“...Luna?” Celestia breathed, taking a shaky step forward. Her heart was pounding in her chest far faster than it had in years—no, centuries. She could feel her breath catching in her throat as she took another uncertain step forward. Can it be… can it possibly be… after all this time?

The mare on the bed’s ear twitched, and her look of discomfort turned to one of confusion. Celestia watched her silently mouth the name before allowing her gaze to drift slowly upwards to the mare’s eyes. Nothing but twin orbs of milky-blue, they seemed to glow softly against the darker colors of her coat and mane. The mare stared forward blankly, unseeing of the world around her.

It was just as Twilight’s letter had stated. The mare was blind.

‘Watch for the mare, of darkened coat and deadened eyes’.

Ignoring the ponies around her—some of whom were just now snapping out of their stunned state and hastily dipping into low bows—Celestia walked forward. Each step was slow and uncertain, almost as if she was afraid that the mare might disappear if she moved too quickly. The room was silent save for her bare hooves clicking against the tiled floor.

Click

Click

Click

The mare’s ears flicked with each step Celestia took, her eyes darting back and forth nervously. A small glimmer of magic flowed up the mare’s horn and she tensed up, her head turning in Celestia’s direction.

As she drew nearer to the hospital bed, Celestia found herself growing more and more nervous. All the tension that had been worked out of her body during her relaxing dip in the heated pool not a few minutes ago came back in full force, causing the muscles in her neck to stiffen to the point of being painfully. She found herself not wanting to approach the mare, but at the same time being drawn to her. Her legs were beginning to shake, and she silently prayed with each new step that brought her closer and closer to the truth.

Click

Please…

Click

Please… let it be…

Click

Please let it be her…

Upon reaching the edge of the bed, Celestia paused. A lump had worked itself into her throat, and she found that she was having difficulty swallowing. Her mouth was suddenly dry, drier than it had been in ages. She had never been this nervous before, not even when dealing with the Lord of Dragons during their first ever attempt at diplomacy. She stared down at the mare before her, a hurricane of emotions running rampant inside of her. Nervousness. Sadness. Hope. Joy. Reluctance. Remorse. Longing. Hope. Uncertainty. Anger. Hope. Hope. Hope!

This was happening, right? She wasn’t dreaming? She wasn’t going to wake up in a few seconds—alone in her bed—and have to live with the pain again, was she? She had dealt with enough of that in the decades that followed Luna’s death. There would be times where she had dreamt that she had found the mare that Luna had been talking about, while other times she had dreamt that the Nightmare had never attacked and Luna was still alive and well. She would see the familiar twinkle in her eyes, the mischievous smirk that had always come right before one of her pranks. She would hold Luna close, only to wake up and remember that it wasn’t real… she wasn’t there...

Those were the dreams that hurt the most.

However, this mare in front of her wasn’t Luna. Celestia had never seen this mare before in her life, so this couldn’t be a dream, right?

“P-Princess Celestia?”

Blinking, Celestia was pulled out of her daze by a familiar voice speaking up from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see Twilight standing there with a nervous look on her face. Her student’s eyes darted between her and Selena before coming to a rest on Celestia.

“Are you… Is everything alright?” Twilight asked, her ears splaying backwards.

“I’m… I’m not sure, my faithful student,” Celestia muttered, her brow furrowing before she slowly turned back to face the blind mare. “But I’m about to find out,” she added under her breath. She lit up her horn and grabbed the blankets in her magic, causing the mare to jump. Giving them a gentle—yet firm—tug, she pulled the sheets up slightly, just barely exposing the mare’s flank.

Celestia’s eyes widened and she was certain her ancient heart stopped beating for several seconds. T-that mark!

There, spread out across the mare’s flank, was an inky splotch of black fur. And there, emblazoned in the center of the dark blob, was a white crescent moon. The hair that made up the moon seemed to glow in the darkness beneath the blanket, glinting and glimmering like diamonds.

It was a cutie mark that Celestia had seen once before ages ago, and one that she thought she would never see again.

Releasing her hold on the blanket and allowing it to fall back across the mare’s body, Celestia stared at her wide-eyed. She slowly took her lip between her teeth before suddenly biting down on it hard enough to draw blood. Immediately pain flared up and she inhaled sharply. Even as a faint coppery taste filled her mouth and her lip throbbed, joy welled up in her chest. A large smile spread across her muzzle. Pain, she had felt pain. This wasn’t a dream.

And if this wasn’t a dream, then that meant...

Moving faster than anyone in the room could perceive, Celestia grabbed a hold of the mare and pulled her bodily from the bed and into a bone-crushing hug.

“I can’t believe it,” she murmured, her good wing flaring wide before enveloping the mare, causing her to practically disappear behind a wall of white feathers. “You’re here. You’re here. You’re here!” Jaws around the room dropped for a second time as Celestia leaned down and happily nuzzled the top of Selena’s head, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Selena struggled weakly against Celestia grip, trying to break free, but the alicorn was too strong.

Rubbing her nose through the Selena’s mane, Celestia kept nuzzling her, all while cooing and whimpering happily. “Oh, I never thought this day would come! I had just about given up… b-but you’re here now, and that’s all that matters. You certainly took your time about it though… but then again, I don’t even know how you… maybe it just took a lot of time and energy?”

Tearing her gaze from the sight of the Princess fawning over Selena, Twilight glanced at her friends. They were sitting on the floor, their eyes wide. Rarity looked close to fainting, while Rainbow had a look of disbelief on her face. The only one who didn’t seem to be shocked was Pinkie, who was still standing in the doorway, watching the scene before her with a confused look on her face.

Licking her lips, Twilight looked back to Celestia, only to open and close her mouth wordlessly as her brain tried to restart itself. During her time as the Princess’s personal student, she had never seen her act like this. She had always seemed reserved, almost sad on occasion, but this… this was different. Princess Celestia was acting like a foal on Hearth’s Warming Eve who had just received a new teddy bear.

Finally finding her voice, Twilight cleared her throat. “Um, P-Princess Celestia?”

“Yes, that must be it!” Celestia continued, oblivious of her student’s attempts to get her attention. “It just took you a while to figure out how to come back! Although I would have thought you’d make it a bit more obvious when you finally did. Do you know how many ponies there are in Equestria? And you wanted me to track down one? Really? One?!”

“Princess Celestia?”

“I mean, I did it. It took a while, but I was able to do it. After each birth, the hospitals sent the information to Canterlot. It was mostly for census purposes and keeping track of the different houses, but I used them to search for you. Yet, you still seemed to manage to sneak by it seems. You always did like your pranks—”

“Princess!”

Pulled out of her ramblings, Celestia blinked before lifting her head, leaving a very frazzled-looking Selena to gasp for air. Glancing over at her student, she stared at Twilight as though just noticing her for the first time. “Twilight?” Her eye slowly drifted over the rest of the inhabitants of the room before snapping back to Twilight, whose mane was beginning to fray slightly. Her eye widened slightly before she tried to compose herself. Clearing her throat, she gave Twilight a weak smile. “Twilight, my faithful student. How are you doing today? You seem a bit flustered.”

“What?” Twilight gasped, giving Celestia a bewildered look. “But, you… her… what?” She motions towards Selena. She was still held firmly held in Celestia’s grasp, had her ears pressed firmly against her head, and looked like she would rather be anywhere else but where she currently was.

Unable to express herself through words at the moment, Twilight just waved her hoof back and forth in an attempt to express what she was feeling.

“Twilight, are you alright?” Celestia asked, a concerned look crossing her face.

An awkward silence fell over the room, Celestia shifting slightly as everyone continued to stare at her with open mouths.

Finally, it was Pinkie Pie that broke the silence.

“Whoa,” she breathed, her eyes wide. “What was that about?”

Sniffing loudly, Celestia glanced at Pinkie before turning her gaze back to Twilight.

“I… I guess I have some explaining to do,” she said in a surprisingly weary tone. Pausing for a brief moment to collect her thoughts, she opened her mouth to begin, only to be interrupted by a muffled voice coming from behind her wing.

“Um… c-can you please put me back in the bed first?” Selena asked, pushing her head through Celestia’s feathers.

Celestia blinked in surprise before glancing down at Selena, a hurt look crossing her face for but a moment before she managed to conceal it. Swallowing thickly, she licked her lips before sighing.

“Very well,” she said tersely. Opening her wing, her horn lit up and she gently lifted Selena into the air with her magic. Maneuvering her over to the bed, she pulled the blankets back and quickly wrapped Selena in them.

As Selena settled back onto the bed, the corners of Celestia’s lips twitched upwards. Lifting a hoof, she moved to fluff the pillow Selena was propped up against, but in her hurry to do so, she managed to get her leg tangled in the cables and wires attached to Selena’s chest.

“Oops,” Celestia murmured, her brow furrowing. She retracted her hoof, only to accidently unplug one of the wires from the machine positioned next to Selena’s bed.

Selena winced at the sudden ripping sensation as the wires were pulled from her barrel.

Celestia stared down at the loose wires, a bemused look on her face.

“Of all the…” she breathed, only to pause, her ears perking up as the faint sound of ponies scrambling about came from down the hall.

The door to the room was practically ripped off its hinges as three ponies suddenly burst in, causing the inhabitants to jump at the noise. Celestia’s horn flared as she instinctively prepared to protect not only herself, but her subjects.

Two identically nurses—save for one had a horn and one did not—stood in the doorway. Blue Cross had the straps to a large trauma kit clamped in her mouth, while Blue Shield held a pair of defibrillators aloft in her magic. Applejack stood behind the sisters, peering cautiously into the room. Upon seeing a naked Celestia sitting next to Selena’s bed, all three ponies’ eyes widened, their panicked looks turning to confusion.

“Uh…” Applejack began, eyes darting around the room. “What did ah miss?”

It took a few minutes for everyone to settle down again, and for Blue Cross to reattach the wires to Selena’s chest, thus stopping the alarm. Everyone gathered around the bed to wait as the nurses checked over Selena just to make sure everything was fine. Celestia sat beside the head of the bed, her one eye darting back and forth as she watched the nurses work with intense scrutiny. Her brow was furrowed, a muted look of concern on her face.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield worked stoically under the princess’s gaze, showing no outward signs of nervousness or worry. They placed the wire back on the shaved parts of Selena’s belly, double-checked to make sure that none of her IV’s were pulled out, and did a quick check of her vitals before—with a quick bow to Celestia—they exited the room.

Silence fell over the room as the door closed behind the nurses, all eyes looking nervously at Celestia. She sat there, staring blankly at the floor as her mane fluctuate slowly behind her.

Eventually, Twilight worked up enough courage to speak. “Um, Princess…?”

“Tell me, Twilight. How much do you know of the creature that is Nightmare Moon?” Celestia asked suddenly, her gaze still locked on the floor.

“Oh, oh!” Pinkie gasped, bouncing up and down, and waving a hoof in the air. “You mean Queen Meenie?! Wasn’t she the pony that wanted to ruin the Summer Sun Celebration? We were all like ‘Yay! It’s time to party!’ and she was all like ‘No, it’s time to scream!’ and then there was lightning and wind and terror! She’s nothing but a big, fat party pooper!”

“Pinkie!” Twilight chided. Turning back to face Celestia, she closed her eyes and cleared her throat. A small smile touched Celestia’s face as she watched her student slip into ‘scholar mode’. It might have caused the professors at Canterlot University to cringe, but Celestia just found it adorable.

“Nightmare Moon is… I mean, was… is—” Twilight winced before giving Celestia a curious look, to which the Princess nodded “—is one of the four Demon Lords of Tartarus. Not much is known about her, due to her being a denizen of Tartarus, but it is believed that she rules the lower levels, which are frozen over by the frenzied beating of her wings. She was also known in the olden days by other names, such as Darkness Reincarnated or the Mare of Darkness. She used to pray upon ponies fears and hatred, using those negative emotions to gain more power and strength.”

“That is correct,” Celestia nodded, closing her eye, “but how much do you know about her impact on Equestrian history?”

Twilight’s ears splayed back against her head. “Well, um, t-there used to be two Princesses that ruled together and created harmony throughout all of Equestria. One was you, who raised the sun at dawn. The other was your sister, Princess Luna, who would raise the moon to begin each night. That’s where the Solar and Lunar courts come from. The two of you ruled Equestria together; you ruling during the day while Princess Luna ruled during the night.”

Celestia nodded, and Twilight continued, her voice growing stronger.

“Then, one thousand years ago, Nightmare Moon launched an attack on Castle of the Two Sisters. She was attempting to usurp you in order to plunge Equestria into eternal darkness. A fight broke out between her forces and the castle guards, leading to the destruction of the castle itself, as well as the surrounding area.

“Many ponies were injured during the initial attack, including Princess Luna, leaving you to fight Nightmare Moon by yourself. After a fierce battle, you used the Elements of Harmony to defeat the Nightmare and banished her in the moon.” Twilight paused, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times. She took a deep breath before continuing. “Unfortunately, Princess Luna passed away shortly after due to her injuries, leaving you to take responsibility for both the sun and moon. Nightmare Moon remained sealed in the moon until recently, when she escaped. We then banished her back to Tartarus with the Elements of Harmony.”

As Twilight finished speaking, an awkward tension fell over the room. Twilight winced inwardly. It was one thing to learn about Princess Luna the Fallen in school; the sad story had always caused Twilight some discomfort, knowing that Princess Celestia had suffered such a major loss. It was another thing though to have to tell Celestia herself about the night her sister died.

Selena shifted faintly on the bed, a look of discomfort on her face. Lifting a hoof, she gingerly rubbed her forehead only to wince in pain. Her horn sparked once.

Celestia remained silent, her eye closed. After a long pause, it cracked open and she glanced around.

“Anypony else have something to add?” she asked. Her tone was soft and warm, and Twilight felt herself beginning to relax. Behind her, her friends shook their heads in answer.

Celestia nodded her head slowly, a small smile flitting across her muzzle.

“Right as usual, my faithful student,” she murmured. “I do believe you got most of that information from…?”

“From Equestria: A History, by Birchwood Scrolls,” Twilight finished, nodding happily. “It was one of the first books I got when I became your student. I still have it, although it’s not in the best condition. I’ve been meaning to rebind it.”

“Of course,” Celestia hummed, nodding. “It’s a very informative book. It took Birchwood decades to write it, and she double and triple checked all her sources before she even thought about adding information to the book. Very detailed and very accurate. That is, if my memory is still what it used to be. However, you were wrong about one little detail.”

The smile slipped from Twilight’s face and she stared up at Celestia with wide eyes. “W-what? Wrong?! But, I-I...”

“However, it’s not your fault,” Celestia continued gently. “There is one part of the tale that Birchwood got wrong. I can’t really blame her for it though, seeing as she never came to me for the information. If enough people are wrong about something, it can be easily mistaken for the truth. You see, Luna, despite what many ponies believe, was not my sister.”

“She wasn’t?!” Twilight yelped. Around her, her friends’ eyes widened in shock.

“No,” Celestia said with a soft laugh. “I’m not sure how that particular part of the story came to life, but by the time I learned of it, it was too late for me to correct the mistake easily. Even the name for our castle in the Everfree is incorrect. It was originally called the Castle of the Two Alicorns, but as the rumor spread around that Luna was my sister, so too did the name of our castle change within the history books. However, I am being truthful when I tell you that Luna wasn’t my sister.

“She was my mate.”

“Your mate?!”

“Yes,” Celestia said sadly, nodding again. “My mate—my lover, my fere, my companion. She was all of that and more. She was my heart, and I was hers. It appears that many mistook our love as that of sisters, especially considering none knew what happened behind locked doors. Many would try to court me, or Luna, on occasion, but we’d turn them down. After all, there was a reason why we never took any suitors: we were already taken.”

A stunned silence crept around the room, everyone gaping at Celestia. Twilight was sputtering softly, her eyes wide and pupils mere pinpricks. She couldn’t believe her ears. This was something that would change the very history books she loved so much, and the Princess had just told them it as if she was talking about the weather. The only pony that seemed unaffected by the revelation was Selena, who had a confused look on her face.

“N-not to sound insensitive to your loss or anything,” she said, “but what does this have to do with you nearly crushing me to death when you first saw me?”

“Ah, yes. That,” Celestia said weakly. She suddenly looked nervous. “It is true that Luna was grievously injured and died from said injuries. However, before she passed, I was able to speak with her briefly.”

“What did she say?” Selena asked, her sightless eyes narrowing. Her ear twitched before swiveling around to point at the Princess.

Celestia smiled softly. “‘Fear not, Tia dear, for this is not our end. Watch for the mare, of darkened coat and deadened eyes. When she doth stands beside thee, so too shall we once more.’”

Silence fell over the room, only to be broken after a few seconds by Selena.

“‘Deadened eyes’?” she breathed, scrunching up her muzzle. “What does that mean?”

“Back in the old days, a blind pony was often described as having deadened eyes,” Twilight muttered, glancing curiously at Selena. “Eyes that were dead and useless.”

Selena balked. “W-wait, so you think she was talking about me!?”

“Well,” Celestia said slowly, drawing the word out, “not only do you match the description of the pony she was talking about, but you also look very similar to Luna in appearance as well.”

“B-but… I… you… I’m not—”

“Not to mention,” Celestia continued with a faint smile, “you have her cutie mark.”

Selena froze, her body stiffening.

“Don’t talk about my cutie mark,” she snarled. The others flinched back at the sudden ferocity in her voice, but Celestia remained unfazed.

“A black inky cloud, adorn by a crescent moon?” she murmured softly, lifting up the edge of Selena’s blanket. “The moon glows softly in dim light?” Before she could lift the blanket fully, Selena grabbed it and pushed it back down with a scowl.

“Don’t. Talk about. My cutie mark,” she growled, “and my name is Selena, not Luna.”

Celestia watched her, a frown working its way across her muzzle before she suddenly perked up. “Very well, if you need more proof that I’m right, I’ll give it to you.” Her horn lit up suddenly, causing everyone but Selena to have to cover their eyes at the intensity. There was a low sucking noise, followed by a soft ‘pop’. As the light faded, a small metallic ball—barely larger than a walnut—fell into Selena’s blanket-covered lap.

“There we go,” Celestia hummed, smiling down at the ball.

“W-what… what is it?” Twilight asked, staring at the metal in awe. It was midnight black, but whenever she moved her head, glimmers of different colors raced across its surface.

“It…” Celestia began before pausing and casting a quick glance at Selena, a smirk growing on her face. “Well, I’ll get to that in a second. First though, Twilight, if you would be so kind, could you pick it up in your magic for me?”

Twilight blinked in surprise before glancing between the Princess and the weird ball of metal in Selena’s lap. It seemed easy enough. The ball wasn’t that big; she had certainly dealt with training weights that were far bigger than it. That, and the fact that it wasn’t currently crushing Selena beneath its weight meant that it couldn’t be that heavy.

Nodding once, Twilight lit up her horn and grabbed the ball in her magic. Or at least tried to, for the minute her magic touched the ball, it seemed to slide effortlessly off the metal.

“What in the…?” She stared at the ball in confusion. Celestia titled her head to the side, causing Twilight’s ears to splay back. Her teacher was watching. Now was not the time to mess up.

Scrunching up her face, she tried again, only to be met with the same result. She tried for a third time, same thing. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t grab the metal in her magic.

“I don’t…” she muttered before glaring at the offending ball. “It’s like trying to grab ice with numb hooves!” Aware that not only was Celestia watching her, but her friends as well, she began to push more magic down her horn. However, before she could attempt to grab the ball again, Celestia held up a hoof. Twilight immediately cancelled the spell, the magic around her horn flickering and dying.

“I’m sorry, Princess,” she said, lowering her head. “I… I don’t know why I…”

“It’s quite alright, Twilight,” Celestia said, her tone warm. “You did nothing wrong.”

“But, I…”

“I’ll explain in a minute, I promise,” Celestia said before turning to Selena. “Now then, Selena. Would you kindly try and pick up the ball?”

Selena blinked her sightless eyes once before reaching down and picking the ball up in her hooves. It was surprisingly light, and she wondered for a second if it was hollow.

Celestia laughed softly. “I meant with your magic.”

Selena dropped the ball back into her lap before turning her head in Celestia’s general direction.

“What makes you think I can do that?” she asked, mouth agape.

“You are a unicorn, are you not?” Celestia asked, an amused smirk crossing her face.

Selena balked. “Y-yeah, but I… I…” She trailed off, muttering something under her breath as she tapped her forehooves together.

“What was that, hun?” Celestia asked, perking her ears.

“I’m… I’m not very good with magic,” Selena mumbled. “I left the orphanage before my magic really had a chance to develop, so Warm Care never got a chance to find me a tutor. I can only do a few spells, and even those I can’t do that well.”

“Can you use levitation?” Celestia asked, a concerned look crossing her face.

Selena blinked several times. “W-well, yeah, but…”

“Then levitate the ball,” Celestia said, motioning towards the metal orb.

“B-but Twilight is your student and she can’t do it,” Selena protested, waving a hoof in Twilight’s general direction, causing her to blush at the sudden attention. “If she can’t do it, what makes you think I can?! I mean, it’s not—” She fell silent as Celestia placed a hoof gently against her lips.

“Please,” Celestia said softly, the small smile still present on her face, “just try.”

Selena stared blankly ahead for a few more seconds before sighing. Her horn began to glow with a soft cobalt blue light, and a similarly-colored aura surrounding the metal ball. Expecting to be unable to lift the sphere, Selena was startled when it instantly lifted into the air. She nearly tossed it into the ceiling before correcting herself. Unlike Twilight’s attempts, Selena’s magic didn’t falter and held the ball firmly within her magical grab.

She blinked in surprise and confusion as she felt the ball hovering in front of her face, wrapped in her aura. She even reached out with a hoof to confirm what her magic was telling her. The ball was suspended in the air, held aloft by her magic.

But, that doesn’t make any sense, she thought to herself, scrunching up her nose. If Twilight couldn’t lift it, why can I? Surely she’s more competent with magic than I am. As Selena’s mind continued to try and figure what was going on, the others were staring. Not at her, but at something that—unfortunately for Selena—she was unable to see.

The minute she had lifted the metal ball in her magic, Twilight had opened her mouth to protest. However, the words had died on her lips before she had a chance to speak them, and her jaw fell open in shock. A similar look was plastered on her friends’ faces as well as they glanced around the room.

The metal ball had come alive. Light flickering across its surface, twisting and turning as though there was a flame trapped within the orb. The light being thrown off from the ball caused little dots of light to dance across the walls and ceilings, reminding Twilight of when Pinkie Pie had broken out her disco ball. The beads of light seemed to twinkle, pulsing with an unknown energy.

Pulling her eyes from the breathtaking sight, Twilight glanced up at Princess Celestia.

Celestia was gazing around at the dancing lights with delight, but Twilight could also just make out the hints of pain and longing in her gaze.

“Oh,” she breathed weakly, her lips trembling. “Oh, stars. It’s been too long since I’ve seen these. I almost forgot how beautiful you were, my little friends.”

“Um, Princess?”

Jumping slightly, Celestia looked at Twilight as if she had forgotten the younger mare was there.

“W-what…” Twilight began, only to pause and lick her lips before continuing. “What’s going on? What is that orb?”

“Wha… oh, I’m sorry, Twilight,” Celestia said, giving her an apologetic smile. “I got distracted. Forgive me.” Clearing her throat, she took a moment to compose herself before continuing. She pointed at the ball of metal still suspended in Selena’s magic. “What Lu—I mean, what Selena here is currently holding is a metal called deusium. It’s extremely rare, and happens to have several unique properties.”

“Such as?” Twilight asked, and Celestia resisted the urge to laugh when she saw that Twilight had summoned a scroll and was currently taking notes.

“Well, for one,” she said, “the metal’s color is unique to the eyes of the beholder.”

The scratching of Twilight’s quill paused, and she glanced up, giving the Princess a bewildered look. “What?”

“Ms. Rarity,” Celestia said loudly, turning to face her. “What color is the ball?”

Rarity blinked, startled that the Princess had called on her. “Well, um… it’s the most beautiful shade of lavender I’ve ever seen, with veins of white running through it. I was actually going to ask about it before Twilight spoke up, your highness.”

“What?” Rainbow yelped, giving Rarity an incredulous look. “What are you talking about? It’s totally blue!”

“Red fer me,” Applejack voiced.

“Pink!” Pinkie said, bouncing on her hooves. “Wait, no! Yellow! No, orange! No, white! No, pink again!”

“Um… green,” Fluttershy murmured, peeking out from behind her mane.

“I can’t see,” Selena deadpanned.

“What color do you see, Twilight?” Pinkie chirped, giving her friend a large grin.

Twilight blinked, glancing between all her friends, who were now looking at her. Her ears folding back against her head. “Oh, um… it’s… it’s kind of a black, but there are flashes of rainbow occasionally.”

For a fleeting moment, Twilight thought she saw a gleam of something like triumph and pride flash across Celestia’s eyes. The next second it was gone, and Twilight was sure she had imagined it because Celestia just looked tired but happy.

“Yes,” she said with a nod. “Different ponies see different colors when looking upon the orb. We are unsure of why this happens—” her eye darted to the side for a split second “—but it’s one of the attributes that makes deusium unique.”

“So, why is Selena able to pick it up in her magic but I’m not,” Twilight asked, a twinge of jealousy seeping into her tone before she could stop it.

“That’s the second trait that makes deusium so special,” Celestia said. “Much like nullstone, deusium’s properties make it so that it neutralizes most magic. If a pegasus was to pick it up and attempt to fly with it, they’d find themselves unable to lift off the ground. A unicorn would find themselves unable to lift it in their magic, or even use magic in general if they were touching the metal. Earth ponies would lose their connection to the earth.” Everyone was now giving the small sphere of metal nervous looks, Applejack even inching away from it cautiously.

“Wait,” Twilight said, her face scrunching up. “If unicorns’ magic won’t affect it, why is Selena able to pick it up?”

“That, my faithful student,” Celestia said as her smile grew, “is the right question. You see, deusium is immune to all forms of magic. All forms, except for one.” Reaching up, she tapped her horn with a hoof.

“Alicorn magic,” she said.

Silence fell over the room as everyone stared at Selena, who looked like she had just been slapped in the face. Her magic flickered before dying out, sending the ball of deusium tumbling to the blankets below.

“So, the only way Selena could have levitated the metal…” Twilight began slowly.

“Is if she was using alicorn magic,” Celestia finished with a nod.

“But she’s a unicorn,” Rarity said, uncertainly.

“A unicorn with a glowing cutie mark of a moon,” Celestia said smugly. “With deadened eyes and darkened coat.”

A dark look crossed Selena’s face.

“You tricked me,” she muttered.

“Whether I tricked you or not is irrelevant,” Celestia said in a gentle tone. “You have Luna’s cutie mark, you match her description, and, if those weren’t evidence enough, you also have her magic inside you. You are Luna reborn.”

“My name,” Selena growled, “is Selena.”

Twilight glanced back and forth between Selena and Celestia nervously, her ears folding back against her head. Clearing her throat, she tried to catch Celestia’s attention. “S-so, um… you said that this deusium is rare. How rare are we talking about exactly?”

“Extremely,” Celestia said, giving Selena a tired look. “Selena here currently has half of the deusium in Equestria,” she added, pointing to the metal sphere in Selena’s lap.

As Twilight scribbled away on her scroll, Rainbow perked up.

“Wait a minute,” she said, eyes narrowing. “This stuff is rare, right?”

“Yes,” Celestia said with a nod, giving Rainbow a curious look.

“So that means it’s valuable, right?” Rainbow continued. Her eyes darted back and forth between Selena and the small sphere of metal.

“Naturally,” Celestia hummed. “That little bit on the bed is probably worth equal to, or slightly more than, all the gold in the National Treasury.”

The minute the words left her lips, Rainbow was in the air. Faster than anyone could react, she flew over to the bed. This action caused Selena to yelp loudly in surprise at the sudden presence in front of her, and she flinched back, expecting to be hit. All Rainbow did though was quickly grab the ball of deusium.

The minute her hooves touched the metal, her wings stopped working. They stiffened then went limp, causing her to drop out of the air with a startled cry. She flopped on the edge of the bed before toppling over onto the floor, knocking the bedside table over in the process. The ball of deusium clattered to the floor and rolled off.

“Rainbow!” Twilight yelped, eyes wide. “What are you doing?!”

“Getting the very valuable thing away from the thief!” Rainbow groaned from her place on the floor.

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity gasped, giving her a shocked look. “How… Why would you say such a thing?”

“What?” Rainbow huffed, getting to her hooves. “She is!”

“Dash, she’s in no condition tah stand, let alone run off with it,” Applejack said with a glare. “And secondly, do ya really think she’s gonna try that with the Princess in the room with her?”

“I don’t know how a thief thinks!”

“Rainbow, stop it,” Rarity said, glaring at her as well.

“Sorry for trying to stop her from getting her hooves on something extremely valuable,” Rainbow huffed, crossing her forelegs.

“All ya’ve done is make a mess of the place,” Applejack snorted, righting the side table and trying to gather up the fallen items.

“And you’ve lost the deusium as well,” Twilight said, looking frantically under the bed for the dropped metal. “The Princess just finished telling us about how rare and valuable it is, and you’ve lost it! Who knows where it—” The sudden roar of flames cut Twilight off, causing her to hit her head on the underside of the bed as she jumped. Sitting up and rubbing the small lump on the back of her head, she stared in awe at Celestia, who had the deusium suspended in her magic.

The sphere was wreathed in fire, the flames cracking and billowing like the interior of a furnace. The size of the inferno was such that the flames licked at the ceiling. The walls became tinged in an orange glow, embers dancing around the room in a chaotic symphony of fire and light. However, as Twilight continued to stare at the sight in wonder (and a little bit fear), she realized that she felt no heat coming from the fire.

Just as suddenly as the flames arrived, they disappeared. The deusium fell from Celestia magic and landed in her outstretched hoof.

“No harm, no foul,” she said gently as she eyed the metal. “Although I am curious as to what all that was about.” Her gaze drifted over to Selena, whose ears were pressed firmly against her head. She looked like she was trying to sink into the mattress and disappear. A brief look of concern flashed across Celestia face before she was able to mask it.

Rainbow opened her mouth, only to have it click shut again as it was surrounded in a rosy aura. Twilight shot her a quick glare before turning her attention to the Princess. She gave Celestia a strained smile. “Well, um… you see, Selena’s not doing particularly well at the moment.”

“Yes, you said something like that in your letter,” Celestia said.

“Well,” Twilight said, wincing. She glanced at Selena before continuing. “She, um… she doesn’t have a lot of bits… so she has to, um… scavenge for food occasionally.”

“It’s okay, Twilight,” Selena sighed, closing her eyes. “You don’t need to hide the fact. I steal in order to eat.”

Twilight winced again, and her eyes flicked up to look at Celestia’s face. Celestia’s brow was furrowed and she had a troubled look on her face, but her gaze wasn’t on Selena, but rather the IV bag hanging next to the bed. Her eye narrowed as she read the label, only for her entire body to freeze a second later. Her eye widened again before swiveling around to stare at Selena in growing horror.

Before Twilight had a chance to speak, Celestia’s horn lit up and the blankets that had been covering Selena’s body were ripped off the bed, leaving her bare. Celestia could only stare at Selena’s emaciated in shock.

“Why are you so malnourished?!” she finally managed to ask, her voice rising slightly.

Selena turned her head in Celestia’s general direction and gave her a bemused look.

“You didn’t notice this before?” she asked. “You pulled me out of the bed and nearly smothered me in a hug, not to mention pulled the wires off my chest, and yet you didn’t notice how thin I was?”

“I was a little… distracted at those particular moments,” Celestia said weakly. “Don’t change the subject though. Why are you nothing but skin and bones?!”

“Well, I didn’t really have bits for food,” Selena snarked, an ear twitching. “When you have no food, you tend to get… thin.”

“B-but… has… has nopony ever offered to help you? To feed you?” Celestia asked, ears splaying backwards. “You still just a foal! Surely there was somepony…”

“Well…” Selena said slowly, chewing on her lip. “There was Pinkie, who left me cupcakes occasionally, but other than that, I was on my own.” She trailed off, a frown crossing her face. She didn’t really want to talk about this right now. However, she felt that it wasn’t over yet.

Sure enough, Celestia pressed on.

“Just one? Out of all the ponies in Ponyville, only one helped you?” she asked, causing the others in the room to shift uncomfortably.

“Actually,” Selena said, blinking. “Twilight caught me once, and well… you can see what came of that.”

Celestia’s gaze darted over to Twilight, who was giving Selena a warm smile. Her brow furrowed before her horn sudden lit up with a bright golden light. A scroll and quill materialized in front of her. Taking the quill nimbly in her magic, Celestia wrote out a quick message before rolling the scroll up.

Bring the scroll up to her lips, Celestia took a deep breath through her nostrils. Her cheeks bulged slightly, and she pursed her lips before suddenly blowing a stream of amber fire upon the scroll. The flames consumed the parchment, which became a cloud of smoke. It hovered in the air for but a second before being swept out through the gaps in the window.

“Um, Princess, was that for Spike?” Twilight asked as she watched the disappearing smoke.

“No, it wasn’t,” Celestia answered simply.

“Then what…” Twilight began, only to trail off, a look of confusion on her face.

Celestia glanced down and gave her a small smile. Unfurling a wing, she wrapped it around Twilight and pulled her close, nuzzling the top of her head affectionately.

“It’s nothing to worry about, my faithful student,” she said. “I’m just calling a friend.”

Black Spark sighed softly to himself as he rubbed his temples with a hoof.

Day court had just ended, and the last of the nobles were trickling out of the throne room, murmuring softly to themselves. The guards that were positioned around the room slumped slightly in their positions, a look of relief crossing their faces. Black Spark couldn’t blame them; the nobles had been especially obnoxious today. Especially Lady Grayscale and her plethora of complaints. It seemed that since Celestia wasn’t present, the nobles decided that they could get away with more than they usually would around Black Spark.

Unfortunately for them, Celestia was the more understanding of the two.

Slumping back in his chair, the Archduke sighed again. He could feel a headache growing in the back of his head. Suddenly Celestia’s appreciation for a tall, stiff drink after court made more sense. Night court was never this draining.

Taking a few seconds to compose himself, Black Spark motioned to the guards. “You are dismissed. Thank you for your service.” With a clatter of armor, the guards immediately relaxed and began to disperse, some heading towards the mess hall for some food, while others made their way towards the showers.

Black Spark was just beginning to consider turning in for the evening when movement near the front of the throne room caught his eye. As the dismissed guards exited through the doors, an armor-clad figure slipped through. Her golden armor glinted softly in the light of the setting sun streaming through the throne room windows as she made her way towards the dais.

“You look tired, sir, look tired, sir,” Darkfur murmured as she drew nearer. Even with her armor on, she moved silently, making barely a whisper of noise.

“I keep forgetting how… pleasant day court can be,” the Archduke growled. “It amazes me that the princess is still sane.”

“After all these years, she’s used to it, used to it,” Darkfur chuckled, her yellow eyes glinting with mirth. She chirped shrilly several times before cocking her head to the side. “I’m assuming that there is no night court tonight, night court tonight?”

“Not unless the princess has called for it,” Black Spark said.

Darkfur shook her head. “Haven’t heard from her all day, her all day.”

“Probably relaxing after what happened with the griffons.”

“Possibly, possibly.”

“I’m sorry if this comes off as rude, lieutenant, but is there a reason you’re here?” Black Spark asked with a groan.

Darkfur shrugged her shoulders. “Night court has been cancelled, has been cancelled.” A smirk crossed her face. “Need new orders, need new orders.”

“Well,” Black Spark tsked, “unless something big comes up, I do believe that means you have the rest of the night off—” Both ponies turned their heads abruptly as one of the side doors creaked open. There was a brief pause before Raven stuck her head in and glanced around. Spying the two ponies standing on the throne dais, she bit her lip before opening the door further and entering.

“By chance have either one of you seen Princess Celestia recently?” she asked.

Black Spark and Darkfur glanced at each other briefly before turning back to Raven.

“No,” they answered together.

“She isn’t in her chambers?” Black Spark asked.

Raven shook her head. “No. The last I saw her was when she was entering the hot springs. I just checked them. Her attire and shoe covers are there, but there’s no sign of her.”

“Did you check the kitchens?”

“Yes,” Raven deadpanned. “I checked there right after I checked the wine cellars. No sign of her, and nopony’s seen her.”

“Did you—”

“I know how to do my job, Spark,” Raven huffed. “I’ve checked her usual spots. The kitchens, the wine cellars, the gardens, the library. I even checked the statue gardens, creepy as they are. She wasn’t at any of those locations.”

“No need to get flustered, to get flustered,” Darkfur said softly. “The princess can take care of herself, care of herself. She doesn’t need to tell us every time she wanders off, she wanders off.”

“Then what would you suggest?” Raven asked, raising an eyebrow.

Darkfur opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a cloud of smoke suddenly appearing above the three ponies. It hovered there for but a second until a tongue of amber flames erupted for, and a single scroll fell upon the ground.

Giving the other two a smug smirk, Darkfur motioned towards the scroll with a hoof.

“Yeah, yeah,” Black Spark growled as he picked the scroll up with his magic. “Laugh it up, fuzzball.”

“You see, Celestia can get a hold of us if she needs to, she needs to,” Darkfur murmured, turning to look at Raven. “No need to worry, need to worry.”

“I guess,” Raven said skeptically as Black Spark unrolled the scroll. “It’s just… it doesn’t feel like something she’d do, just up and leave like that. Even if she goes for a midnight stroll, she always tells somepony.”

Ignoring the two others, Black Spark turned his attention instead to the scroll. There was no royal seal, but he instantly recognized Celestia’s spidery hornwriting. The letter itself was brief, barely a few sentences.

In Ponyville hospital. Bring Royal Healers ASAP. Keep low profile.

“So, what did she say?” Raven asked as Black Spark lowered the scroll. She blinked at the look on the Archduke’s face, and her ears splayed back. “Black Spark? What… what is it?”

Black Spark didn’t answer. He just stared forward, his eyes narrowing. The Princess had just requested that the Royal Healers be brought to Ponyville immediately. The only reason that Celestia would have need of the Royal Healers would be if she had been injured.

Something had happened in Ponyville.

Hoofing the scroll to Darkfur, the Archduke made a beeline for the door. He called back over his shoulder as he went. “Lieutenant, grab the Royal Healers and meet me down by the landing zones. I’ll get us a pair of chariots. Do not make a scene!”

Darkfur glanced over the message briefly before nodding. “Right away.” Her normally soft voice was suddenly cold, the signature repeating quirk she had temporarily forgotten. She took wing and flew off in a blur of gray and gold, taking the scroll with her.

Raven stood in the now empty throne room, a bewildered look on her face. “What the hay just happened?”

Celestia hummed softly to herself as she nudged the sun towards the horizon. The celestial orb sank lower and lower in the sky, dutifully complying with its mistress’s commands. Next, she pushed the moon gently, setting it on its course for the night. While it was true that she could move the sun and the moon, they typically followed their own paths across the sky. The two celestial objects only needed an occasional nudge here or tug there in order to keep them in place. The only times she manually moved them through the skies above Equestria was during the Summer Sun Celebration.

Double-checking to make sure that the sun and moon were on their respective paths, Celestia opened her eye and returned her attention to the world around her. Ponies were scattered about the room, talking quietly with one another in gently murmurs. Twilight and Rarity were discussing something in low voices, the particular topic lost to Celestia’s ears. Pinkie, Rainbow, and Applejack had taken over the second bed and were now playing cards, although there appeared to be some confusion as to the game. Rainbow and Applejack were clearly playing Poker, while Pinkie appeared to be playing Go Fish, and was somehow winning.

Unwilling to try and figure out the logic behind the card game, Celestia’s eye drifted over to the other bed. Fluttershy had acquired a brush from somewhere and was now brushing Selena’s tail, gently working the knots and tangles out of it.

And that lead her gaze to Selena.

The young mare was propped up against the headboard of her hospital bed. Even though her eyes were closed, Celestia could tell she was awake. She just laid there, breathing softly as Fluttershy continued to brush her tail. Every so often Selena’s ear would twitch and swivel around in the direction of a particularly loud noise or voice.

A small frown crossed Celestia’s muzzle as she eyed Selena. She had yet to pull the blanket back over herself, and her body was exposed for the world to see. Her malnourished body.

In her many years, Celestia had seen many forms of hardship. She had walked the streets of many war ravaged cities during the civil war of the Griffon Empire. She had headed the relief efforts for the devastated homes and land of Zebrica after they had been hit by a massive tsunami. She had seen the aftermath of horrific famines and plagues that reduced the Minotaurian Empire to nothing more than a series of nomadic tribes and wanderers.

She had seen all of this and more, so it had taken her but a single glance to realize the nature of Selena’s IV bag. The cocktail of medicine, minerals, and vitamins was designed to replace the nutrients Selena’s body desperately needed, as well as attempt to improve her appetite so that she would be more willing to eat. However, she was unable to do so. Her body was currently unable to properly process food. To give her solid foods now would do more harm than good, something one of the nurses had to remind Pinkie several times.

Celestia’s eye drifted over to a cart resting in the corner of the room, currently covered in dirty dishes and empty platters. The rambunctious party mare had acquired the cart from the cafeteria a few hours ago, bring enough food with her for everypony, including Selena. Luckily, one of the nurses had been changing out Selena’s IV bag at the time, and had managed to stop Pinkie from giving her food.

Although, considering that Selena’s mouth had been practically watering at the smell, they didn’t have to worry about her appetite.

“Could probably do with a diet high in protein and calories,” Celestia muttered under her breath. “Get some more meat on her bones, as it were. Poor thing looks like a skeleton. Lots of milk… maybe orange juice too. Some granola as well, that should help. I’ll need to see about—” Her train of thought was interrupted by the feeling of somepony pinging her magical signature; something that only a rare few of ponies could actually do. Ears perking, Celestia sent a ping of her own, only to smile as the presence revealed itself and its inquiry.

They arrived faster than I expected, Celestia mused as she sent the room number. She glanced at the clock hanging on the far wall, only to wince. Or maybe not. The hands of the clock informed her that the hour was later than what she had assumed, and they were currently overstepping their bounds, as visiting hours had ended a while ago. She was pretty sure the only reason the nurses hadn’t broken down the door and kicked them out yet was because of who was currently in the room. One did not simply kick royalty out of a building. At least, not without bringing some backup.

Glancing around at the other ponies in the room again, a contemplative look crossed Celestia’s face. While her presence explained the hospital staffs’ behavior, why were Twilight’s friends still here? Not that she minded their company; they were rather unique ponies even without the fact of being Element Bearers. However, surely they had their own lives and loved ones to get back to. Twilight was understandable: she would stay faithfully by Celestia’s side until either dismissed or Celestia left. The others had no such devotion. She was pretty sure Applejack had a farm to look after, and Rainbow Dash was a member of the local weather team, was she not? Both jobs usually meant getting up early in order to get most of the day’s work done on time. Yet they remained here, with their friends.

She opened her mouth to voice her question, only for everyone’s attention to suddenly be directed at the door, the sound of multiple voices growing louder on the other side. One of the voices was female, and clearly did not sound happy. “Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing? You can’t be here at the moment!”

“Oops,” Celestia muttered under her breath, her ears splaying back. “Didn’t think about that.”

“Is that Nurse Blue Cross?” Applejack asked, scrunching up her muzzle. “What’s she shoutin’ about?”

A second voice spoke up, this one masculine and deep. While the words were lost to the listeners within the room, the annoyed tone was clearly discernible. The sound of hoofsteps were growing slowly louder, and it sounded as though a veritable herd of ponies were making their way down the hall.

Blue Cross let out a bark-like laugh.

“I don’t care who you are. This is a hospital, and as such, since the doctor is not here at the moment, I am in charge,” she shot back. The masculine voice started to say something, but was cut off. “Visiting hours are over. They ended a while ago. Patients are trying to rest, and the last thing they need is you disturbing them. Whatever your business is, it can wait until morning!”

“Ain’t nopony gonna be able to sleep with that level of noise,” Rainbow grumbled, looking at the cards in her hooves.

“I agree,” Rarity huffed. “She’s making more noise than anypony else at the moment.” She batted her mane absentmindedly. “I mean, really. I can see where Nurse Redheart learned it from. It’s a wonder that all the foals seem to like her.”

“Now, that’s a bit unfair,” Applejack said. “Blue Cross can be soft-spoken when she wants tah. Ah’ve never seen her yell at a foal.”

Rarity hummed softly. “I suppose…”

A third voice, soft and feminine, made itself known. Whatever was said caused Blue Cross to sputter, her previous bravado failing. “I… but, uh… you see…” The new voice pressed on, and Blue Cross fell silent as the sound of hooves came to a stop right outside the door.

“Alright, fine,” Blue Cross sighed after a few seconds, “but so help me, if this proves to be detrimental to my patient’s health, I don’t care who you are, I’ll throw you out on your sorry flank.”

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked, directing the question to nobody in particular.

“I don’t know, but that sure sounds like a lot of ponies,” Pinkie Pie commented, cocking her head to the side as she stared wide-eyed at the door.

“Nine,” Selena grunted, drawing Celestia’s gaze almost instantly.

“Nine what?” Twilight asked, glancing at Selena as well, a look of confusion on her face.

“There are nine ponies out there... unless some of them are flying,” Selena said a little louder, although still keeping her voice low. Her ears splayed back. “At least two are wearing armor, maybe more. It was hard to tell when they were talking, and now they’re standing still.”

“Sugarcube, are ya tellin’ us ya could hear all that through the door?” Applejack asked, giving her an incredulous look. Upon Selena nodding, she let out a low whistle. “Well Ah'll be… that’s some mighty impressive hearin’ ya got there, hun.”

“That tends to happen when one of the sense is hindered,” Twilight said, giving Selena a curious look. “The other senses grow stronger to compensate, although they usually aren’t that much more noticeable. You have very good ears, Selena.”

“Yippee for me,” Selena deadpanned.

Blinking, Twilight began to say something, but was cut off as the door handle began to jiggle. The door swung open, and a veritable convoy of ponies walked in: Black Spark, followed by four guards, two healers, with Nurse Blue Cross and Nurse Redheart bringing up the rear, a look of annoyance on both of their faces.

The large, imposing figure of Black Spark was easily distinguishable at the head of the group. His blue eyes darted around the room, taking in everything with expertly concealed emotions. Beside him followed a dark-coated pegasus in golden armor, but instead of feathered wings, she bore a pair of leathery, bat-like wings. She looked around the room as well, a sleepy expression on her face. However, her yellow eyes had a hidden glint to them that made any pony she looked at shiver.

Of the three remaining guards, two of them looked like generic guard ponies. They were both decked out in Royal Guard armor, their heads encased in their signature golden helmets.

The third guard was different. Unlike the other two, who were unicorns, this one was a pegasus. His helmet was missing, and his silver mane cut short. His coat was light gray speckled with black that slowly grew darker towards his hooves. Blackened bandages were wrapped around his base of his braided tail. A red saddle rested on the back of his armor, contrasting with the light blue ones that were normally present. He followed dutifully behind Black Spark, almost like a living shadow.

Behind the wall of armored ponies, two unicorn mares followed. They were dressed in the white robes of the Royal Healers, and each bore a full pair of saddlebags on their backs.

Selena winced as the new ponies entered, her ears pressing against her head in an attempt to muffle the new noise.

“Sorry about this intrusion,” Blue Cross growled as she and Redheart pushed their way through the guards. “We tried to stop them, but they were rather persistent.”

“This is a matter of the Crown,” Black Spark huffed. “It does not concern you, and you have no authority over us.”

“It was the Crown that charged us with tending to the sick and injured ponies that pass through our doors,” Blue Cross shot back, “which is rather hard to do with you barging in when they’re trying to rest!” Black Spark opened his mouth to give a rebuttal, but was cut off by as a loud gasp came from the corner of the room.

Pinkie stood there, a hoof pointed at Black Spark as a large smile slowly spread across her face.

“Hey, Grumpy McGrumperson! You’re back!” she cried, bouncing up and down in place.

Black Spark glared at her, one of his eyes twitching.

The two guards moved to stand on either side of the door, their armor clanking as they moved.

The Healers were now standing next to Celestia, conversing with her in worried tones.

The pegasus guard was trying to appraise Applejack and Rainbow, both whom bore annoyed looks on their faces. The guard just looked unsure of what to do.

Fluttershy was now talking with the batpony with a surprising air of familiarity.

Unable to follow what was going on anymore, Twilight turned her attention to Selena instead, only to do a double take upon seeing the look of pain on her face. She had her hooves over her ears, her sightless eyes darting back and forth. Her heart monitor was beginning to go wild as her heart rate increased.

“Selena, are you alright?” Twilight asked worriedly.

Selena just whimpered. “Too much noise. I… I can’t see, c-can’t map. Too many ponies. Too much noise. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!”

“ENOUGH!”

The room shook from the force of the shout, causing everyone to fall silent and Selena gave a sigh of relief. The only sound that could be heard was the frantic beeping of Selena’s heart monitor as all eyes turned to Celestia.

“Thank you,” she said, clearing her throat, “but it was getting rather hard to think.” Turning to face Black Spark, she smile softly. “You arrived far faster than I thought you would. Your punctuality continues to impress me, my friend. Although the nurse here is right,” she said, motioning towards Blue Cross. “While within the walls of this hospital, we must abide by their rules. The last thing we want is a patient’s health to decline due to our actions.”

Blue Cross shot the Archduke a smug smile.

Ignoring her, Black Spark inclined his head to Celestia. “Forgive the zealousness, but your letter indicated that speed was of the utmost importance.”

“Did it now?” Celestia hummed softly.

“Yes,” Black Spark sighed. “Although how you somehow managed to get hurt is beyond me.”

“What are you talking about? I am not injured.”

Black Spark gave her a blank look.

“I assure you, my friend, I am perfectly fine,” Celestia said. For emphasis, she lifted her good wing and exposed her side, displaying the unmarred flesh beneath it. Her coat was slightly matted from improperly drying, but other than that, the wall of white fur was perfect and bare.

Folding her wing again, Celestia stared at the Archduke in confusion. “Why would you assume that I was hurt?”

“The letter you sent,” Black Spark said. “It said that you were in need of medical attention.”

“I never said I needed medical attention. What I said was to bring the Royal Healers, which you have.”

“So you don’t need medical attention?”

“Of course not,” Celestia said with a soft laugh. “You should know by now that I am more than capable of taking care of myself.”

For some reason, the batpony suddenly had a smug smile on her face. Black Spark just looked annoyed.

“Princess, I know you have a thing for pranks, although for the life of me I’ll never know why,” Black Spark said slowly, closing his eyes. “Mostly they are harmless. Making your teacup bottomless whenever somepony is trying to pour your tea. Putting a doughnut on your horn and walking around until somepony mentions it, then acting like you don’t know what they are talking about.” Beside him, the batpony nodded her head, a faint, knowing smile on her face.

“So then why,” Black Spark continued, opening his eyes and glaring at Celestia, “did you decided that you were going to vanish for several hours, without telling anypony where you were going I might add, only to then send a brief letter requesting the Royal Healers be brought to Ponyville hospital if you didn’t actually need them?”

“I should think that I am allowed to go where I want without having to alert the entire castle where I was going,” Celestia said with a pout. “And as for the Royal Healers, you know as well as I that they are called whenever a member of the Crown is in need of their services.”

“But you don’t need them though.”

“You’re right. I don’t need them,” Celestia said with a nod.

Black Spark huffed. “Then this was just a huge waste of our—”

“She does,” Celestia said, motioning with a hoof.

As all eyes turned to look at her, Selena, who had previously been staring blankly off to the side, perked up. Turning her head, she blinked her sightless eyes as she became aware of a dozen or so gazes staring at her. Suddenly finding herself under such scrutiny, she shrank down, trying to make herself as small as possible.

Black Spark’s face took on a perplexed look, his brow furrowing as he stared at Selena. Eventually, he turned back to Celestia.

“And who is this exactly?” he asked.

“Her name is Selena,” Celestia said, giving the aforementioned mare a warm smile, “and as of right now, she is the new Lunar Princess.”

Deafening silence filled the room as everyone excluding Celestia froze. Mouths were gaping and eyes were wide as everyone’s gazes were split between staring at Selena or Celestia in shock and disbelief.

Black Spark stared blankly up at Celestia. “What?”

“What?!” Twilight and her friends cried, each with a look of shocked confusion on their faces, even Pinkie.

Blue Cross closed her eyes and groaned. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“What!?” Selena yelped, her voice cracking.

Outside, the newly risen moon flared once before shining just a little bit brighter. The moonlight seemed to pulse, almost as if it was laughing. Against the pitch black backdrop it radiated, glowing happily as it observed the happenings of the world beneath it.