Chapter Four: Given Quarter

~BlackRoseRaven

Luna paced back and forth in front of the fireplace like an anxious animal, shaking her head back and forth, the flames dancing violently as if further fueled by her anxieties. What had she done? Why had she been so violent, so rough?

What was she thinking, trying to make friends with normal ponies in the first place?

Princess Celestia only watched her, soft and gentle, giving her sister time to sort out her thoughts and feelings, until finally Luna stomped her front hooves angrily and glared at her through teary eyes, shouting: "What does thou want from me? Damn thee, Celestia, what does thou want?"

Celestia stepped forwards and hugged her, and Luna's eyes went wide before she trembled, then closed her eyes and tightly embraced her in return, burying her face against her as she shook with humiliation and shame and... and pain.

But her despair had always masqueraded as anger, because anger was easier to feel, easier to express, easier to hide away in.

Eventually, they parted, and Luna scowled as Celestia gently brushed her starry bangs from her face, asking gently: "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Stupid stuffy Shining Armor happened." Luna mumbled childishly, and then she winced when Celestia bopped her gently with a hoof. "I... I lost my temper. And I..."

She became more serious, chewing at her lip as she whispered: "Twilight Sparkle looked upon me as if I were a monster, and I fear she was right to. The injury that I inflicted upon her brother, for the crime of desiring to protect her from perceived attack, was nothing compared to the pain I desired to inflict. How I wished to humiliate him and teach him his place and-"

"Enough, Luna. Enough." Celestia reached up and soothingly squeezed her shoulder, looking down at her with compassion. "What matters is that you held back and didn't take things... well, you did take things too far."

Luna huffed and grumbled, but she looked down, ashamed, as Celestia smiled a little and said quietly: "Shining Armor is a good pony. He means well. But... I... I know there are a lot of rumors and distrust still floating through Canterlot, and even my own Solar Guard aren't immune to gossip, or the old myths of Nightmare Moon."

"Aye. Everything in the world that is bad is the fault of Nightmare Moon." Luna grumbled, and Celestia sighed even as she looked with compassion down at her sibling.

"So you were..."

"Horn foiling." Luna shrank a little, as if expecting to be reprimanded, and Celestia frowned at her; her little sister was taken by surprise by the question that followed.

"Why? Twilight Sparkle excels at magic, but horn foiling is more physical."

Luna stared up at her sister, then she slowly narrowed her eyes until she was squinting. Celestia looked back at her mildly, only slowly raising an eyebrow in return, until Luna finally questioned suspiciously: "Who art thou, and what hast thou done with Celestia?"

Celestia gave her an amused look, and then she shook her head slowly before saying finally: "I know I probably deserve that, with how I used to behave, Luna. Even when you returned, I was... harsh to you, especially in private."

She closed her eyes, almost frowning for a moment as she murmured: "But I've reflected a lot on how I treated you and what you mean to me. The debates we've had in private, and... I've come to see your side more. I... I have always had such trouble with things beyond my control, Luna. You know that."

Celestia smiled a little as she opened her eyes and looked at her sister, who had softened from suspicion into concern. "I'm fine, Luna. Really, I am."

"I think thou art possessed. Some terrible demon has infiltrated thee, 'tis the only thing that could have softened thy personality so." Luna noted, and Celestia gave her a sour look. "Nay demon, thou cannot fool me! Thou hast already given the game away!"

"Luna."

Luna grumbled, but then she nodded hesitantly, and Celestia said after a moment: "It feels less like I'm pretending these days, or always fighting some worse version of myself for control. I finally feel like myself, Celestia. And it's helped me find some peace, and... I hope it will help me make better decisions, too."

The sapphire mare huffed a little, but then she gave a small smile, saying quietly: "Well, do not lose all of thy prickly bits, Celestia. I love thee for who thou art. That includes even the part that scolds me and tells me I'm an idiot."

"You are an idiot, Luna. Don't worry, no matter how much things may change and settle, I think that will always remain the same." she answered with an amused smile, and Luna grunted. "I don't entirely approve, don't worry. But I want to hear your reasoning before I scold you, at least."

"Generous." Luna deadpanned, and then she nodded once before saying finally: "Honestly, 'twas mostly impulse. And thou hast spoken so much of her that... I felt it safe to do, and that she would pick up the art quickly. I..."

She licked her lips, and Celestia smiled faintly as she said softly: "It's okay, Luna. I know you're... you're trying to find ways to share yourself with the world. And I know it must make you feel even more out of place when you reach out like this and find-"

"The ponies are different now." Luna finished, looking down and stomping a hoof against the rug of the den quietly. "I shan't call them weak, but the prolonged peace and thy constant guidance have encouraged them to be more passive. To the pursuit of-"

"Peace?" Celestia questioned, and Luna grumbled. "You act like that's a bad thing."

"I fear for them." Luna said quietly. "I would arm them with knowledge. Teach them."

"Knowledge is dangerous." Celestia countered. "As arts like horn foiling and combat magic have faded from time and been replaced by gentler methods of dealing with our adversaries, the ponies have been encouraged to find happiness and express themselves in constructive ways. Bloodshed isn't a necessary part of a strong nation."

Luna scowled, then argued: "Perhaps in an ideal world, but 'tis not the world we live in, Celestia! Thou knows many dangers and enemies surround us, and not every pony is so kind and warm and proper-"

"We're getting off track." Celestia interrupted. Luna was both frustrated and almost glad for it: at least even now, she could grate on her sibling's nerves. "The point is that you should try reaching out to them through other means. Tell them about your art! They would love to see your sketching, Luna. Or you could tell them some of the old stories about Sleipnir, or sing the old songs with them."

"Only if there was enough ale involved to get us all heartily drunk, 'twas a very important part of the process." Luna answered dryly, and Celestia sighed. "Celestia, I only think that... I fear that they rely on thee and now the Elements of Harmony too much, and for all the evil the old ways could be used for, there were the teachings of honor and discipline, too."

The two looked at each other, the fire crackling quietly before Celestia finally nodded once, closing her eyes and saying: "I'll consider your words, as long as you promise to consider mine as well. For now, please try and watch your temper, and consider reaching out to ponies through... gentler means."

Luna grumbled under her breath, and Celestia studied her for a few moments before adding pointedly: "And it would be good if you could apologize to Shining Armor at some point, too."

"What?" Luna burst out, glaring up at Celestia. "The prat is lucky I was kind enough not to break his legs!"

"Luna."

Luna growled under her breath, then she spat into the fireplace, making the flames turn blue for a moment before she dropped her head sulkily. "Yes, Mother Celestia. I shall apologize to the prat."

"Luna." Celestia's voice was a bit firmer this time, and Luna looked moodily up at her. "He just wanted to protect his sister."

"Because some part of him, some part of all of them, believe I am Nightmare Moon."

Celestia nodded, then asked: "How is what you did going to dissuade them of that?"

Luna scowled, then stomped a hoof as she retorted: "Perhaps if I beat them enough, eventually it will get through their skulls."

Celestia sighed and shook her head, then asked her plaintively: "Will you do me a favor, Luna?"

"Do not beat them?"

"Yes. But could you also return to your quarters for tonight? Give yourself a chance to cool down."

Luna snorted at this, glaring up at her as she asked: "Oh, so thou art sending me to my room, Mother Celestia?"

Celestia's lips pursed, meeting her little sister's gaze with her own irritated irises. "I'm asking you, Luna, to at least try and keep your head down until things cool down, and until you at least pretend to make peace with Shining Armor."

"Politics." Luna grumbled bitterly.

"The worst part of being a princess." Celestia agreed, before she said quietly but firmly: "And you have to do it, if not for my sake, then for your own."

"Ugh." Luna threw her head back with a groan, then she scowled and said grumpily: "I am not a foal."

"Then be an adult." Celestia sighed tiredly. "Enough, Luna. We both have plenty to think about and you... you should go and get some rest."

Luna knew what that meant. She also recognized when Celestia had shifted to her implacable mother mode and would refuse to talk or take any baiting she might throw out, so instead she only snorted, then turned and stormed out of the room.

She made her way through the castle, past the few servants who were still awake, and a handful of patrolling Royal Guard. The servants gave her a wide, nervous berth, and the guards scowled at her, although they stayed at a distance. She could imagine that they were already gossiping like little fillies about what she'd done, and how maybe all the stories about her being evil and wicked Nightmare Moon were true after all, with how she'd so cruelly mashed in their brave and handsome captain's face.

She ground her teeth almost all the way to her room, her jaw aching by the time she smashed through the door, Scrivener Blooms wincing and almost knocking over the stack of books on his desk as he turned in his seat towards her. Before he could speak, the mare flicked her horn as it glowed brightly, slamming the door behind her with telekinesis before a circle of runes rapidly inscribed itself in blue flame over the surface.

Luna took a slow breath as her whole body loosened up, and then she screamed in frustration, jumping and leaping around, her voice shaking the room as her hooves slammed and stomped across the stone floor. She snapped her head back and forth as her mane and tail sparked, bucking like a bronco in a whirl of fury.

She swore and cursed and tantrumed, her eyes blazing, sparks of magic sizzling off her horn until she finally tired herself out, almost stumbling to a halt as she dropped her head, her lower lip trembling as she tried to bite back her tears.

Scrivener pushed himself out of his seat and walked over to her to hug her tightly, and Luna buried her face against his neck as she hugged him tightly back, her larger body almost curling around and overtop his own as she murmured: "Damnation, Scrivener Blooms. I hate this stuffy, stupid place and these stuffy, stupid ponies. 'Tis all... stuffy."

"Stuffy." Scrivener agreed, rubbing her back gently as he squeezed her tightly, before he asked: "Are you okay?"

Luna smiled a bit as she pulled back, looking down into his concerned eyes. "Yes, Scrivy. I am now. I am just..."

"Passionate." Scrivener filled in helpfully, and Luna laughed.

"Yes. I am passionate. Passionate and... of another world, I feel." Luna bit her lip, shaking her head as she murmured: "Celestia has had a thousand years to change and grow and evolve, and I spent all that time locked away in madness. Equestria has moved on without me and I fear I shan't ever belong here."

"Well, hey, us freaks have to stick together, right? And... Twilight Sparkle wasn't just scared of you, you know that, right?" Scrivener said gently, and Luna mumbled disconsolately. "I really mean it. Sure, you scared her, but that's just because Twilight's a big baby and a smart cookie, and any smart pony is afraid of you. But I think she felt just as bad about what happened as you did."

"Do not tell me what I do and do not feel." Luna grumbled, but Scrivener only gave her an amused look. "Stupid poet. Thou art stuffy too."

Scrivener sighed, before he asked gently: "Did it really go that badly?"

Luna opened her mouth, then she closed it slowly, chewing at the inside of her cheek before she mumbled: "I... I suppose not. 'Tis just vexing, Scrivy, I... I hate it here. I hate playing the role of princess. I hate being reasonable. I hate that I am forced to exist in a future that judges me for my past."

Scrivener gave her a moment, and she started to talk again as she looked up towards the ceiling, her eyes drawing across its shadowy concrete emptiness: "I am not permitted to raise or lower the moon. The practice of my magic is monitored. I am always watched, and never rewarded, only judged."

"Twilight and her friends came out here to see you. That's nice, isn't it?" Scrivener pointed out, and Luna glowered at him. "Look, Luna, if you want a treat or a gold star, I'm happy to give you them. I'll go draw one up for you right now as a matter of fact."

Luna huffed at him loudly, and Scrivener shrugged before he winced when she shoved him backwards. They jostled for a moment, but it wasn't long before they were sitting side-by-side, both of them looking out the barred window.

"This does seem like a cell sometimes. A gilded cage is still a cage." Scrivener said.

"'Tis not very gilded, either." Luna grumbled. "But 'tis probably for the best. Celestia is gilded and she has become..."

She quieted, then she laughed a little and glanced over at Scrivener, murmuring: "She is not the Celestia I remember, battle-hard and even more a creature of passion and the moment than I, yet also possessed by a scheming mind.

"She still is motherly and I fear her manipulations, but she has grown and changed. I love her and admire her and envy her, and... Equestria is hers to rule." Luna laughed faintly. "What use is another princess, especially one of the night, which so few ponies appreciate?"

"And yet some still do all the same." Scrivener said, before he hesitated and added: "Maybe you have a point."

Luna frowned over at him, and the stallion shrugged as he looked up at the ceiling, saying quietly: "We're supposed to go on some weird dumb quest thing, right? But Celestia also said that afterward..."

Luna nodded slowly, and then she smiled a little as she murmured: "Yes, Scrivy. That is true. There is no returning to old times, but perhaps indeed not all hope is yet lost. Ah, perhaps Celestia will let me join the Royal Guard!"

"Then you can beat up Shining Armor every day." Scrivener remarked, and Luna huffed and punched him in the shoulder, making him wince a little. "Ouch."

"Thou art lucky I will need a bard on my journey ahead, elsewise I would mash thee into mush." Luna grumbled, and Scrivener rolled his eyes before the sapphire mare glanced away as she admitted: "And I suppose... I like thee a little as well, my friend."

"I like you too, Luna. Pretentious accent included." He answered, then winced a little when she firmly bopped him with her horn. "And in spite of all the hitting me you do, too."

"I swear thou likes it, masochist. But it will at least make thee more useful on the journey, both as my shield and stress-ball." Luna said, and Scrivener laughed.

"Great, cool, glad I'll be 'useful,' then." he said wryly, and then he shook his head before asking finally: "What... do you expect me to do on your epic quest though, seriously?"

Luna looked at him curiously, cocking her head, and Scrivener shrugged lamely and awkwardly tapped his front hooves together before he said awkwardly: "I just... you know, don't want to slow you down too much, Miss Professional Adventurer. Maybe you could, you know, tell me a bit about what a bard should expect to do on an adventure."

"Oh, thou art not a true bard, poet, though, thou art more... junior bard, or novice adventurer." Luna answered with a slight smile, winking at the stallion. "But if thou art willing to listen, I am more than willing to speak for a time about all the things adventuring entails that perhaps the legends and stories may not have spoken of.

"And in all honesty, Scrivy, thou shall be more useful than thou knows. Thy accompaniment is more necessary than thou can know; I neither dare nor desire to walk that old path alone."

Luna blushed a bit, looking back at the window, and Scrivener softened and smiled before he nodded a little and said: "I would love to listen, Luna."

Luna talked for a long time, telling him all kinds of stories: she told him about traveling all across Equestria, about living for weeks, months at a time at campfire, living off the fruit of what had then been all wild land.

They were only interrupted just before daybreak, when there was a quiet knock at the door. Luna's eyes widened at the sight of Twilight Sparkle, standing up awkwardly and giving her a lame smile as she started to fumble out some apology, but she was left speechless when Twilight hurried up to her, hugged her fiercely, and whispered: "I'm sorry."

Twilight Sparkle was a lot of things, Scrivener Blooms thought. But she wasn't half-bad at the whole friendship thing, as he softened at the sight of Luna closing her midnight-green eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek as she hugged that little unicorn mare fiercely, fiercely back.

Twilight stayed for a while. She wanted to hear more about horn foiling, and about Luna's old adventures, and their plans for the future. She stayed until daybreak, when there was a polite knock at the door, and Scrivener opened it to find Shining Armor.

The stallion held himself stiffly upright, glaring at Scrivener Blooms, and Scrivener Blooms glowered back fearlessly as Twilight Sparkle winced and staggered up to her hooves.

"Shining Armor." Luna swept up to her own hooves and strode imperiously forward, and Shining looked up at her: to his slim credit, he almost managed to hide how uncomfortable she made him. "I wish to apologize for my temper. 'Twas not only cruel to thee, 'twas rude and unnecessary. I am sorry, as if there is one thing I understand, 'tis to love thy sibling with all thy heart."

"I... thank you, Princess Luna. I wish to apologize as well for being rude and failing to respect you, as Princess of the Night." Shining Armor answered, and while it was little more than professional courtesy, it was something, at least. "Twilight, your friends are looking for you, I said I'd come get you for them."

"I bet they are." Twilight muttered, and then she traded a quick hug with Luna. "We'll see you tonight, okay? We're in Canterlot for one more night and... my friends would definitely love to spend that time with you."

"Of course, Twilight. Go, though, there are many wonderful sights to be seen around Canterlot." Luna encouraged, and Twilight Sparkle smiled at her before she left, stepping past her brother.

Shining Armor leaned in to close the door, then glared at them both as Luna and Scrivener both made faces like him. He pointed at his own eyes, then at them as he leaned back and slammed the door, then he huffed and turned around to catch up to Twilight, who was frowning at him.

"I wish you wouldn't antagonize them." she muttered.

"Look, Twili, she might be the Princess of the Night, but I'm still going to call a griffin a griffin. She's a bad influence on you, and that... Scrivener Blooms is even worse." Shining Armor scowled, ignoring Twilight's sour look. "Some ponies are just trouble, end of story."

"Luna's a good pony. And you could stand to learn a thing or two from Scrivener, actually, and you have no idea how much it annoys me to defend that jerk of all ponies to you." Twilight grumbled.

Shining Armor laughed shortly at this. "Like how to get in trouble with the Royal Court? Little sister, before you met him, you had a spotless record. Do you know how shocked Mom and Dad were when we all found out you actually got kicked out of the library?"

"Oh, yeah, just furious. That's why it's one of their favorite stories still. Heck, Mom said it was such a relief I was learning to loosen up a little bit." Twilight said dryly. "Scrivy's fine. He's an idiot, but he's really good to the ponies he cares about."

Shining Armor scowled even more thunderously at this. "Cares about? He better not 'care about' you. And you better not 'care about' him, either! You deserve a better stallion. Maybe someone like Flash Sentry, I think he'd be good for you."

"Oh Horses of Heaven, Shining, stop trying to set me up with your friends!" Twilight Sparkle groaned, rolling her eyes. "Maybe you should date him instead if you like him so much."

"Romance and love can wait, Twilight, I'm focused on my job right now." Shining answered with a shake of his head. "I'm looking at a promotion this year as long as I can keep things together. And as long as nopony screws it up for me."

"Heaven forbid." Twilight muttered.

"Look. Just stay away from them. They're trouble." Shining said in that authoritative big brother voice he liked way too much, and Twilight Sparkle couldn't help but reflect that maybe he could use with a few friendship lessons himself.

Luna fell asleep in bed while complaining to Scrivener Blooms about something or other, and Scrivener fell asleep not long after at his writing desk after putting his head down to rest his eyes for a moment. At some point during the day, Luna had woken up long enough to heft Scrivener out of his seat and drop him onto the bed with telekinesis, and then she had simply flopped down beside him.

Not very princess-like, but she wasn't very good at this whole princess thing anyway.

Scrivener woke up because something was tickling his nose. He opened his eyes, on the one hand embarrassed to find himself in Luna's bed, and on the other, annoyed because Luna was tickling his snout with a straw.

He slapped at it grumpily, as Luna remarked: "Thou fell asleep in my bed, Scrivener Blooms. 'Tis very improper and rude. Thou art stinky. Stinky Scrivener Blooms."

"Yeah." Scrivener grasped at his uniform frock, saying mildly: "I'm still wearing this gross thing, after all. I probably need to wash it. And wash myself at that."

Luna grunted as she took a bite of salad before almost flinging a second bowl at him with telekinesis, Scrivener catching this with a grunt of surprise as Luna noted: "The servants brought us breakfast a few moments ago. With it came a note from Celestia, saying that she was having the Garden of the Moon cleaned and prepared for us to visit with Twilight Sparkle and her friends."

"Your friends too." Scrivener noted.

"Not quite, I am not sure they like me very much." Luna said glumly.

Scrivener snorted as he sat up and shoved the bowl into his face, taking a deep munch of salad. Luna looked at him for a moment, then at the fork she was using, and she shrugged before flicking the fork at Scrivener and instead shoving the bowl into her own face to devour it in a few quick bites.

"You know, ponies are quick to be friendly with each other these days. Maybe, okay, 'friend' even gets a little overused. But if you don't give them a chance-"

"I know, I know." Luna grumbled through the last of her mouthful of salad, and then she floated her cup of tea into the air and sipped at it, murmuring: "I will say though, Scrivy, perhaps once I was greedy and stupid enough to think I needed to be adored by all, but now... now I am happy with a few willing to admire what the night has to offer, and of course, my loyal aide to keep me entertained."

"Thanks Luna. You know just how to make me feel special." Scrivener remarked.

But he was smiling, because she did make him feel special, whether he'd ever really admit that or not. She was strong, incredible, and her stories about the life she'd lived a thousand years ago were incredible and beyond everything he'd ever dreamed of.

He could respect Princess Celestia for the things she'd done and how hard she worked to keep Equestria safe. But it was Luna who he thought of as a true heroine, the champion who was willing to go as far as it took to protect the world that she clearly loved so deeply, even when it didn't love her back. That was what made her so special, he thought: not her strength, but her desire to do the right thing, no matter how hard that was.

Luna was peering at him suspiciously, and he blushed a bit, then asked impulsively: "How are you feeling tonight?"

The mare blinked, then she shrugged as she looked at the window, flicking her horn to throw the curtains open and reveal the beautiful sunset-sky. She gazed up at the cloudless, deepening expanse, then said finally: "Nervous, I suppose, Scrivener Blooms. And frustrated still, aye. I do not... I am not good at politics. Is that all friendship is, politics?"

"Wow, that's pessimistic even by my standards." Scrivener put his bowl aside with a slight smile as he stood up and walked over to her, and then he offered her a hoof. She took it with a smile, allowing him to help her to stand. "Don't wimp out on me now, huh?"

"I am no wimp!" Luna said crossly, huffing loudly at him, before she grumbled: "I... I am also no foal to be sent on playdates either, though, and Celestia-"

"Screw Celestia." Scrivener said, and Luna grinned in spite of herself. Even for the abrasive poet, that was bold to say. She liked that. "This is about you. Even if Celestia has set out party balloons and cake and a ball pit, this is your chance to meet with them and show them who you are."

Luna nodded after a moment, and then she said finally: "Thou art right, Scrivener Blooms. I mean... you are right."

"You know, maybe tonight..." Scrivener smiled despite himself. "Just talk like yourself. I... I really like the way you talk."

Luna blushed ever-so-slightly, and then she scoffed: "Some teacher thou art, poet! Pathetic! And look at thee, such a mess!"

She flicked her horn, Scrivener wincing at the powerful cleansing spell that seared his body and made his cloak smell like smoldering cloth, and then she began to yank and poke at him with telekinesis, 'neatening' his frock. "I swear, look at thee. Without me, thou must have been naught but a sordid ugly mess. We can at least fix the sordid part."

"Can't fix what a whiny little filly you are, though." Scrivener muttered before he could stop himself, and then he wheezed when Luna's telekinesis became a vise around him and hefted him into the air. "H-Hey, you can't squish me or you'll have to go meet Twilight and her friends alone!"

"Thou art a rude, nasty little ingrate, beetle." Luna enunciated as she leaned in, her eyes narrowed to slits, before she softened even as Scrivener rolled slowly, weightlessly in the air in the grip of her magic. "And yet what makes thee so terrible is that thou speaks the truth. 'Tis frustrating."

Scrivener made a face as he slowly revolved upside-down. "Then in the name of the truth, can you put me down?"

"Nay." Luna paused. "I must admit I enjoy these games, Scrivy, and in all the wide world there are precious few like thee, whom are too stupid to fear my power."

She absently flung him over her head, Scrivener flailing wildly before he was caught in another telekinetic hold before he could hit the ground, instead rolling helplessly through the air again before she juggled him back, musing: "I have always enjoyed this power over others, Scrivener Blooms. I understand why these days especially, ponies fear me, with magic turned to peaceful uses rather than offensive."

"Could you put me down, please? I'm definitely gonna puke if you keep this up." Scrivener wheezed loudly, and Luna smiled despite herself as she set him on his hooves. His legs quaked for a moment before he straightened, shaking his head and glowering at her. "How about I work on my tact if you agree to work on your whole 'picking up ponies' thing. Me, in particular."

Luna laughed, and smiled at him. He wasn't afraid of her. He trusted her, even with how fickle she was, her brashness, her bad habit of abusing her power rather than her authority over others.

"Perhaps. And yet, Scrivy, I think thou enjoys that power I hold over thee." she teased as she leaned forwards, her midnight eyes gleaming as she licked her lips slowly, and Scrivener's eyes widened as he leaned back with a flush that crept up from his collar. "Certainly I find much pleasure in it myself."

Then she laughed and turned to head to the door, and Scrivener awkwardly fidgeted on the spot before he cleared his throat and hurried after her, mumbling under his breath.

They were both distracted from their games when Luna opened the door, however, finding blue-armored guards outside. Luna frowned at this: these were her Centurions, the elite of the Night Guard, which were comprised chiefly of bat ponies.

Bat ponies were very rare these days. They had once been pegasi, but had been touched by the powers of Nightmare Moon in the brief time she had rampaged freely across Equestria before her failed attack on Celestia, and she had been sent to the moon. Only a few descendants still existed these days, almost all of them employed here at Canterlot as protectors of the castle during the cover of darkness.

"What art thou doing here?" Luna asked.

One of the bat ponies smiled at her: Long Dark, she was fairly certain was his name. "Night Mistress Luna! Day Lady Celestia has told us we are all to be transferred fully to your care."

"What?" Luna blinked in surprise. While the Centurions and Night Guard were 'hers,' they had always been so in name only. Whether Solar or Night, Centurion or Dervish, they all fell under the umbrella of the Royal Guard of Canterlot, which reported to Celestia's chosen commanders and generals, who of course reported to Celestia, not her.

It was a strange and surprising gesture as she traded looks with Scrivener Blooms, before asking: "What does this mean?"

"Day Lady Celestia said to serve you as our ancestors did long ago. We are honored." Long Dark answered her, as he and his fellow bowed deeply. "Where you wish us to go, now we shall go. Day Lady Celestia says the pact is fulfilled."

"The pact..." Luna looked at Scrivener with confusion.

The stallion only thought for a moment before he nodded and answered: "The legend goes that the bat ponies were given amnesty by Celestia after you were sent to the moon. But in return they had to promise that they and all their ancestors would obey her until... I think it was put in the old scrolls, 'the sins of the betrayer were washed clean from their wings.'"

"And now we are free." said the other bat pony. A beautiful gray mare, Luna realized. She was blushing a little, young and clearly newly-promoted. "It is an honor, Mistress Luna."

"I am... honored by thee." Luna smiled after a moment, then she said finally: "Then tell all to take tonight to celebrate this freedom. And that I do not bind them: thou may continue to serve as my soldiers and Night Guard as thou desires, but should any of thee wish, thou art free to go."

Both of the Night Guard looked surprised by this, trading looks before they bowed deeply to her, whispering gratitude, but Luna only smiled faintly as she murmured: "I have spent long in a cage myself, my friends. I shall never deny freedom to those who deserve it."

With that, Luna strode quickly past them, and Scrivener followed. They made their way through the dark shadows of the castle, heading for one of the lesser-used exits so they didn't have to pass into the busy brightness of Canterlot proper, and Scrivener allowed Luna time to think.

As they exited a long, curling almost-secret passage and stepped out into the brisk night air, Luna finally rose her eyes to the beautiful night sky. Sun had set, moon had risen, and the stars gleamed and thrummed across the blanket of darkness, the two ponies looking up at this before Luna took a deep breath, then recited: "Star light, star bright, spirits of kings and queens of the night sky..."

"Grant me fortune and joy tonight, as thee shine thy splendorous light down from on high." Scrivener finished, and Luna blinked in surprise, but the stallion only grinned wryly and shrugged. "Hey, I'm the Court Poet, I need to at least know a few of the old poems. I don't think you need the luck of the gods on your side tonight, but... I'm sure they'll send a little extra encouragement your way all the same."

They were both surprised by a cheerful chirp, and then the two laughed as they looked down at Sammy, who scurried between them and around them happily before he leapt up, scrambling up Luna's ethereal mane as she huffed a little, but didn't resist as the skeletal pseudodragon proudly made his way up onto her head.

Scrivener smiled in amusement, and then the two started forwards across the castle grounds towards the natural stage a short distance away, as Luna asked: "Does thou think it was a test?"

"Nah." Scrivener answered, shaking his head briefly. "I mean, Princess Celestia always seems to know what's going to happen. She's had a thousand years to play politics and learn things and... I think, honestly, this is maybe her way of trying to show you that she... she means what she says."

Luna nodded slowly, then smiled as a bat pony swooped through the night air above their heads. She thought she could see more than one, reveling in their newfound freedom as they danced together across the firmament and sang silent songs that made her horn reverberate.

"I could not deny them freedom, Scrivy." she said, as they entered the Garden of the Moon: a massive stone table covered in hexagrams and lunar symbols dominated the center of the zone, which was surrounded by enormous stone pillars etched with stories in ancient runes, overgrown with moss and ivy.

"You're a good pony, Luna." Scrivener said softly, and she heard in his voice that he really meant it.

They approached the table. Seats and cushions had been set out, and the altar-table itself was freshly polished, to the point where even the symbols across it seemed to glow with newfound life. Luna tested it with her magic, and smiled warmly as the hexagrams briefly lit up with a soft blue glow. "This has been recently restored. Damn thee, Celestia. And here I thought thou would have let all this fade into antiquity..."

"What is it?" Scrivener asked, before he smiled in amusement as Sammy leapt off Luna's head to attack a stray bun that had fallen out of one of the baskets of food on the table. "Should we be eating off the sacrificial altar?"

"Oh, shut up, Scrivy, 'tis not a sacrificial altar." Luna huffed, then answered in a softer voice: "'Tis a calendar and astrolabe, useful for calculating and plotting out when and where magic ritual will be most effective, among other things."

She paused, then added positively: "'Tis also very useful for the weather, which is silly, with how 'tis controlled now across Equestria."

"Huh." Scrivener looked across the table as he watched Samael roll around with the bun, clearly losing to the baked good, and then he smiled slightly as he noted: "You know, this is so nice maybe I should just excuse myself-"

"If thou abandons me here, Scrivener Blooms, I shall pummel thee." Luna threatened, and Scrivener winced and leaned back as Sammy chirped and looked up from beneath the bun he was half-curled around. "I... well, 'tis easier to be confident with thou around. Thou art like my second in the days of the duel; should I err, I know thou art there to step in for my sake."

Scrivener smiled at this metaphor, nodding as he agreed: "Fine, if you put it like that, I can't back out on you. I'll deal with Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Just remember, be yourself, Luna. Or at least pretend to be cool."

"I am cool. I am very cool!" Luna complained.

"Uh huh." Scrivener paused, glancing up the path they hadn't taken that led down from a brighter part of the castle, and noted: "I swear I just saw something pink zip by."

"You've got good eyes!" declared a new voice, and Scrivener and Luna both jumped before staring in disbelief at the pink pony who had joined them. She smiled brightly as she waved rapidly, before her eyes slid to the table, and then slowly widened at the sight of Sammy.

The little skeletal pseudodragon popped up to his claws, finally letting the mauled bun roll away, and then he chirped loudly as he hopped towards her, and Pinkie Pie squealed before she dashed off, almost vanishing back towards the castle.

Sammy whimpered, and Scrivener smiled wryly as he turned his eyes towards him, saying gently: "I know you want to meet new ponies, little guy, but let them come to-"

Except a moment later, Pinkie Pie was back, and this time she was bulling a stupefied Fluttershy in front of her, almost throwing the yellow pegasus at the table as she blurted out: "Look look look! Ooh, Spike, Spike should see this too!"

"Um" was about all that Scrivener could manage before Pinkie Pie dashed off again, leaving poor meek Fluttershy there alone. On the bright side, her attention was quickly drawn away from the strange ponies she was with: on the not-so-bright side, it went immediately to Sammy.

They stared at each other, and then Sammy chirped at her, and Fluttershy flinched: the pseudodragon dropped his head with a whimper, and Fluttershy trembled-

Scrivener and Luna stared as the pegasus mare leapt forwards and scooped Sammy up off the table, making him squeak in surprise as she blurted out: "Oh, no no no! I'm sorry, I was just startled, that was all! You're a very lovely little pseudodragon, aren't you? Why look at you and how handsome you are!"

Sammy chirped after a moment, and she smiled brightly as she snuggled the skeletal little beast warmly against her before blushing as she looked up at Scrivener and Luna, not seeming to notice their stares as she worried: "I'm... I'm not hurting him, am I?"

"Uh, no, he seems very happy." Scrivener said after a moment, clearing his throat awkwardly as Sammy chirped in agreement, nuzzling deeper into the pegasus' body and kneading her mane tenderly. "He's um, a clever little dude, he'll let you know."

"Okay, that's good." Fluttershy looked relieved, smiling as she relaxed a little, tenderly, carefully stroking along his spine as she murmured: "I'll try not to be so rough, don't worry."

Luna and Scrivener traded amused looks, and then they looked up again as Pinkie Pie came back with a tiny purple dragon on her back, whom she unceremoniously flipped off to land on his butt with a yelp. Fluttershy blinked as Pinkie said brightly: "Look, it's like a little dragon, an even smaller dragon than you!"

"Pinkie Pie, I know what a pseudodragon is, I've seen-" And then Spike stared at the skeleton Fluttershy was cradling, almost going white as a sheet before he pointed and cried: "It's a zombie!"

He bolted off to hide behind one of the pillars, and Sammy gave an offended huff as Fluttershy chastened: "That's not very nice, Spike!"

Scrivener, Luna, and Pinkie all shared a laugh, though, and it was a good way to loosen up before they were joined by the others. Twilight Sparkle was more in awe over the massive stone table than she was over the undead pseudodragon, although Rainbow seemed to share Spike's sentiments and had placed herself on the far side of the table from Fluttershy.

Applejack and Rarity were good conversationalists, steering things away from yesterday's events, and Fluttershy seemed content with Sammy, who also seemed very happy. Spike nervously hid beside Twilight Sparkle, who was watching Luna and occasionally added a little about this or that, and Rainbow said a few dumb things, but in ways that endeared her to Luna. And somehow Pinkie Pie was always there, taking a silent lead in making sure everyone was happy at this little party and adding now and then to the conversation.

After about an hour, the wind picked up a little: the breeze was nice, but it blew out the candles at the table. Neither Scrivener nor Luna really noticed, used to the dark as they were, but Pinkie Pie almost collided with Applejack, who yelped before grumbling: "Watch yerself, it's darker in here than a barrel in a barn."

"I can cast a light spell!" Twilight Sparkle suggested.

"Oh, nay, I apologize friends. I forget others aren't as used to the night as myself and Scrivy. Allow me." Luna apologized, and without thinking, she looked up at the moon as her horn began to glow.

The full moon's radiance seemed to brighten, before that great pearl in the sky grew; its pall became a brightness that filled the field with a soft white light, and the ponies gasped and marveled amongst themselves before Twilight murmured, as she looked with awe at Luna: "That's incredible."

"What? Oh, nay, nay, 'tis nothing!" Luna blushed deeply, laughing awkwardly as she waved a hoof. "The moon and I have always spoken, that is all."

"I wish I could speak to the moon!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "She must be a great friend!"

"He." Luna corrected automatically, and Scrivener coughed before wincing when Luna punched him in the shoulder. "Oh shut up, poet. Fie on thee."

"Pie sounds great!" Whether Pinkie misheard Luna or not, pie was still a good idea, and they all welcomed the slices that Pinkie doled out to them.

She also gave Luna and Scrivener coffee, as if somehow she knew the two preferred that over tea. She seemed to have a supernatural sense for what to do that went beyond her special talent being for parties, and more importantly, she seemed to be enjoying herself acting as impromptu hostess.

Luna listened a lot. She was good at listening – at least, when she wanted to be – and she was fascinated by the modern world and the way ponies lived these days. It was one thing to hear about it second-hoof from Celestia, but quite another to hear the perspectives from the ponies themselves, who actually lived these experiences and what it meant for the average pony.

Rarity was the first to leave after another good ninety minutes or so, claiming she needed her beauty sleep: one after another, the ponies filtered off. Fluttershy stole Sammy when she left, but since Sammy didn't struggle, Scrivener thought it was probably fine: he was just glad there was another pony who liked his weird little companion.

Pinkie Pie left last after doing some tidying up, and she surprised Luna with a hug, the sapphire mare blushing in surprise, then laughing when Pinkie nearly strangled Scrivener with another firm embrace, making him wheeze and then scowl as she hopped happily off.

That left Twilight Sparkle.

Spike was snoozing quietly on a pile of cushions, all tuckered out from the night, and Twilight gazed at him before she looked at Luna. The sapphire mare smiled slightly, then gestured with her head, and the trio walked out of the Garden of the Moon and up to the top of a nearby hill.

"Once upon a time, Twilight Sparkle, this world was not so... controlled, so calm, so restricted. The pegasi did not act to control the weather, except for rare occasion to protect cropland or weaken the most ferocious storms. Magic was both more and less omnipresent, less for luxury and more a tool for survival." Luna gazed up at the moon, her horn glowing as she leaned forward, gently pushing that radiant orb back to its natural position in the sky, the air deepening around them.

Twilight Sparkle smiled faintly: she didn't speak as her own horn glowed, creating a small ball of light that gently lit the area around them, as Luna continued: "'Twas a wild world, yet I think 'twas even better for it. But mayhap that is only my fondness for the old, dead ways talking, and my desire to return to a world that, as harsh as it was... at least I understood it. At least 'twas somewhere where I belonged."

"You belong in this world, too." Scrivener Blooms said softly. "Maybe not as a princess, I don't know. Maybe not here in Canterlot, even. But you're ironically having the same problem every pony does: figuring out where it is you belong."

"Scrivener's right. As much as that pains me to say." Twilight smiled a little at the stallion, then she returned her eyes to Luna. "You know... I think you'll find that place. You're strong enough to. You deserve to be happy, Luna."

"Do I?" Luna smiled again, but it was more sad this time as her eyes drifted skywards. "They say a traitor is forever stained, Twilight Sparkle. Nightmare Moon shall never leave me... neither my heart, nor my name. And I have done terrible things in the name of good, and even more terrible things following my own desires."

Twilight looked at her silently, but Scrivener reached up and squeezed her shoulder gently. "Evil and good are relative terms. You've helped many ponies. You're responsible for this nation becoming what it is today. You're not Celestia, Luna, you don't have to be perfect."

Luna laughed at this, giving him an amused look, and Twilight Sparkle bit her lip before she said softly: "It's funny. Celestia was just talking to me today about something similar, too. Things she was worried about, that she said were worse than Discord. I've never had her open up to me like that, and it's hard to imagine something more frightening than Discord..."

Luna snorted in amusement, and Twilight cocked her head curiously before the mare remarked: "Nay, 'tis only... a reminder. Twilight Sparkle, what evils did Discord do?"

"He... well, he hurt all my friends. He scared a lot of ponies. He turned the world topsy-turvy and made-"

"He made the skies rain chocolate milk and ill sport of the ponies around him." She paused, then added gently: "And I heard, of course, how he attacked thee and thine, but think about it, Twilight Sparkle: across all of Equestria, perhaps all the world, what threatened him most?"

"Us." Twilight answered after a moment, as if the thought had never occurred to her.

Her mouth went dry. She couldn't even say that Discord had no reason to have been afraid of them, because...

Twilight looked towards the gardens in the distance. And as if reading her mind, Luna strode forward, taking the lead, as Scrivener fell in beside her, offering silent support to her as they made their way to the somehow-frightening statue garden.

Here, amongst the hedges and ferns, stood countless ancient monsters, statues of heroes, beasts and villains; how many of them, Twilight wondered uneasily, had once been real, and were now only the petrified remains of creatures who had once threatened Equestria? Was that why they all looked so real, so alive, why their angry eyes seemed to follow her?

And in the center of it all, frozen forever in marble, was the statue of a Draconequus, a chimerical creature whose entire chaotic body was united in a singular expression of terror: Discord.

Here, naked in the moonlight, with no sounds of joy or celebration to form the distracting backdrop, Twilight Sparkle felt guilt and shame and abject terror roil inside of her at the sight of him, not only imprisoned, but the crowning decoration of this awful, frightening stone necropolis...

"That could have been me." Luna said softly, matter-of-factly. "In some ways, perhaps, I shared the experience he did; only my imprisonment was within the moon, the stain of my crime upon its face.

"Aye, Discord is disharmony, and he has done wicked things and deserves punishment. But he does not kill, Twilight Sparkle. 'Tis a foolish notion, that chaos must kill; killing is stillness and silence, and chaos desires to see things move and react, not cease to be.

"That was why he did not simply kill thee when he easily could have. 'Twould have certainly solved any problem of threat for him." Luna noted: Twilight had never thought about that. "And do not think my pity blinds me to the problems he would cause. Thou should be proud of what thou hast accomplished, defeating Discord and putting a stop to his chaos: it is a testament to the strength of the bonds thou shares with thy friends.

"What I am not proud of is that my sister has placed him here, on display for all to see, like a war trophy. Frozen, powerless... is he aware? Does he scream, Twilight Sparkle?" And although Twilight was trembling, Luna, too, had a haunted look in her eyes as she gazed up at the frightened face of the statue, whispering: "Had the Elements of Harmony nullified me rather than blasting the infection from my body, would I be here as well, amongst so many other petrified relics of the past, forevermore on display as examples of what Celestia would do to the ponies who cross her?"

Twilight Sparkle looked down, shaking her head mutely, and then she gasped quietly when Luna hugged her fiercely, and wiped a hoof across her cheek, brushing away tears she didn't even realize had fallen. "Do not blame thyself. And know that my sister has... has changed, and is working on her own redemption, just as I am. I... I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle. I do not mean to ruin such a beautiful night."

She laughed faintly, before blushing when Scrivener stepped forwards and hugged her tightly, and Twilight embraced her fiercely from the other side, whispering: "No. Thank you for not treating like me a child. I want to know these things and..."

She smiled faintly, then slipped back, rubbing at her eyes and gazing silently over at Discord's statue as she murmured: "And I want to know what I've done right, but also what I've done wrong. That's how you learn and grow. I don't want to hate people. I especially don't want to hate them... for all the wrong reasons."

Luna nodded slowly, and then she returned her eyes to Discord. She gazed upon him from between the safety of her two first real friends since her return from the moon, and she promised herself that no matter what happened, she would make the most of this second chance she had been given, and protect the ponies she cared about no matter what the cost.