A small wooden shack sat upon the a snowy mountainside in a distant land far away from what would someday become Equestria. A ferocious blizzard raged around it, battering its sides with snow and winds. Dormant trees overlooked it, long having given up their leaves to the winter's null. Soon, nothing would be seen of the place at all, as the night was quickly falling. It would be as if it had disappeared from existence entirely. It was a lonely little place, isolated, seemingly lifeless, and quaint. No other signs of habitation to be seen for miles. One could never guess that inside were two figures who would one day save an entire people. Two bastions of warmth in an ever-growing blizzard.
Inside her small room a fittingly sized blue Alicorn sat upon her bed. The room was as humble as the cabin, its only features being a small cot for a bed with wolverine fur for covers, a fireplace in constant need of a dwindling wood supply, two windows showing an increasingly hopeless situation outside, and a portrait on the wall of two long-gone family members. An older, more mature, white Alicorn stood aside the blue one's bed, smiling warmly down at her.
This was the last vestige of their race, the rest of them having been wiped out by a wrathful god. Despite this, the two clung to each other. They knew that no matter what happened, they would survive, for they had been given a special task in what was going to be two very long lives.
The blue one, a young pony barely ten years old, only scratching the surface of her existence, gazed upon her sister with the eager eyes of a child wishing to learn. Her name was Luna, destiny's choice to control the stars and moon. However, for now... she was simply a foal, and her sister Celestia was going to do everything in her power to give her the childhood every foal deserved.
"T-Tia, can I have another bedtime story?" she squeaked.
Celestia gazed upon her with a coy smile. "I'm not sure, Luna... it is getting oftly late."
"Pleeeeeeeaseeee," she begged, her eyes shimmering in anticipation.
"Well..." Celestia said, pretending to look like she was thinking it over. "I suppose I have time for one more story... though what should it be about?"
Luna bounced at this, a grateful, adorable smile on her face that could melt the cold heart of even a Windigo. "Can you tell me more about Magnaequitas!"
Celestia sighed at this. The forbidden city of her dead people was something she never wished to speak about. However, Luna's shimmering eyes and eagerness were something she couldn't resist. On top of that, she needed to teach her about her people anyway, for one day there may be nothing left of them except for what the two would have in memory.
"Magnaequitas..." Celestia said slowly, pondering what she should speak of next about the city. "You are very interested in it, aren't you?"
"It's just so amazing sounding!" Luna beamed. "A city that can float on water? A paradise for the Alicorns!" Her smile soon sulked at that. "A paradise not meant for us anymore though... is it?"
Celestia shook her head, sighing. "No, my dear sister. Not anymore..." Her throat clenched up slightly. Every time she told her stories of it it broke Celestia's heart knowing they would never gaze upon it again. Its beautiful golden docks filled with massive ships of sail, its towering castle where the King and Queen of the Alicorns once resided, and its beautiful Temple of the Source Stone.
She pondered something at that.
Hmmm... the Source Stone... that may do.
"Have I ever told you about Gaia?" she asked.
Luna shook her head, her smile once again returning to her face. She scooted over closer to her, eager to listen to the tale.
"Long ago, our people's Empire was growing and growing. We were powerful, but we had yet to reach our peek. However, one day we discovered an artifact of an immense power, the Source Stone. Within it was the trapped spirit of Gaia, the embodiment of all living things on and in the world. Looking into the Stone one could actually see her, a being who would take the likeness of the creature who looked upon her and become the most beautiful thing to their eyes there could be."
"Was Gaia even more beautiful then you, sister?" Luna asked. Celestia blushed at this, smiling warmly down at Luna before nodding her head. Luna's eyes widened.
"Gaia offered our people a deal. We would worship her and visit her stone frequently to gush at her beauty, and in return, she would allow us to use the great magics emanating from it for whatever purposes we wished. We accepted her deal, and with her as our guide, we soon learned of the many amazing things that could be accomplished with it. It could heal almost any ailment, it could create gold out of nowhere, it could do... anything. With it, we eventually created a great floating city as a monument to Gaia's power and to our glory, the magic of her keeping it afloat."
Luna glanced at her sister in confusion and sorrow. "B-But if Gaia was so powerful, why didn't she protect us from Zarus?"
Celestia threw her a solemn look. "Zarus was the one who imprisoned Gaia in the first place. He is the most powerful of all the gods. Despite this, he is frequently driven by envy, rage, and a lust for power. And that lust destroyed us..."
"B-But what about us, Tia?" Luna peeped. "Me and you. You said that Gaia chose us for something. He can't do anything to us... right?"
Celestia nodded. "Gaia saw something very special in both me and you. Triak, Goddess of the Sky is dying as we speak. His essence falls to the world every day. Instead of allowing Zarus to absorb this essence to become even more powerful, Gaia granted us the passive ability to absorb him instead. You, absorbing the essence of the night and I absorbing the essence of the day. You were barely old enough to walk when we gazed into the stone and Gaia made this decision. Unfortunately, Zarus was not pleased at this..."
"S-So it's our fault our people are gone?" Luna squeaked is despair.
Celestia shook her head rapidly. "No, it's not our fault at all. Don't ever think that. Gaia is partially to blame, though Zarus deserves the whole of our spite. He is greedy, Luna. Oh so very greedy. Gaia simply did not want him to become the absolute ruler of the gods, as he is not fit for it. His rage could one day destroy the entire mortal world if not kept in check. And he decided to unleash it upon our people in order to punish Gaia."
"Are we in danger, sister?" Luna asked.
Celestia remained silent for a second. She didn't know the answer to this entirely. Though Gaia couldn't protect the whole of their people, she did have the strength to cast a powerful spell that would protect her and her sister. Magical energies were preventing the angry god from bringing his wrath upon them, though she didn't know how long they would last, and she knew they would only protect them from him. Zarus had allies, and she wasn't entirely unsure that the blizzard outside wasn't caused by the Spirits of Winter, the Windigo. Still, as illness and calamity befell the rest of their people, Luna and Celestia had survived this far. Alone in the world, they were the last of the Alicorns. And they had nopony to turn to but each other. However, Luna didn't need to know how dire their situation was.
"Of course we're safe, dearest sister," Celestia said. She then leaned over and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Now get some rest. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."
"Dawwww..." Luna moaned. An inquisitive look returned to her face. "Wait... could we ever visit Magnaequitas? Even if its deserted..."
Celestia frowned sorrowfully at this. "No... unfortunately a massive tempest has been summoned that now surrounds it. We may be able to visit someday, however only..." she paused a second, remembering something Gaia had said to her. "'...When all paths are blocked for the worthy.'"
Thousands of Years Later
Canterlot
Luna tapped a hoof to her chin, reading over old Alicorn scrolls in her royal quarters and appealing to her lifelong obsession: Magnaequitus, one she was heavily entrenching herself in once again now that her little visit to the moon was over. She read in awe about how six mages channeling the power of Gaia had stood at their posts day in and day out to keep the city afloat, through storm and sleet and all other manner of calamity. They reminded her of her own royal guard, only their duties were far more important. She wondered if the city was even still floating without them around anymore.
She sighed. If she could only visit it one day... but she simply did not have the time anymore. It would be impossible, anyway. Before her sister and her had discovered Equestria, the Elements of Harmony, and Discord's bloody reign over the land, they had visited its location by boat. And indeed, it was surrounded by a swirling vortex of thick, black, storm clouds saturated and bristling with chaotic lightning. There was no way in Tartarus anyone was getting through. Unless...
"'...When all paths are blocked for the worthy, a new path must be made in blood. The key can be turned when one proves their love."
She grunted at that. Why did deities always have to be so damned cryptic? Well.. if there was any consolation there was the fact that Luna was practically immortal. Perhaps the 'key could be turned' some day. Or maybe there was another way to break through the tempest. Some form of powerful magic to shield them from its wrath. She knew a common shield spell could probably get her through a normal storm, but the tempest... wasn't any ordinary storm. It was filled with chaos magic. Maybe some other type of magic could do, but she knew not what.
As she continued to read through old scrolls and books on her people, a knock came upon her door.
"Come in," she called, not even bothering to look towards it. The clank of metal hoof-guards could be heard as someone entered her room.
"Princess Luna, we need to talk." A serious, grainy, and deep voice sounded. She knew immediately who it was. General Wartrotter, the leader of Equestria's air and land forces. She also knew immediately what he wanted. Reluctantly, Luna turned to meet the gaze of him. His sight matched his voice, intimidating to say the least. He was taller and more built then most stallions, even for his old age of sixty, a Unicorn of perfect physique. In place of one of his eyes was black patch, and on his body coal-black armor that nearly covered his entire figure except for a proudly-displayed cutie mark. And if one wasn't certain what the stallion's profession was at first glance, the marking would be a dead give away; a bloody steel sword.
"I know what you want, General Wartrotter, and the answer is no," Luna said sternly.
The General seemed slightly taken aback by the blunt statement, but nonetheless he held his ground. "My Princess, please listen to reason. We have ample intelligence that confirms the Gryphon Kingdom is mobilizing their armies. They know we are starting to demilitarize now that you have returned. They're planning to strike us now that we're weak, of that I am sure."
Luna lowered her eyebrows at that. The General was wise in the ways of battle, but his mind was always set on war and war alone to the point where he had become paranoid. Lately, Equestria had begun a demilitarization effort as part of a treaty with a few other neighboring nations. Naturally, this was distressing war leaders such as Wartrotter. It must have been getting to him more then she thought though because he didn't seem to be rationalizing very well at the moment.
"It seems more likely to me that they might be mobilizing to counter the threat to their Northern borders by the Wolverine Dominion. They're merely taking precautions."
The old war stallion huffed at this, his nostrils blowing steam. "Then why move troops to OUR borders?"
"Because they fear a reprisals from us," Luna explained, her voice rational and calm, but filled with the slightest bit of authoritative spice. "They might be as paranoid about us as we are about them. They could believe that if they enter war with the Wolverines we will take advantage of the situation and attack. And if I recall right, they are moving troops to every one of their borders, not just the one with us."
"That's exactly what they want us to think!" Wartrotter growled. "They have a grudge against our nation in particular, not any others. And now they're trying to make it look like they're simply defending their borders for 'just in case' when they're really using them as a staging ground!"
Luna sighed, moving a hoof up then down to emphasize her points as she spoke, "Wartrotter, listen to yourself! The last war with the Gryphon nation was hundreds of years ago. Those who fought in it have long since past on. Old wounds have healed."
Wartrotter's eye actually twitched in contempt at that, forcing Luna to throw him a look. That was no way to respect a princess. Nonetheless, Wartrotter continued, "You don't know the Gryphons as I do. They don't forgive anything done in the past thanks to their family's honor system. When a father is killed in battle, the child is told to avenge him. And if that child doesn't, his child will be responsible for it and so on and so forth."
Luna was forced to admit that he was right about that. However, that information was largely outdated. Since her time back Luna had been reading up on cultural changes in neighboring nations. One of those changes seemed to involve the Gryphons dissolving old codes of honor that wouldn't suit them in the modern age, including ones involving family honor systems. She then quirked an eyebrow. Could the General be trying to take advantage of her supposed naivety for warmongering purposes?
She threw him a serious glance. "General, those old codes of honor are dying in the Gryphon Kingdom."
"Not everywhere, and not with everyone!" the General growled. He then took a deep breath, turning towards the door. "This was a waste of my time. I thought you may be willing to listen to reason, unlike your sister, though apparently I was wrong." He then paused, twirling about and glaring at her. "Or perhaps a fragment of Nightmare Moon still remains in you! Perhaps you want us to fall!"
Luna shot him a fiery look that could paralyze anyone with a weaker will, her horn beginning to crackle and sparkle with the dark magic of the night. Wartrotter's eyes went wide at this. "I can't believe you would go as far as to accuse me of that!"she roared in her royal Canterlot voice, her eyes beginning to glow a hot white. "Get out of my room, NOW!"
Wartrotter gulped at the sight, his single eye widening. Nervously, he began backing up towards the door, Luna taking menacing steps towards him as he retreated, glaring all the way. Though he was one of the greatest warrior stallions in history, he knew better then to challenge a pissed off demigod. As soon as his armored rear clacked against the door, he spun about and made his way out without a single peep.
At that, Luna took a deep breath, her anger leaving way for sorrow. She sulked over to her beautiful blue night-themed bed and collapsed on its fluffy blankets, a thought occurring to her. Did people truly not trust her as much as she believed they did now, or was Wartrotter simply trying to force her hoof? Shoving the thought aside with a huff, she turned back to her research on her fallen race. However, before she could even begin, another knock came to her door, causing her to sigh in annoyance.
"Come in..." she said, trying her best to hide a groan. This time, she turned to see who it was, relaxing slightly at the sight of this guest. It was Shining Armor. While it was true she didn't know her friend Twilight's brother as well as Celestia did, she had been around him long enough to judge his character. The opposite of Wartrotter, he was personable, always vied for a peaceful option, and was generally nice to have around, even when she was in a bitter mood such as now. She threw him a smile. "A friendly face, thank goodness."
Shining Armor quirked an eyebrow. "Everything alright? I just saw Wartrotter storming off." He seemed to throw a hint of disdain in his voice at the mentioning of the General.
"Yeah, everything's fine..." she said, lying right through her teeth. Shining Armor held a skeptical look on his face, but to her thanks he didn't press the issue.
"Well, anyway. I was sent to tell you the decommissioning is in an hour," Shining Armor said with a smile.
Luna gazed at him, confused. "The what?"
Shining Armor's face went blank. "The decommissioning of the Leviathan. You... did prepare a speech, right?"
Luna's eyes widened before she simpered. "Oh, of course! The decommissioning. Err... yes, I have a speech all ready to go." She mentally facehoofed. She had forgotten all about this event. Part of the demilatiarization of Equestria included the decommissioning of its impressive airship fleet, the Leviathan being the flagship of their sky navy. It would be the first time she'd see the vessel and likely the last before it was stripped of its armaments converted into a peaceful ship of exploration.
Shining Armor rolled his eyes with a slight chuckle. "It's alright. It happens to me all the time and I end up having to improvise. It's really not that hard, though. Half of the crowd usually isn't even paying attention anyway, and the other half will usually just go along with whatever the person is saying as long as they like them." He then smiled at the Princess of the Night. "And trust me, we're all glad to have you back, Luna, even if some were a bit jumpy at the prospect at first."
Luna nodded at that with a slight sigh. "Yeah..." Despite Shining Armor's reassurance that improv was easy, that was him and she was her. She was still very awkward around her subjects, very rarely making public appearances, and she was already feeling a bit nervous. She hoped it wouldn't get the best of her. The fact that Wartrotter was likely going to be there wouldn't help the matter.
A twinkle could be seen in Shining Armor's eye. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we head over together and we can shoot ideas at each other for a speech?"
Luna smiled at that. "Sure, just let me..." she paused, throwing him a curious look. "Does my mane look alright? Should I go starry or regular?"
"Definitely starry," Shining Armor said. "You honestly have the coolest mane around." He sweat-dropped at that. "Uh, please don't tell Cadence I said that."
Luna chuckled, flushed by his compliment. "Don't worry, I won't say anything. Princess' honor."
Shining Armor smiled at that with a shrug. "Good enough for me. Let's get going."
And with that, the two left the room. Luna was a bit reluctant to tear herself away from her research but at least this event wouldn't last too long, or so she hoped. The two made their way down the long circular flight of stairs that led up to her quarters, paintings of various events in Equestria history lining luxurious white and blue walls. Luna's mood lowered again as she glanced at them. Many showed her and Celestia together at certain events... but many others showed her sister all alone... all alone thanks to her.
She had let envy get the best of her, leaving her mind open for a parasitical spirit, Caligo of Nox, to take possession of the Princess of the Night, turning her into the terror of it instead: Nightmare Moon. Her sister was then forced to banish her less the night go on forever. And thus they each lost the one constant in their lives for nearly a thousand years, quite a long time considering the two had only been alive for four thousand. Her poor sister who had raised her... stuck by her side... loved her.
She was sure it hurt the kind and gentle soul of Tia as much as it hurt her to be away for so long. Luckily, thanks to Twilight Sparkle and her friends she was now free to make amends. With this chance, she was spending as much time with her sister as she could recently. Though tensions were a little high at first, she felt the two of them were well on their way to becoming as close as they always were. She smiled warmly on the inside at this. One thousand years gone, but they still had another four to five thousand left for each other. The last of the true Alicorns, sticking it out til the end. And nopony would take that time from her again. Nopony, not even the demons within.
A second later, Shining Armor broke her train of thought. "So I hear you and Twilight have become friends?" he said, a hint of pride in his voice.
Luna nodded at this, throwing him a smile. "We are more then just friends. I owe my freedom to her and her soul-mates." Her eyes watered a little bit after that. "And more then that... she was the first pony to really trust that I was back to being me."
Shining threw her a curious glance, which Luna returned with a sigh.
"After the Summer's Sun festival I... well I thought I'd just strut right back into Canterlot to perform my duties. Unfortunately, people still mistrusted me, some of Celestia's advisers even seemed to be keeping away from me, and so it was harder to find out what was going on and deal with government issues. To top it off I was completely blind as to what our new policies were and stuff like that. How naive I was, right?"
Shining shook his head. "If anything, it was our fault, the people that is. We should have trusted Princess Celestia's words that you were back to your former self instead of clinging to fear. Maybe people would have helped you adjust a little more if that were the case. I hate to admit it... but even I didn't trust you completely, even with Twilight's letter explaining everything that happened in Everfree." He threw her a guilty frown. "I'm sorry..."
Luna shook her head. "It's alright, honestly. But the constant looks of suspicion did get to me after a bit... so I decided to go to Ponyville at the eve of Nightmare Night, a holiday based around fearing Nightmare Moon in order to at least try to dispel the rumors circulating there. I thought it was where a lot of the fear of me was coming from since that's where Nightmare Moon made her grand debut, even though they had seen me in my proper form at the Summer's Sun festival..." She sighed. "That was another mistake. They were all already so worked up about Nightmare Moon that when I arrived... well I just added fuel to the fire." She then smiled nostalgically. "However, Twilight once again came to my rescue. She helped me set things straight right there and then by helping me warm up to the town's people, and though there was a minor..." She winced slightly. "Setback due to my temper, Twilight managed to rectify things in the end. You're lucky to have a sister with such a good heart, Shining."
Shining smiled warmly at Luna. "Thanks, that means a lot to me. You know you have a special sister when two Princesses consider her a friend." He then grinned in a joking manner. "Of course, I definitely had everything to do with how she turned out."
Luna rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Of course."
The two finally made it to the end of the winding staircase and reached the door to the tower. This led into the commons of Canterlot Palace. A massive room with dazzling chandeliers, huge portraits of famous Equestrians, red carpets, towering pillars of brilliant marble, and to top it off, a large stone fountain in the epicenter of it. A thousand years ago, the commons were much more bleak than this. Dusty, drafty, and barely decorated, but now... Luna was beyond impressed every time she saw them.
"So... about General Wartrotter..." Shining said.
Luna sighed, turning towards him. She might as well get it off her chest. "Yeah... alright, I'll tell you about it. Basically, he came into my room to try to convince me that the Gryphons were about to go to war with us."
Shining nodded at that. "A lot of ponies seem to be thinking that."
She paused in her stride, gazing into his eyes with a serious expression. "Do you?"
Shining thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I won't say it's impossible, but I'm more inclined to believe that they're preparing for war with the Wolverine Dominion. There's actually been some minor border skirmishes between the two already."
"That's what I said!" Luna beamed, continuing her stride. She was glad she wasn't the only one who supported that opinion. Her confidence raising, she then went on with, "I told him that I'd have no part in supporting efforts against demilitarization."
Shining nodded at that. "If it means anything, I think you made the right call."
"Thanks, and it does," Luna said with a smile.
A beat.
"Is... that why the both of you were both so upset, though?" Shining asked.
Luna paused for a second. She knew Shining and Wartrotter were no friends but... she didn't really want to talk about what had happened, how he had accused her of still having a fragment of Nightmare Moon within her.
"It... wasn't the only reason... but..."
Shining smiled. "Hey, it's alright, we don't need to talk about it. It isn't my business to pry anyway."
"It's fine it's just... yeah. Things were said."
Shining nodded at this, not continuing with the subject matter again as they exited the commons and made their way from the palace. The two kept chatting on the way to the military skydocks in one of the higher sections of Canterlot. They talked about Shining's crazy wedding, with Luna apologizing profusely for actually sleeping through the Changeling invasion. Apparently, her soundproof room was very well crafted. Shining dismissed this with a hoof and a laugh, saying everything had turned out alright in the end. They then discussed Shining's life in the guard, Twilight a bit more, and how his marriage was going with Cadence, (A rare case of an Alicorn being born in modern times from regular ponies.) and Luna was happy to hear it was going very well. By the time they had made it the docks, Luna was sure they were going to become good friends.
It was around seven in the morning when they made it, the sun starting to go up. Luna yawned at the sight. She usually didn't stay up this late... er early. The Leviathan floated proudly between two wooden warfs, her battle-scars and general wear and tear displaying its old age. She was a ship ready to retire, having served Equestria enough to be content. Structurally, she was a large somewhat sea-worthy looking wooden vessel dangling below a massive blimp, a blimp whose materials were magically and alchemically modified to be able to withstand quite a beating without punctures. While the blimp could take hits, the ship itself could deal them out and then some. She was armed with the latest weaponry; about thirty cannons sticking out of about four lower decks as well as a series of mounted crossbows on the upper deck.
Airships were something new to Luna. A thousand years ago the technology only existed in the minds of the greatest dreamers (or crazies as some may have called them at the time). However, now they were a reality, floating all around Equestria and quickly becoming the backbone of her economy, them being able to transport large amounts of goods practically anywhere.
The two made their way towards a platformed-podium set up for Luna to speak at. A large crowd, garbed in military outfits and civilian clothes parted respectfully for them as they passed. Some took a moment to bow and wave at their Princess, who returned their affection with a appreciative smiles. Huh. Maybe Wartrotter was just trying to get into her head... it didn't seem like anypony mistrusted her. Eventually, she found her place at the platformed podium with Shining Armor standing at her side, her mood brightened considerably. The higher-ranking former crewmembers of the Leviathan stood on the platform as well at attention. After a second, Shining turned to her with a bemused smirk on her face.
"You know what?" Shining whispered with a chuckle.
Luna raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"We totally forgot to prepare a speech."
Luna's eyes widened. "Oh crap." However, for some reason she didn't feel too upset about it. She actually just wanted to laugh. Being around Shining was really lightening her up a bit. She then sighed before saying with a grin, "Ah well, here goes," and turning on the magically powered microphone, Shining giving her an encouraging nod as she did so. She then proceeded to clear her throat, the first few lines of her 'speech' preparing in her mind. Unfortunately, out of everything she could say, the first thing that came out of her mouth was, "Um..."
She wanted to inwardly facehoof. Great, what a nice way to start a speech... umming. Whatever, she could make up for it. Gathering her courage, she rebegan with, "We..." she paused, her mind going blank... common Luna! Wait! She had it. "We are gathered here today to help bring forth a new era... an era of peace quickly moving out of the shadow of war. However, we must never forget the sacrifices made by the ship and her crew in the past..." She smiled inwardly as she heard her own words. There we go, much better. Her confidence building, she continued. "And what those sacrifices have helped achieve; lasting peace. Equestria's former enemies have extended the olive branch, and we are following suit. Soon, war will be a distant memory, a legend told around campfires, and decommissioning the sky fleet will help in this endeavor..."
As Luna continued her speech, General Wartrotter stood in the back of the crowd glaring at her. To him, decommissioning the skyfleet was one of the biggest mistakes Equestria could make. It was making them look weak to their enemies, and make no mistake, they were still their enemies. The Gryphons in particular were attracted to weakness like a bird was to a dying worm. They would rip their country assunder with steel talons if something wasn't done, and that something would have to be drastic.
"The Leviathan's days are not over, however. I have orders from my sister to allow modifications of her to commence today. She will be stripped of most of her weapons, becoming a vessel of peace. With her, brave Equestrian explorers shall venture forth to the unknown corners of the world, charting new lands and opening diplomatic contact with far away nations..."
Wartrotter's eye twitched at that. A vessel of exploration? It was an insult to a fine ship to have her being turned into that. With a grunt, he turned to several of his ranking officers nearby who looked upon the speech with as equal apprehension and discontentment as him. They turned to meet his gaze, and he nodded towards them. Soon, they were heading off into to a downtown area of Canterlot. A plan was about to be set into motion, and once the gears began turning, they couldn't be shut off.