ for a cutie mark. While his mane and tail were short and black with a large dark blue streak running through them. It was DarkFury. Now Luna’s curiosity was truly aroused. Why would DarkFury ask for the night off, then spend it with four of his comrades? She huffed, then planted herself next to the entrance.

The group of her soldiers got closer and closer, but were oblivious to her presence. It wasn’t until they were within a few feet of the door that FireTail suddenly stood rigid and exclaimed, “Princess!” that the rest noticed her. Coaldust avoided looking at Luna, as the memory of a few nights ago were still fresh in his mind. Instead, he looked down at the floor. FireMane joined his brother by freezing in place, while Frostburn looked straight ahead showing no emotion. DarkFury began fidgeting nervously and his eyes darted all over. First to Luna, then to the walls, then back to Luna again.

“Well, well. What do we have here?” Luna asked in a somewhat annoyed tone. “A group of soldiers going AWOL for the night, with one in particular skipping his obligations to do so. Explain yourselves.”

“We... we were... uh.. um...” FireTail stuttered, trying to think of something quickly.

“We were going to go out into the city.” FireMane stated.

“Yeah!” FireTail exclaimed, backing up his twin.

“Soldiers are to remain in their base or barracks area unless given permission that says otherwise.” Luna sternly commented.

“Yes but...” FireMane fumbled.

“But what?” Luna replied.

“Colonel Thunderbuck said we could.” Coaldust chimed, without looking up from the ground.

“He did?” Luna asked, genuinely perplexed. “Is this true DarkFury?” She asked him as she stared at him intently.

He shifted on his hooves uncomfortably before saying, “Yes. Thunderbuck said we could do whatever we wanted during our time off between our duties. Just so long as we are present the next morning or night, rather.”

“And this is the reason you asked for tonight off?”

Still looking like a misbehaving foal caught in the act, he guiltily forced himself to say, “It was.”

“I see. I’m sorry for holding you all up. Enjoy your evening.” She said as she began to walk away.

All five of them turned to watch her leave. They couldn’t help but notice that Luna seemed saddened for some reason. Surprising everypony in the immediate area, Frostburn not only spoke, but he addressed Luna directly.

“Princess Luna.” He said.

Luna turned and asked, “Yes, Frostburn?”

“Would you like to join us?” He asked, holding her gaze.

Again, everypony could not help but be shocked. Frostburn rarely spoke, even around his friends. To them this seemed a bit out of character for him. Especially for boldly asking the Night Princess to join them for a night out in the town. Luna was also surprised, although she was probably more surprised from the question then anything.

“Wh... What did you say?” Luna asked in disbelief.

“Would you like to join us?” Frostburn said again, not even flinching from Luna’s gaze. “That is, if you’re not busy or have previous engagements.” He added on.

“No... I’m not busy this evening...” She said slowly. “Are you sure you would want me to accompany you all?” Luna asked a little shyly.

“Of course Princess.” Frostburn turned to his friends and said while grinning, “Right guys?”

They were all so stunned that all they could do was nod their heads up and down for yes.

“Alright then, I uh... um... To be honest, nopony has ever invited me to an informal gathering such as this before. I’m not quite sure what we would do or what should be expected of me. I don’t even know how I should dress.” Luna nervously responded.

“You don’t need to wear anything.” FireTail blurted out. “We’re not wearing anything. It’s just a casual night out with friends. Besides, your regalia might attract unwanted attention from the press, just saying.” He finished quickly.

“I suppose that makes sense.” Luna reasoned. “I could go without the signs of my noble status.”

Luna’s horn glowed with magic as did her tiara and necklace. With a small ‘poof’ both were gone. The sight of her without either one seemed strange to the stallions. Without them she seemed more... relatable. She looked more like an ordinary mare and it seemed as if she was more approachable and down-to-earth. All of them marveled at her new look, as she cleared her throat.

“Is something there something wrong?” Luna asked the staring stallions.

“Nope.” “No.” “Of course not.” “No, Princess.” They all responded.

“Then why are you all gazing at me like that?” She asked, becoming slightly apprehensive.

“It’s just that...”

“Just what?” She scowled.

“It’s just that you look... different.” DarkFury replied. “It’s like you’ve become more …” He struggled with the word. “More reachable I guess... not to mention beautiful.” The last part he said under his breath, so quietly that not even his friends heard him say the last part.

Luna’s hearing was keener than most ponies, and she was barely able to catch that last part. Her expression softened, and she blushed faintly for the briefest of moments. Nopony seemed to notice, so she smiled and said, “Oh, I see. Shall we be off?”

“Before we do, I have a question Princess.” FireMane chirped up.

“Ask.”

“Do you like dealing with the press or reporters?” He fired off.

“No, not particularly. They mob you and ask you questions about rumors and falsehoods. I swear, I don’t understand why ponies of this era want to know what every celebrity is doing at any given moment. It makes no sense to me, and all they really want is smut and gossip.”

“Then we should probably get you a disguise.” FireMane replied.

“I don’t understand. You said that no kind of wear was required, and now I’m required to wear a disguise? I don’t quite follow.”

“He means that you’ll be recognized outside of the castle.” DarkFury said. “If the press got wind that Princess Luna was out for a night on the town with five stallions, that would start a lot of gossip and rumors.”

“Ah, say no more.” Luna replied as her whole body began to glow. She seemed to shrink as they watched what was transpiring. Actually, Luna was shrinking. She shrunk herself down to the size and shape of an ordinary pony. When her spell was finished, a sapphire blue unicorn mare with a matching mane and green streaks running through it met their eyes. They beheld Luna’s new form with wonder and awe.

“Shall we be off then?”

The first place they went to was a fast food restaurant called Dairy Princess. Luna had never been to a fast food place, and showed no objection to going to one. She was actually rather curious as to what kind of food ponies these days usually ate. The thought that entire meals could be prepared and cooked under five minutes was still a new and fascinating concept for her.

Upon entering the restaurant, the group was bombarded with a roaring waterfall of sounds. Dinner rush was in full swing and the voices of customers and employees filled the air. Luna looked around the store, being overcome by the strange new sights, sounds, and smells that had become commonplace for most ponies nowadays. The beeps and alarms in the back whistled and whined as the group waited in line to place their order.

While waiting in line, Coaldust asked what everypony wanted so they could order quickly. The members of the group responded, except for Luna, and Coaldust memorized the order. The group then asked Luna what she wanted to eat. Flustered and slightly embarrassed, she replied that she did not know what the restaurant served. They cheerfully pointed her towards the large menu board above the front counter. She gawked at the large selection of items and had no idea what any of them were. After a terse minute, Luna just casually told them to get her something simple that they think she might like. The stallions just shrugged, and all but Coaldust left the line to find a table to sit at.

The lobby was noisy and almost filled to capacity. Luckily, a booth in the very back corner was empty, although it could only seat four. This problem was remedied by FireMane and FireTail grabbing a small two-pony table and placing it at the end of the booth. The group then filed into their seats, DarkFury, Luna, and FireMane on one side, while Frostburn and FireTail filled the other. Shortly thereafter, Coaldust trotted over and slid into the chair across from FireMane.

The group was silent, not knowing what to talk about. Having a Princess of Equestria in your midst seemed to do that. For they thought that the normal things they would talk about would seem vulgar and too informal to converse in front of or with a Princess. Luna could see their discomfort as they nervously fidgeted about in their seats, while FireMane occupied himself by building a tower with the condiments on the table.

“Is there something wrong?” The dark sapphire unicorn asked.

Automatically, all of their heads snapped straight up and faced her while they said, “No your highness.”, “Of course not, Princess.”, “Absolutely nothing, your majesty.” They fired off in quick succession.

“If thou all insist, Corporals; Frostburn, FireMane, and FireTail, and Sergeants; Coaldust and DarkFury.” Luna cooly replied.

The stallions were caught off guard by this formality from Luna. “Why did you address us with our ranks?” FireTail asked.

“You addressed me formally, it is only proper to do the same in return. Is that not true?”

“I suppose so,” he scratched his head with his hoof, “but we’re off duty.”

“You could say the same for me.” The Lunar Princess responded. “I’m off duty as well, so to speak. You have no need to address me by my title in this form or setting. After all, didn’t you call this “A casual night out.”? Please, just call me Luna or Moonbeam, the name of this alias, if you so wish. Formality has little place in a “casual” setting.”

“Of course, Luna.” FireTail said as he nodded his head up and down.

After that, the group seemed to relax a bit and they all started making conversation. They all talked about recent events in the news, weather, and daily life. Luna was asked a few questions about being royalty and living in the castle, and she asked them questions about military life. Hearing their accounts of military life, Luna could not help but wonder why they joined the army.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why did each of you join the military?” She asked.

Coaldust responded first, “I joined because I wanted to travel. After helping my pop transplant our family, I couldn’t stay rooted. By that point I was too used to traveling, it felt like it was part of my being.” He finished.

“I couldn’t find any employment that had to do with my special talent.” DarkFury said next. “Nor could I find a job that I liked or wanted to make a career out of. I drifted around jumping from place to place, doing odd-jobs for about a year. I joined because I was drawn towards military service, for a lack of better terms to explain it. According to my “uncle”, military blood flows strongly in my family.”

“Well...” FireMane started nervously.

“We had a situation similar to DarkFury.” FireTail finished. “We’re twins alright? So we’ve spent our whole lives together basically, and we wanted to stick together. We could’ve found jobs with our life callings, but there was no way we would be able to find employment together. Plus, we didn’t feel like working for the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation or being weather ponies. So we joined the army together after discussing all our options.”

“Yep.” FireMane agreed.

The group looked at Frostburn now, who was staring at the table. His whole body tensed, and he gave a slight twitch.

“Its... It’s personal.” He said as he turned to look out the window.

The group inquired no further of Frostburn. It was obvious his reason was very personal, and most secretly thought it was linked with his sad past.

A lull in the conversation followed, and the ponies became absorbed in their own thoughts. Luna looked around and took in what she was witnessing. She saw many couples and families enjoying their meals and time together.

A deep and primal longing surfaced from Luna’s being after seeing these happy ponies. She felt envy and jealousy upon seeing these mares. Content with their lives and their lovers and children, Luna could only secretly long for a child and/or a lover of her own. But alas, she was a princess, an alicorn, a goddess of the night, stars, and moon. Cursed with a solitary and immortal life, her status, conditions, and role in the kingdom all but prohibited her from such things. So she could only secretly pine away for such impossible and impractical desires. Occasionally, she fantasized about giving up her powers and title. Trading it all just for one last lifetime on the earth to build and raise a family of her own.

She shook her head and cleared it of such thoughts. This was supposed to be a happy night out, not a time for her to mope about her life and secret desires. She resolved to be happy and enjoy her time. For every down in life, there is an up, she reminded herself.

Luna looked out of the window and marveled at the image of the night she was able to see. Ponies were briskly trotting up and down the squares and streets of Canterlot. Neon lights and signs glowed brightly, being reflected off of several windows. Never before had Luna seen so many being active this late in the night. It surprised her, and made her feel strangely happy inside. She knew now that her night was celebrated, perhaps not in the way she envisioned, but celebrated nonetheless.

Her thoughts were disturbed by the clip clop of hooves approaching. Luna looked up and saw a young employee approach them, levitating a tray filled with food in front of her. The mint green unicorn mare smiled as she placed the tray on their table.

“Enjoy your meal!” She said, with a large smile.

A murmur of thanks emanated from the table as her gaze swept across the group. FireMane was the last to say thanks and she met his gaze. He blushed, and broke eye contact immediately, looking down at the table. She giggled and trotted back to her work station.

“Well, well, he did it again.” FireTail huffed angrily. “Charmed another mare, and won’t share the secret.”

“I don’t even do anything!” FireMane exclaimed.

“Sure you don’t.” FireTail remarked sarcastically.

“Well that certainly was fast.” Luna said surprised.

“It’s not called fast food for nothing.” Said DarkFury.

The group distributed the correct orders to each other and began to eat. Luna stared at the food that was in front of her with a bemused expression. A circle wrapped in wax paper lay in front of her on the table, along with a small paper bucket of golden objects.

“What, pray tell, are these foodstuffs?” Luna asked, levitating the wrapped circle in front of her, trying to examine it closer.

“A burger.”

“Burger?”

“A cooked patty of grain with cheese on it. It’s called a grainburger with cheese. Although, ponies just call it a cheeseburger for short.” Coaldust elaborated.

“I see. And these?” She pointed to the small paper basket.

“Those are french fries. They’re deep-fried potato slices that are salted.” FireTail explained this time.

Cautiously, Luna unwrapped the burger and slowly took her first bite. She was surprised at the taste and quality of the food. The flavors of the patty, cheese, and other condiments melded together perfectly. It was delicious, and she marvelled at the speed such a tasty food item was prepared. Taking small bites, she finished the burger shortly, and moved onto the fries. The golden potato wedges were also found to be very tasty by Luna. She could see why ponies these days loved this kind of food. It was fast and it was tasty.

Finishing their meals, the group of ponies again struck up a conversation. Mostly, it was about small, trivial things. Like the everyday life of a Princess in the castle, recent events in the news, and funny jokes and stories. Luna was enjoying herself immensely, as she had never been able to have such a fun and casual conversation with anypony other than her sister before. By the time the group left the restaurant behind, their laughter had made many wonder what was so enjoyable about a simple conversation.

They spent the better part of the next hour walking around the city, taking in the magnificent sights. The city park, Museum of Pony History, and the Gryphon War Memorial were a few of the places they visited. They also happened upon an old and destitute orphanage. Luna insisted they at least stop by for a moment, she even stated that they did not have to go in the building when most of the stallions showed reluctance.

Luna entered the orphanage by herself, and walked up to the front counter. The night time secretary or greeter was absent, probably gone on some short errand. That suited Luna just fine. She found a box labeled “Donations”, and went to work.

With her horn glowing, she made a small stack of paper appear. These weren’t ordinary pieces of paper, they were banknotes. Ten-thousand bit Lunar notes to be exact. She shoved the whole stack of paper money into the donation box along with a note. It read:

For the children,

- P.L.

She smiled, knowing that these children will have much better lives in the near future. She left the building and rejoined her stallion companions. They could only wonder why she was smiling so much, and what she did in that orphanage.

That is not to say, the group did not have their problems while walking through the streets of Canterlot. While walking through the streets, many ponies avoided them deliberately, avoiding direct eye contact or confrontation. Royal guards who policed the streets gave their group a stern and wary glance as they passed, surprised and afraid to see ponies with bat-like wings and fangs. Others stared from a distance and whispers of “monster”, “freak”, “evil”, and “What did Luna do to them?”, could be heard from the masses. The group ignored the whispers and pretended they weren’t spoken.

Even Luna was under fire, disguised as she was. She tended to gravitate towards the middle of the group, but she was keenly aware of disapproving and dirty glances directed at her. She could’ve sworn she heard whispers of “slut” and “whorse” as the group moved on. It took much of her self control to keep herself from entering a fit of anger and punishing those who insulted her and her soldiers. Still, they moved along and stumbled into the older section of the city.

The old part of Canterlot looked more like how things did before Luna was banished. The buildings weren’t all that modern, and much more humble in appearance. Nostalgia washed over the mare, as she giddily led them from place to place in the old part of the city.

Soon after, one of the stallions could not help but comment about finding a drink somewhere. They soon suppressed the idea, remembering that a princess was in their midst. To their surprise however, Luna agreed, saying that she could appreciate a drink. She even said she knew a good bar to go to, if it was still there.

Leading them through the twisting cobblestone streets, Luna eventually brought them in front of a large wooden building. A sign swung from a pole extending off of the side of the building. It said: The New Moon. Luna was excited, as the bar was still here after a thousand years. She eagerly led them to the door and shoved them inside.

The interior’s warm glow greeted them as they entered the bar. The size impressed the group, as the room was big enough to accommodate a hundred patrons, if not more. A large but humble stone fireplace was in the farthest wall. A small fire was crackling softly inside, with the modest flames throwing a warm glow about the room.

A sort of rec area was in one corner of the room. It was filled with a few pool tables and a jukebox. The rest of the room was filled with wooden tables and chairs. Some were round and some were square.

Tonight looked like a slow night for business. Only a few individuals occupied some tables, and all were far away from each other. One or two groups of two or three were present, but that was all. In total there must have been about eight ponies in the bar, not counting Luna and her escort of friends. Now their attention turned to the bar itself.

A bar was at the center of the room, forming a large square. Many stools were scattered around it, all were empty. Several different taps, bottles, kinds, and brands of various alcohol laid on the shelves behind the counters and on the counters themselves. Behind the counter cleaning some mugs, was the barkeep himself. He was an old unicorn, a bit past middle age, as indicated by his dulled brown coat.

As the group entered, all eyes in the building locked onto them. The loners, groups, and barkeep himself seemed to be sizing them up. Trying to figure out how much trouble they could cause, and whether or not they were the type to behave themselves and pay their dues. They approached the bar slowly, eyeing the patrons as they did to them. Some were wide-eyed and one or two gasped as they noticed gold eyes, fangs, and webbed wings from the new arrivals.

The barkeep remained unflinching as they reached the counter. Seeming to give them all one final look over, he spoke.

“Welcome to the New Moon. What can I get for you tonight?” He spoke in a calm and professional manner. His voice sounded hoarse and firm, but understanding and wise at the same time.

The group of stallions got hard cider, while Coaldust had some Appleloosan whiskey. Luna also had some hard cider, seeing if it tasted any different from that of a thousand years ago. After giving them all their drinks, the barkeep spoke once again.

“I don’t mean to sound rude, but how will you ponies pay for this?”

The stallions looked at each other with a shared expression of worry as they huddled and tried to count the meager amount of bits they had left.

“How much is it?” FireMane asked.

“It’s fourteen bits.”

A barely audible swear emanated from DarkFury after hearing the total. They didn’t have enough.

“Would it be possible to start a tab?” Coaldust suggested.

“Sorry, tabs are for long time customers only.”

The group was about to hang their heads in defeat when Luna spoke up.

“I’ll pay for it.”

The group and the barkeep looked at her, surprised.

“Really now?” The barkeep said, “And how are you paying for this?”

“With my tab.” Luna replied cooly.

“You must be mistaken ma’am,” The barkeep replied harshly, “I haven’t seen you before, and you certainly don’t have a tab.”

A wicked grin flashed across Luna’s face as she stared at him with an intense glare. “Oh really? Maybe this phrase will hold some meaning to you then. When dark becomes light and new becomes full, the moon shall glimmer in night’s starry embrace.” Luna finished with a challenging and authoritative tone.

The barkeep’s eyes widened and his mouth hung agape from shock. The glass he was cleaning clattered to the ground with a loud thump. “It... it can’t be. Are you Princess Luna?”

Luna smiled as her unicorn form rippled, then faded, leaving the Lunar Princess in her usual appearance and full stature, minus her regalia. “Indeed I am, my subject.”

Several shouts and exclamations sounded from the bar’s other patrons upon seeing Luna materialize in front of them. A couple fell out of their chairs and others choked on their drinks. They could only stare dumbfounded at the princess, wrapped in a sense of awe.

“Fear not citizens, I am only here for my own personal objectives. Please, do not be alarmed and return to your evening activities.” Luna spoke calmly, trying to reassure the crowd.

The patrons did so, although the voice level was no longer a dull murmur. They could only talk about what this meant and why Luna was here. The occasional look was directed at her before returning to their conversations.

“I am so sorry your highness.” The barkeep hurriedly apologized, “I had no idea that you were present.”

“As was the intention of my disguise.” Luna commented dryly. “I believe that this issue is resolved, unless there is something that I have forgotten.”

“As a matter of fact,” - The barkeep pulled out a large book from under the counter - “The issue of your outstanding balance on your tab needs to be addressed.” He finished as he slammed the heavy volume on the counter.

Luna and her companions looked at the black-bound book with curiosity. The barkeep flipped open the book and paged through it halfway. He turned the book and pushed it towards Luna so she could read it.

“That should explain your balance and the one thousand and one years of interest on the principal amount.”

“I see. I’m assuming you kept my interest rate at the fixed two percent all these years?”

“Of course, to do otherwise would have been unethical.”

Luna read aloud the short summary, much to the disbelief of her companions. “The principal amount of three thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine bits in addition to the simple interest at a fixed rate of two percent a year over one thousand and one years comes to a total of, seventy-nine thousand and fifteen bits.”

The group was stunned, speechless at the staggering amount. Luna saw their shocked expressions and gave a sly smile. “That’s nothing,” Luna said, “You should see how big my bank account has gotten, and that accumulates compound interest at quarterly intervals.”

The stallions could barely comprehend this large debt, let alone what vast wealth Luna must have accrued over a millenia. FireTail cradled his head in his fore-hooves and said, “My head hurts from the math. Make it go away!”

Surrounded by her blue aura, Luna’s horn glowed and summoned eight more Lunar notes. She handed them to the barkeep, who accepted them graciously. “Don’t worry about giving me the difference. Consider it an advance payment for my forthcoming purchases.”

“As you wish, Princess.” The barkeep responded.

Luna turned towards the other patrons and cleared her throat. “Who wants a drink?” She proclaimed. “Drinks are on me tonight!”

The New Moon was the busiest it had been in years that night. Word travels fast in Canterlot, especially that concerning free alcohol. The old bar was filled to capacity with ponies and activity. Card and pool games were won and lost, laughter and conversation filled the room, and the latest music from DJ PON-3 was blaring at max volume from the jukebox.

At the heart of it all though, was a drinking contest. From his corner, DarkFury could see a round table with four ponies sitting at it, surrounded by a large cheering crowd. This contest was started a few minutes ago and the winner would be the last one standing, or drinking in this case.

Coaldust, Luna, a brown pegasus mare, and a green earth pony stallion sat at the table. They were going shot-for-shot with moonshine, the hardest liquor available in Equestria. What DarkFury had seen tonight surprised him. He knew that Coaldust could drink, but he didn’t know that he could pack away moonshine. Or Luna for that matter, but then again, Luna was always one surprise after another.

They were on round five and a loud wave of disappointment was heard. The earth pony had his fill, and could continue no more. Three remained as they moved on to the next shot of liquor. A couple rounds later the pegasus mare passed out, thus eliminating her. It was now between Luna and Coaldust. A couple more rounds passed and the cheers got louder with every round completed.

Both remaining contestants were long drunk, but neither would yield. Coaldust had trouble remaining in his chair, while Luna seemed to compose herself rather well. In fact, Luna had been the one leading the contest from the beginning. Always finishing her shot quickly before the others could work themselves up to stomach another shot of the potent brew.

A frown was forming on Luna’s face, as she noticed how long it took Coaldust to work himself up to drink his latest shot. Luna decided it was time to up the ante. In a move that surprised everypony, she grabbed her half-empty bottle of moonshine in her hoof. She pressed the bottle to her lips and upended it. The room was silent, save for the music, as Luna drained the rest of her bottle in under fifteen seconds. A loud roar of cheering sounded as Luna slammed the empty bottle on the table.

“There. *hic* Top dat.” Luna slurred.

Coaldust began to shake, and his complexion paled slightly. Slowly, he gripped his half-empty bottle. He brought it up to his mouth and tipped it. He was able to drink two mouthfuls before his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out. Falling out of his chair and dropping the bottle in the process. Luna smiled smugly to herself as thunderous cheering assailed her for her victory.

With the event done, the large crowd dispersed. Being careful not to fall, Luna pulled herself up out of her chair. She swayed slightly as she walked up to the bar and obtained some ice water. Beverage in hoof, she made a teetering and swaying beeline towards the back corner where DarkFury sat. Placing the glass on the table, she sat in the chair next to him. She leaned back into the chair and let out a long sigh before drinking some of the water.

“Nice performance back there.” DarkFury commented.

Luna turned to him and replied, “Thanks. I’ve not good had drink in a while. I guessh I still got it.” She slurred.

“Did you much drink back the in past?” DarkFury asked, mixing up his words. He had been drinking as well, although he wasn’t as drunk as to not remain somewhat in control of himself.

“Lesh see...” Luna said as she pondered in thought. “Drunk some I did. Not eberyday, bud once in a while. Until Nightmare Moon along came anyvay.” She stopped, and drained her glass of water before continuing. “Ven she came, I drunk so much more. Almost drank dis bar here out of business by my lonesome.”

DarkFury was stunned. “You drunk the whole bar dry?” He exclaimed.

“Yesh. Den I got shome forced vacashion, as eberypony nows.” She finished sadly. “But vat does dat madder? Dat was den, dis is now. Now, I be peace at fact that Celestia forgabe me and dat Nightmare is gone.”

“Is everypony ready to rock!?” Screamed a familiar voice from the mass near the jukebox. DarkFury could only look at the familiar pony with surprise, while Luna began giggling and laid her head on the table.

Standing out in the open was none other than Frostburn. From the dumb grin on his face it was obvious he was drunk. What was surprising about this was that he was singing and dancing without a care in the world. His personality had done a complete one-eighty as he was now extremely outgoing and extroverted like his old self before witnessing his mother’s murder.

Darting from group to group he was whooping and shouting, while taking impromptu dance partners for a few seconds each. The scene was rather comical, seeing him running and doing the chicken dance at the same time didn’t hurt either. By now, Luna began to guffaw as she banged her hoof repeatedly on the table top. All DarkFury could do was laugh as he tried to drink more cider, spilling it all over himself in the process.

After a few more minutes, Frostburn’s actions slowed and his voice decreased in volume. Eventually, he tripped over himself and fell to the ground. “Party on!” He cried out weakly as he stuck a hoof into the air. He then closed his eyes and began to snore, sleep having grasped him tightly.

Luna and DarkFury managed to calm down somewhat and sit back up. Luna opened her eyes and raised her head from the table. She saw DarkFury furiously nursing a bottle of liquor, trying to drink it as fast as he could.

“Whaddya doin?” She asked as she gripped the bottle with her magic. Tearing it out of his grip and hovering it above his head. He lashed out wildly, his hooves flailing at the floating container, trying to grasp it within his hooves

“Trying to drunk.” He grunted.

“Why?”

“Need to forget what saw I did. If I don’t, no funny how matter it twas, I’d neber be able to see look at Frostburn wit a straight face.” He said, still giggling from the comical spectacle that Frostburn had performed.

Relenting, Luna dropped her magical hold on the bottle. It fell into DarkFury’s waiting hooves as he returned to downing it’s contents. After he finished, he rolled the empty bottle on the table. In his imagination it was some fierce vehicle that was rolling over countless ponies and crushing them underneath it’s massive bulk. He entertained himself in this manner for a few minutes before Luna spoke.

“Do you really want to forget eberyfing dat happened tonight?” She asked, her voice turning into a more serious tone.

“I dunno. Even if I wanted to member dis night, I’d probly not be very good at it.”

“Oh? Well, I prolly won’t remember much neider.” Luna responded. “I’ve not drunk dis much since over milenia. Which is vy I wanna say dis before me forget.”

Luna scooted her chair closer to DarkFury. “Come closer.” She said. He leaned closer to her, their faces only a few inches apart.

“Vat is it?”

“I jus wanna tell you-” She paused as if unsure of something “-tell you dat I fink you are a good stallion and an adept learner. Da Lunar corps will be lucky to hab you.”

“Tanks.”

“Do you remember whatchu said before we lefd da castle?”

“Dat you were approachable?”

“You said I wab beautiful.”

DarkFury’s pulse quickened and his mind began to race. She had heard that? How that possible? His mind asked. “Uhm, uh, I... I was... sorry.” He blurted, as he was beginning to blush now.

“Don’t be sorry. You were da first pony in over a thouband years to say dat about me. To be honest, I happy you said it. Plus, you’re kinda cute yourself.” Luna slurred out softly.

DarkFury began to stutter and stumble with his words again. “Uh, eh, I... you, why are you-” He was cut off by Luna as she pressed her mouth against his. His eyes jarring wide open with surprise. After overcoming his initial shock, he began to return the kiss with his own.

After a few seconds of what he could describe as pure bliss, the kiss ended as Luna pulled her lips away from his. DarkFury’s cheeks had turned crimson as he stared down at the table.

“Wh- why?” He asked her.

“Becuz you earned it.” She said matter of factly. “You are good soldier and a great student. Come, da night is still young. Let all us make merry!” She jumped out of her chair and onto her feet. “Bartender!” She cried. “More moonshine! And anoder round for anypony who vants it!”

DarkFury remained motionless however, pondering the rationale behind the kiss. Was it because she was drunk? Was it merely just a reward like Luna said? Or most frighteningly he thought, did she actually have feelings for him?

Two hours before dawn, a group of six ponies stumbled out of the doorway of the New Moon. All were drunk to an extreme degree as they yelled and sang while navigating the streets of Canterlot. Luna lead the motley bunch, plain for all to see. It had not occurred to anypony there that Luna should disguise herself on their drunken pilgrimage back to the castle.

The empty streets and chill morning air carried their loud ruckus up and down the quiet city. Some ponies, who were so abruptly and rudely awoken, shouted curses and unpleasantries their way from their homes. This only spurred them on further, the angry protests only making them laugh. Regardless, the group trotted forward down the cobblestone streets toward their goal.

The castle gates before the main entrance greeted them after awhile. The golden gates shimmered faintly in the pre-dawn dark. Two guards stood on the outside of the gate, guarding the royal palace. Their gold armor polished to such a degree that the glow reflected from the nearby torchlight was almost blinding compared to their darkened surroundings.

As the band approached the gates the guards remained devoted, unflinching and unmoving. They wordlessly opened the gates for Luna and her entourage and saluted her. As they passed through, Luna looked over her shoulder towards both of the guards. Giving them a sultry look, she briefly lifted her tail and displayed herself to them for only a moment.

Embarrassed, one of the guards blushed as his face turned scarlet and his head dropped, as he stared at the ground. The other remained composed, but his eyes found new attention in the sky, reciting a religious passage to keep himself calm. The group snickered and laughed at the two guards’ discomfort as they opened the large main doors to the castle and entered.

Once inside the halls, the group went buck wild. Becoming hyperactive, they raced up and down the halls, trying to win a never-ending race with each other while dodging startled castle staff along the way. After a while they slowed, deciding that harassing and annoying castle staff and guards would be more entertaining than racing.

Several maids and servants became the targets of the drunken troupe. FireTail kept asking every mare he saw if they wanted to go out sometime. He usually received either a confused but firm “No.” or a hoof slapped across his cheek. Unfortunately for him, but to the laughter of his comrades, he received more slaps than anything.

Seeing a guard standing in the hall, they contemplated how to mess with him. Frostburn stood in front of the guard making funny faces at him. Coaldust began telling crude but funny jokes, hoping to make the guard lose it. The guard was a veteran however, used to this kind of abuse and the gang soon lost interest.

By chance, they happened upon another guard. She was not occupying a post and she was walking around, as if she was trying to get somewhere. Upon seeing her youth and the rank insignia on her armor, they soon made the connection. She was fresh out the Canterlot Officer’s School, clearly unfamiliar with the layout of the castle.

A mischievous gleam settled upon Luna’s eye as an idea formulated in her mind. Breaking off from the group, she sauntered up to the guardsmare. Pushing her drunken-ness aside for the moment, Luna composed herself as a princess ought to. She introduced herself and struck up a conversation with the now startled mare. The mare seemed to be doing well, besides slightly shaking from meeting a princess. She also seemed a bit put off by the absence of Luna’s royal regalia.

The group could not hear the conversation but they watched with interest. Suddenly, the guardsmare blushed furiously, and an extremely shocked expression covered her face. Now the mare was trembling and her eyes were darting from side to side frantically, as if she were a caged animal. Hurriedly stuttering out some excuse, she bolted from Luna’s presence. Luna watched her for a moment or two, then fell to the ground. She convulsed with loud and mirthful laughter as she rolled on her sides and back. Approaching her, her companions asked what had amused her so much. Upon her revelation, they too burst into laughter as they all continued on down the hallway.

By now they began to feel the pangs of hunger, and unanimously decided to “liberate” some food from the Royal Kitchen. The hall to said kitchen was a small and narrow stretch carved perpendicular to the main hallway. Peering around the corner, they saw two guards in front of the entrance. This fact created mixed feelings from Luna. On one hoof, it meant that her sister had it recently stocked with some precious (and delicious) foodstuffs. On the other hoof, they had to contend with the guards.

They needed a way to get past guards. A distraction would be best she decided. With the power of her magic (and the casual carelessness of being drunk) Luna started a small magical fire on the main hallway floor.

“Fire!” She yelled as the blue flames leapt to life.

The two guards ran out from their recess and spotted the fire. Quickly and carefully, they attempted to put it out. So engrossed they were in this, they failed to notice the six ponies who had sprinted past them and into the kitchen. Safely inside, the group congratulated Luna and they fanned out. Searching for the food that each one of them desired.

Digging through pantries and cupboards, Luna was searching for something to satisfy her sweet tooth. She had already assembled a decent pile of sweets that she wished to try. After all, a thousand years is a long time to be gone. Which means that countless new foods have been introduced over the ages, giving Luna a very wide selection to choose from.

While searching, she stopped after seeing a strange label. Intrigued, she levitated the round, four inch, wrapped sweet in front of her. It showed a large picture of the full moon in the background, with a cute cartoon representation of herself as a filly superimposed on the moon. The label read: Woona’s Moon Pies. Her first thought was of anger, as her image was being used to advertise something she did not personally endorse. But curiosity overcame her as she thought that she would give the treat a chance.

Ripping off the wrapper, she stared at the chocolate covered circle levitating before her. Shrugging, she brought it to her mouth and took a bite. The explosion of sugar and taste rocked her mouth as her eyes widened. The chocolate and marshmallow combined with the cookie crust perfectly. Luna swore she never had tasted a sweet as delicious as this before. Hungrily, she wolfed down the rest of the moon pie and searched for more of them.

She found several cases in the back storage room to her delight. Using her magic, she teleported a few cases to her room, for future consumption. Smiling, she made a mental note to get in touch with the manufacturer of these tasty treats. So as to inform him or her that using images of the Royal Family without permission was a capital offense. However she thought that they could work out a reasonable deal, provided that she was compensated in exchange for her endorsement.

A loud cry of excitement came from FireMane, who was exploring the refrigerated section. Opening one of the large fridges, the group gasped with wonder. Filled to the brim, the gigantic fridge contained almost every kind of alcohol imaginable. The group fell upon the fridge like a pack of wolves on a carcass and grabbed whatever beverage they desired. Luna grabbed a bottle of Captain Sparrow brand rum before dashing away. Her attention drawn to something very foreign and strange to find in a pony’s kitchen, regardless if they were royalty or not.

Cooking inside a large oven at very low heat was a large platter of fish. The sight disgusted Luna to no end, not to mention the offensive aroma it produced. She covered her muzzle with her free hoof to block the horrible stench. She knew of no guest that currently or was going to visit the castle that could or would eat meat. Using her magic, she incinerated the fish inside the oven, leaving nothing but ash. She then turned off the oven and disposed of the ashes, skipping away joyfully without a second thought.

Two Royal Guards sat in front of the door to the Royal Kitchen. They were perplexed and exhausted from putting out a small, but strange fire. It started in the middle of the hall, was entirely dark blue, and some mysterious pony yelled out there was a fire, alerting them to it. When they looked around, that said pony was nowhere to be found. It was as if somepony were tormenting them for their amusement. Sighing, they hoped that the rest of their evening would be nothing more but boring guard duty.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves hitting the floor rapidly came from behind the door. The guards looked at each other surprised, then looked towards the kitchen door with suspicion as they reached for their weapons. The door was slammed open with much shouting and whooping as six ponies sprinted out and trampled the two guards, knocking them down and to the side. Dazed and seeing double, one looked up and swore he saw the Lunar Princess running down the hall away from them.

Refueled and reinvigorated with more alcohol, the group noisily made their way towards Celestia’s throne room. But first, they had to pass through the living quarters of the castle. Even though heavily intoxicated, Luna managed to shush the group as they stealthily crept past Celestia’s room, giggling all the while. The Solar Guards in front of her door gave the group a strange stare, but remained silent.

Passing without waking up the Sun Princess, the group made their way to Celestia’s throne room without difficulty. Upon arriving at their destination, they slipped inside and closed the doors. What occurred next could only be described as the Grand Galloping Gala performed by only six party goers.

A little less than an hour before dawn, Princess Celestia laid sleeping in her bed. Breathing softly and peacefully, the pure white mare was finally having a pleasant dream for once. She dreamt that everything was alright, the world was at continuous peace, and she and her sister spent much needed bonding time together.

Like all dreams though, eventually you have to wake up and face the music. A loud crash echoed throughout the castle as Celestia’s dream shattered along with the large amount of glass. She threw her eyes open, bolting upright in bed. Her mind racing frantically for the cause of the sound.

Are we under attack? Did somepony drop something? Has there been an accident?

Her heart racing, she listened quietly for a short while. Faintly, she was able to pick up the sound of rock and roll music blaring loudly in a distant part of the castle. She sighed, then layed back down in her bed. She rolled over onto her stomach and pulled her pillow over her head.

It’s not even dawn yet. I’m sure the guards can handle this. Just let me sleep. Please, that is all I ask for.

Frantic pounding on her bed chamber door soon ruined that hopeful wish.

“Princess! Princess Celestia! Are you awake?” Somepony from behind the door cried.

Groaning, Celestia pulled herself out from her comfy bed. Clearing her throat, she replied to the voice with her usual calm and eloquent voice her subjects have come to expect from her.

“Yes my little pony. I’ll be out shortly.” Celestia replied.

Celestia yawned and stretched her limbs. Standing, she stepped into her metal shoes and walked over to her mirror. There she fixed and groomed her wings and unruly mane with magic. Levitating her crown and necklace, she carefully placed them on herself and straightened them. Satisfied that she looked suitable, she approached her bedroom door and opened it.

Greeting her was one of her servants. The mare had a teal coat and an aqua blue mane with red-orange streaks. The glasses on her face contained a worried expression in the brown eyes behind them.

Smiling, Celestia said, “What seems to be the problem, dear Aqua Stripe?”

“It’s terrible your highness!” The young mare squeaked. “Your throne room is being destroyed!”

“What?” Celestia responded. A bit surprised about what she was hearing.

“A group of about five stallions have barricaded themselves in your throne room and are tearing it up!”

“Why haven’t the guards handled this situation? It shouldn’t be that much of a problem.”

“They can’t my lady.” Aqua Stripe began to explain. “They locked the doors your majesty, both physically and with an intricate lock spell. As you know, not even a battering ram can dent the doors to your throne room, as well as the fact that the unicorn guards are having no luck against the lock spell. According to an eyewitness, one of your guards, these stallions were described as having golden eyes and fangs.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “I see.” She replied sternly. “Thank you for informing me Aqua Stripe. I shall go and take care of this matter myself.”

Celestia stood before her throne room doors alone and rather unhappy. Loud rock and roll music could be heard through the doors, although the lyrics were unrecognizable due to the doors providing a barrier against the sound. She had been awakened abruptly and rudely, there were some Lunar Soldiers doing who knows what in her throne room, and she had to meet with some important dignitaries later today. Today was not a good day for the Sun Princess.

Reaching out with her magic, she tried to activate the locking mechanism for the doors and pull back the bolts. Instead, she encountered stiff resistance upon trying to do so. Searching, she found the source of the resistance. A very intricate locking spell was over the mechanism and it was clearly cast by somepony who knew what they were doing.

Deducing from the shape of the spell, the pony who cast it was very familiar with gems and precious stones, as the spell was carefully crafted and layered like a diamond. She had to admire the spell and it’s caster, as it was rather clever. By structuring the spell in this way, the pony who cast it was able to make it exponentially stronger than the amount of energy poured into casting it. The complex key to the spell made her smile, as it was so simple yet so hard. It had also been the source of her unicorn guards’ agitation.

Rather than solve the finely crafted spell, Celestia poured more and more of her seemingly endless amount of magic against it. Quickly, the spell was forced to give way under the huge amount of power against it as it shattered, then faded.

Foal’s play.

She could now access the lock without interference. She slid the bolts back and unlocked the large double doors. Now she would be able to punish those who dared to disturb her rest and trash her throne.

“WE’RE GOING TILL THE WORLD STOPS TURNING WHILE WE BURN IT TO THE GROUND TONIGHT!”

Princess Celestia was blown back and deafened by the huge wave of sound that escaped through the door she opened. Fighting against the huge soundwave, she forced her way into the room. Closing the door behind her, she gasped as she took in the sight before her.

A large, golden, and ornate glass chandelier lay on the ground, shattered and destroyed. Obviously, this had been the sound of the loud crash that awoke her. She could only stare in disbelief at the remains of such a priceless and antique artifact. Her anger continued to mount upon looking around the room.

There were scratches and small chunks missing from the polished marble floor. Tracing the path in her mind, they led to a coal black unicorn who was holding a pickaxe and a bottle in his magical grip. He was swinging the tool around at the floor wildly, cursing loudly about giant moles and diamond dogs all the while.

Celestia moved forward to stop the agitated drunk, but stopped when several glass crystals fell from the ceiling and landed in front of her. Looking up she saw two pegasi, one who was snow white in color and the other with a two-toned fire colored tail, who were hopping from chandelier to chandelier singing along with the song at the top of their lungs. Every time they landed, another shower of glass fell from the remaining ceiling fixtures and clattered to the floor.

A deep scowl lining her face, Celestia prepared a spell to immobilize both pegasi and bring them back down to the floor. Before she could cast it, something appeared in her peripheral vision, and it was heading straight for her. She ducked as an empty rum bottle sailed through the space her head had occupied only a second before. Continuing its course, it hit the large door behind her and shattered.

Celestia turned livid, with small fires burning in her eyes. It was one thing to do property damage, but to attempt to harm the Princess!? These mortals will burn! Her nostrils flared as she saw those responsible for the bottle. They were two more pegasi having a food fight of sorts. Throwing food, wrappers, and bottles at each other. As a result; glass, wrappers, and ruined food littered a large part of the floor.

Her eyes glowing with wrath, Celestia extended her wings and reared up on her hind legs, preparing to slam them down with a large force and cast a powerful spell. Suddenly, the extremely loud music stopped. Celestia teetered, being surprised at the sudden lack of noise and returned to all fours. Confused, she looked around puzzled, as did the five stallions in the room.

“Your attention, please if you.” A dominant and familiar feminine voice staggered out.

Turning all six of their heads as one, they rested their gaze upon a dark sapphire mare with a starry mane the shade of the night sky. This winged unicorn leaned against a huge set of speakers, obviously the source of the music. This mare held a bottle in her hoof and upended it, drinking the last of its contents.

“Luna!?” Celestia gasped, her anger being replaced with shock.

Princess Luna finished her drink and looked at the empty bottle disdainfully.

“Captain Sparrow, why ish all the rum gone?” She asked sadly before tossing the bottle over her shoulder. It crashed to the floor a short ways behind her.

Pushing away from her support, Luna swayed as she found her balance and stood upright. By now, the two flying pegasi had come down from their perch, and were sitting next to their three comrades. She then began to speak, apparently oblivious to Celestia standing back towards the entrance.

“First off,” She said swaying. “I wanna tank you guys for inviting me out. Twas the most fun I’b had in awhile. *hic* Shecond, you’re all great. I’m sho happy to hab you as my soldiers, *hic* and as my friends.”

The stallions cheered lightly in response. One of them whistled approvingly.

Luna allowed herself to do a small curtsy and grin at her soldiers. After a few seconds, silence retook the room and Luna continued.

“It *hic* won’t be long before my royal pain of a shister *hic* will appear and rain on our parade. Till then, *hic* I’ll provide shome entertwainment.”

Luna turned towards Celestia’s throne and began to ascend to the top of it. Celestia was stunned. She could not believe her sister had said such a thing.

“She’s drunk.” Celestia told herself. “She’s drunk and that’s the only reason she said such a thing.”

Luna had reached the top of the throne now, and was busy using her hooves and magic to restyle her mane. She was altering the colors of it, copying a certain tri-colored color scheme and styling it to look exactly like Celestia’s.

“No, she wouldn’t...” Celestia said pleadingly. “I’m her sister, she can’t do this.”

Done fidgeting with her mane, Luna sat up regally, copying Celestia’s pose exactly. Celestia had to admit though, Luna did look a bit ridiculous with her tri-colored mane. The Lunar Stallions thought so too, evident by their snickering.

Clearing her throat, Luna began to speak in a crude, but similar sounding voice to Celestia’s. “Hello there my little ponies. How are you all on this fine evening?”

The stallions burst into laughter while Celestia began to pale, a pained expression showing on her face.

“I can’t believe it, my own sister is mocking me.” Celestia said sadly.

Luna continued. “What’s this? Laughter? That thing I never do because I’m too old, stiff, and formal?”

The stallions began laughing harder, as a couple had fallen to floor. Celestia could only watch and listen in horrified disbelief.

“I shan’t have any of it. *hic* To the dungeon with all of you, to serve your timeouts until you’ve learnt your lesson.” Luna also gave the group a stern look, imitating Celestia’s expression perfectly.

By now the stallions were losing it, all of them were on the ground and either pounding it with their hooves or rolling about with laughter. Celestia was aghast, she could appreciate good humor but this was crossing the line in her mind.

Luna moved onto another little impromptu skit, still imitating Celestia’s voice.

“Luna, dear sister, where are you?”

“Right here sister. What is it that you need?” Luna replied to herself, switching back to her normal voice to do so.

“There is something I need you to do.”

“Oh? And what is that Celestia?”

“I need you to tell me where you are at any given second of the day.”

“I beg pardon?”

“You heard me. I’ll have two of my guards follow you everywhere you go.”

“No! This is absurd!”

“Luna, calm down. It’s only temporary.”

“Then how long will this last?”

“Forever.”

“What!?”

“You heard me, now be a good little sister and listen to me. Elder siblings know best.”

“That is the biggest load of—”

“Don’t argue with me. If you don’t stop acting so unruly I’ll send you back to the moon!”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“I can and I will.”

“Why!?”

“Because I’m an insatiable tyrant and I said so!”

Again, the soldiers laughed. While not as funny as the previous skit, it was much more serious in nature. Even though drunk, they doubted that the story was fact. Although most stories have at least a shred of truth in them.

“ENOUGH!” Bellowed Celestia, with angry tears forming in her eyes.

The laughter stopped and all the ponies just now noticed Celestia’s presence. All of them, save one, were wracked with intense fear. Luna calmly pushed her mane out of her face and addressed her sister.

“Oh. *hic* I didn’t notice you there Celestia. You are well?” She asked with an innocent and drunken smile.

After the scene in the throne room, Celestia had broken up their merry little gathering. The Lunar troops were escorted back to their barracks by Celestia’s own and dozens of castle staff were trying frantically to clean up the throne room before Celestia would accept audiences for the oncoming day.

Meanwhile, The Solar Princess was guiding her stumbling and slurring sister to her room. Judging from the potency of her breath and her shaky, uncertain steps, Celestia deduced heavy intoxication. The likes of which she had only seen once before, just before Luna was banished to the moon.

Currently, Luna was giving her a brief account of her night. Celestia listened with interest, but felt conflicted. She was angry with Luna for going out into public and performing such vulgar displays, but she was also happy for her. She was finally socializing and it sounded like she had a good time. Nevertheless, Celestia had to rebuke Luna somewhat. Just to make sure that this didn’t become a habit.

“Luna, I am disappointed in you. I have no idea what on Earth possessed you to do such radical and foolish things. Let’s just be grateful that nopony saw you drunk and wandering the streets. What would ponies think if they saw you running rampant on a drunken spree?”

“They’d say dat mare can dreenk. Give her anoder.” Luna replied sluggishly.

“Honestly, I can’t fathom what you were thinking.” Celestia said as she shook her head.

“Something caalled fun. Dat ting you never let me nor you do.”

“What!?” Celestia interjected. “I let you have your fun tonight didn’t I?”

“Only cuz youse were sleeping and I snuck out.”

“That’s not true!”

“It is sister. Name one thing that you did eider wit me or by youself since I returned that is fun.”

Celestia pondered in thought for a moment before answering. “We had tea after we got back from your liberation from Nightmare Moon. Wasn’t that fun?”

Luna snickered. “No, twas not. You acted as you are now. Formal, stiff, and serious all da vhile. I tought you were still mad at me and I vas scared rigid.”

“Uhm, how about the time we had a picnic in the Royal Garden?”

“Shame as the first.”

“I attended an opera.”

Luna raised her eyebrow as if to ask: really?

“I... I signed legal documents and met with dignitaries.”

Luna face-hoofed and groaned.

“I... I... I went on a diet?”

Luna began laughing hysterically.

“Am I really boring and no fun? Please, give me your honest opinion.” Celestia pleaded with her sister.

Luna calmed herself just enough to compose a response. “Sorry to shay, but yesh.”

For the first time in a long while, Celestia looked crestfallen. Her happy demeanor had vanished, along with her default smile. She stared at the ground sadly as the two sisters walked.

“I’m just boring and plain.” Celestia said after a short while. “And I wonder why I take no pleasure in waking up everyday.”

Luna placed her hoof around her sister and said, “Here’s shome advice for ya. Change up your routine, take a vacation every now and then, make freends wit ponies, and just do vat you wanna do. We’re royalty, whose gonna shtop us?”

“I would prefer not to neglect our role as rulers, or descend into a dictatorship, but I see your point. I guess I could live a little, as it were.”

“Dere ya go. Glad to shee I could help. But dat still doesn’t explain why you’re so uptight all the time. Ya didn’t take a vacation once while I vas away did you? “

“No.”

“You’b been devoted to your duties too mooch. All work and stress and no play means bery serious pony and serious problam.” Luna looked from side-to-side to make sure they were alone in the hallway. “When was da last time?”

“What?” Celestia asked, confused.

“Ya know, da last you... well...”

“The last time I did what?”

“The last time you had a companion to... relieve you ob your stress.”

“Excuse me!?” Celestia shouted, her wings snapping up to make her look larger and more intimidating, while an angry scowl lined her face.

“Ansver da question!” Luna shouted in response. Giving an icy glare to match her sister’s scowl.

Celestia lowered her wings slightly as she replied slowly. “Not since before your banishment...”

Luna’s jaw dropped as she stared at her sister dumbfounded. “How... did you surbibe dat many cycles witout goin crazy?”

Celestia just stared at the ground, shuffling her hooves uneasily.

“You poor mare.” Luna said to her in a comforting tone. “Maybe you should find shomepony. I’m shure you’d find many a willing partner in your Solar Guard.”

“Luna!” Celestia roared.

“Hay, hay, hay. Calm down. You do vat you want. It’s not my plaesh to tell you how to wiv your life. No if you’ll excuse me, my bed is calling to me.” Luna finished as they finally reached her bedroom.

“Do you want me to lower the moon for you?” Celestia asked.

“Naw, I got it.” Luna replied as she pushed open her door and stumbled inside. “Have a good morning.” She called out before she closed the door.

Outside, the moon was just at the horizon, waiting to be pushed beneath it. Suddenly, it was jerked by an unseen force and was zig-zagging through the sky turning every which way. Up, down, right, left, left, up, left, right, down, until it finally was guided beneath the horizon and disappeared from view.

With the moon gone from the sky, Celestia used her magic and raised the sun. The golden orb’s blinding light slowly stretched over the sleeping land, waking it from its slumber. For a while, Celestia sat and stared at the gold orb. All the while she contemplated what her sister had said to her and reflected briefly upon her and Luna’s past. Wondering, about what has been, what could have been, and what will be.

Chapter 5: Of hangovers and half-avains

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In the middle of the dark night, Princess Luna slept peacefully. Dreaming of happier times and of her wildest fantasies.

Suddenly, a chill overcame the princess as she began to toss and turn in her sleep. Gone were her fantasies and happy illusions. They were replaced by nightmares of her imagination and the re-living of several horrible moments in her past.

Several of these hellish visions concerned a unicorn mare. All of which tormented and pained her to no end. This mare’s predicament affected Luna greatly, as she directed her anger, frustration, and confusion at Luna.

“How could you do this to me!?” The unicorn mare screamed.

Unable to compose a response, Luna sat there silently while looking upon the pitiful creature.

“Why!? Why!? Wasn’t that what you wanted? Isn’t it enough to show you my loyalty!?”

Again, Luna remained motionless.

The unicorn’s tone changed now, to one of intense anger and hatred.

“I hate you! You shall burn for what you have done! You are nothing but a monster!”

Tears began to form in Luna’s eyes as the insults were hurled at her.

“Mark my words and heed them well! I will have my revenge upon you, and I will repay you tenfold of my suffering! No matter if it takes a millennia, I will be waiting for you. I will have my revenge, and I will make you suffer dearly!”

Luna awoke with a start, a cold sweat running down her body. Breathing rapidly, she checked around her room, searching for any signs of danger. Finding none, she calmed down somewhat and laid back down on her bed. Sighing, Luna contemplated her visions and nightmares.

“It seems that no matter how long or fast I run, my fears and nightmares always catch up with me. At least I can finally nail the coffin shut on one of these anyway.” Luna finished as she wrapped herself back up in her covers, drifting back into sleep.

The rest of her sleep was void of dreams or visions, but the emotions from the previous dream lingered. Fitfully, she tossed and turned as the unicorn’s last statements rang in her mind one last time. “No matter if it takes a millennia… I will have my revenge!... I will make you suffer dearly!”

The next morning, Luna was awoken by an argument outside her bedroom doors.

“Make way you Lunar scum!” A loud and pompous voice called out. No doubt belonging to some officer born into nobility and thinking he was entitled to everything, Luna thought.

The sound of spears crossing sounded as her two Lunar Guards did so outside.

“I said move!” The officer shouted again. “As an officer I command you!”

Luna chuckled to herself as she heard him say this. While none of her current soldiers held a higher rank than Sargeant, she explicitly ordered them to disregard orders given to them from anypony other than Thunderbuck or herself. This pompous snob of an officer was no exception.

“No can do.” One of the Lunar Guards responded.

“Why not!?”

“Orders.”

“From who!?”

“The Lunar Princess herself.” Her other guard chimed in.

“When was that? Days ago? This is now, and I’m demanding you to step aside!”

“We don’t take orders from you or your lot.” The first guard responded coolly.

“This is an outrage! You will grant us access or we will force our way in!”

“Try it.” The second guard stated. “Just don’t cry when we hand you and your subordinates your flanks back to you. That would be embarrassing of an elitist snob such as yourself in your position.”

“How dare you!” The officer screamed, becoming incensed. “You shall pay for that!”

“What is all the commotion?” A soft and gentle, but firm voice that Luna instantly recognized as her sister spoke. “I would like to know what all of the fuss is about, since it is probably disturbing my sister.”

“My dear Princess,” The officer started, all anger in his voice replaced by disciplined grace. “We came here to allow you access to your sister’s chamber as you requested. But these ruffians dare to impune us of our duty and you of your access.”

“Oh, Is that so? I see two Lunar Guards doing their job, following their orders.”

“But your highness... they won’t stand aside...”

“Did you ask them?”

“I ordered them, but they would not listen.”

“Therein lies your problem. They have been ordered to only obey their own superiors, not even I have command over them.”

The officer gasped upon hearing Celestia say such a thing. “They will not obey you!? But you are the ruler of Equestria! Surely you hold some sway over them!”

“Co-ruler.” Celestia corrected firmly. “And no, I have no sway over them at all. The best we can do is ask them for access, and hope their orders allow it.”

Celestia turned to the two Lunar Guards and addressed them. “Good morning sirs, I trust you both are doing well?”

“Indeed we are, Princess.” The first responded.

“Does the same bid for you Princess?” The second one asked.

“It does, thank you for asking. May I have the ability to visit my sister at the present time?”

The two guards looked at each other, nodded, and uncrossed their spears. “Of course your majesty, go right on in. We shall alert Princess Luna of your arrival.” The first one spoke as he pulled on a rope next to the door, ringing a small bell on the inside of the room. It’s purpose to let Luna know that a visitor was about to enter.

“Thank you.” Celestia said as she walked between the two guards and slipped through the doors alone.

The guards crossed their spears again as the officer tried to follow Celestia. “Not you. Only Princess Celestia is allowed to enter. You and you troops will wait out here.”

The officer began fuming again as Celestia closed the double doors behind her. The sight of Luna’s room made the mess in her throne room a day ago look like foal’s play. It looked like Discord had escaped and ravaged the entire room and left nothing undisturbed or askew.

Boxes, wrappers, and bottles of various alcohol brands and types littered the room. Paintings hung on the wall had either fallen to the floor or were dangling precariously. A dresser was tipped on its side, its contents scattered about the room. The bed was no different. A tangled mess of blankets and pillows covered with crumbs and candy wrappers, while a lone pony lay sprawled underneath the twisted mass.

Approaching the bed slowly, Celestia called out to her sister softly. “Luna, are you awake?”

“No.” A muffled voice from under a pillow responded.

Celestia sat on the edge of the bed and nudged her sister gently. “Come, the day is young and there is much to be done.”

“Why do you need me? The day is your realm, not mine.” Luna wearily spoke from under her pillow.

“Today is a very important day, and I’d like to have you at my side.”

“Bah!”

“The griffon ambassadors are arriving today, and I need your help.”

Luna shot upright, becoming rigid and shouting, “What!? The griffons are coming!?”

“Yes, and I’d appreciate it if you could be there with me. After all, this is the first time hosting guests of such importance since your return.”

Luna groaned as she rubbed her temple with her hooves, her head pounding from her killer hangover. “Why today? What’s wrong with tomorrow? I still need to recover from that wild night out last night.”

“Last night? Luna, that was the day before, you’ve been asleep for over thirty hours.”

“What?” Luna asked, confused. “I slept through a whole day?”

“Yes.”

“Crap.” Luna said as she flopped down on her pillow. “When are they set to arrive?”

“Within an hour.”

“Buck.” Luna blurted, before she could stop herself.

Laughing lightly, Celestia asked, “I trust you can be ready in that time?”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Luna replied, “I suppose, I will meet you in the reception hall shortly.”

“Alright. I will see you later, Luna.” Celestia said as she exited the room.

Alone in her room, Luna lazily pulled herself off her bed and started to prepare for the meeting. All the while she talked to herself.

“Why? Why today of all days? Maybe it won’t be so bad, maybe they’ll have forgotten by now. After all, a thousand years is a long time.”

She swayed dizzily as she moved to her door.

“Curse this hangover, I hope it won’t bother me too much today.”

Luna ran down the castle hallway, racing towards the reception hall. She was late, late by 15 minutes to be precise. A migraine had developed on her way there, causing her to lessen her pace as she became much more sensitive to light and sound. That is, until she realized she was late.

The light in the hall was way too bright she thought. And the sound of her two guards trotting after her, made her head pound with what seemed to be an avalanche of sound. Gritting her teeth, Luna powered on through the pain in her skull. “This is a bad start to a bad day.” She mumbled to herself.

Shortly thereafter, Luna arrived at the doors to the reception hall. Six guards stood outside the doors, two Solar Guards and four griffons. The Solar Guards were leaning against the wall, conversing with each other, while the griffon guards were in a small circle chatting and doing tricks with their knives.

Upon seeing Luna, the two Solar Guards became silent and stood at attention. The griffons looked at her wide-eyed, as if struck. One of them even dropped his knife to the floor. Luna mentally cringed as the sound of metal hitting stone reverberated into her migraine afflicted mind. She gave a curt nod to the Solar Guards, and completely ignored the griffons. Her guards opened the doors for her and bowed while doing so. As soon as she passed through, they closed the doors behind her, giving her and Celestia privacy to deal with the griffon emissaries.

The room was rather plain and boring, not much adorned it. A few golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, swaying above the ridiculously long table that occupied most of the room. Dozens of vacant chairs rested on both sides of the table. The table itself was covered with the finest tablecloth that could be bought, several pairs of silver candlesticks spaced every so often, and four sets of silverware placed in the center of the table, two on each side. The room was also very white, and much too bright in Luna’s migraine affected opinion.

Sitting at the the two silverware sets on the far side of the table were two griffons. The first one had bright blue plumage, similar to what a bluejay would look like. He wore a finely tailored vest ornamented with several ribbons and small medals. A monocle rested upon his right eye and a thin mustache above his beak.

The second looked like your average griffon, having brown and white plumage like an ordinary eagle. The only distinguishing feature about this creature was her mismatched eyes. One was red, the other a dark green. She wore a red and gold silk sash around her torso.

At the near side of the table sat her sister, Princess Celestia, and an empty chair. Presumably, it was for herself, and that assumption was indeed correct. The two griffons appeared displeased, and were vocalizing it to Celestia.

“Princess, please, we’ve wasted enough time waiting for this other representative. I demand that we proceed at once.” The blue griffon spoke.

“Yeah, quit stalling already. Let’s get this over with.” The female griffon added.

“Please, just wait a moment longer.” Celestia pleaded, her voice starting to show some strain. “She will be here shortly, I know she will.”

“That’s what you said fifteen minutes ago.” Retorted the female griffon. “Stop stalling and talk already!”

“Is that any way to address the ruler of a nation?” Luna chimed in, her voice stern and reverberating throughout the room.

Celestia whipped her head in the direction of Luna’s voice. “Luna! You’ve arrived!” She said as her expression and tone of voice turned into one of relief.

The same could not be said for the griffons however. The blue one looked terrified, his eyes wide as dinner plates. The sash wearing griffon was also surprised, her jaw dropping and a stupefied look glazing itself upon her features.

“Y-Y-Y-YOU!” The blue one screeched, pointing a talon at Luna.

“Yes, me.” Luna cooly replied.

“The Butcher of the Night…” The female griffon remarked in half fear, half awe.

Luna smiled upon hearing that remark. “Come now, that title is long outdated and inaccurate. I never butchered anypony.”

“You wanted to wage a war and genocide against us!” The female griffon screeched suddenly.

“I never stated such a thing.” Luna gracefully countered. “It was my underlings, who of their own volition, acted independently and came up with such a plan. I had nothing to do with it. As you know, all were dealt with and punished accordingly all those centuries ago. Take comfort in the fact they are all now long dead.”

Starting toward the chair beside her sister, Luna began taking slow deliberate steps. Not to intimidate, but rather to be sure of her own footing. With her head swimming from a hangover and a migraine, while standing in front of dignitaries from another country, it paid to be careful. Or at least Luna thought so, as she felt a bout of dizziness overcome her, then she slipped.

Putting her right foreleg down quickly, Luna managed to catch herself and avoid falling. Unfortunately, the momentum of the near fall was still carrying her forward. She teetered and tottered from side to side as she made for the chair at Celestia’s side. Reaching it, she grabbed it for stability as the room spun before her eyes. She suddenly felt nauseated, and closed her eyes, hoping the dizzy spell would pass.

A snicker from across the table painfully interrupted her attempted relaxation. Luna’s eyes snapped open and made eye contact with the offender, the female griffon. After giving an icy and deadly glare towards her, the griffon withered and hastily broke eye contact, much to Luna’s amusement.

“Luna, are you alright?” Celestia asked, a tone of concern lining her voice.

“I’m well enough, shall we proceed?” Luna said as she deliberately and slowly placed herself into her chair, disregarding the immense pain of her migraine and the room spinning dizziness.

“Why… yes.” The blue griffon said, calm now from the initial shock of Luna’s entrance. “Let us proceed.” He said as he adjusted his monocle. “The first order of business is—”

“The first order of business is giving us what is ours!” The female griffon yelled, slamming her fist on the table, forgetting her fear of Luna.

“Grenhilda! Contain yourself!” The blue griffon shouted at her. Turning to the two sisters, he said professionally, “I apologize for the behavior of my compatriot. She is a warrior, not a politician.”

Hearing this information, Luna could not help but give out a slight guffaw, before covering her mouth with her hoof. This Grenhilda, looked much too thin and frail to be a warrior in her mind’s eye.

“What’s so funny!?” Grenhilda shouted towards Luna.

Smiling, Luna said, “Nothing, please continue.” As she motioned with her hoof.

Glowering, Grenhilda continued in a calmer tone. “As Jayfeather was saying before I interrupted, we wish to claim what is rightfully ours.”

Celestia and Luna turned towards each other, sharing a confused glance, before turning back towards Jayfeather and Grenhilda.

“I’m sorry,” Celestia said. “What is it that you claim is rightfully yours?”

“The last two islands of the Whimsical Archipelago.”

At this, Luna lost it. She began laughing uncontrollably as the other three inhabitants of the room stared at her strangely.

“I’m not much for jokes, but that is a good one!” Luna said as she wiped away a tear of laughter. Calming slightly, she continued in a more serious tone. “The Whimsical Islands have always been under the domain of Equestria, saying you demand the last two would insinuate that you had obtained the rest of them.”

Three pairs of eyes stared back at her, being serious and sincere.

“What? Oh for the love of… Celestia, did you…?”

Celestia fidgeted nervously as her sister looked at her, unable to make eye contact.

“I’m sorry Luna…” Celestia muttered pitifully.

Groaning, Luna rubbed her temple with her right hoof.

This really is a bad day. She thought as her migraine intensified.

“May I see the documents that resulted in our country losing the majority of the Whimsical Archipelago?” Luna asked, hiding her mental discomfort.

With a small poof, a huge stack of treaties and documents appeared in front of her, summoned by Celestia. Upon seeing how large it was, Luna wondered how many deals Celestia made with the griffons, with the most probably being a loss for Equestria.

As she flipped through them and skimmed their contents, Luna’s frown gradually increased. Seeing what these treaties were about, such as; military reduction, resource sharing, reparation for ludicrous claims, giving of land and resources, and what were basically appeasements or extortions, angered Luna greatly. She could not believe her sister would agree to these rubbish documents, but Celestia’s ornate and flowing signature at the end of each document was proof enough.

Finished with the stack, Luna took a deep breath. “Where’s the rest?” She asked emotionlessly.

“The rest of what, Luna?” Celestia asked, fearing the impending reply.

“The rest of the treaties you made with the griffons over the past one-thousand years.”

Giving a sigh of defeat, Celestia summoned several more stacks of documents of a similar or larger size than that of the first one. Skimming through those, Luna saw much more of the same. Either the griffons demanded Equestrian military reduction, monetary or resource payments for so called “restitutions” or “reparations”, or the forfeiting of territory.

Finished with this mountain of paperwork, Luna began to converse with Celestia telepathically.

“I was wrong.” Luna flatly said.

“About what?” Celestia timidly asked.

“You! I foalishly thought you handled everything perfectly while I was gone, fat chance of that.”

“I did what I could.” Celestia replied, becoming defensive rather quickly.

“You sure did! You rolled out the welcome mat and said: Step all over me! Great going.”

“Hay! You wouldn’t know anything about the talks, they threatened war!”

“Pfft. So? They’re across the ocean, they’d have to come to us. Not to mention that our army from that era would have been able to crush any attempt at an invasion. You knew that.”

“I didn’t want to risk anypony getting hurt…”

“Typical. You are such a marshmallow. Unwilling to take risks or make sacrifices. Do you remember all those years ago sister? How you basked in the love and admiration of our subjects? How you sat upon your cushioned throne, eating sweets and receiving all the credit and glory for making our country succeed?” Luna’s tone steadily grew angrier as she continued. Nightmare Moon began to re-emerge, pushing Luna to go on further.

“Luna, calm down!”

“While I worked my flank off, laying down all the groundwork for our country! Rebuilding our economic system, establishing the representative body, and raising one of the most respected and feared armies our world has ever known! I built up this country and you repay me by chopping it up and throwing it to those feline-assed bird-brains!”

“Luna!”

Finally sensing Nightmare Moon’s presence, Luna tried to force her back into her subconscious. “GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” She mentally shouted, before pushing her away and back into the depths of her mind.

“Are you okay!?” Celestia asked, frantic with worry.

“I’m fine.” Luna replied, calming down a good bit. “She keeps getting out… I can’t wait to be finally rid of her. Regardless, it’s time that we stood firm and showed some backbone. Equestria shall rise again, and I shall do all in my power to make sure it succeeds.”

“But how? I got us buried rather deep with the griffons, as you could see. I’m sorry, Luna, but you are right. I’ve become such a pushover after you left, I really wish that you were at my side all those years.”

“As do I, dear sister. But fret not, a revelation has made itself known to me. Perhaps we’re not as deep in this quagmire as you think.”

Exiting their mental discussion, the sisters found the two griffons talking amongst themselves as well. Luna cleared her throat, getting their attention.

“Pardon me, but where were we again?” Luna asked.

“Our claim on the Whimsical Archipelago.” Jayfeather replied.

“Oh, you mean this claim?” Luna said as she levitated the ancient piece of parchment in front of him.

After examining it for a moment, he nodded, and replied, “Yes, that agreement.”

“Well isn’t that curious… According to the last clause of the document, this document is now null and void?”

“What!?” Jayfeather shouted in disbelief.

“And since this clause is on every single treaty and document here… they are all null and void as well.” Luna continued.

“How!? That’s impossible!” Jayfeather screeched, making the glass in the room vibrate from the pitch of his voice.

“Oh but it is, I shall show you.” Luna said before clearing her throat. “And I quote; By signing forthwith, all leaders of both nations affirm that the terms set herein these documents shall be legally binding and accepted as law.”

“But the documents were signed! Celestia’s signature is right there, along with our past ruler’s on the other side.” Jayfeather huffed, “They are still legal and in effect.”

“Note how it is worded. It says ALL leaders of both nations, not to mention the blank line right under Celestia’s signature.”

“So what?” He countered nervously, starting to realize the implications of this revelation. “There was an extra space perhaps?”

“On every single document? Seems like a rather common and poor mistake then.” Luna said.

“Why do you dwell on this? It means nothing!” Jayfeather suddenly shouted, enraged.

“But it is significant. The second line wasn’t a mistake, it’s the place where my signature would have gone.”

Jayfeather suddenly stopped dead, fully comprehending what Luna was getting at. “No… you don’t mean…”

“I do. All of these agreements were made after my… placement... on the moon. As such, I was not here to emboss these agreements with my signature or seal. Hence, they were never truly legal. They were void the day you drew them up, and they have been up to today.” Luna finished with a grin.

Jayfeather sat there with jaw agape, opening and closing it soundlessly in shock. Grenhilda was also stunned by this, staring ahead blankly before shaking her head.

“Then sign them!” Grenhilda yelled. “We demand you ratify these agreements into law!” She shouted angrily, shaking her clenched talon in the air while leaning over the table.

Luna countered by spreading her wings to their full size while scowling, making her look rather intimidating. “You have no authority to demand such a thing! Mind your place and your company, griffon!” She shouted. A clap of thunder sounded, punctuating her last statement.

Grenhilda winced from the intensity of Luna’s countering and shrunk back. Meanwhile, Luna calmed herself and took a deep breath before she spoke again.

“I will not sign these offensive papers that you dare to call treaties. From this moment onwards, these pacts are null and void, and shan’t be recognized by Equestrian Law. All tribute to your country in any form shall be stopped immediately, as well as all military restrictions imposed on us being lifted. However, we shall let you keep the land you have illegitimately acquired, so as to avoid a potential war.”

With that, Luna used her magic to set fire to all of the documents, burning them to ashes.

“I hope you learned your lesson today, you two brutes. What would your mothers think, giving birth to such manipulating and deceiving griffons? I’m sure they’d be ashamed to learn of such a thing.”

The two griffons sat there fuming, angry expressions stuck on their faces.

“Now, is there anything else that you wished to discuss?” Luna finished with a sly grin.

Jayfeather and Grenhilda stormed out of the castle angrily, their four guards following closely behind. Ignoring the pony journalists and reporters, they stepped into their carriage and rode off towards the coast.

Shortly thereafter, Celestia herself emerged from the castle. The reporters and journalists swarmed her, bombarding her with questions as her guards barely held them back.

“Celestia! Why were the griffons angry!?”

“Have you finally shown backbone in dealing with them!?”

“Have they threatened war!?”

“What does this mean for Equestria!?”

Not wanting to deal with this, and seeing a perfect opportunity to rekindle somepony’s popularity, she said, “If you want to know what really happened, ask my sister. It was Luna who took the reins during this meeting, and righted some horrible wrongs.”

The crowd of news-ponies looked towards the castle entrance just as Luna emerged, her two guards in tow.

As one, the crowd of reporters and journalists left Celestia and descended upon Luna. Or rather, to be more precise, formed a circle around her with a yard or two of distance from her or her guards.

As their cameras flashed and the questions sailed through the air, Luna looked toward her sister for guidance. Celestia was nowhere to be seen, and she nervously swallowed as a sensation of dizziness and her migraine came back in full force. Closing her eyes to take a few breaths and calm herself, Luna prepared herself to address the press mob.

“One at a time, please.” Luna firmly stated to the crowd as they quieted down.

“What just happened?” A unicorn reporter asked, levitating a pen and pad next to him.

“We just had a meeting with representatives from the Griffon Empire. As you could tell, they did not like the outcome of our meeting.”

“And why is that?” A pegasus mare asked.

“I discovered a clause on all of the pacts made with the griffons over the past one-thousand years that made them all null and void.”

The mob gasped as one, shocked by this ground-breaking news.

“All of them!?”

“Every single one.”

“What does this mean for Equestria? Have the griffons threatened war?” A camera mare asked.

“It means we are free from griffon oppression and the rebuilding of our military will become a chief focus, as the ludicrous limitations imposed by the griffons has been lifted. And no, they did not threaten war.”

“Will Equestria try to reclaim the land that the griffons took from us?” An earth pony stallion asked.

“Not currently. It is my hope that we will try to negotiate for or purchase back our former holdings in the near future. We did not demand them to be returned by force, as we did not wish to start a war.”

“This will surely strain relationships between the two countries.” The unicorn reporter said. “What will you do to handle tense situations that could arise from this?”

“My sister and I shall do whatever we deem necessary to defend our subjects and our country. No matter what the cost may be.”

After stating this, Luna received a telepathic message from Celestia, telling her that was plenty if she wished to stop. Thinking that she had spoken enough, Luna executed her escape.

“I’m sorry, but I have no more time for questions. I must take my leave now.” Luna said as she turned to leave, entering the castle as the crowd went into a fervor, trying to ask more questions. Luna ignored them as the castle doors closed behind her, silencing the mob.

A light blue-purple pegasus laid asleep in his cot, snoring and twitching idly. That is, until his cot was turned on its side, spilling him onto the floor. He gave out a sudden cry, as did a few other nearby voices.

Thrashing his limbs about like an insect caught in a web, he somehow managed to throw off the blanket wrapped around him. Jumping upright, he assumed a fighting stance as he teetered, ignoring the horrible pain making itself known inside his head and the feeling of nausea.

Glancing about either side of him quickly, he took in his surroundings. Four of his comrades seemed to have been in the same predicament as him. All of them had assumed a fighting stance, as wobbly as they must have seemed.

“ATTENTION!” Somepony shouted nearby.

Deafened, he staggered and almost fell. When he looked back up, his fellow soldiers were facing toward him, standing at attention. Perplexed, he sat idly for a moment staring off into space, trying to figure out what was going on.

The voice shouted into his ear from behind. “I SAID ATTENTION, SARGEANT DARKFURY!”

The last shout cleared his mind somewhat, and something clicked. He remembered where he was and who he was.

DarkFury wheeled around, facing Colonel Thunderbuck only inches from his face, stomped his hooves, and assumed the salute of attention. Afterwhich, he shouted, “Sir, yes sir!”

“That’s better.” Thunderbuck said as he put some distance between himself and DarkFury. Turning to address all five of them, his face contorted with disgusted rage as he yelled at them.

“What the buck was that!?”

“Sir?” Coaldust questioned.

“That bucking spectacle that you five dumb-asses pulled two nights ago! And in Celestia’s bucking throneroom no less!”

All five soldiers sat for a moment, recalling their foggy and hazy memories of their outing. Upon remembering some of what they did, they froze in terror.

“Sir? That was two nights ago?” FireMane asked.

“That’s right numbnuts! You all slept through the past day like a bunch of fillies getting their beauty sleep. Did you get enough sleep cupcake!? Did I wake you up too roughly!? This may be the Royal Castle, but you’re not a bunch of princesses, and I’m sure as hell not your damn butler!”

Thunderbuck then began pacing in front of them.

“You are all in deep shit! You’d all be in even deeper, if not for the intervention of her majesty.”

“Princess Luna, Sir?” FireTail asked, still half-asleep.

“No! The other Princess of the Night who we’ve pledged our undying loyalty and admiration towards! Of course it’s Princess Luna!”

Feeling like an idiot, FireTail remained silent.

“Upon her explanation of what had transpired, I was ashamed to hear that you, professional soldiers of our great country, could do such a piss poor job of keeping your drunken antics to yourselves! Keep your drunkenness in line next time, or not even the Princess will be able to save your asses from my wrath!”

“Sir. Aren’t you going to punish us?” Frostburn asked nonchalantly.

“Thank you for bringing that up Corporal, I was just getting there.” Thunderbuck replied in a sarcastic tone. “If it were up to me, I’d have had all of you court-martialed and put in a very dark hole in the ground. However, due to the great generosity and benevolence of our Princess, you get off lightly this time. You will all be on permanent KP duty until further notice, as a punishment for soiling the reputation of our glorious division and its heritage. Consider yourselves lucky.”

Thunderbuck began to leave the barracks building, but nopony dared to break attention. Upon reaching the doorway, Thunderbuck said, “Princess Luna has summoned all current members of the 13th. I expect you all to be there in five minutes, in full gear. Dismissed!” He finished, leaving the five alone with themselves.

Finally allowed to rest from attention, they did so with groans of pain from their memories and hangovers. They quickly assembled their armor and donned it, along with their other gear.

While finishing with donning his equipment, DarkFury’s mind began to wander. It wandered back to two nights prior and to a particular memory in the bar. He remembered watching Luna win the drinking contest, remembered her sitting next to and talking with him, then remembered them kissing.

His face turned red upon remembering this moment, struck in awe as he actually kissed the Lunar Princess. He could not believe it, but he saw no reason to doubt that memory. He thought he must have been the luckiest stallion alive that night. That train of thought led him somewhere else, although it was still related. The abrupt cut-off of his memory after the kiss didn’t help his thought process either.

He was suddenly afraid as this train of thought reached its station. He was alone with Princess Luna at a bar, at night, while both of them were drunk, and they were kissing. His mind and pulse began to race frantically. Did they stop there? Or did they go further and get… more intimate?

“Oh no.” DarkFury said aloud, realizing the implications of the possible predicament he might have gotten himself into. “I kissed her, what if… what if it got more involved… what if we actually… Does she know? What if she can’t remember either… Oh no! No! No!” DarkFury shouted, noticing he was the only one in the barracks.

Sprinting out the door unsteadily and swaying, DarkFury’s mind reeled as he prayed that what he was thinking about didn’t happen those two nights ago.

“I need to talk to her… to ask her… Oh Goddess, please tell me we weren’t that stupid or foalish while we were drunk!”

Chapter 6: New guys

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It had been a while since Luna had conducted her cross-country recruitment campaign, and during this time, the first few rounds of trainees had been processed. Not all had passed the rigorous standards of the 13th, but enough had passed so as to swell the number of the Lunar Corps considerably. The 13th was now almost 1,500 strong, with double that number currently in various stages of processing and training.

The large amount of new recruits were still trying to adjust to their new sleeping pattern as they were abruptly awakened by their NCO’s. A gathering of all Lunar Soldiers was occurring tonight, as mandated by Luna herself. As the soldiers grumbled and shuffled their way towards the gathering, one colt could be described as anything but tired.

Quicksilver hurriedly donned his new purple armor, and raced to the gathering area, nearly knocking over or running into several fellow soldiers on the way. As he reached the gathering area in one of the training fields, which was already starting to fill with troops, the white colt trotted around incessantly. Lacking any friends among his fellow kin, he moved about constantly, letting his thoughts distract him as he killed time. Unfortunately, he lost focus of where he was going and bumped into somepony from the side.

“Eh!” The mare cried out, startled.

Wheeling towards him in a fury, Quicksilver was able to see every detail of the mare he bumped into. She was an earth pony, just like him, and her coat was a very light gray. She also had a two-toned mane containing the colors of blue and green, which was visible since she was not wearing her helmet. Her angry, brown eyes were focused on him along with the angry scowl marking her face.

“Watch where you’re going! You little piece of…” She trailed off as she realized she was facing a pony much younger and smaller than she expected. “Try not to bump into me again, alright kid?” She continued, turning away from him while mumbling to herself.

“I’m not a kid!” Quicksilver countered.

“Whatever pipsqueak, now scram.”

“What’s your problem?”

“Something with four legs, is white, and has a bright orange mane and glasses. Now beat it!” She angrily growled.

“Sorry.” Quicksilver muttered, walking away from the mare. “What’s the deal with her?” He asked himself.

A short while later, after all the soldiers had assembled, Princess Luna herself appeared before the large group. Luna began to address them and stated that they would all be learning advanced combat techniques to counter airborne opponents, namely griffons. As she elaborated about this further, a group of five soldiers came rushing in. Luna’s eyes tracked the group as they came in and meshed with the other members, but she did not stop her explanation.

Upon finishing her elaboration, Luna pulled out a pair of long, and graceful blades. Showing them to the crowd, she explained they were wing-blades, ancient weapons used by pegasi warriors long ago. The fact that the griffons had imposed a ban on their usage about a thousand years ago, had rendered them to be useless heirlooms sitting on hearths to be forgotten to the sands of time. Now however, would be the time of their revival as military weapons. The said ban was nullified and the Griffon Empire looked as hostile as it had ever been in living memory.

“In addition to the advanced anti-air combat techniques that everypony shall learn, the pegasi will also become familiar with the usage of wing-blades. I would like to demonstrate their use, but I require a volunteer for my sparring partner.” Luna finished as she swept her gaze over the large group.

Several hooves shot into the air at once, giving a host of ponies to choose from. Donning wooden mock-ups of the blades, Luna engaged her first opponent. After a short session of the pegasus trying in vain to evade Luna or attack her, he was swiftly beaten and earned a few bruises to show it. A second contender fared no better, and she too walked away with some new bruises.

By now, the amount of hooves in the air had dropped to zero. Upon seeing Luna’s speed and agility, just about everypony there knew they were far outclassed.

“Afraid are we?” Luna mockingly chuckled. “Very well, I shall choose my last opponent then. You, sergeant, is who I choose.” Luna stated as she pointed with her hoof toward a pegasus stallion with a light blue-purple coat near the front.

As he fitted his webbed wings with the wooden mock-ups of the wing-blades, Quicksilver could not help but notice that this pegasus seemed excessively nervous. Sure, he was going to spar against the most beautiful Princess ever to grace the face of the world in front of about two-thousand ponies, but he didn’t seem like he was all there. It was as if his mind was focused elsewhere, and his body was free to fidget as nervously as it pleased. Maybe he has stage-fright or performance anxiety? Quicksilver thought.

DarkFury flitted his wings continuously, trying to get accustomed to the new weight on them. Worried, his mind raced faster than that one mare who did a sonic rainboom, as he started sweating profusely. Staring down Luna, who was a mere five yards away, he gulped nervously.

Why am I here doing this? Is she punishing me? Does she remember what happened, and if so, was it bad? I hate alcohol.

“Begin!” Luna shouted as she leaped into the air.

Spreading her wings, Luna began to climb and circle quickly around their starting positions, as if she expected DarkFury to do the same. To her surprise, he was still on the ground, still staring straight ahead, lost in thought.

Is something wrong, DarkFury? She projected her question into his mind.

No! I mean yes! No, I’m just… He replied, a little too quickly.

Tired?

Yeah… sorry.

Withdrawing from his mind, she found he was facing her now, yet still rooted to the earth. She thought he looked half-terrified, but discounted it due to the fact he said he was tired.

“Why does thou stay bound to the earth? Winged creatures do combat in the sky, not the ground.” Luna called out.

“You have already proven that you own the sky, Princess, but can the sky bend the earth to its will?” DarkFury cryptically challenged in response.

Luna gave a small smirk, surprised by his bold statement. Just one surprise after another. I can really pick students I suppose.

“Brace yourself sergeant, the full wrath of the sky is about to crash upon you!” Luna shouted as she dived straight for him.

Luna lashed out with her wings as she just barely flew above him, but she connected with nothing but air. DarkFury had waited until Luna was completely committed to her approach and rolled out of the way at the last moment. Now he sat lithe as a cat, lightly poised on his legs with his wings spread slightly. Waiting to attack or dodge when the opportunity presented itself, while Luna had climbed and began circling once more.

Trying her luck from different angles of approach, Luna’s dive-bombs were still unsuccessful. DarkFury kept dodging every attack, always rolling or using his wings to propel himself out of her range. The other two recruits weren’t this challenging to deal with.

That’s when it clicked. Luna realized her first two opponents were greenhorns, having little to no experience with combat besides training. DarkFury on the other hand, was displaying skilled techniques learnt from actual experience. It was unsurprising he knew of some basic techniques to counter airborne opponents. After all, he had served at least one tour in the Griffon Highlands, during which he apparently engaged some foes. That, and Luna had fallen into a pattern. Her strikes were too predictable, and an experienced soldier would be able to pick up signals that would alert them that she was starting a dive.

Chiding herself for being so careless and overconfident, she decided to take control of the engagement. Diving once more, Luna put more speed and a steeper angle into this dive.

As DarkFury patiently waited for Luna to get close, he noticed she was coming in faster than previously. Suspecting nothing amiss, he waited until the last possible moment before using his wings to propel himself to the side. Expecting her to be long gone, he was dumbfounded when he realized she was in front of him. She had made a hard landing and was rushing him with wing-blades swinging.

Caught completely off-guard, he tried to propel himself backwards before he was ready. As a result, his hind leg dragged on the ground and caused him to fall on his back, falling just below the mock blades.

Luna swung at the ground where he was a moment before, him having already rolled to the left. Righting himself, he tried to get a running start while getting back up on his hooves. Before he could, he fell flat on his stomach. Luna had used her magic to grab his leg and pull, causing him to fall.

With incredible speed, Luna was atop him again, slashing downwards. DarkFury kept doing short rolls to either side, narrowly missing each strike. He tried using his wing-blades to get her off of him, but she deftly sidestepped every swing he made at her underbelly.

With both parties becoming increasingly frustrated, DarkFury planted his hooves beneath himself and pushed with all his might. His back slammed into Luna’s underside as she gave a gasp of shock and was thrown up into the air a short ways. Pivoting, DarkFury lashed out with his left wing, hoping to get her in the side while she was stunned. Luna managed to regain her senses and block with her own blade, as the sound of wood hitting wood met his ears.

Both opponents faced each other again, staring each other down. DarkFury looked different, Luna thought. His eyes were filled with intense concentration, as he was only thinking about how to win, how to counter attacks, and how to launch his own. That and his wicked grin made him appear as if he was enjoying this, like he lived for combat. Like somepony else that Luna had known centuries ago…

Bellowing, DarkFury charged, swinging for Luna’s head. She effortlessly blocked his strike and the two exchanged blows. The cycle repeated with no end in sight. Block, attack, block, attack. Finally, Luna decided to end this fight. It had dragged on a bit too long she thought, but she had learned a lot about her student from this mock battle.

After blocking one of DarkFury’s attacks, he was beginning to launch another one when Luna acted. She suddenly flashed him bedroom eyes and blew him a kiss. His focus shattered like an icicle hitting stone. He stopped dead in mid-swing while he blushed instantly, stuttering like a nervous colt on his first date.

Acquiring the desired effect, Luna acted swiftly. She swung her wing-blades into his legs, hard. Knocking them out from under him and laying him out on his side. Luna smirked with triumph, her victory complete.

DarkFury laid on his side, dazed. “Ow.” He said, trying to comprehend what exactly just happened in those last couple of seconds.

Luna extended her hoof out to him. “On your hooves sergeant, you fought well.”

DarkFury shook his head to clear his thoughts, and reached for Luna’s hoof with his own. She pulled him upright as easily as she might pick up a piece of paper, which led DarkFury to wonder just how strong Luna really was. Not to mention it revealed to him that she could have ended the fight anytime she wanted to. The only reason their fight lasted longer than the other two was because she let it.

DarkFury just stared at the ground, embarrassed, while Luna addressed the crowd of soldiers.

“As you can all see, deception, surprise, and being unconventional can be just as essential as strength or tactics in battle. Your new training regiment shall begin tomorrow. I expect to see some stellar results if tonight was any indicator of the potential you all have.”

Luna glanced toward DarkFury, who had begun to raise his eyes. He quickly looked down and to the side, blushing slightly with embarrassment.

She continued, “Until then, you all have the remainder of this night off and are free from duties. May you all flourish under my moon and my sister’s sun.” Luna finished, as she began charging a teleportation spell.

Before she teleported, she gave DarkFury another mental message. I’ll be expecting you the night after next for your lesson. You fought well, and should be proud. Few can claim to have locked blades against the moon.

DarkFury was about to reply with a question of his own, namely about a night two days ago. But… Luna was gone, having already teleported. Still paranoid, he once more began to fret about what he thought could have happened that night. The nightmarish thoughts and apparitions tormented him greatly, and he did not think he would make it until the night after next.

After Luna’s demonstration, the large group of soldiers dispersed. Some went into the streets of Canterlot, to find entertainment and spend their free time. While the others returned to the barracks and mess hall, to either hang out with their fellow soldiers or try to get some more sleep.

Coaldust, DarkFury, Frostburn, and FireMane were groggily shuffling back towards their barracks. The four ponies trudged in a silent line, only noticing two new tag-alongs when they started bickering between themselves.

“You again! What do you want now kid?” A mare’s voice called out.

“I’m not a kid!” Replied a young colt, sounding as if he only just became of age.

As one, the four soldiers stopped and turned towards the two new voices. A bright white colt with an orange mane and glasses met their eyes, as well as a light gray mare with a two-toned blue and green mane. Both were earth ponies, and they had the purple armor of the Lunar corps upon them. Upon seeing them and the duffle bags they each had, the group gave an inward sigh. FNGs They all thought.

The four of them stared as the two earth ponies argued between themselves about directions or something similar. Seeing no one else bothering to move, Coaldust gave a sigh and approached the arguing duo.

“Can I help you?” Coaldust asked, trying not to sound tired as he asked the question.

The two stopped their bickering, looked at each other, and then turned to Coaldust.

“Uh yeah, could you please tell us how to…” The colt started to ask.

“Get to the bucking barracks, specifically A building.” The mare interjected and finished, impatient.

Coaldust raised a brow upon her impatience, and replied, “Why do you two want to know? Got a date or something over there?”

“No. That’s where we’re both supposed to be quartered.” The colt answered timidly.

Great, just great. We have to share our barracks with them. Fan-bucking-tastic.

“We’re on our way there.” Coaldust replied. “Just follow us and you’ll get there.”

With that, Coaldust rejoined the group and they continued on their way, the two earth ponies in tow. During the walk, Coaldust told everyone where the two new guys were being quartered, and a couple of glances were thrown in the earth ponies’ direction. After which, a couple of sighs could be barely made out, and a few snickers erupted from the four as a couple of jokes were exchanged.

Incensed, the mare became angry. Without warning, she yelled at the group.

“Hey! Assholes! What’s so bucking funny!?”

The group stopped and turned to face her, their faces emotionless.

“I’m sorry… What warranted that?” Coaldust asked.

“You assholes did. You think it’s funny that we’re earth ponies or something?”

“No, we didn’t say that.”

“Not to my face you mean!” She angrily countered.

“Ah… I get it now.”

“Get what?”

“You’re one of those earth ponies who thinks all pegasi and unicorns are racist pricks, aren’t you? News flash, we aren’t.”

“Bullshit. You think we’re lesser than you, just because you’ve had a posh upbringing and that you have horns or wings. I’m surprised you can all handle military life, shouldn’t you all be clutching your mothers back at home?”

Frostburn almost lost it. An angry scowl lined his face while his eyes burned with intense hatred. He was about to make a rush for the mare, but DarkFury jumped in front of him, blocking his path. FireMane did as well, saying, “Calm down Frostburn, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Just forget her.”

Coaldust also grew angry, as he grabbed the mare with his magic. He tossed her against the side of the C barracks while he leaned in close to her, pinning her in place.

Quicksilver sat there, stunned. He could do nothing but watch this scene unfold before his eyes.

“Oooh, I made you angry. Are you going to beat me, rape me for my transgression? Hmm? Going to put the filthy earth pony in her place?” She challenged, her voice venomous.

“As much as your sick mind would like that, no, I’m not going to rape or beat you. What I am going to do, is try to get something through that thick skull of yours.” Coaldust angrily growled.

“Like what? I don’t need to hear anything from you. I’ve led a dark life filled with horrible shit that I’m sure you’ve never had to do or live with.”

“Try me.” Coaldust replied, gritting his teeth.

“You know nothing of loss. I had a decent life, before my overbearing family pushed me too far. I needed something to relieve my stress, and provide myself with an escape from the pressures of my parents. I turned to drugs. At least they would listen when my parents wouldn’t.”

“Boo hoo. If that’s all, that’s not much.”

“Buck you! My parents were assholes, always holding me up to high expectations that I could never quite reach. They went easy on my siblings, but being the eldest apparently meant living out the perfect life they never had. They tortured me, emotionally and mentally if I failed to perform.”

“Still not convinced.”

“After I turned to drugs, I flunked out of school. Rather than tolerate failure or try to help me, my parents disowned me. They threw me out and would have nothing to do with me. I lived on the street, doing what was needed to survive and get my next high. My life was an endless cycle of drugs and sex. Drugs to escape the shitty reality that had become my life, and sex to acquire the drugs I needed to get high.”

“You were a prostitute?”

“Yes, I was. A bucking drug addict who solicited herself for her next meal and her next high. My life was a living nightmare, and I’m glad I’m free from that now. I highly doubt you have anything that can compare.” The mare finished, trying to stare down Coaldust.

Coaldust stood down, leaving the mare free from the position he pinned her in. “Alright, you’ve seen and done some serious shit, I suppose I can level with you.”

“You have nothing to compare! You had a privileged life, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Still holdin onto that racism? Fine. But listen to what I have to say, then we’ll see if your opinion has finally come down to earth.” He paused, gathering his memories.

“Well, get on with it!”

“Impatient aren’t we?” Coaldust cleared his throat. “I’ll give you the simple version. I was born into poverty, with my family faring pretty badly. Living out near Ghastly Gorge and barely scraping out a living, it wasn’t pretty. Family had to come first, so I started working in our private mine with my pa as soon as I could swing a pick. Long days of hard labor and scraps to eat did quite a toll on me, but my pa fared worse. He wouldn’t admit it, but I saw him cut his meager share of our food every day, adding most of it to the daily ration of my siblings and myself.

“We were hungry, always hungry. That ravenous feeling held us captive constantly. Some days, when food was really scarce, we’d hallucinate. See food where there was nothing to see. Thinking that the dirt we stood upon was chocolate or stew, while the boards of our shack turned into loaves of bread. Many were the nights I was scared of sleep, for fear I might not wake up the next day.

“After a couple of years, we finally had some luck. We hit a large vein of gems, not the occasional few here and there, but a mammoth underground river of the precious objects. We took some to market, and were able to finally buy ourselves all the food we could eat. With our food problem resolved sufficiently for the time, we had another problem. We sat atop a vast amount of wealth, but had no buyers. Ponies in our area were either gem miners as well or had no use for gems. So, I decided to travel. I packed a huge saddlebag full of the jewels and moved from town to town, selling individual gems while always searching for somepony in need of a gem supplier.

“I saw and did many strange and questionable things while out on the road, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. I eventually found the buyer I was lookin for in Fillydelphia. He was a rather rich fellow, and he was trying to found a gem and enchantment store. Apparently both were in high demand out east, as I discovered. I met him and we talked. He practically danced with joy when I told him the amount of gems we had. So happy in fact, he bought it all, hired my pa and myself, and had my pa and siblings moved to Fillydelphia.

“I worked in his shop for a year or two, but grew bored of the same old scenery every day. So one day, I bid him and my family farewell. I can be content now, knowing that my family will be safe and secure in their new lives.”

“Huh.” The mare replied. “I suppose you all aren’t privileged bastards, but that only explains you, not them.” She said, pointing her hoof at the group of three pegasi.

“FireMane led a normal life, same as his brother. DarkFury, the blue-purple one, lost both his parents at a young age. While Frostburn, the one you pissed off, well… he’s just one sad story after another.”

“Like what?” She snorted.

“Imagine, that you actually loved your mother. So much so, that she was the light of your life, the only pony you knew who loved and cared for you. Now, imagine seeing her brutally raped and murdered before your eyes, while being powerless to stop it. That is what he had to live through, and it haunts him to this day.”

Quicksilver sat there stunned, with his mouth agape upon hearing this. The mare on the other hoof, looked down at the ground, wordless.

“What’s your name?” Coaldust suddenly asked. “Both of you.”

“I’m Quicksilver.” The white colt said.

“Snapdragon.” The mare quietly replied, her tone subdued.

“Well, Quicksilver, Snapdragon, I think we’ll all get along just fine. Just tone it down a notch and keep an open mind Snap, not everypony you meet will be a racist bigot. Some will, but hey, they were assholes to begin with, right?”

“My name is Snapdragon! Not Snap!” She suddenly roared, as Coaldust began to laugh heartily as the group cantered over towards A barracks.

Back in A barracks, there wasn’t much to do. It was rather empty, save the six ponies who had entered a short while ago. Coaldust and FireMane sat on their bunks reading, while Frostburn also sat on his bunk, grinding a whetstone against his sword to sharpen it. The noise reverberated throughout the room, with a steady pace and eerie sound. Meanwhile, Snapdragon and Quicksilver had laid claim to an empty bunk nearby, and were trying to settle in. DarkFury was at the end of the room pacing. He was muttering under his breath and his folded wings were flitting and bouncing constantly against his back.

Bored, Snapdragon broke the silence. “Don’t you guys do anything fun around here?”

“Normally.” Coaldust responded, not looking away from his book. “But we can’t for a while.”

“Why?” She asked.

“Did you hear about the drunken spree a couple days ago? Involving five lunar soldiers and the Princess herself?”

“Of course. I’m sure guard units throughout the country have heard about it by now.”

“That was us.” Coaldust grinned.

“No way.”

“Yes way. We were all drunk off our asses, and following a debatebly more drunk princess. By the goddess, she could sure pack away the moonshine. I’ve seen heavy drinking, but she put every pony in that bar to shame by at least tenfold.”

“So that’s…”

“Why we’re stuck here, and not currently in the city itself.” Coaldust finished. “We won’t be having any fun for a long time.”

“You said there were five, but I only count four of you.” Quicksilver interjected.

“Indeed. FireMane’s brother is currently absent. Dunno where he went. Hey, FireMane!” Coaldust called out.

“What?”

“Where’s your conniving brother?”

“I don’t know. He said something about going “hunting” after the demonstration. Anyone’s guess where he is now.” FireMane replied, somewhat irritated.

“Hunting?” Quicksilver asked, confused.

“Chasing tail.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll explain.” FireMane replied, looking away from his magazine and over towards Quicksilver. “He’s chasing after mares. You know, either trying to form some misshapen thing that’s supposed to be a relationship, or trying to score. My guess is the latter.” FireMane finished, returning to his magazine.

“Oh.”

Just then, one of the doors to A barracks was flung open as a pegasus entered the room. He looked like FireMane, but his tail was a fiery combination of two shades of red instead of his mane. He was obviously disgruntled as he made his way to the bunk FireMane was in, his head looking down while he muttered all the while. Several red marks were also visible upon his face.

“Back already?” FireMane asked, not bothering to look up from his magazine.

“Yup.”

“Any luck?”

“Nope. Can’t you see the hoof-marks on my face?”

“I can, but I’d thought I wouldn’t mention them so as not to embarrass you.”

“Ugh.” FireTail grunted.

Still downcast, FireTail passed by Quicksilver and Snapdragon and muttered something resembling “hey” to them. Snapping to his senses, he quickly stopped and turned toward the two newcomers.

“Who are these guys?” He asked, pointing at them. “And when did we have such a majestic mare quartered here?” He finished, giving Snapdragon a heavy-lidded gaze. In response, Snapdragon gave a disgusted snort and narrowed her eyes at him.

“Just now.” Coaldust replied. “These two newbies are fresh from training, and they had the misfortune of being put in the same building as you.”

“Aah. What’s your name white-out?” FireTail asked.

“Um, Quicksilver.”

“Nice name. Now how about you, beautiful?” He questioned, moving closer to Snapdragon.

Shifting her stance to put more distance between them, Snapdragon replied with a strained voice, “Snapdragon.”

His eyebrow raised upon hearing her name. “Snapdragon? As in, like the flower?”

“I guess…”

“Do any gardening?” FireTail asked as he began to circle her.

“No. What kind of question is thAT!” Snapdragon suddenly screeched, as FireTail lifted up part of her armor that was covering her flank.

“So that’s your cutiemark? A cute pink flower superimposed on a rock. A heart-shaped rock. Nice.”

Snapdragon punched FireTail square in the jaw and he hit the floor.

“BUCKING PERVERT!”

“Ow. I like a strong mare, shouldn’t expect less from an earth pony. You have beautiful eyes by the way.”

Despite causing the slightest of blushes, this only enraged Snapdragon further. Bellowing, she picked up FireTail, held him above her head, and then threw him at the nearest wall. A loud crash sounded as his chest plate hit the wall and he landed in a heap.

“H-holy shit!” FireMane laughed out as he jumped up and ran over to his brother.

Coaldust began laughing hysterically. Quicksilver sat there, quiet, unsure of how to react. While Frostburn stopped his sharpening for a moment, looked at the scene before him, and merely shook his head as he went back to grinding the whetstone. DarkFury was still pacing a rut in the floor, seeming to not have noticed.

“You okay?” FireMane asked as he stood over his brother, trying not to laugh.

“Bro?”

“Yeah?”

“Call me a doctor, I need to verify this diagnosis.”

“And that would be?”

“I think I’m in love.”

“Oh, good grief.”

“UGH!” Snapdragon shouted in disgust as she slammed her fore hooves on the floor. Cursing under her breath, she stepped outside of the barracks.

“Will you ever learn?” FireMane asked.

“Probably not. Now… I feel really tired. I’m gonna take a nap now.” FireTail said as he fell asleep right then and there.

Hoisting his brother up onto his back, FireMane brought him over to the bunk and threw him onto the bed.

“Geez, you would be wearing full armor except your helmet.” He grumbled.

“So… what’s your story?” Coaldust asked Quicksilver, who was looking at FireTail.

Grabbing his attention, Quicksilver turned to Coaldust. “Uh, well… it’s not much of a story. I just live in Ponyville.”

“Ponyville? That small town we went through? Seems like a quiet place.”

“More happens there than you’d think.”

“Any family?” FireMane suddenly butted in.

“My dad, twin brothers, my sister, and my friend Ash.”

“Ash? What kind of name is that?”

“He’s a phoenix I found when he was an egg. I raised him after he hatched, and was my only friend until I moved to Ponyville.”

“A phoenix? I hear they’re good luck to have around. Sounds like you got really lucky there.” Coaldust said.

“I suppose.”

“Is your sister of age?” FireMane asked.

“Why do you want to know!?” Quicksilver declared, becoming extremely defensive.

“Woah, woah. I was just curious, calm down. If you don’t want to tell us about her, then just say so. This colt’s got some pep in him.”

“I do, actually.” Quicksilver proudly stated. “In fact, I am one of the fastest runners in all of Equestria.”

“Pfft. And I shoot flames out of my eyes.” FireMane retorted sarcastically.

“It’s true, I’m fast! Few can match my speed!”

“He’s not lying.”

The three ponies turned to who had spoke. It was Frostburn.

“I’ve seen him run. He damn near shamed everyone while the recruits were running laps yesterday.”

“Well, if he’s vouching for you, there must be some truth to your claim.” FireMane admitted.

“Wait a second, we were all still asleep yesterday. Frostburn, how did you see this?” Coaldust inquired.

Frostburn just shrugged. “I woke up. Didn’t think you guys would want to be woken, so I let you be. I just walked around for a bit, then went back to sleep.”

“If you say.”

With that, Frostburn returned to his task.

Quicksilver now turned his attention to DarkFury, who was still pacing around in the back.

“Why is DarkFury over there?”

Coaldust shrugged. “Him and Frostburn aren’t very social ponies, and they prefer to keep to themselves. Even with us, they are a bit aloof. Frostburn has his reasons, but I think DarkFury’s reason is the hedgehog’s dilemma.”

“Hedgehog’s dilemma?” Quicksilver curiously asked.

“If two hedgehogs are cold, they want to get close to each other to share warmth. However, if they do get close, they are likely to hurt each other with their quills. In short, it means he is afraid to form close relationships with anyone, for fear of hurting others or being hurt himself. We’ve tried to get him out of his shell, and we’ve had some success. He’s pretty laid back and casual with us, although don’t be surprised if he’s a bit mistrusting of you at first. It takes a while for him to get used to new ponies he meets.”

“That sounds like how I was a year or two ago.” Quicksilver stated.

“Then maybe he’ll warm up to you faster as you can relate.”

“Maybe, but that doesn’t explain why he’s pacing a circle into the floorboards.”

“Ah, that. Well… to be honest… we have no idea why he’s doing that. He’s been doing it nonstop since we got back, in case you didn’t notice.”

“Yeah, what’s he muttering about?”

“Dunno.”

A few more minutes went by, as the two silently watched DarkFury pace about. Without warning, he suddenly began shouting.

“I can’t take it anymore! I have to know! I need to see her now!”

Galloping at full speed, he rocketed out the door and took flight, nearly bumping into Snapdragon as she cursed heavily.

“Well well, it was about a mare. That’s surprising. I didn’t know he’d even met any.” Coaldust wryly chuckled.

DarkFury flew as fast as he could. He had to get to Luna’s tower, he had to know what had happened that night. He prayed to a higher power that he had not done what he thought he did, otherwise Luna’s life and his own would get very complicated very quickly.

He flew high in the sky through most of the clouds, to avoid the aerial sentry sweeps that he knew were occurring above and below him. The cold water of the clouds chilled him to the bone as the droplets clung to his fur, but he pressed on regardless. He was unsure how the guards would react to seeing him flying about, so he made it his business to avoid being spotted. After a short while, he broke through the clouds and found he was a short ways above Luna’s tower. DarkFury descended silently, gliding to the balcony below him.

As he landed, gusts of wind blew over his body, making his wet form shiver almost uncontrollably. Scarcely making a sound, his hooves met the stone balcony and he folded his wings.

“Princess?” He called out quietly.

No response.

Gulping, he decided to risk it. Stepping towards the curtains that separated the balcony from her room, DarkFury expected to pass through easily. Banging his head against a wall of some sort proved him wrong. He clutched his head and hissed from the pain, trying not to vocalize his discomfort.

Blindly groping with his hoof, he tried in vain to find the curtains and force them open, so that he might see the wall he hit. Upon reaching for the curtains, he found his hoof could not touch them. He could see the curtains clear as day, yet some invisible force-field prevented him from touching them. Growing angry, he wondered why in the world Luna would need a magical force-field protecting her balcony.

As he cursed and grumbled he noticed something odd about the force-field. In the center, there were two protrusions, two handles. What he was actually looking at was a set of glass doors. Balcony doors were traditionally solid wood, but it seemed that Luna transformed them into glass for her aesthetic pleasure. Face-hoofing for his own stupidity, he grabbed one of the handles and pulled. Nothing happened. Sighing, DarkFury tried pushing the door open. Still, it would not budge.

Legitimately confused, DarkFury stared at the doors stupified. They were not push doors, nor were they pull doors. What kind of doors where these things? Trying the other handle, DarkFury had no luck. Exasperated, DarkFury turned around and bucked the doors with his hind legs. Only after doing this, did he realize his mistake. Thankfully, the doors did not break, they didn’t even suffer a scratch. However, a loud thud was heard and he grew concerned. The doors had opened slightly, and since he had no other way to open them, he prepared to do it again.

As he shifted his weight onto his fore hooves again, he heard the sound of rapid hoofsteps and the sound of what he assumed were the doors opening.

“DarkFury!? What are you doing?” Luna demanded with a stern tone.

Hearing her voice was unexpected and it caused him to lose his balance. Collapsing into a heap, he tried to turn himself to address Luna.

“I-I-I-I w-w-was, I-I-I m-m-mean…” DarkFury started sputtering, wrapping his hooves around himself as the cold night wind blew against his wet fur once more.

“Oh my word!” Luna exclaimed, her tone changing into one of care upon seeing DarkFury’s pitiful state. “You look as if you’re absolutely frigid! Come inside, you may warm yourself here for a while.”

“B-b-b-but…” DarkFury tried to protest as Luna grasped him within her magic and carried him inside her room.

Sliding the doors shut behind them, Luna placed him down near her old fireplace as she lit it simultaneously. The yellow and orange flames cackled gleefully as Luna went to her bathroom. DarkFury sat in front of the fire, chastising himself for his failings with the sliding glass doors and trying to muster enough courage to ask Luna about what happened a couple of nights ago.

Soon enough, Luna returned carrying a towel in her magical aura. She draped it over DarkFury’s back as he sat there shivering. The towel was dark blue, almost the same hue as Luna herself, and it felt incredibly soft.

“T-t-thanks.” DarkFury said as he wrapped it tightly around him.

Luna wasted no time before launching an investigation as to why he was here.

“How did you get so wet? It’s dangerous to fly around so high with all this wind while wet, you could catch pneumonia. I highly doubt you flew through the waterfall below the castle before flying all the way up here.”

“I-I flew through t-the clouds.”

“The clouds? Why on earth would you do that?”

“I d-didn’t want to be seen. A-afraid of what the guards w-would do if they saw me so high up while alone.”

“DarkFury, you’re part of the Lunar Corps, I don’t think they would stop you. After all, you’re a soldier just like them.”

“I k-know. I didn’t want to take a c-chance though.”

Clucking her tongue, Luna simply shook her head. “You younglings never seem to learn. Always being stubborn, adamant, and overly cautious. But then again, traits like that ensure you survive. So, I assume there was a reason for your visit?”

“Yes. I had a question…”

“Oh?”

“Did… did we…”

“Did we what?” Luna asked. Her brow furrowed as a quizzical expression plastered itself upon her face.

“At the bar a couple nights ago… did we… you know…” DarkFury gulped. “Did we… do it?”

Luna looked shocked upon hearing this. Her mouth hung open slightly as she thought for a moment. Her face soon turned into a smile as she started laughing. DarkFury sat rigid, looking as if he was trying to pass a brick from the strain his expression was showing.

After a few seconds, Luna said, “That’s a good one sergeant! Hahaha!” She stopped laughing upon seeing his strained expression however. “Are you actually serious?”

“I am. After you… ah well… kissed me,” DarkFury said whilst blushing, “I can’t remember anything until we started romping around the castle. Please Luna, tell me what happened.”

“Nothing.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Nothing. After I kissed you, that was it. We had a couple more drinks then we left after rousing Frostburn and Coaldust.”

DarkFury gave out a sigh of relief big enough to fill a hot-air balloon. “Oh, thank Faust for that. I was worried that I screwed up our lives.”

Luna looked saddened to the point she might start crying. “Are you saying that you wouldn’t want to bed me? That I’m too ugly to consider?” She finished with a sniffle.

DarkFury started panicking, hating the thought of what would happen to him if he made Luna cry. “What! No! You’re lovely! I think that any stallion who would pass up a relationship with you for anything would be a damned fool.”

“So… you’re saying you would want to bed me?”

“Uh… I… um… What I mean is…” DarkFury started turning red rapidly.

Luna shifted gears, becoming aggressive and seductive. “Mmm. Somepony is a naughty boy. I’ve seen your dreams, they’re just like all of the others’. Fantasizing about laying with one or even both of us princesses.”

DarkFury turned even redder, not wanting to admit he had dreamt about Luna.

“I can make all your dreams and fantasies reality” Luna cooed, advancing towards him. “All I would ask of you is to give me a foal.”

His jaw moved, but no sound came from it. Trying to back away from Luna’s advance, he became tangled in the towel around him and he landed on his back. Luna was above him now, and he could only gaze in terror at the seductive gleam shown by her.

Throwing his eyes shut, DarkFury called out, “P-princess, please! Do I need to even say how unprofessional this is right now!? I know I’m supposed to protect and serve you, but I don’t think this is what the oath of loyalty meant!”

A few moments of silence passed, before Luna broke it.

“Sergeant?” She spoke in a plain tone.

“Princess?” DarkFury replied, afraid.

“Open your eyes.”

Swallowing nervously, he slowly opened his eyes. As he did so, Luna darted forward and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. He began blushing profusely once more.

“Gotcha.” Luna said as she stepped away from him, letting him up.

DarkFury began hyperventilating as he propped himself up, taking large rapid breaths.

“Princess… please… don’t do that… ever again… I beg of you. Do you know... how afraid I was?”

“Absolutely terrified.” Luna confidently stated.

“Yes! I know you must need to find novel methods of entertainment but, isn’t that a bit too risque? You could get in trouble for that… and why do you keep kissing me!?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You’re so adorable when you start blushing and stuttering, besides, you like it.”

“ I do not!” He defiantly declared, still with a slight blush.

Luna merely rolled her eyes. “We’re friends aren’t we? Isn’t this something that friends do? Teasing each other?”

“They can, but usually not in such a straight-forward manner as that. When friends tease each other it usually isn’t sexual, unless they’re ‘friendlier’ than most friends are. While you’re my friend, you’re also my mentor and ruler. I can’t believe you’d drop all composure like that.”

Luna looked down, realizing he was right and feeling bad about her actions. “You’re right DarkFury, I’m sorry for my behavior. It was unprofessional and inappropriate of me to put you through such a thing. I apologize for abusing our friendship like that, I hope you can forgive me.”

“I do. It must still be a bit hard for you after being gone for so long, trying to adjust to everything new. As your friend, I’ll always be here for you.”

“Thank you, DarkFury, that means a lot to me.” An awkward silence fell upon the room, and Luna tried to change the topic. “Was there anything else you needed to discuss, or was that it?”

“I think that was it.”

“Alright, you should probably get back. Your friends are probably wondering where you went.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll see you the night after next, for your instruction.”

DarkFury opened the sliding glass doors and hopped up on the railing of the balcony, preparing to launch himself off.

“Sergeant.” Luna called out.

“Yes, Princess?”

Luna started smiling. “Try not to fly through any clouds on the way back. If you do, I won’t be waiting down there with a fire and a towel for you.”

“Will do.” He said as he gave her a quick salute.

Returning his attention to the sky, DarkFury jumped off the railing. A few seconds later, Luna saw him climbing to the height of the tower as he soared away. She watched him until he disappeared from view, then closed the doors and curtains. Sighing, she decided to pass the remainder of her night reading.

Grabbing one of the hefty tomes from the library, she sat upon some pillows near the fire as she read. An annoying and malignant presence surfaced in Luna’s mind, drawing her attention to it. She was surprised it did not try to attack her, but rather it talked instead.

He doesn’t look half-bad. You really know how to pick them. He has strong wings too, a good flier.

“Oh, it’s you. Got out of my subconscious already?”

After sharing a mind with you for 1,000 years, you learn about most of the back doors.

“Hmpf.”

You’re not trying to shove me out yet? This is new.

“You’re also not trying to attack me, which is new in of itself”

Touche. You know… he wouldn’t have said no.

“What do you mean?”

You know exactly what I mean, unless you’re more dense than lead.

“I… I… wouldn’t have… I couldn’t have…”

You could’ve, and you would’ve. I saw your intentions as clear as day. You submitted to your lust and your selfish desires. You were willing to go through with it right then and there to satisfy both. There’s no sense in denying it. You only stopped yourself because you saw the terror in his eyes and how he said it was unprofessional.

“...”

I know what you’re thinking, and no, it’s not unnatural. You are a flawed being, just like any other pony. You have hopes, dreams, desires, and urges... just like anypony else. The only reason you are held up to such a high standard is that the simpletons you rule over put you on that pedestal. They think that just because you’re immortal and have god-like powers means that you’re a perfect being that they see as an ideal that they can never achieve themselves.

It’s sad really, it’s as if these pathetic mortals are trying to impose their hopes and ideas of perfection upon you. What’s worse is that you’re letting them. What happened to the old you? The you who didn’t care what others thought about her, or let the commoners dictate her actions?

“She turned into you. She was too arrogant and proud for her own good. She took offense that most creatures and the land used the night to rest, instead of accepting that it was how things were. She let bitterness and hatred consume her heart until she committed the most atrocious crime in the history of Equestria. That is why she isn’t back, and why she won’t come back.”

Well, this new you isn’t working either. Now, you’re too sensitive. You let their opinions hurt and sadden you when they shouldn’t. You need to find a happy median between being sensitive and being indifferent. You have not found it yet, but you better find it soon. Else, you will become nothing more than a doormat walked upon and manipulated by the populace at their leisure.

“You’re right, but I must ask… why are you helping me? You’ve never done such a thing before.”

Does there have to be a reason? It’s not like impending death can make somepony have a change of heart or anything. Nightmare Moon said as she faded away from Luna’s mind.

“Wait!” Luna called out.

It was no use, Nightmare Moon was gone. She had vanished into the deep recesses of Luna’s mind and no amount of searching could unearth her. Luna sat deep in thought, contemplating what Nightmare Moon had said, and what DarkFury’s friendship meant to her.

“I need to meditate.”

Chapter 7: Disturbance

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Weeks passed as the Lunar Corps, and the entire army was trained in the art of countering airborne opponents. Tensions with the griffons were no less strained, and the media was having a boom with it.

Stories of griffon dignitaries becoming incensed and demanding the crown to go to war were commonplace. All non-essential ponies from the Equestrian embassy were evacuated and an additional force of two platoons were added to embassy security. To top it all off, there were reports that like Equestria, the griffons were mobilizing and preparing their army for war.

The stage was set, and it seemed that the two powers would clash. Tensions were the highest they had been since the last pony-griffon war, which was about 500 years ago. The colossal powder keg was primed and ready, waiting for the match that would set it all off.

After some time of this high tension, the griffons stirred and did what was least expected. They backed down. The griffon crown ceded most of the territory it had illegally claimed over the past thousand years, and withdrew all military units from the formerly occupied territory.

The world was shocked, but not as much as the Princesses were. They were thrust even deeper into disbelief when the griffon king asked for nothing, save an assurance of peace. Happily accepting these circumstances, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, signed and ratified the agreement. Equestrian soldiers landed on the newly reacquired territories to establish order for the coming integration, much to the cheers of the thousands of pony residents.

Canterlot, and indeed all of Equestria, was ecstatic about the recent events that had occurred. The griffons gave back what they had taken, and peace between the two countries was solidified by a treaty. Celebrations lasted for days and carried on through the nights. For the first time in a very long time, ponies called upon the name of the Lunar Princess with reverence, for her work and actions. She even made a new constellation, to celebrate this grand occasion.

After all of the parties and festivities had subsided, things returned to normal for the most part. These somewhat recent events faded from the immediate memory of the populace, as well as the knowledge of Luna’s contributions. Those who didn’t hear to begin with, assumed Celestia did it all, as was the general consensus amongst those who never knew or had recently forgotten.

Upon hearing this, the Lunar Princess grew disheartened once more. She would have moped as she usually did, but this time was different. She remembered the words of wisdom that Nightmare Moon had surprisingly shared with her a short time ago. Taking this advice, Luna resolved to stop being such a bleeding heart. She turned a blind eye to the thoughts of her subjects about her, and took pride that she had helped insure the stability of the country. She knew it and so did her sister, that was all that mattered.

DarkFury sat perched upon one of the numerous chandeliers in the main hallway of the castle, looking for trouble or suspicion down below. The clip-clop of hooves was heard as he saw Princess Luna walk beneath. She did not look up or stop, for she did not know he was there. Luna carried on at a brisk pace to whatever her destination was. DarkFury silently glided from chandelier to chandelier with pegasus precision and lightness of hoof, following her.

He stopped for a moment, waiting for her to get a little ways ahead as he looked down. A slight shimmer caught his eye, and he blinked. He continued staring and was awarded with another glimpse of the shimmer as it passed by a moonlit window. Normally DarkFury would not have been able to see the shimmer, but thanks to the transformations that Luna had given to all members of her corps, his eyesight had become sharper. There was no doubt in his mind now, the shimmer had erased it. Somepony was following Luna, but who and why remained to be discovered.

Resuming his surveillance, DarkFury saw to it that Luna arrived at her destination without harm. She entered the royal archives and closed the door immediately behind her. He caught another glimpse of the near invisible sheen as it stopped in front of another window. It stood there for a few moments doing nothing. Preparing to pounce, DarkFury tensed his muscles and homed in on the floating shimmer.

Just as he was about to launch himself into a dive, he heard the faintest of pops, similar to the sound unicorns make after completing a teleportation spell. Cursing, DarkFury leaned back to prevent himself from falling as he chastised himself for not acting sooner. He began to belittle himself before remembering that hindsight was twenty-twenty. He had no idea that this pony was going to teleport, or that he or she was a unicorn to begin with. But he at least knew something about this phantom now, which was a good start he thought, considering his quarry was near-invisible and silent.

Many minutes were passed on the ceiling fixture as DarkFury sat there contemplating. His past couple days of paranoia had payed off, as he now knew for certain that Luna was being followed. What troubled him was the lack of information. He had no motive, no suspect, and only one concrete fact. DarkFury decided that his best course of action would be to monitor this strange unicorn’s ghosting after Luna. He could potentially learn more about this individual. Whoever they were, they didn’t seem openly hostile, otherwise they would’ve already tried to attack Luna. It was as if this pony was trying to scout out Luna’s habits and make notes of them, but why?

Perturbed, DarkFury could only resolve to himself to continue this investigation of his. He would watch and wait, and try to learn more about this stranger. He felt uneasy, as he was sure the intentions of this pony were less than stellar. Come what may, he would react appropriately and take the necessary actions to move forward. If this pony had to die, or even if he had to die, the oath of loyalty he swore compelled him to do his duty without fail.

“Princess Celestia! A matter of utmost importance requires your immediate attention!” A guard cried out as she burst into the main chamber where Celestia held her day court, disregarding the fact Celestia was currently holding an audience for her subjects.

Alarmed, Celestia hurriedly apologized to the ponies whom she was hosting as they were deftly ushered out of the room by another pair of guards. She turned to the guardsmare now, who was panting heavily.

“Guardsmare, what news do you bring?”

Between gasps and pants, she managed to reply, “I have a message from the owlery. It concerns the southern settlements.” The guard stated as she proffered the scroll to Celestia.

Celestia grasped the scroll with her magic and brought it to herself so she could read it. As Celestia read, the guard elaborated.

“We have received news that one of our outlying outposts has been attacked and razed.”

“Razed!?” Celestia asked in alarm.

“Yes, Your Majesty. It was burnt to the ground, and there is no sign of the 20 or so service members stationed at the outpost. All have been declared MIA, or at least most of them.”

“Most of them?” Celestia’s expression and voice turned stern. “Explain.”

“Two bodies were found, and they were I.D.’ed as our own. Both were decapitated and had their heads impaled upon spears that were stuck upright in the ground. That leaves the tally at 23 MIA, and 2 KIA.”

“Who would dare to do such a thing!?” Celestia asked, her tone frothing with a hint of rage.

“We have no idea. We’ve had ponies looking into it since the incident.”

“When did this happen? Why wasn’t I informed sooner?” Celestia snapped, sounding almost angry.

“Your Majesty, please understand, we found out only minutes before you, no thanks to the sheer distance from the southern outposts. News travels slowly, and we’ve had to wait on runners, the rare train that travels that far south, and messenger birds. Central HQ is scrambling, trying to make sense of the data they’re getting. All units in the southern desert are on high alert, keeping a vigilant watch over the region.

As for when the incident occurred, it happened 11 days prior to today. The outpost was silent for a week before a team was sent to re-establish contact. It was assumed the large amount of sandstorms in the area was the reason for lack of a runner or messenger bird. They were mistaken, as they found the week old site of the aftermath from the attack.”

“Is there any other news about this incident?”

“None at the moment, Your Highness. We are sure our colleagues in the south have accrued all the data and evidence needed, but it will take some more time before it reaches us.”

“How much longer?”

“A few days, give or take.”

Celestia gave an exasperated sigh and sat into her throne deeply. “That is all. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

The guardsmare bowed and left the room.

“Typhoon.” Celestia called out.

A dark grey pegasus emerged from one of the darkened corners. His bat-like wings flitted as he shifted in his purple armor.

“Princess.” He replied.

“Please inform my sister of this immediately. Wake her if you have to, and tell her to come speak with me.”

“Of course. She will understand.” He said as he slinked his way out of the room and headed toward Luna’s tower.

The next couple days in the castle were panicked debates and meetings with military staff, as news came in by the hour regarding what had happened in the south. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both sat at the head of a long table, in a conference room. Sitting at the table, were numerous officers of varying ages, ranks, and branches of the military. Large piles of papers were strewn across the table, with small heaps in front of everypony present.

Little progress had been made over the past few days, and Luna’s irritation was beginning to show. Celestia was also irked, but managed to conceal it better than her sister. As two senior officers got into a heated debate, Luna rubbed her hoof against her temple and groaned. A large sigh came from Celestia, showing that she too was exasperated.

A guard burst into the room, and it became quiet as all eyes immediately fell on him. The soldier deposited a small stack of papers on the table, gave a prompt salute and bow, then hurriedly left the room.

Like ravenous wolves, the group of ponies descended upon the papers, eager to discern what new information had been delivered. Celestia managed to grab two copies with her magic, and placed them in front of herself and her sister. Luna rested her head on her hoof staring blankly at a wall, not wanting to look at another trivial piece of paper.

As the chaos settled down, and some semblance of order was restored, everyone began to examine the new paper save Luna.

“It appears to be a picture of the aftermath, particularly the corpses of the deceased and the message.” Called out an old tan earth pony, who happened to be the top general of the army.

Her interest sparked, Luna looked down to examine the image. A grisly sight greeted her, as she saw the two decapitated ponies mentioned so much before. Their heads were impaled on spears, which loomed above the two bodies. One was a mare, the other a stallion. On the bodies, painted with their own blood were small runes.

Luna’s eyes widened as she saw the runes. She would recognize those symbols and characters anywhere. Immediately knowing who was responsible, Luna cleared her throat loudly to grab the attention of all present. It did no good, as by now the officers had entered into another fierce debate. This one about the origin of the runes, as about half claimed they were buffalo, whilst the remainder said it was otherwise.

“SILENCE!” Luna boomed in her Royal Canterlot voice.

Everyone jumped in surprise, and were forced to let Luna have the floor.

“Thank you.” She said. “I know the ones who have so unjustly attacked our own soldiers.”

“Was it the buffalo?” A pegasus officer in his mid-thirties asked.

“No.”

“How can you tell?” An old unicorn croaked. “Them look like buffalo runes to me.”

“That is a misconception, the Buffalo do not use runes. Their written language is more akin to pictures, pictoglyphs, to be precise. No, these are actual runes, scrawled in short, harsh strokes with rough and grating pronunciations. These are the runes of the desert dwellers, the nomadic tribes of the badlands.”

Silence filled the room, as the stunned ponies tried to process this data. Even Celestia was off-put by this revelation.

“It’s impossible.” Said a young officer, who had a large scar running down his face. “Those nomads haven’t been seen in any large quantity in centuries. All that are seen is the occasional lone pony or a small group numbering no more than five. It’s very unlikely they’ve congregated under one banner, the chances are too remote.”

“Too remote?” Luna said, rolling the question in her mouth as she repeated it. “It wasn’t ‘too remote’ a little over a millenia ago! Nomads or not, they banded together against us to protect their way of life. Peace was only attained after they realized they could not continue to sustain the amount of casualties that were being inflicted upon them. They are tenacious, ruthless, and above all, reckless of life or limb.

“Never underestimate your opponents, for that is the first rule of combat. I would elaborate further, but it seems that scar across your face taught that lesson better than I could’ve ever possibly hoped to.” Luna finished with a stern expression.

The officer’s eyes flickered with the smallest hints of anger, but he merely retook his seat without a word.

“Since you know the origin of these runes, can you read them?” Celestia suddenly asked.

“Indeed sister. Roughly translated, the runes say; Broken pact, broken promise. Fear the sand, war comes.”

Numerous gasps filled the room after this bombshell had hit. A stunned silence followed, before somepony asked, “Is this a declaration of war?”

“It would appear so.” Luna replied.

“But why?”

“They mention a pact, most likely the Nomadic Peace Pact formed over a millenia ago. They must believe we have violated the pact, most likely by territorial expansion. Truth be told, such a thing wouldn’t be so far-fetched since old borders and agreements tend to become forgotten.

“Still, I need one of you you to dig up a copy of that pact and inspect it for every term, condition, and detail. We need to know if we are in the wrong.”

“Regardless of being wrong or right, an attack such as this is not justified!” Shouted a young general.

“Their customs are different than ours. Many of the nomads believe much of their land to be sacred, and they punish those that dare to defile or impose upon it. They have every right to be angry, if we have violated the pact. If however, it is they who are in the wrong, they shall pay the toll for their grievous mistake.” Luna finished, her tone heavy as iron.

“Now that the culprits are revealed, how should we go about removing this threat, should we have need to?” Celestia asked.

A mare stood up, her chest adorned with many ribbons. “Use the Equestrian Airforce!” She proclaimed. “We’ll bomb those nomadic primitives back to the stone age.”

“Is the airforce capable of such an operation so far from the capital?” Celestia questioned.

“It most certainly is not.” Luna interjected before the mare could speak. “Our airships are primitive and still untested prototypes. They are slow, and the amount of explosives they can carry is extremely limited. Besides, sandstorms in the area of the badlands would hinder, if not outright destroy the aircraft. I strongly advise against using the airforce in this operation.”

“Princess, please.” The mare protested. “Yes, our vessels are still new, but I’m sure they could…”

“They could what? Struggle to get airborne and slowly lurch at a walking pace at building level? I’m sorry general, but you know better than me on this situation. The airforce is still in it’s infancy, as well as the craft we have being questionable at best. Your branch will not conduct any combat operations until suitable airships have been developed and tested, as our current force is vastly underwhelmed.”

The mare sat down, crestfallen. She looked down at the papers before her and would not look anywhere else.

“What options do we have left?”

“Only one, sister. Since the navy cannot provide support to a land-locked area, this falls to the sole responsibility of the army. We will have to engage them directly and beat them in the traditional manner. Sword against sword, spear against spear.”

Celestia gave a long sigh. “As unpleasant as it is, there is no alternative, is there?”

“No, sister. Negotiations failed in the past, and we cannot even imagine where the nomadic camp would be currently. We have no choice.”

“Unfortunately, I must concede. But if this attack happened almost two weeks ago, how can we be sure another won’t follow, or that it hasn’t already happened?”

“Fret not, for such a thing shan’t happen. Trust me, the nomads are a cautious bunch. They won’t go on the offensive, it’s not their style. All they’ve done is poke a sleeping bear, and now the bear is awake and angry. The ball is in our corner now, and they await to see what we shall do.” Luna stated.

“What do you suggest, Princess?” The old unicorn croaked.

“I suggest we mobilize, then we engage. What units do we have available to be deployed in such short notice?”

“Not much I’m afraid, Your Majesty.” The officer with the scar replied. “Most of our quick-ready reserve units were deployed in the territory we reclaimed, so very few units remaining are capable of doing so in a timely manner.”

“What about the 1st Solar Infantry division?” Celestia asked. “Are they capable of rapid deployment?”

“Negative, Princess. About half of the 1st is currently on leave, and recalling the soldiers who are on leave would take time we don’t have.”

“What about the 29th? The 33rd?” Luna cut in. “Surely there must a large body of troops available for deployment somewhere.”

“Unfortunately not. All nearby units either have a significant amount of troops on leave, or are severely under strength due to a recent troop redistribution. We could create hodge-podge units from various regiments or battalions, but it would be messy.”

“And the troops stationed in the south?”

“Thinly stretched and unable to spare anything.”

Upon hearing this, Luna began laughing hysterically. Everypony looked at her as if she had gone mad. Even Celestia was concerned with Luna’s behavior.

“What’s so funny?” Celestia dared to ask.

Calming down somewhat, Luna managed to speak between short gasps. “This whole situation! It is so similar to what happened over a millennia ago, it’s utterly humorous!” Luna cackled.

Keeping a stern expression and tone, Celestia replied. “And I suppose the solution you’d propose is the same as a thousand years ago?”

“You know me too well, sister.” Luna smiled. “I do indeed volunteer the Lunar Corps to take on the task if needed.”

“BWAHAHAHAHA!”

Roaring laughter filled the room as most of the officers burst into laughter. Celestia did not stir, nor did Luna, although a look of irritation crossed her face.

“Our deepest apologies, Princess.” A younger mare spoke up for the group as they began to regain their composure. “Surely you jest, I mean, the Lunar Corps consists of only enough troops to barely scrape together two small battalions. If history is repeating itself, wouldn’t your force be severely under strength for the duration of the campaign? Especially due to their tenacity and the fact there could be untold thousands of them waiting in the desert?”

Luna retorted harshly. “I would not recommend a unit for combat, regardless of affiliation, if I thought it was unsuitable! Besides, they have the best training in the army, and they comprise mostly of tested combat or guard veterans. One lunar soldier is worth at least five or six standard troops, that I can assure you.

“Still, numbers are a valid concern. It will do no good to fight as hard as six soldiers if you’re being hacked and slashed from all sides. So with my sister’s permission, I would like to request a battalion from the 29th to act as a reserve.”

“Granted. Do what you deem necessary to secure the southern settlements.”

“Thank you sister. The troops shall depart in two days time and travel by train. With any luck, they shall arrive at their destination four days from now.”

“You are all dismissed.” Celestia called out to all of the military officials and officers. After much rustling of various stacks of papers, the room was empty of all but the two Princesses.

Celestia moved to reach out to her sister, but like wisps of smoke, she had vanished into the shadows. Staring at the spot where Luna had been only moments before, Celestia fidgeted nervously. In her mind thoughts churned and swirled, as these dark machinations made her consider unpleasant things. After a minute of grappling with these feelings, Celestia felt resolute.

“Come what may. It will all work itself out for the best in the end.” She whispered to herself as she too, left the now ghostly and vacant conference room.

Pale, blue, torch light illuminated a simple stone passageway that stretched for several dozen yards. Every yard or so, a pair of the spectral, blue-flamed torches lined both sides of the passage. A royal blue carpet stretched down the length of the hall, providing the only decoration, save for the rare small tapestry.

Princess Luna briskly walked down this hallway, her hooves pulling her towards her destination. The same familiar and comforting presence of magical wards, barriers, and locks greeted her as she moved along, passing through and unlocking them. When the hall had run it’s length, a single oaken door sat before the Princess.

The door was painted a dark blue, similar to her coat. Intricate silver carvings and engravings decorated the front of the door, culminating into a large crescent moon in the center. Despite the age of the door, it was not faded or worn. The magic enchantments had seen to that.

Gathering her breath, Luna closed her eyes and channeled the type and frequency of energy to unlock the door. A loud metallic clang resounded through the air, indicating her success. Pushing open the door, she stepped inside the dark room.

After entering, the door slammed shut behind her and relocked itself. Not concerned in the least, she calmly conjured a controlled wave of blue fire that flowed near the ceiling, igniting every ancient torch it could find. The large room glowed in the soft and cool-blue light, providing adequate lighting for every nook and cranny.

The sight that greeted the Princess could not help but make her smile. Trophies and treasures from her youth lined the walls and numerous stands and shelves in the room. A large bookshelf to her left contained hundreds of books that were precious to her, some of which were the only surviving copies left in the world.

All of that paled in comparison to what sat upon a small stone pedestal toward the back. This artifact was undeniably her most valuable, and treasured relic of all. A sword within it’s sheath sat there, having awaited its master’s return for over a millennia. Standing before the pedestal, Luna stared down at the weapon, recalling the battles she fought and the foes she’s slain while wielding this deadly extension of her body.

Reaching out with her magic, she grasped her sword, Argent. Pulling it out of its dark sapphire sheath, she examined the beautiful blade.

The silver sword shone brightly as Luna could clearly make out the intricate details lining its length. Her cutie-mark was engraved at the base of the blade on both sides, while runes of the Lunar language stretched down almost all the way to the tip. The cross-guard and handle were also a dark sapphire, matching the sheath. While the pommel of the sword held a smooth and polished sapphire, shimmering with the rest of the weapon.

Argent was a unique weapon, worth well more than a dragon’s hoard in terms of value and usefulness. It was a gift, from the most ancient and powerful of all dragons, for the services she and her sister provided for them. Forged by the ancient dragon-smiths with their secret magical techniques, Argent would never dull, break, or corrode for any reason. Magic also had no effect on the weapon, making it perfect for deflecting or repelling harmful spells.

On top of these superb traits, Argent had one more trick up its sleeve. A trick so powerful, it had to be bestowed by a deity. That gift was the power of healing. The magnitude of which, tested the boundaries of what is believable and what is logical.

The sword also held other powers, but Luna mentally cringed and shivered upon recalling them. Some were unutterable, being devastatingly destructive and evil. Others were more benign and good, but the toll for their services was high and sickening. Argent served as a proficient teacher as much as it served as a sword, and it was not to be trifled with lightly.

Still holding the blade in her magic, Luna spoke as she stared into the silver metal. “It would seem that the time has come. Argent will break its millenium long fast, and once more taste the bitter drink of blood.”

Argent shimmered in the blue torchlight, as if it was shuddering in anticipation. Giving a snort, Luna sheathed the blade. Taking it with her, she delved deeper into the room.

Delving deeper, Luna came upon the farthest section of this trove of artifacts. Suits of armor stood erect in their stands, appearing like ghostly knights of the days of old. Some suits were full-body, while others were little more than a chestplate and helmet, looking more like the modern armor that was used in this day and age.

Luna’s gaze was not held up by the armor of long dead knights and guards however, as she strode past, focused upon two particular sets of armor in the rear. One was a full-body set caked in dust and cobwebs, yet it shimmered like the silver surface of the moon itself. The other was a familiar light blue, and comprised of only a helmet, chestpiece, metal shoes, and some detachable extensions to protect the neck and legs.

A terrible tremble grasped Luna within its embrace, as she shivered whilst looking upon the armor she wore during her uprising against her sister. The armor of Nightmare Moon. The empty helm seemed to stare into her soul, drawing forth a terrible feeling of dread and despair. Losing her focus, Argent fell out of her magical grip and clattered to the ground beside her. There she lay, covering her head with her fore hooves, trying to block out the horrible thoughts, feelings, and memories swirling within her mind. During which, an all too familiar and unwanted presence resurfaced.

My, my. Even after defeating me, you shake like a leaf in gale-force winds just from looking at the armor we wore. Pathetic. The evil voice taunted.

“The armor you wore!” Luna shouted, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as she cradled her head.

“We! We wore it! We shared the same body, the same consciousness, the same drive, the same desires! It was your will that manifested my being!

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” Luna screamed at the top of her lungs, trying to block out Nightmare Moon’s words.

Do not lie to yourself! You know better than that! You created me, you gave in to your selfish feelings of inadequacy and jealousy, you hurt those around you and yourself! You know this to be true, now face the facts! Do not blame me for your mistakes and shortcomings! Nightmare Moon howled into Luna’s mind.

“I know… I KNOW!” Luna yelled as she began to sob. “Why can’t they see that I’m sorry!? Why can’t they praise me for the things I’ve done? Why must I live in the eternal darkness that is my sister’s shadow!?”

Switching gears, Nightmare Moon changed her tone into one of understanding and compassion.

Oh, Luna, you cannot blame them for not knowing. Nightmare said soothingly, like a mother calming a child. Creating the infrastructure for a country, while important, often goes unnoticed by the public. Your deeds are numerous and great, but that doesn’t matter if no one knows about them... she trailed off with a hint of sadness.

“What… what do you mean?” Luna asked with a sniffle, pulling herself into a sitting position before the armor.

Celestia, she has altered history, Nightmare Moon spat venomously. not literally of course, but figuratively. Those texts on history that are circulated among those ungrateful peasants are heavily edited and altered. They barely mention you, before we failed to usurp Celestia, anyway. They give credit to Celestia for everything, even the things you did all by yourself.

“Now who is lying!?” Luna angrily retorted. “Celestia would never —”

Never what? Allow you to feel so depressed and meaningless that you would create a dark being out of your own sorrow and despair? Tell me I’m wrong. Nightmare stated knowingly.

Luna was speechless. All she could do was stare at the cobblestone floor beneath her.

Celestia is cunning, manipulative, a chess master secretly pulling all the right strings at the exact moment needed. She knows how to bend others to her will without their knowledge, how to rewrite history, and how to deceive even those that are closest to her. Nightmare Moon paused, before continuing in a hushed whisper, as if she could be overheard by another. Celestia is dangerous, Luna. She tried to get rid of you once, she’ll do it again.

“This is all so surreal… you must be lying.”

Am I? Disprove all that I have said. Don’t try to hide it, you still distrust Celestia to some extent. Nightmare Moon said with genuine understanding. Ever since you’ve returned, you’ve been hiding the fact that you hold doubt in the words of your sister. You feel as if she is never completely honest with you, as if she has something to hide.

Luna was struck mute. Nightmare Moon had hit the head of the nail dead on.

I can help you, Luna. I can make you strong, I can help you break your sister’s lies. Nightmare Moon cooed.

“How?”

It is simple. All I ask is for you to wear our armor. It will give you the strength you need.

Luna timidly stepped forward and sat before the light blue armor set. She grasped the helmet and held it between her two fore hooves, gazing at it.

Put it on. Then we will become strong, we will become one. Nightmare finished with a smug tone. One too smug for Luna’s liking.

At that moment, it all clicked into place inside Luna’s mind. “No, never!” She shouted as she tossed the helm as far away from herself as possible.

Nightmare immediately exploded into anger. Fool! You incompetent imbecile!

“Wretch! She-devil!” Luna cursed back at Nightmare Moon. “You dare to twist and bend my thoughts, doubts, and feelings against myself and my sister!? When the time comes to rid myself of you, I shall be all too glad!”

Burn in Tartarus, whorse! You cannot deny all of what I have said, mark my words Luna, mark them! Nightmare screeched. Nor can you deny the truths so blatantly in front of you that have hit far closer to home than you’d like! Use your own eyes, and be thine own judge! Nightmare called out before being forcefully submerged deep into Luna’s subconscious once more.

Panting from the ordeal, Luna stared at the armor with disdain and hate. She swatted the stand with her hoof, knocking it over and sending the pieces sliding and skidding along the floor with several loud, metallic clangs. In a fit of rage, she charged her horn and blasted the light-blue armor, destroying all the pieces making sure they were completely destroyed.

Calming down somewhat, Luna approached her old, silver, full-body set of armor. She placed a hoof upon the cool metal and sighed.

“It seems another old friend will have to do, after I get you cleaned anyway.” Luna said to the armor.

Turning to reclaim Argent from the floor, Luna had regained her calm and cool demeanor, but her mind was anything but. As she prepared to move her armor and leave her room of antiquities and wonders, she could not shake the words that Nightmare Moon had said. But what really shook her was the fact that Nightmare was right. Some things were indeed a bit too true for her comfort, and Luna’s mind was heavy with her thoughts as she exited the room, armor and Argent in tow.

Later that night, Celestia laid in her bed, sleeping fitfully. Her dreams were filled with unpleasant memories and nightmares. She tossed and turned while mumbling incoherently.

Deep in her sleep addled mind, she hoped Luna would appear and calm her, and remove the horrible thoughts and ghouls plaguing her sleep. Instead, the frightening ghost of Nightmare Moon tormented and terrorized her, making her shudder and weep upon recalling the horrible events of Luna’s fall.

As this dark phantom ran rampant throughout her dreams, doubts swirled about her like a dense fog, making her question everything since Luna’s return. Had Luna truly forgiven her? Did Luna place any stock of trust in her? Was Nightmare Moon vanquished from Luna’s mind yet? Was there a divide between them? Could history repeat itself?

“NO!” Celestia shouted, bolting upright, wide awake after the last thought crossed her mind.

She sat upright in her bed, breathing rapidly as her eyes wildly looked about her room. Finding nothing, Celestia slowed her breathing and calmed somewhat. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her hooves, the nightmares and thoughts still dancing before her mind. Collecting herself, she opened her eyes to gaze at the sheets below.

“Luna… I… I need to talk to you…”

Pulling herself out of bed, Celestia made for her door. She did not bother to fix her appearance, as her mind was focused elsewhere. Her mane was matted and untamed and she wore nothing other than the sheet she took with her, which was now draped around her form.

Celestia headed towards Luna’s room, after she absentmindedly dismissed the concerns of her guards about her state. The walk seemed to take forever, as if the hall kept stretching itself longer to emphasize the distance between the two sisters. After what seemed like a decade, Luna’s door became visible.

As she approached, the two black-clad lunar guards in front of the doors became distinguishable from the shadows. They nodded their heads and did not obstruct her path. Grabbing the handles with her magic, Celestia opened the doors and entered.

Luna’s room was dark, as it usually was. The small amount of available light was pale and soft. The moonlight and stars outside, and from the ceiling, gave enough illumination to see the interior of the room easily.

Luna was standing in front of a mirror, which stood a short ways away from the end of her bed. The sound of metal scraping against itself, and the fastening of clasps and buckles echoed quietly in the room. Curiously, Celestia approached. The sounds were coming from Luna, but what were they?

Getting closer, Celestia’s curiosity turned into alarm. Before the mirror, Luna was half-dressed in a full set of silver platemail. Not just any silver plate armor, it was the very same set Luna used centuries ago, used in every great conflict she served.

So this was why that Luna was not in deep meditation as she usually was, entering and calming the dreams of others. For some reason that escaped Celestia, Luna was trying on her old armor.

“Luna…”

“I was expecting you.”

“What?” Questioned Celestia.

“I sensed you weren’t sleeping well, so naturally, I’d thought you’d come here.” Luna elaborated as she levitated a piece of her armor over and fitted it onto herself.

“Then you know why I’m here…”

“No.” Luna said abruptly. “I know your dreams are troubling you, but I do not know what about. But I suppose that’s why you’re here.”

“You are very perceptive, sister.”

“When it comes to shadows, dreams, and the night, I reign supreme.”

“Listen, Luna, we need to talk.”

“Then speak. Speak whilst I’m still here.”

“Wait, still here? What… what do you mean?” Celestia asked, fearful of the response.

“Exactly what I’ve said. I depart in two days.”

“Two days? But that’s when your troops depart. Surely you can’t mean…”

The cogs of Celestia’s sleepy mind started to mesh and work. Putting it together, Celestia could only gasp in shock as Luna turned back to give her a quizzical glance.

“No… no… You can’t be serious… Oh by the power of the sun, you are!” Celestia exclaimed as she slumped onto the foot of Luna’s bed.

She sat on something hard, and it was also long and flat. Hoping it wasn’t what she thought, Celestia pulled it out from under her to examine it. Before her levitated Argent in it’s dark sheath.

“E-e-even A-a-argent is here…” Celestia stuttered as she began to shake, not wanting to believe what was plainly in front of her.

Luna had said nothing. She only fitted more plates and pieces to herself, occasionally stretching and moving to make sure the armor wasn’t inhibiting her movements overly much. By now, her legs and torso were fully encased, leaving only her head, neck, and wings free.

“Luna… why?”

“‘Tis my duty.” Luna answered plainly, not bothering to turn towards Celestia.

“Duty!?” Celestia shouted incredulously. “The duty of a princess is to govern her country! Not march off to war!”

With a sigh, Luna turned to her sister. “Sister, please, calm thyself.”

“Calm? Calm!? How can I be calm?! My only sister is preparing to march into a battlefield!”

“Tia, we have both experienced the harshness of warfare. We are both still here. You know I am more than capable of holding my own.”

“But Lulu, it’s been over a millennia since either one of us has gone into battle. Not a day goes by where I don’t recount at least one frightening memory from those dark times.”

“I know Tia, I know.” Luna said sadly.

“Why!? Why must you do this? Do you have such little faith in those you command!?” Celestia cried out as she began to weep.

“I have the utmost confidence in them. I just merely wish to observe them in action, to ensure things function smoothly.”

“You… you aren’t going to fight? Only command from the rear?” Celestia asked tearfully.

Luna began pawing the ground with her hoof and looked away. “I did not say that…”

“Luna!” Celestia shrieked like a banshee.

“Leading by example is one of the most effective ways!” Luna countered sharply, her words like the edge of a blade.

“No! This is lunacy! I will not permit it! You will not leave the castle!” Angry tears flowed freely down Celestia’s face as she screamed at her sister.

Becoming enraged, Luna went off as well. “Who are you to order me about!? We are equals! I will be on that train when it departs, and you won’t stop me!”

“I will stop you, even if I have to rip up every single railroad track in the kingdom! I won’t let you make such a stupid decision and get yourself killed!”

“You are over-reacting, listen to yourself! I am capable, and Argent shall protect me should my own prowess fail me! You have no say in this matter! You aren’t mother! Why in the name of Tartarus won’t you leave me alone!?” Luna finished, as moisture began to accrue in her eyes.

Upon hearing the last part, Celestia stopped dead. It looked as if she had been struck.

“I… I just…”

“What!? Out with it!”

“I just want to protect you. To keep you safe.”

Luna cringed from Celestia’s statement, before continuing her own verbal assault.

“And I want you to leave me alone! I know you still have a guard tail me occasionally, I’m not stupid! You’re not mother, you worry too much, and you should stop concerning yourself with me! Haven’t you done enough!? You’re not helping, only smothering and suffocating me! Get your own life! Just leave me alone and get your own life!” Luna finished, her voice hoarse after that outburst as she stood, panting as if she was about to cry. She turned back to her mirror, and began fitting the plates that would cover her neck.

Celestia just sat on the foot of Luna’s bed, looking like a blubbering nervous wreck. Only a thin strand of composure held back what was sure to be a gushing dam waiting to burst.

“You don’t mean it. You don’t mean it! You don’t mean it! Youdon’tmeanit! Youdon’tmeanit! Youdon’tmeanit!” Celestia said, trying in vain to hold back the small rivers coming from her eyes.

“Did I hesitate!?” Luna thundered, wheeling towards her sister.

A stifled whimper was the only reply she got.

“I meant exactly what I said.” Luna stated, heavily enunciating every word of the sentence. “Why are you still here!? Get out! GET OUT!” Luna clamored, with tears escaping from her eyes.

Finally unable to hold it back any longer, Celestia gave out a wail as she began bawling profusely. Too distraught to teleport herself, she ran out the door, sobbing all the way to her room.

After Celestia was gone, Luna took several quick, deep breaths and began to cry silently herself. She felt terrible for what just happened, but she knew it had to come out eventually. The tears streamed down her face and fell to the floor below. She sat on her bed, sobbing and heaving as she buried her face in her fore hooves. While sobbing quietly, Luna angrily cursed war, conflict, and herself. She also begged her sister for forgiveness, as she buried her face further as she continued to shed innumerable tears.

Princess Celestia lay weeping upon her bed. Troubled immensely since Luna didn’t tell her sooner that she was leaving, and the fact she was going to lead her troops into battle. Garish images and scenarios played through her mind, haunting and taunting her mercilessly. Celestia wished she could fix everything between her and Luna, but knew in the back of her mind that not everything was forgivable.

Two days later, the entirety of the 13th and a battalion from the 29th boarded a train that would take them south. As Luna climbed up on the train during the pre-dawn dark, she looked back to the platform, half-expecting to see someone there to see her off. Instead, she only saw the bare and empty platform.

Luna’s mind was heavy with the memories and thoughts from two nights prior. She was not surprised that Celestia wasn’t there, but was surprised that Celestia had isolated herself in her room for the past two days. She wouldn’t allow anyone in, nor would she exit for any reason. Luna didn’t blame her, for she knew she had wounded her sister.

Twice did she converse with Celestia since she retreated to her room, crying heavily. Once through the door, the other in the dreamscape. Neither ended well, and only more shouting and hurt feelings were had by both parties. It was too soon, and the subject too raw. Maybe time apart would do them both some good, Luna told herself repeatedly.

Feeling as if she was being watched, Luna pivoted her head towards the source. Her eyes locked onto a pale figure on a balcony from the castle. Shivering, Luna looked down and away. She could not bring herself to look back at her sister. Not yet, not after saying those hurtful things.

Another concern was what ponies were saying around Canterlot. News of the two sisters having arguments and disagreeing had spread rather rapidly, and it would only continue to spread further. Luna had heard the wild fears of the commoners due to this news, everything from the diarchy losing stability and possibly collapsing, to rumors that she would turn into Nightmare Moon once more.

The train whistled loudly as it lurched forward, dragging the cars slowly behind it. Luna was shaken out of her thoughts as she was pulled further away from the castle. Giving one last fleeting glimpse at the pale figure, Luna turned and entered the train car. Celestia saw her sister vanish into the car, and she too, vanished from sight as she left her balcony.

Chapter 8: Desert incursion

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Dark Fury was awakened by the sudden sound of screeching metal as the train ground to a halt. Inertia threw him and his fellow soldiers into the seats and onto the floor, as no one had properly braced themselves since they had been sleeping.

“Everyone off! Form up on the platform! Come on fillies, let’s move!” a loud, booming voice commanded from somewhere in the car.

Groaning, Dark Fury and his squad hastily grabbed their gear, shuffled out of the car and assembled themselves on the platform amongst the other squads of their platoon.

As they stood at attention waiting for roll call, Dark Fury glanced at the eight soldiers within his squad. Among them was an experienced corporal, who like him, had seen action before. The rest were either greenhorns or former guards whose only experiences were police duties. Sighing quietly, Dark Fury could only imagine how his squad would react to combat, if such a thing were necessary.

Roll call was still a fair bit away, so Dark Fury decided to look around the platform. Barring the now swarming mass of troops, the platform was bare. No civilians were in sight and looking up, Dark Fury could see why. The sky was still dark, as it would be a couple hours until dawn approached.

Sweeping his gaze across the platform again, he found he could see some familiar faces amongst the squads and platoons around him. Fire Mane and Fire Tail, the fire twins as others often called them, were standing side by side in their squad a ways off. Fire Tail was mastering the art of sleeping while standing at attention, his brother looked on unimpressed. Frostburn was in a different squad, standing in the back. He stared ahead devoid of emotion, most likely lost in deep thought.

Glancing to the other side of the platform, he found the squad that contained the energetic Quicksilver, and the hard-ass mare known as Snapdragon. Quicksilver was practically jumping in place rapidly, making him look as if he had drunk way too much caffeine. All the while, he was looking from side to side quickly. Snapdragon was behind him, and she was not the least bit amused as she rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath.

As roll came around at last, Dark Fury barked out his name. His subordinates followed suite.

Done looking around, he returned his focus upon his own squad. Recalling memories from a month ago, he remembered the formation of his own squad. So far they seemed capable, albeit lacking experience. Disobedience wasn’t an issue as far as he knew. He gave an order, they carried it out. Ordering others around still felt weird for Dark Fury, but he was slowly getting used to it. He only feared that he might make a mistake, and mistakes on the field of battle were usually fatal.

A loud shout broke Dark Fury’s musing as he and everyone else on the platform automatically straightened themselves further and clicked their metal shoes together in attention. This command was different from all the other shouts, as it was the most surreal. It meant that royalty was among them, and that she had decided to grace them with her presence.

Princess Luna exited the last carriage of the train and stepped onto the platform, Commander Thunderbuck following behind and off to the side. Behind them, six soldiers clad in midnight-black armor formed up in two columns of three. They were the best that the Lunar Corps had to offer, the personal bodyguard of the Lunar Princess herself. It was every lunar soldier’s dream to achieve the peak known as the Lunar Guard.

“Salute!” Thunderbuck shouted as the small procession started down the rows of soldiers. As one, the twenty-three hundred or so soldiers present raised their right hoof to their temple and held it for the military salute.

Princess Luna and her entourage passed by the endless columns of troops on the platform. Passing in front of Dark Fury and his squad, Luna quickly eyed him. He remained stoic and rigid as she passed.

Coaldust brought up the rear as the last guard on the side facing Dark Fury. His new, black armor blended with his coat, making a passing glance at him rather confusing in the pre-dawn dark. He gave Dark Fury a small but quick nod as he marched past. Dark Fury returned the nod, being careful to not make himself noticed for doing so.

After Thunderbuck and Luna had passed, shouts from all over the platform commanded the soldiers to assemble into their platoons. The platoons then assembled into their companies, and filed into rows. One by one, each company marched off the platform and followed Princess Luna. The earth shook with the sound of over eight-thousand hooves marching in unison.

Going down the main street of the town they had arrived in, a few curious faces had gathered at the windows and doors of their shops and homes. They stared at the soldiers before them with wonder, curiosity, and fear. The Lunar soldiers were different than any other guard they had seen. Others despised the guards and Princess Luna all together. To them, they only represented the long foreleg of the law that had been extended to press stricter rule upon their small, frontier town.

Thankfully for them, this town was the least of Luna’s concerns. The nearby fort was of a much higher priority, as it would be where they would stay for the time being. The large line of battle ready soldiers trudged behind her in unison, following her with unwavering loyalty and trust. Luna knew that every single one of them would willingly die for her at a moment’s notice.

The thought no longer pleased her as it did in the days of old, it only sickened her now. It was ironic that they, those who were so young and able, should lay down their lives for an aged alicorn that would endure for an indeterminable amount of time. It was despicable, one of the most heinous crimes ever seen by the world. War was necessary, and it required sacrifice, but why did it always take the young? The old were left to remember the tragedy and the losses they caused, while they sat, planning the next war.

Nothing could be done about this, and Luna knew it. She could not re-write history that came eons before her, nor could she change the petty nature so deeply ingrained into every mortal being. All she could do, was try to keep as many alive as she could, and honor the memory of those she couldn’t.

“I hate war.” Luna muttered under her breath.

Princess Luna and her force had been stationed at the fort for two days. During this time, Luna visited the ruins of the razed outpost, but could find no further clues or evidence. Pending the findings of scribes back in Canterlot, Luna’s force was locked in a stationary position.

Luckily, Luna wouldn’t have to wait much longer for an answer. On the morning of the third day, Luna received a letter. She was about to open it, but paused upon seeing her sister’s own personal seal upon it. Slowly, she opened the scroll and read it’s contents. Hastily skimming through, Luna found the news she needed. Not bothering to read the rest of the scroll, she tossed it in her saddlebag. It was too personal, and it was too early to read it.

What must be done now was clear, the scribes were sure of it. The treaty had not been infringed by Equestria, as the outpost was on the edge of the territory that the treaty outlined. It was the nomads who had committed an atrocious act of war, and they would soon pay.

Summoning the two battalions of the 13th, and having the battalion from the 29th stay behind as a reserve, Luna marched out into the desert beyond the razed outpost. As the columns marched past the charred remains, an atmosphere of hatred and loathing could be felt in the air. The soldiers marched on, determined to make the nomad swine pay for their despicable crimes.

Entering the swirling dunes, the soldiers were prepared for battle. Armed and armored, they stood in stark contrast to the golden sand they walked upon. Shimmering like a diamond in her silver armor while the sun beat down, Luna led her six dots of midnight black and her sea of purple through the countless dunes.

After what seemed like several days of enduring the blistering, hot, and scorching rays of the sun, a large rocky outcropping made itself visible in the distance. Luna steered her soldiers toward it, reasoning that it would be a likely place for the nomads to seek shelter. As they neared, it became apparent how large the natural formation was. At several dozen feet tall, it was an impressive sight.

Natural awe gave way to a sense of foreboding as a mouth was found, and it delved deep into the colossal stone structure, creating a miniature canyon of sorts with only one open end. Warily, Luna looked up both sides of the massive walls, giving an uneasy frown.

“I don’t like this.” Luna openly commented to Thunderbuck.

“And why is that, Princess?” He asked.

“This doesn’t feel right. The nomads prefer the open, they wouldn’t back themselves in a corner… unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless they have no intention of escaping or surrendering. I want three squads to scout ahead, bring them up here. Have the rest of the troops assemble into two skirmish lines, as many ranks deep as needed, spear-ponies at the front. One facing inside this canyon, the other facing outwards.”

“You think this is a trap?”

“I know it is, or perhaps it is simply paranoia. Pray for the latter.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Within a couple of minutes, Luna’s orders had been carried out and three squads were standing before her. Dark Fury’s squad was one of them.

Looking them up and down, Luna addressed them. “Mares, gentlecolts, you have been selected for a quick recon patrol. I want you to go deeper into this canyon and explore it for any signs of recent activity. Explore as many branches and paths as you are able, and try to stick together if at all possible.

“Remember, you are running a recon mission, do not engage any enemies in offensive operations. You are all to maintain a defensive posture at all times. Do not attack unless you have been attacked. If you encounter a force far superior to you in size or a large encampment, withdraw immediately. Am I clear?”

“Yes Ma’am!” twenty-seven voices shouted in unison.

“Sergeant!” Luna declared, pointing at DarkFury.

“Ma’am!”

“Your squad will be on point. I hereby give you temporary command of all three squads. Do as you see fit to accomplish the objective. Report back to me with your findings.”

“Yes Ma’am, thank you Ma’am!”

Here is a chance to prove yourself, don’t do anything rash, Luna added in a mental statement directed to DarkFury.

I won’t if I can help it, he replied.

Swallowing the lump in his throat and taking a deep breath, Dark Fury began barking out orders. “You all heard her, move out! Leadhead, Monsoon, you’re on point! Everyone else, fall in!”

Watching them quickly trot down into the canyon, Luna smirked as she thought, Hmm, he’s getting better at this already.

It had been over half an hour since the three squads had started down into the canyon. The amount of branches, nooks, and crannies in this large rock maze were astounding. Each one was thoroughly searched for any sign of the nomads. Finding nothing, the squads pushed deeper and further on.

The canyon seemed to stretch on forever, and fatigue began to creep over the soldiers. The sun beat down intensely, causing them to sweat under their armor as they ran. Dark Fury looked over the group, assessing their state. They seemed fine, but he was sure they were all getting dehydrated. He resolved to let them catch a quick break after they got to the end of the canyon.

A few more minutes of jogging rewarded them with a large, rectangular enclosure. It stretched left and right for about a quarter mile in either direction, and the other wall was about a hundred yards in front of them.

Scanning the entire area, Dark Fury said, “There’s nothing here.”

“What about that, sir?” one of the Privates asked, pointing to the wall across from them.

Dark Fury squinted as he focused on where the Private was pointing. What looked like a small mound sat there, and it looked to be about two or three times the height of a pony.

“Good eyes, Private. Fan out! I want that thing covered from all sides when we get to it!” Dark Fury ordered as the three squads advanced toward the strange mound, swords and wingblades at the ready.

Upon nearing the mound, the soldiers were able to discern its composition. The sight sickened them as a horrible stench washed over their nostrils. Standing before them lay a mound of bodies, thrown one on top of the other in a haphazard manner. Dust and sand had accrued upon the bodies, indicating they’d been there for a while. Mares, stallions, pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies; the mound did not discriminate. What was unsettling most about the pile of dead, was that each pony bore the golden armor of the Equestrian Army.

“By the power of the Sisters, who could have done this?” A Corporal near Dark Fury let slip from his mouth.

“Savages. Damned filthy barbarians!” someone said.

Clearing his throat, Dark Fury took control of the situation. “Stand down and take five everyone. Make sure you’re hydrated. The last thing I need is any of you becoming incapacitated due to heat exhaustion.”

“What next, sir?” a young mare asked him.

“You’re not taking five then?” Dark Fury asked.

“No sir. I don’t need it, sir.”

“I need a runner. You up for it?”

“Yes sir!”

“Return to the Princess and inform her that the canyon is clear.”

“Is that all, sir?”

Taking a quick breath, Dark Fury added, “And tell her that we found the twenty-three MIA.”

Nearly an hour and a half had passed since the three squads went forward. Luna was beginning to grow nervous and wondered if they might have been ambushed. Thunderbuck stood nearby, anxious as well. The long period of nothing had everyone wondering what was going on. Quiet murmurs could be heard from the remaining soldiers as they too grew concerned about the lack of activity or word.

At last, a figure could be seen running towards the mouth of the canyon. Luna straightened herself and stared at the form. She identified it as one of her soldiers and relaxed upon seeing the pony taking a quick but relaxed stride. Patiently she waited for the runner to reach her.

Minutes later, the runner stood before her short of breath as she gave Luna a salute.

“What do you have to report, Private?” she asked calmly.

The mare took a moment to catch her breath before replying. “Sergeant Dark Fury told me to report to you that the canyon is clear. We also found the twenty-three that went MIA.”

Luna was relieved to hear that nothing horrible had befallen the squads. “And of the MIA, are any able to walk?”

“Ma’am, they’re all dead. We found them as a pile of corpses,” the mare explained nervously.

Luna cleared her throat before saying, “That is unfortunate. You will guide a platoon to the end for the retrieval of our comrades.”

“Yes Ma’am,” the mare replied.

Luna shouted an order to a nearby platoon commander. He then ordered his platoon of soldiers to split off from the large formation as they turned to follow the mare to the end of the canyon.

“Nasty business, is it not?” Thunderbuck chimed in, stepping up to Luna’s side.

She gave out an exasperated sigh. “It truly is despicable.”

“What now?”

“I don’t think they’re here. We have our casualties accounted for now. Let’s just get them home and buried.”

“So here we are, chasing ghosts in the desert?” Thunderbuck asked her.

“It would appear. They most likely saw us coming and scattered. All we can do is fortify our borders to prevent this from happening again.” Luna replied as she turned away.

Thunderbuck gave a silent nod and followed her.

At the other end of the canyon, the platoon arrived to help pick up the bodies. They began their grim work as they counted and identified the bodies, before covering them and placing them on stretchers. Finally ready to leave, they picked up their dead and began trudging down back toward the canyon entrance.

As they moved down the canyon, some small rocks fell from one of the walls at their side. A number of them glanced up over to the top and swore they saw something just before it vanished out of sight. The whole group stopped and looked around warily.

“Keep moving.” The platoon leader called out to all of them. “Keep your weapons ready and your heads on a swivel.” He called out as they began advancing again.

After that, the three squads and the platoon arrived back at the canyon mouth without incident. They reported to Luna, who acknowledged the dead and all the Lunar soldiers prepared to move out. Forming up, the soldiers began marching once more. This time they marched back from where they came, the mood somber and grim.

Luna was surprised nothing had come of the canyon but she was grateful all the same. The last thing she wanted was being cornered inside a bottleneck by a much larger foe.

Marching back in the hot summer sun was most uneventful. Some ponies whispered that they saw movement occasionally in the distance, but when others looked nothing was seen. Chalked up as tricks played by the heat and sand, they marched onward ever cautiously.

Upon reaching the dune sea close to the territorial border, the large body of troops encountered a lone pony in the desert sand. He had the striped markings and paint upon his body like that of the desert nomads. Apparently unconscious, Luna had the pony brought before her. She cast a revive spell on him to wake him.

The nomad grumbled, and looked at the ponies surrounding him. He eyed them all before stopping to look at Luna. Less than ten feet from her and her guards, he jumped onto his hooves.

“PRAISE THE SUUUUUUUUN!” he screamed at the top of his lungs as his horn lit up with magic.

Luna realized too late the capacity of magic the nomad possessed. Barely erecting a magical ward in front of herself and her nearby guards, the unicorn nomad exploded in a fiery ball of energy and gore. After the explosion, countless nomads rushed down from the numerous dunes surrounding them with whooping shouts and cries.

Adrenaline from the near-death experience kicked Luna into auto-pilot. Much like the senior soldiers under her command did as they realized they were under attack. She started barking out orders with a loud and practiced tone as Argent suddenly hovered beside her front, ready to taste blood upon it’s steel once more. Taking in the large waves of nomads rushing over the dunes and meeting her force, Luna surmised they were surrounded and outnumbered.

Her horn shot a large bolt of magic energy into the sky. It sounded with a crackling boom louder than thunder. The regiment from the 29th and whatever forces that could be spared would answer her call. Now all they had to do was hold out until they arrived.

The two regiments from the 13th held their large formation as nomads tried to smash against their wall of spears and swords. The few Lunar Casters rained down magical artillery on the nomads with devastating effects, but could not blast a hole in the dense amount of enemy soldiers.

The 13th weathered the initial attack very well. Few to no losses were taken as they kept the nomads at bay from all sides. They could not break through, and that was what the Lunar soldiers wanted. As long as they could remain whole and combine their defense they would manage to outlast the nomad force.

Without warning, the nomads withdrew almost twenty feet back as a wave of unicorns charged. They all were shouting and screaming as they charged forward without weapons. Luna immediately knew what they were doing, as she had seen first hand a few minutes ago. She bellowed at the top of her lungs that the unicorns were to be killed as priority targets. Many of them fell, but a few managed to get close and unleash their devastating magic.

Several explosions and screams rang out in the air as the unicorns committed themselves wholly to their cause. A few holes were blasted into the 13th’s lines while the nomads rushed the dazed defenders. Some were lost as the nomads closed a second time before the defenders regained their composure and tried to repel them.

It was a fruitless effort as large chunks of Lunar Soldiers were broken off from the main group. Surrounded, they fought desperately as they tried to regroup. The nomads seemed intent on preventing this, trying to force the broken off groups far away from the main body of the 13th so they could be eradicated.

Luna would not stand for this. Seeing that the eastern flank was deteriorating rapidly, she ordered her guards to follow her as she rushed to the east side of the large formation. Shouting orders and commands, she spearheaded a rushing counter-attack out of the east to reunite her force’s flank.

The nomads looked terrified as the Moon Princess herself charged them with her soldiers following like a flood. Swinging her sword and magic in large sweeping arcs, she felled all nomads foolish enough to try and engage her.

A strange and alien, but all too familiar sense of euphoria washed over the Night Princess. It had been long since she had partook of combat, and the exhilaration of felling one’s enemies always brought a strange dark glimmer in every soldier, the Princess herself included. To be described simply, it felt like winning.

Feeling the heft of Argent in her grasp, the splatter of blood hitting her armor and body, and seeing her enemies terrified and destroyed by her own actions felt gratifying. Her magic attacks shattered or cut apart groups of enemies, while Argent cleaved through weapons, armor, and flesh and bone alike with every swing. Princess Luna felt like she was winning, and she enjoyed it.

Yes, Luna. You remember how it feels. It is good to crush your enemies before you. A familiar seductive and honeyed voice spoke aloud in Luna’s mind. Gorge yourself. Revel in the terror and screams of your foes!

Shouting a loud warcry, Luna found her soldiers imitated in earnest. Pressing on and falling more and more foes, they eventually gathered all the stragglers they could gather up. Falling back into the large waiting group, the recovered soldiers assimilated back onto the line and held the ever coming tide of the nomads.

Luna repeated this spearhead of counter-attacks in every direction, regathering most of the troops that had been broken off. All the while the poisonous goading of Nightmare Moon spoke to her as she wetted her sword and armor with the blood of countless nomads.

By this point, Luna was thoroughly enjoying herself. She howled and laughed like a madmare as she cut through her opponents. Here out in the desert, she was free of all restraint as she slaughtered any fools who dared to stand in her way. Nothing could stop her. She was the Queen of battle, and she held onto her title with an iron hoof.

Noticing a rather ornately decorated pony in the sea of nomads, Luna surmised it could perhaps be their leader. Yet at the same time she did not, or could not, feel the dark tainted being inside her consciousness start to envelop her mind and body slowly and methodically. Pointing with Argent and bellowing at the ornate nomad, Luna charged. Her soldiers surged forward with her as they went on the offensive. They could not keep up with Luna’s fast pace of dispatching her foes. With shouts of dismay, Luna’s soldiers were forced to watch as she became cut off from all of them.

Desperately they tried to break out and rejoin her, but the nomads redoubled their efforts to contain them. Even if the nomads had her alone, they could not touch her as she advanced. She was a literal one mare army as her attacks became even more wild and daring with no allies around her to worry about. Her huge magical blades and blasts carved swathes of foes out of her way while Argent slew any who tried to cross her. Reaching the leader, Luna lunged at him recklessly. With super-pony like speed, he managed to dodge and even parry a few of her attacks. It was all in vain as she split open his stomach.

As he laid there dying, he managed to wheeze out some last words that Luna could barely hear over the din of the battle.

“The sun shall rise… and the moon… will perish…” He gasped before death took him.

The sound of trumpets alerted everyone that the reinforcements had arrived. This coupled with the fact their leader bit the dust, encouraged the nomads to start disengaging and flee. Seizing this opportunity, a young squad leader led an en masse charge to truly rout the nomads. The whole of the 13th charged, chasing their fleeing enemy.

Luna suddenly found herself surrounded by her guards and soldiers as they chased the nomads. Battle still clung to her, so she rushed forward with her troops to slay more foes. Her guards tried to hold her back sensing something was wrong. She shook them off as she tried moving forward.

A group of daring and bold regulars tried to stop her advance. She barely heard her name over the dull roar in her ears as she barked at them menacingly to move. One of them was a very brave soul as he stepped before her and started shouting at her. She shouted back, feeling angry that one would dare oppose her.

She was about to smack him aside when he slapped her in the face, hard. Luna just stood there, dazed as she tried to process what was going on. The soldier slapped her again as her face turned from the blow.

Looking at the soldiers, she found she could see and hear clearly now. She recognized most of the soldiers as Quicksilver, Frostburn, the Fire twins, and Dark Fury as they stared at her with concerned and downright terrified expressions. Dark Fury was the most terrified of all, as his hoof was still raised from slapping her. The look of fear in his face and eyes made that of her nomad enemies look like joy. She also swore he was turning paler with every passing second.

Noticing a peculiar sensation in her mind and body she found that Nightmare Moon had nearly taken ahold of her completely. Letting her exaggerated bloodlust die down, she closed her eyes and focused, putting all her mental might against the slippery nightmare as Luna broke down her gains methodically and quickly. After a minute or so with Nightmare Moon stuffed back deep in her subconscious, Luna opened her eyes once more.

Her guards and soldiers who had tried stopping her were all still around her in the same positions, with the same fearful expressions. Dark Fury was definitely paler than his natural shade by this point as Luna stared at him.

“I-I-I’m s-s-sorry!” he stammered, nearly choking on fear as he lowered his hoof.

“Be calm, Sergeant. Due to the circumstances I will allow this to go unpunished. You were brave to risk yourself to boldly snap me out of my trance. I commend you for your unorthodox solution and bravery.”

Dark Fury nodded, calmed slightly even though he still looked like he might have a fear induced heart attack.

“Rejoin your units and assist with the mop-up,” Luna told them.

They all saluted and briskly trotted away. Her guards stood around her nervously.

“You have all fought well,” she addressed them. “Go take a breather, all of you.”

Wordlessly, they too saluted and complied, sitting a small distance away as Luna investigated the dead nomads around her. The dead leader wore a necklace, and it shimmered as it caught her eye. Looking closer she saw a very old, yet familiar symbol hanging on the end of the chain as she removed the article from the corpse with her magic.

“Strange,” she mused to herself. “Nomad unicorns who blow themselves up praising the sun, shouts and cries for the sun to flourish and the moon to die, strife between the two great celestial beings, and now the ancient symbol of my sister’s sun around the neck of an old foe. Seems awfully coincidental.”

Looking down at the ground by the fallen leader, she also noticed a satchel. Examining it, she found that it contained numerous letters and scrolls. All bore her sister’s ancient seal.

“Now what do we have here?”

Princess Luna and Luna's Lunatics

by TheNocturnalLoner

Prologue: Rise and Fall (Revised and revamped)

Chapter 1: Haunted by the past

Chapter 2: Training

Chapter 3: Change

Chapter 4: Shenanigans

Chapter 5: Of hangovers and half-avains

Chapter 6: New guys

Chapter 7: Disturbance

Chapter 8: Desert incursion