Chapter 7, Auntie luna

Blaze flew silently through the night, followed by Princess Luna. His head was filled with questions he wanted to ask 'Is my father immortal? Am i immortal? What happened between you two? Why have you come now? What do you want? Why did you come to me?' but he knew better then to ask them. His mother had told him that over a thousand years ago Luna had tried to drown the world in the darkness of the night for all eternity, only to be sealed away by the elements of harmony within her own moon. 'but she's changed now hasn't she? My mother is one of the element bearers, she should know'

Blaze still wasn't sure what to make of this situation though. He'd literally only gotten off the train from school two days ago, and already he'd asked Sweet cream to the hearts and hooves day ball, flashed Weave, Needle and Thread, and now he was being followed by the royal princess Luna who was claiming to be his aunt. 'Only a week ago my world was no bigger than life at boarding school, and now this!' Blaze had to wonder how he was managing to deal with it all. 'Luna will meet my father, they'll talk, I'll go to bed, and wake up in the morning with nothing to do but eat breakfast and study' he liked the prospect of studying more than getting entangled in royal affairs 'I'm sure miss sparkle would be overjoyed to hear me say that'

His house appeared from the gloom below him, a medium two story building surrounded by tall apple trees and cherry bushes, the back yard was covered in pink blossom. His father loved to watch the blossom blow off the trees, watching silently for hours as it gently floated off the trees and formed a thick pink carpet in the back garden. Once when he was younger Blaze had asked his father why they had the cherry trees when they made such a mess in the garden, Nova gave him a sad smile, lifted Blaze onto his back and pointed at the blossom.

'a long time ago, before i met your mother, i knew a mare who loved cherry blossoms'

'what happened to her?'

'there was an accident Blaze, i keep the blossoms to remind me of her'

Blaze had puzzled over the meaning of what his dad had said for years since, he'd even asked his mother, but she'd only told him the same thing as dad had. But as he grew older and spent the summers watching the cherry blossom fall, he decided not to press his father for any more information, and left the matter idle. But Luna had said she and Nova had fallen out after an argument; did she have something to do with the blossoms? Blaze decided it was best not to know. They came down into the centre of the garden, their wings causing a storm of pink blossom to fly into the air, where it began to fall like pink snow.

"This is your home?" Luna asked, looking around her "it's..."

"Old? Small? Drab?" Blaze had heard all these things before. The house was made from old brick, and years before his father had bought it, it had belonged to a merchant. The house had been abandoned after the outbreak of greyscale however, and had stood derelict for a hundred years before dad had patched it up. Many ponies at school said it was a disgusting looking thing, so Blaze didn't really expect much else from Luna, she did live in a palace after all.

"no no, it's...cosy, small yes, but cosy and warm. Just the sought of place Nova would want to live in" she looked up at the fall of cherry blossom "why does your father have cherry trees?"

"i was hoping you could answer that" Lunas expression became sad "it's best... it's best that your father tells you that story as well"

Blaze was puzzled 'it seems there's a lot of things my father has to tell me' just then there was a clacking sound of locks being turned and he looked over to see his father stepping out of the house, his mother just behind him with a relieved expression on her face. "BLAZE!" his father shouted as he crossed over to him "where have you been? What where you doing flying about in the middle of th-" Nova noticed Luna for the first time, instantly his demeanour changed from relieved annoyance to aggression. "get inside the house" he said with a growl.

"Dad i-"

"I SAID GET INSIDE!" his father roared, Blaze flinched back. His father had never shouted at him before, not like this, not this aggressive. Blaze nodded and made his way onto the porch, up the steps and met his mother by the door.

"What's going on? He whispered to her, Rarity gave him a sad look.

"you should never have had to see this, now get upstairs" she shooed him up the stairs and into his room, she locked the door behind her. Leaving him trapped, annoyed and confused. What was going on, why was his father so angry and why couldn't he see what was going on? He made his way to his bed, climbed onto it and leaned towards the window, poking his head out the corner of the still open window to see what was happening. He hadn't missed a thing.

Nova stood stock still, his face emotionless as he stood over luna. But you didn't need to see his features change to know he was angry, his eyes where alive with fire and an aura of hatred seemed to emanate from him. For a few seconds longer he simply stared at Luna, who seemed a little less radiant under her older brothers stare. "what are you doing here Luna?" he asked, his voice threateningly low.

"Nova, brothe-" she began

"Don't call me that, don't you ever call me that, you have no right to" Nova glared at her, Luna shrank a little more. "what are you doing here?" he asked again.

"i...i was lonely, and i was thinking about you and then i thought of Blaze" she scuffed her hoof, her head bowed towards the ground "i...i just wanted to meet my nephew" she looked up at Nova "and there's some...family stuff...to discuss"

Nova remained silent, the fire in his eyes seemed to threaten to burst forth and consume Luna. "i told you never to come back Luna, i told you to stay away from me and my family, I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM MY SON!" he gestured to the house, Blaze ducked back from the window. "do you think I've forgiven you for what you've done, do you think that just because i spared your life you have the right to stick your nose into my life?" he leaned forward, Luna leaned back "do you remember what i did to your nose the last time you tried that?"

"Brother please!"

"What did i just say? Don't call me that, I'm not your brother anymore Luna"

"Nova, listen. I know I've wounded you deeply-"

"So that's what you call locking me in a star for eight thousand years, and that wasn't just it, not by a long shot" the aura of resentment was palpable. "give me one reason not to beat you into a pulp again right now"

"Celestias sick" Luna said, her eyes where sad and fearful "she's...she's caught greyscale"

"...that's impossible; there hasn't been a case of greyscale in four hundred years"

"she caught it on her recent delegation to Cathay, the doctors say she could die"

"nothing mortal can kill an immortal"

"Greyscale isn't mortal Nova, it's magical"

"Celestia won't die, she's been through worse"

"Nevertheless, the conclave has called that in the event of Celestias death a successor must be appointed" Nova snorted.

"Do you think i want to sit my arse on that throne Luna? Don't be stupid. I have a family here, i have a new life. I don't want anything to do with you or the court"

Lunas voice was very quiet "it's...it's not you that the conclave has chosen" Nova stared at her bewildered, and then the meaning of her words sunk in, he turned to the house and caught sight of Blaze.

"you...you don't mean..." he mumbled, then he shook his head and composed himself "NO!" he roared, his cheeks red "DON'T YOU DARE FUCKING TOUCH MY SON YOU BITCH!" Novas eyes flashed and from the earth beside him erupted a heavy and ornate hammer that Blaze had never seen before, Nova took it in his grip and brought it in between himself and Luna, blocking her from the house "what right makes you think i would ever let you take my son off to that den of lies, tell me Luna TELL ME! After everything you did, torturing Blossom, locking me in a star, trying to kill Rarity. What the hell makes you think you had the right to do this?"

Luna composed herself and stood to her full height, though she was still a few inches shorter then her brother. "You may have renounced your right to the throne Nova, but royal blood still flows through your veins, and through those of your son. Blaze never gave up the right of succession; he has every right to the throne"

"If you're coming up with bullshit like that why don't you go get that filly from Trottingham and stick her on the throne? At least she's an Alicorn; Blaze is just a lowly Pegasus"

"this is Blazes choice!" Luna snapped, she was getting irritated, Blaze could see trendils of shadow rise up from the earth and pool by her hooves. Nova didn't even deem to notice. "Blaze was born form a legitimate marriage and has royal lineage, he is the only successor, law dictates the throne must be inherited by a stallion"

"a funny thing the law, i seem to remember there was a coup when i last sat on the throne"

"this is beyond your control Nova, now let me talk to my nephew"

Nova stood still, an implacable barrier between Luna and the house. For a moment Blaze thought he wouldn't back off, but then he stepped to the side. "you've got ten minutes Luna, and then you get the fuck out of my house. If i hear anything to do with this throne crap I'll see to it that you never see Blaze ever again, you and Celestia are lucky enough i send those cards"

Luna nodded her thanks and made her way to the house, as she reached the porch Rarity bowed low "let me show you to my sons room" Luna nodded and looked up at Blazes window. He shot back out of sight and felt a sweat start to begin on his brow. 'who the hell is Blossom, what did my dad mean 'trapped for eight thousand years'? And what the hell does she mean by 'taking the throne'?' he stood up and remade his bed, then he did a quick search of the floor, picking up the books and papers littered over the floor. Just as he finished up there was the clinking sound of the lock on his door opening, and then a knocking sound.

"come in" Blaze squeaked, Luna opened the door and stepped slowly into the room, looking around her.

"so...this is your room?"

"yes...but most of the time I'm not here"

"oh" Luna walked over to the side of Blazes bed and sat down, Blaze was feeling slightly awkward.

"what did you do to my dad?" he blurted out before he could stop himself, Lunas cheeks flushed and she stared at the floor.

"a long time ago, Celestia and i...we usurped your fathers throne. We...killed his mate, Cherry blossom, and locked him within the heart of a star for eight thousand years"

Blaze had no idea how to process that.

"so...that's why he keeps the trees?"

"yes...your father loved Blossom very much, he will never forgive me for what I've done" Luna gave him a sad smile "and if you hate me too blaze...i wouldn't be surprised. You barely know me, and this is all so sudden, and it was no pretty thing i did to my brother"

"i don't hate you"

"really?"

"yes, i don't even know you, how could i hate you"

Luna smiled again, this time even sadder then before "the ignorance of youth, one day Blaze you'll understand" she stood up and made her way to the door "and when you do, you will hate me as well"

"Wait! Blaze said, he slid off the bed and stood beside Luna "Before you go...can i have a hug...Auntie Luna?"

Luna seemed taken aback "i...i suppose so" she said. She wrapped her hooves around blaze and hugged him close, Blaze buried his nose in her mane. She smelled of cinnamon. For at least a minute they simply stood there, Luna had tears running down her cheeks. Then there was a knock on the door and his father opened it, for a moment he stood shocked at what he saw, but only for a moment.

"time's up" he said quietly, gesturing for Luna to leave "time to leave Luna" his aunt nodded sadly and unwrapped Blaze from her embrace.

"goodbye Blaze" she said, teary eyes. She leaned in and kissed his forehead "i wish we could have spent more time together" and then she stepped through the door, turned down the hallway and disappeared from sight. Blaze looked at his father.

"What happened?" he asked, Nova simply looked at him.

"I'll tell you when you're older" Nova said, and then he closed the door. Blaze stood staring at the door for a long time into the night, he didn't even go to the window to see Luna leave.

'what happened between them?' he thought, a million ideas fighting it out in his brain. He finally got up and went to lie on his bed, staring at the ceiling 'all i wanted to do was go to hearts and hooves day with Sweet cream, what the hell's going on?'