my princess chapter 2- tea with a princess

A dark deep frown set itself on Twilight's lips as Luna answered her, her pristine blue hair shimmering in the light of the mid morning sun. Twilight had only recently met princess Luna, at one of pinkie's classic parties, celebrating her reformation from Nightmare moon to princess Luna. At the party, twilight ( along with the rest of the mane six) had been quite courteous to the princess, yet at the same time had avoided her completely. Nobody recovers from a night like that so easily. " Good morning miss Sparkle, how unexpected. I was just having my morning tea, would you care to join me?" asked Luna, a cheery grin plastered onto her muzzle as she welcomed in the unicorn " th-thank you, you're too kind" said a shy and cautious Twilight, wanting to be prepared should Luna suffer another " episode". Twilight took quick glances across the bed chamber as she stepped in, there were telescopes, starry paintings, globes, and even the occasional star chart, heavily noted in Luna's own penmanship . Luna clearly loved her night time, and Twilight couldn't blame her, stargazing appeared to be a hobby they shared, however Twilight had grown out of needing a nightlight, a trait Luna still seemed to posses. " Please miss Sparkle, do sit down" said a happy Luna, pointing her hoof to a cushion laying besides a small table, upon which rested the most elegant tea set Twilight had ever laid eyes upon.

Twilight sat there in silence, running her hooves over the soft carpetted floors of the royal bed chamber, sipping softly at the chamomile tea hung magically before her. She let out a small cough to try and ease the tension, but nothing worked, she could not feel at ease where she was. Her deep purple eyes glanced over at the alicorn sat in front of her, she seemed to be feeling the complete opposite of Twilight right now, a bright grin was streaked across her face, it was heartwarming and genuine, but it only served to put Twilight less at ease. She gulped down another helping of tea and started to speak to the pony " so... princess Luna...How have you been since we last saw each other?" she asked awkwardly, barely able to make eye contact with the pony. She was scared. Like every pony in Equestria she still retained some fear for Luna, or rather, for her nightmare moon persona, and nobody would think it was unjustified. The being that had once threatened to cloak the world in eternal night, now sat before her as nothing but an innocent young pony. In her heart she knew that princess Luna was no harm whatsoever, but something about the events that she went through when she first came to ponyville made her want to drink her tea, excuse herself, and run out of the castle like there was no tomorrow.

Luna blushed a little from Twilight's question,as a princess she was forced to remain indoors at almost all times, she so rarely got to speak with other ponies. " Well honestly, i've been wonderful. Celly-err...p-princess celestia has been so forgiving since i came back, she's been trying to make the transfer easy for me" her smile beamed for a moment, but then slowly dropped as her thoughts flipped back to her previous life, the solidarity of the moon, the loss of her sister. " Um...princess Luna? is something the matter?" Twilight tilted her face at Luna, every braincell trying to work her out " its about the moon isnt it? do..do you miss it? is equestria not what you expected?" Twilight was never the most empathic of ponies, she too had spent her life mostly alone, however even she could tell when another pony was depressed.

Twilight realised just then how many traits she really did have in common with princess Luna, they were both young fillies, greatly skilled in magic, had a great admiration for Celestia, and were both still learning so much about the world. But there was another thing that linked the pair. Loneliness. Both of them had been alone for most of their life, which had left them both inexperienced in truly living. yet twilight had chosen her life of solitude, Luna's had hers forced upon her, Twilight felt that perhaps she should stay for a little longer, if only to try and help the princess in her own growth.

" Oh not at all! ive been great Ms. Sparkle!its just you have no idea how terrible the moon is! the new pony ways, and technology are so strange to me, but they're also so exciting!" A wild blush suddenly spread over the princess' cheeks,and she forced her eyes down to her hooves, in a hope that Twilight wouldnt notice. " F-forgive me, speaking like that befits a little schoolfilly, not a princess". Twilight couldnt help but sincerely giggle at this, she so rarely got to see celestia acting so true to herself, so it was nice to see a princess, being who she really was. " Oh don't worry about it" she said in a soft voice, the faintest trickle of a smile appearing on her lips " if that's how you feel then i want to know" Twilight thought for a moment, and then set down her teacup, laying herself down on the plush floor "so what are these 'new pony ways and technology' that interest you so much?" Luna's head immediately sprung back up and she locked onto Twilight " what! are you actually asking me how i feel?" she asked her voice showing no emotion other than complete and utter surprise, as though some pony had offered her a plate of pine cones for food. Twilight looked back at the princess with a grimace, thinking she had ticked her off " umm..yes?" she asked weakly. Twilight's entire body tensed up and her eyes locked shut, preparing for what she thought was an oncoming barrage of magic, instead all she received was a pair of warm hooves wrapped around her, and the sound of a pony sniffling.

Her eyes shot open the moment skin and fur touched her " princess?" she asked, dumbfounded. Of all the reactions she expected from the princess this was not one of them. She felt a small warmth spreading through her emanating from their points of contact, it was a feeling she hadn't ever had before, it was strange, yet nice. Her mind was lost for only a second, lost in a whirlwind of bliss, but soon her rational mind set back in and she became horrified to realise what was happening to her. " Luna get off of me!" she shouted, her hooves pressing against Luna's shoulders hard. In one fluid motion she had thrown her back and into her wardrobe, a sickening bang resonating in Twilight's ears and mind. Tears streaked down Luna's face, and a dark blue bruise was appearing on her back " T-twilight?" she squeaked, her eyes looking up at twilight in fear and misery. Twilight couldn't bare to look at the princess, she had hurt her, she needed to leave.

Her hooves sprang off in the direction of the exit, she didn't know where she was headed, she only knew that it was as far away from here as possible. She had assaulted a princess, and for what reason? Fear of a dead entity? her own personal trepidations about contact with another pony? she made herself sick. The door out of the bedchambers was inches from her nose when it slammed shut, the hinges blowing off with a force that could have crushed even the strongest of ponies. " How dare you hurt luna!" screamed the voice behind her, and an ethereal glow flooded over her, pulling her back, and forcing her infront of a pair of deep blue eyes. A pair nobody had seen for nearly a year.

The cold blue eyes of Nightmare moon were transfixed onto Twilight, whose body shivered immeasurably as though they were piercing right into her very soul. Twilight couldn't move a muscle, even after all her studying, after all her training she was still powerless compared to a fully grown alicorn. The magical constraints gripping Twilight seemed to tighten with every passing second, the tips of her hooves growing into a deeper shade of purple from blood loss. She tried to scream in fear, but she could barely release a whisper, the magic had infected her entire being, her body was no longer under her control. Nightmare moon let out a shrill maniacal laugh, one that rang deep in Twilight's ears, fear for her life being the only thing she felt anymore. " Hahaha, so little filly, how does it feel to finally get your comeuppance? hmm?" Nightmare moon paced the room, taking in the atmosphere as though she needed it to survive, keeping Twilight in her grasp all the while " I bet you never expected me to appear when you threw back my counterpart, I bet you thought I was gone for good? WELL YOU WERE WRONG!" She screamed, her muzzle inches from Twilight's own, the poor filly's form reflected in those dead eyes. " I can never die while a peace of me rests inside Luna's heart, ill just keep coming back, again and again, until one day, all of you foals who hurt her are gone forever!"

Twilight's breath had become shallow, pain was spreading all over her body and tears were streaming down her face, matting her fur down, and taking away any air of heroism she may have once shown. Upon Nightmare's face rested a smirk that tormented Twilight more than anything, it was a sign of victory. "Tut tut, the great Twilight sparkle brought down by a mere holding spell? What would Celestia think?" she asked, knowing precisely how deep the respect Twilight had for the princess was. "Ha ha, don't worry little filly, I'm not going to kill you... Not yet. First I want you to witness the new world that I create, a world free of sunlight, a world of eternal night, a perfect world". Upon finishing her sentence the binds holding Twilight in place disappeared dropping her down onto the carpeted floor at Nightmare moon's feet. "Y-you wont get away with this! Celestia will stop you!" Shouted Twilight, disregarding the intense pain her body had just been subject to, and glaring up at the alicorn. "He-he, you still don't get it do you? Celestia is powerless to me! Normal magic is useless against alicorns, she wont be able to do a single thing to stop me!"
"Then the other elements and I-"
"The elements of harmony are useless separated, what can they possibly do while i have you right here?" Nightmare turned to face the window, gazing out at all of Equestria " Face it Miss Sparkle, this once proud land is over, and its all thanks to you".

Those words echoed in Twilight's mind " all thanks to you. All thanks to you". Every fibre of her body was telling her to get the heck out of there, and warn all of Canterlot, yet something deep within her, something was making her stay. " What do you mean? How is any of this my fault?"
Nightmare turned, and for a split second showed what seemed almost like shock " are you truly that dense Twilight? According to Celestia, you're her brightest pupil, yet you miss something so obvious?" Twilight was near her breaking point, endangering all of Equestria was one thing, but calling her dumb? That was something else entirely. " I am not some little foal, i know exactly why!...I ..Just cant quite explain it yet!" Nightmare moon tutted as she trotted around Twilight, her eyes darting over, as though she was cross examining the filly.
" Well let me explain it for you. You hurt Luna".

She let the words linger in the air for a moment, wanting Twilight to take in the gravity of them. " You hurt her badly. Not just physically, emotionally. Luna has been alone for a thousand years on the moon, ironically here she's surrounded by hundreds of ponies every day, but still just as lonely. Every single pony is like you, they're still fearful of her releasing me again, so now they have you to thank. When you came to her room this morning, you inadvertently raised her hopes, she thought she might finally be able to make a friend, just as Celestia wanted, but the second she tried to get closer, you threw her away...And thus i was reborn."
"No! no its not my fault! It cant be!" pleaded Twilight, unable to face the fact that had been staring her in the eye all along " you're the evil one here! I haven't done anything wrong!"
" Apart from crush the spirit of an innocent young pony".
That last comment left Twilight speechless, throughout all her lessons of friendship, she had not once directly hurt another pony, and now she had ruined the lives of not only Princess Luna, but of every pony in all of Equestria. She was a failure.

Nightmare looked down on Twilight with a look of bemusement and pity. " Tell me little filly, why did you push her away when she was only trying to befriend you? What made you drive that poor girl away?" She asked, wanting to pain Twilight more than she already had.
" B-because..." A small whimper escaped Twilight's lips " because I'm scared OK! I'm a coward! I was scared of Luna becoming you! I was scared of letting down princess Celestia by not rushing to her Aide this morning." A faint blush had spread over Twilight's cheeks " and when Luna touched me, it felt nice...That scared me most of all".
Nightmare moon was beside herself in laughing fits " haha you poor lovestruck filly, are you serious! " Twilight's fear had once again seeped back in, and she crawled onto the floor, trying to hide away in the safety of her hooves.

"Well i would love to stay and chat, but I have a night to bring about. Oh and look Celestia has just risen today's sun, it'll feel nice to bring and end to that silly thing once and for all. Ha ha, and also the sun". Twilight was cuddling her knees close to her chest as Nightmare moon left the glass door onto the balcony, locked in thought about many things. About the ponies that would be hurt from her actions, about letting down Celestia, and of her powerless in the face of evil. She had never hated herself More than at this moment. Suddenly images of her friends flew into her head, ponies who after today she would never get to see again. Pinkie Pie , Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike and...Luna?
Why was she thinking of Luna at a time like this? She didn't need to feel more guilt, she needed a miracle. But Luna was just the miracle she had needed. Twilight didn't realise at the time, but Luna had become instantly attached to her, more so than any pony she had ever met, Twilight was her greatest, yet only friend in the world, and if Twilight had learned anything over this past year, it was that no power was greater than friendship.

With a jolt of energy Twilight rose from her spot on the floor, and strode forcefully up at Nightmare moon , a fire burning in her eyes." Stop" she called, and watched as Nightmare moon turned jovially to face her "oh? the filly has guts does she?" she muttered jokingly " well they wont do you much good in a moment, the moons about to rise into its place in centre stage." with an extended hoof she pointed out to the horizon, where the highest point of the moon was peaking out from beyond the hills. " Im going to stop you Nightmare moon, and I know how!" shouted Twilight, an angry smile on her face " no matter what you do, you're merely a part of Luna's mind, you're an extension of the true thing. And if being mean to Luna can force you out, then perhaps..." Twilight stopped short, and charged at Nightmare moon, before leaping into what would in later years be known as " the pony glomp". Her hooves now locked around Nightmare moon's body, unwilling to let go despite the heavy resistance she was met with. " Let go of me at once you ignorant little hussy!" cried Nightmare moon, her magic grabbing and pulling at the tenacious young pony wrapped around her. " No i wont! I wont let go, because Luna is my friend!"

In a flash of pure white Light everything had changed. The moon that was steadily rising, had lowered itself back into it's resting place, the royal bedchambers that only seconds ago was in ruins, now looked spotless, and the evil Nightmare moon, had now returned to the pure and innocent princess Luna. From underneath the warm cocoon of pony encasing her Luna looked up at Twilight, a blush permeating the deep blue fur of her face " Twilight...thank you" she mustered, just as her weak body passed out. The unicorn gazed at the dozing alicorn, and couldn't help but giggle " hehe, you're welcome...Luna". Using simple unicorn magic, she elevated Luna back into her bed, she stayed with her all day, watching her new found Friend rest.

She deserved it.