Yoooooo! I fell asleep writting this last night, so I bring you the chapter a tad late. Hope you enjoy!
Luna: Micro! The chapter is ok, but thou forgot something!
MR: What did I forget again?
Luna: Uhhhh!
Jethro: Micro own nothing, except maybe the title and plot. Everything else is of its respective owner.
Luna:Jethro! Thy've been meaning to send a letter..."
MR: No time for that! This will continue in the story!
Celestia: On with the story!
Luna and Jethro: Where was she all this time?
Luna sat at her desk that overlooked a window with a beautiful sunrise outside, a parchment on it and a quill floating over it surrounded by a cobalt blue glow. After raising the moon and placing the stars the previous night, she finished her paperwork and sat down, intent on sending her first letter. Sadly, a thousand years away made her loose the grasp of communicating through letters. She struggled to write something that didn't sound weird, or too formal. "Ahhhhh - she yelled frustrated - Why cannot thy write anything!" Balling up the scribbled mess of parchment, she lobbed it towards her increasingly large pile on a corner. 'Three weeks it has been, and thy have not sent a single letter. He must think thy forgot...' With slumped shoulders she placed her quill on its place and walked over to her bed, laying down on her dark blue comforter, her mane sprawled around her. She pondered while looking at the celling, until an idea popped in her head. "...Thy could tell him about my day, and then ask about his." She jumped out of her bed and eagerly grabbed the quill again with her magic, writing about her many tasks she did in a night. When reading it again, she groaned in defeat. " 'Tis useless! Thy cannot write about my duties without sounding self centered!'
She slammed her head on her desk, and rested it there. "Luna?" The purple-blue alicorn turned around fast at her sister's voice. "Tia! What are thou doing here?" She spoke nervously and used a hoof to push a book over the letter she was writing. "I wished to talk to you." Celestia sat down on her bed and patted the place next to her. Luna silently walked over to her bed and sat down next to her sister, looking down to her silvery white slippers. "How have you been?" "Thy've been fine, better than being banished to the moon." They both laughed, but it died down pretty fast. "How do you feel about being back to your duties?"'Why is Tia beating around the bush? She obviously came to ask something else.' Luna looked at her, and sighed. "Tia, why did thou come to my chambers? And why are thou beating around the bush, as 'tis said? It certainly was not to ask...this." Celestia smiled defeated. "Well, you saw through me. I know you'll dread talking about this, but I came to talk about...him." Celestia was serious, and Luna stuttered through her words with a red face.
"Him!? There's nothing...it's just..." The purple-blue alicorn twiddled her hooves embarrassed. "I know, it's just that I want to know what happened between you and Sombra just before we banished him to the north. You were burnt and lying on the ground, and never liked to discuss that before your banishment..." The princess' mouth fell open. 'That's it?' She released a long sigh. "That... Thy found him a few minutes before, and tried talking to him, but he was too lost to the dark magic. He began shooting magic at me, and when thy got distracted, he blasted me in the chest. The armor Thy had broke and thy got burned. Soon after, thou arrived, and thou know what happened." 'Thy cannot tell her about that.' Celestia hummed.
"I've been dying to know that for more than 1000 years, you know? Thanks."'There's something else, but why won't Luna tell me?' The white alicorn stood up and walked to the balcony in the room, outstretching her wings to fly. "You know Luna, you can just ask him about his days, or even his past; there's no need to talk about yours. It will come up later." With a bewildered look, she spoke. "How does thou know about that?" Celestia placed a hoof over her mouth. "You used your Canterlot voice." With a giggle she flew away. "Curses!" Luna walked around her room, fixing her bed and discarding the pile of parchments into the trash can. Exhausted, she sat down and finally wrote the letter, pleased with the simplicity, but worried that it was maybe too simple.
Normal POV (Ponyville)
Twilight was in her basement, a machine rigged up to Jethro. "With this, I'll be able to read your magical energy...theoretically." Jethro gulped. "Theoretically?" Twilight hummed and placed some goggles on. "Yeah, this is a prototype, and I've never tested it before. After your transformations, I wanted to know how much magic you have, and came up with this contraption." Twilight walked around it and pressed a few things. "You won't tell anyone about me being a dragon, right?" The lavender mare smiled sympathetically. "Of course I won't. You'r secret is safe with me." She stood up, closed her eyes and began. "Cross my heart, and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye." Jethro released a breath and the mare began turning on the machine, hiding behind a desk. "...it's working...It's working!" The machine drew on paper, like the seismic detectors. "Your magic is very faint, almost inexistent...I wonder why?" Soon, the contraption started acting funny: it started beeping rapidly, then shaking violently. "Twilight..." Jethro was worried now, and he didn't feel good. "You're having a magic spike!" She ran and tried to stop the machine before something bad happened, or worse, it exploded. "It's no use, it's stuck!"
"Twilight, I don't feel so good..." Jethro looked like he was about to puke. "Not in here! Don't puke down here!" From outside, Spike looked at the stairs with sadness. "I'll be the one cleaning..."
GRROOOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
Once he was done, Twilight expected to be covered in dragon puke, but nothing happened. Opening one eye, she saw the broken machine. "It'll take days to fix this...but the data was saved." In her hooves he held the graph paper, it showed that when it exploded his magic surpassed even ten times his original amount. "Jethro! That was great! Jethro?" She watched as he laid on the floor tired. "Man...that was awful." Jethro rubbed his stomach. "What happened?" Twilight asked, but his attention was elsewhere, he took some time to answer. A few feet in front of him, a rolled up parchment was on the floor. "I felt like puking really bad, then burped." She helped him stand and he looked at the floor. "Twilight, a parchment fell from the explosion." He picked it up and looked at it curiously. It was neatly rolled, with a seal on where the end of paper met the roll. The seal was dark blue, a crescent moon stamped on it.
Twilight looked at it. "Strange, I can't remember having seen this seal on anything I have...it's not mine." Something at the back of his mind told him to open it, so he did. ~From Luna.~ With glee, he rolled it and stuffed it in his saddlebag. "It's for me." Twilight inspected the parchment. "You just received a letter from someone just like Spike! Who's it from?" He smiled. "Just a friend of mine. Thanks again Twilight, for everything." He walked out and left her alone. 'I've seen that seal before...but where?'
With Luna (7:45 pm)
"Well, thy have finished raising the moon, and placing the stars. The night sky looks perfect." Luna smiled proudly of her work. 'Has he seen the letter?' Her thoughts roamed many different places, but she dismissed them. With nothing else to do, Luna walked into her room and laid on her bed with her ethereal mane flowing behind her looking at the roof, thoughts of her imprisonment floating about. 'Thy wonder why...' She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the memory. After her encounter with Nightmare Moon, she felt like falling to a dark bottomless pit.
It was cold and quiet, but soon after there was a gentle humming to a song she had never heard before, but it was calming, and she could feel the kindness of the one who sang it. At a distance, there was a faint light that produced a small amount of warmth, just like the sun. She felt like she kept falling, but that small speck of warmth, light and hope never increased its distance. Did that speck of warmth fall with her, or did she not fall at all? She never knew, but that kept her alive. Soon she opened her eyes, as a tinkling sound rang inside the room.
With Celestia
"Ahhhh, nothing like a warm cup of cocoa before sleeping." Celestia licked her lips appreciatively, lapping up the small chocolate mustache formed on her muzzle by her drink. "Thank you Strawberry, your hot cocoa is delicious as always." Celestia's maid, Strawberry Creme, who has a yellow coat with a strawberry colored mane smiled. "Thank you for the praise Princess." She bowed and received the cup. "I shall turn in for tonight. Thank you for your service Strawberry." With a nod received, Celestia left for her room. While walking down the corridor, she stopped and gazed at the sky, the moon and stars in all their glory. "I could never make the night sky look this beautiful. Hope you can see the beauty you create every night Luna..." Just as the white alicorn turned around, a magical smoke surrounded her. 'A letter for me, at this time?' She used her magic to open the letter, but it dodged her magic and darted off. 'What the...'
The smoke floated away, dodging walls and going around guards. 'Who could have sent that letter and to whom?' Celestia galloped behind the letter, sometimes using her wings for more agility. "Princess!" A pegasus guard called worried when she passed him. "Don't worry about me, just chasing a letter. You can go back to whatever you were doing." With a shrug, the pegasus guard walked around the corner and moments later a bat pony took his place. "Where is the letter going?" Some time later, a few turns more, and she was met with a tall pair of dark blue double doors. 'For Luna?' "*Gasp*" Celestia heard her sister gasp, and she flattened her ear on the door.
Opening her eyes, she saw the magical smoke floating above her and with her magic summoned the letter. "*Gasp*" She unrolled it quickly and turned on a small candle next to her bed. She fixed her mane so it didn't get in the way. ~For: Luna. What can I say about myself...not much really. I was born in a small village on the mountains close to the southern plains. At home, mom and dad always smiled, for even the smallest thing. I am the youngest of the three, with an older brother and sister. Mom and dad were always happy, and my sister and I grew with that bit, the oldest brother was kind of the black sheep. When we were all grown, mom and dad had to leave for some business a few hundred miles away, but they never returned...someday we'll meet again. I then lived as a repairer, and after I graduated from that I began my apprenticeship as a builder. There were some bad things happening around the village I lived on, so I left. Soon after I was found by Fluttershy, the pink maned pegasus friends with Twilight, and she made friends with me. I've lived in secret in pony society as a pegasus for the past six months. That's been my life story, resumed. I'm sorry if I cut this letter short, but receiving the letter has been painful and it drained my energy, besides all the crazy things happening here. I'll be going to sleep now, so how about for the next letter you send, you tell me a little bit about yourself? Your friend from Ponyville, Jethro.~
With a smile, she placed the letter on her desk with her magic while flying towards her door in relative silence. Opening her door, she found an anxious Celestia fixing her feathers. "Sister, art thou alright? Had a bad dream?" Celestia shuffled nervously. "Luna! I was just...walking around..." Luna watched Celestia: she was panting; her mane didn't look as beautiful as always, it was standing in awkward places; her wings were a bit twitchy; and her face was covered in sweat. "Right...thou should tell me the truth. Thou're art a bad liar." "Fine. I saw the smoke with your letter. It first stopped around me, but since it wasn't for me, when I tried to open it it flew here. I wanted to know who was it for." Luna smiled. "It was the letter thy sent this morning before bed. He answered it." Luna walked inside her room with Celestia in tow. "So, what did you do? Did you ask him like I told you?"
"Thy did what thou suggested, and he responded. Thy was planning on answering tomorrow and sending it to him...although he mentioned something about having a painful letter delivery..." 'Poor Spike. He must be resting...' Celestia thought, then smiled. "Don't worry Luna, I'll help you so you can send the letter without causing pain." Luna smiled. "Thanks Tia!" The smaller alicorn hugged her sister and the white alicorn hummed, thinking about something else. Celestia always found the dark blue mane of her sister extremely similar to the night. "You know, I love what you did with the night sky today Luna...keep it up." Celestia stepped out into the balcony and flew away to her room, landing on her own balcony and opening the door with her magic. Luna stepped out as well and looked at her sister. "Good night sister. Sweet dreams."
Celestia nodded with a smile, the tiredness showed through her facade, and she entered her room. Luna then headed to the throne room, where a few bat ponies stood guard. "Princess - both guards bowed in respect, then raised their heads - As today you have no visits to the court, Princess Celestia left some books so you can catch up on some things." The bat pony approached her with a few books and she floated one up to her with her magic. "Ecuestrian Tax Law...Volume 1...of 4" Luna groaned audibly, her ears dropping. 'Thy hate tax laws!' "I know tax laws aren't the Princess' favorite subject, but you must know them as our ruler." The bat pony left the books next to her throne and descended, returning to its original spot. 'Thy know that, but thy still hate them.' With another long sigh, she opened the book and began reading.
"If a pony pays more than the 10% over the debt, then the bank(state) must pay the tax return of 12% to compensate for the overpaid amount." Luna placed the book on a table next to her and massaged her temples. "Thy will die if thy keep reading all this tax mumbo jumbo." Stretching, the Moon princess walked down her seat and proceeded towards the kitchen. "Princess!" A bat pony emerged from a corner of the halls, pushing a cart. "It's time for your midnight lunch." (Since Luna sleeps in the day, I think lunch at midnight would be appropriate) "Oh good. Thy have been feeling a bit peckish." She walked back to an observation balcony close to the throne room and began eating.
The unicorns in Canterlot had made for a warm, partly cloudy night. There were scattered clouds, flowing about with the breeze, revealing the stars that shone with confidence. A comfortably warm breeze swept by, Luna stopped eating and opened her dark blue wings to receive the warm air and let it surround her. Soon, that updraft carried many dandelion seeds to the sky, and with it a familiar feeling. Closing her eyes, Luna focused and found it to be an erratic magical flow; it was from a dream, but it didn't seem like a good one. Her horn glowing a bright cobalt blue, she entered the realm of dreams from where she could access the dreams of ponies. She searched between the many ponies that lived in the vecinity, and found the source of the erratic magic. The door that led to this particular dream was of regular height, but the trimmings looked similar to a mix of a sun and a moon in gold and silver respectively. 'This is Tia's dream...What troubles her so?' Opening the door, she stepped in.
In her dream, Luna could see her sister a ways away, looking at something. The dream walking mare approached her, and heard a song with the same melody as her memories. Celestia was looking at a screen that floated in front of her, paintings of the two sisters. "~Soon did that pony take notice that others did not pay her sister her dues...and neither had she loved her as she deserved, she watched as her sister's unhappiness grew.~" At the end of the verse, the Luna from the dream slammed the door in Celestia's face, and she slowly walked away. Celestia was trying to get in the way of the Celestia in the dream, but she couldn't. 'Tis no dream, it's a nightmare...' Luna thought to herself. "~...and that foolish pony did nothing to stop, the destruction of one who needed her most...~" There was a scene change, and now they were outside, Celestia fighting with Luna, transformed into Nightmare Moon. Celestia crashed through a window through a window of the castle into the throne room. Nightmare was about to pounce on her, but Celestia used the fallen Element of Magic, creating a blast that repelled Nightmare Moon, sending her to the moon. She cried, the one from the dream and the real one, both looking at the moon. 'Thy have to stop this.' Luna determined it was enough suffering for her sister. A bright light came into the dream and it soon changed.
Luna opened her eyes, to find a few bat ponies around her worried and a maid. "Art thou alright?" She asked. "Princess, we were worried when you just stopped eating and stayed still, your eyes shining bright." The youngest of the bat ponies with her said. "I told you she was fine. Were you in the dream realm?" Strawberry Creme, Celestia's maid asked. "Yes thy was." The bat ponies returned to their places relieved and Strawberry Creme removed the empty plate. "Why art thou heare, Strawberry? Should thou not be sleeping?" The yellow mare smiled sympathetically while grabbing a small harp. "I'm on my way to Princess Celestia's room. She's been having nightmares ever since I began working here and a song of a harp usually calms her sleep." Luna smiled. "Thy have given her a surprise..." She whispered, and Strawberry didn't hear.
The days rolled by quickly, and soon three months had passed. Celestia had waken Luna from her slumber to talk about a festivity. "Tia...why hath thou waken me from thy slumber?" Luna sat next to her sister, struggling to stay awake, shielding her eyes from the sun with a hoof. "Well, this year's Nightmare Night is a few days away, and I wanted to tell you that the preparations were made so you go to Ponyville. I thought since you were there as Nightmare, maybe showing the towns folk your true self could reduce their aversion from you, just like you've been doing here in Canterlot, even if it's for one night." "Tia, thy don't wanna go. Ponies will cower in fear and run away from me like usual..." Luna moved her mane out of her face, the ethereal effect starting to wane. Celestia looked at her stunned. " 'Tis true!" Luna argumented.
"Luna, you just used a contraction...since when?" The younger of the two scratched her head at the question. "Thy've been practicing with the help of Jethro modern vernacular for almost two months now, 'tisn't a big deal." "Well, I'm certainly impressed. If this keeps up, you'll talk like a regular pony in no time." Celestia continued on, but Luna was thinking of other things. 'Will he use this day to look like his true self, or use magic?' "...Luna!" "What?!" The called alicorn responded surprised. "I said you should go to Ponyville, getting out of the castle will surely help your problem. Also, you could meet with Jethro and have a chat face to face, save you from the ordeal of writing." This brought a smile to her face. "Thou know what, Thy might just do that..." Celestia moved forward and caught her sister, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion. "Hehehe, rest now my sister. Meeting your friend after some time will help strengthen the friendship you have. I hope you have fun." Celestia spoke out her thoughts while carrying her sister to her room.
Somewhere else.
There was a dark cave, damp, riddled with critters, and water dripped from the celling. "God damn it. I told you not to come here! Your breath is almost putrid." The creature bowed. "My apologies master. I just came to inform you that my underlings found the missing dragon in Timberwolf Forrest." The dark colored creature unfurled his wings and smirked. "And here I thought the three I sent would be sufficient, I was wrong about him." The winged creature walked towards the opening of the cave, basking in the moon's light. "Should I send another group to hunt him down?" The suggestion came and the winged one growled at him. "No! Don't you dare harm him. I'll savor the hunt of that traitor. I'll show him." Closing his wings, he walked inside. "Master!" Another creature entered. "What is it you want Chang?" Chang stepped inside and removed the guard helmet he wore. "The Moon Princess is struggling with her daily lives, but word around the castle is that she'll head to a small town called Ponyville for Shadow Night, and meet someone called Jethro." A wicked grin crossed the winged creature's face. "Return to your spying post Chang, and inform us of everything you can." The phony guard bowed. "As you wish, master Gary." The armor clad phony walked away from the cave. The winged creature licked it's lips, the sharp tips protuding from his mouth. "Well, we'll meet again after all this time…brother."