Chapter 11 – Decisions.

As soon as they accessed castle lobbies, Clover was greeted by a pink projectile that sent her straight to the ground followed by an earth pony who, unable to stop herself, ended up stumbling over the unicorn and the little pegasus. The little filly was still laughing Incessantly.

Celestia covered her muzzle with her right hoof giggling, then the deity used her magic to separate the ponies and re-position them on their four hooves.

-By... All... Ponies... I’m... Glad... you... Came back...- said Smart Cookie trying to catch her breath.

Celestia bent slightly to nuzzle the hyperactive pegasus.

-I missed you too Cadence- the alicorn replied with a maternal tone.

The little pink pegasus fluttered around the sand-colored unicorn, who grinned at her in return.

-Okay I'll play with you, but you'll have to be a good pony, understood?-

The little pink pegasus continued laughing clapping her hooves in full delight.

-That's how I like it, young lady- Clover said, letting the young filly land on her back. Clover starts jogging into the back gardens of the palace -Come on Cookie I'll teach you a couple of things about how to take care of foals-

-You know... it's not... Fair... You always use... your magic to... catch her, I... On the other hoof... have to... chase after her... Phew... all over the place... you... know?- replied the earth pony trying to catch her breath as she forced her hooves to reach her friend.

-You look happy princess- Siegfried pointed out.

-I am... After all, listening to my beloved ponies laugh once again, it is... a true blessing-

Epsilon noticed the saddened tone of the deity and fully understood what her princess meant. After all, the war against the crystal empire had opened wounds that might never be able to heal. It was almost like waking up from a nightmare, only this one had really happened.

Many ponies had lost their belongings, their homes and their loved ones. She knew beforehoof that the kingdom of Equestria was too young, it was logical that it should go through many trials before achieving the harmony and stability their two princesses desired. But Epsilon never imagined that two catastrophes would occur in such a short time.

She and her brothers had decided to follow Luna because they believed in her, believed in her because they had witnessed the goodness of which the princesses were capable, after all they were the first to accept them as equals.

That is why Megrez, Alcor, Merak, Siegfried and herself agreed to fight for them, even though they would not have the support or empathy of the rest of the soldiers of the kingdom.

It was for them that they would be able to shed every last drop of their blood. It was for them that they would rise each and every time in order to protect their princesses, even if their own bodies were completely broken. It was because of them that they were willing to remain in the shadows. They were capable of that and more, if they could see their princesses prosper.

-The greatest reward a ruler can receive is the selfless love of his people- mentioned the metallic blue fur pony as she kept her gaze in the direction in which the trio had disappeared.

-I have always thought that such a gift must be earned- complete the deity of the Sun before resuming its walk.

Siegfried and Epsilon followed the deity of the Sun to her personal study, that room was in the east wing of the castle. It was full of scrolls, books, paintings and objects everywhere. Several completely unordered shelves formed a small maze of knowledge that encompassed most of the studio's room.

The alicorn walked through the small corridors formed by the shelves until she reached a modest desk on which were stacked several towers of papers and old books. A few ink bottles and a few feathers were on the side of a pair of rolled scrolls sealed with the unmistakable shield of the Equestria’s main ruler.

The sun's deity soon took a seat on the other side of the desk, she arranged her flank on the soft cushion until it felt at ease. Then she looked at the two metallic blue ponies who remain motionless on the other side of her desk. Celestia Looked at them and let out a long sigh before dropping on the desk heavily, surprising both night knights.

-Emmm... Princess, do you feel any good?" asked Siegfried approaching a couple of steps.

-It's complicated- replied the pearl-colored alicorn looking at him without bothering to lift her chin from the wooden surface.

-You can trust us, your majesty- replied the lieutenant of the night guard, looking at her with concern.

Celestia's eyes fell on Epsilon, who apart from having removed her helmet from her head remained in her position looking at her with her only good eye. A tuft of mane partially covered her opposite side hiding her wounded eye.

-It's about Luna...- said the sun's deity, lifting her face off the surface of the desk with heaviness.

-Did something happen to her?- added Siegfried worried.

-Lastnight we spent all our time by her side. I personally set up guard in her room after the funeral. I assure you, your majesty, if something bad had happened to her, I would have noticed it- replied Epsilon with property, taking special care to keep secret the constant sobs of the indigo alicorn. She knew that despite always maintaining a calm and strong exterior the princess of the night was especially sensitive and was fully aware that Luna was still blaming herself for Megrez's death.

-Perhaps it is best if I tell you everything from the beginning. You'll see Clover and I spent the night with Zephora’s tribe-

The deity noticed Siegfried's look of concern growing in intensity.

-B-but Majesty, the last night of autumn the tribe of zebras make a festival that is a little... well... It is not a place you would expect a princess to be in- the pony blushed.

-Yes, well I suppose that information would have been more useful to Clover more than for me, although I cannot say that Zephora’s tribe had any bad intentions either-

-No, but...- Siegfried chose to put aside the subject, had no interest in knowing what his princess or Star Swirl's protege had done that night –Anyway, what were you say princess?-

-Well, putting that aside. Our goal was to inform us if Zephora had managed to find out anything about the possible side effects that could arise as a result of our exposure to King Sombra’s magic- The princess let out a sigh as she got up from her seat and began to go around in cricles –However, she does not appear to have identified anything new. The problem is that Zephora thinks there's some kind of threat we'll have to deal with soon. And... I'm sure Luna is her target, I'm still not quite sure how serious the threat is but I don't want to take any chances. It's one of the reasons I made sure to convince Hurricane to allow me to create the night guard.

Both ponies looked at the deity carefully.

-I know how much Luna means to you and how much she appreciates you back, and after seeing your combat performance even Hurricane had no choice but to trust my judgment and leave you in care of my sister permanently as her personal guards , especially in times when I am not able to take care of her by myself,

-I understand that ruling a kingdom mired in chaos is hard for you, but now that things have calmed down. Won't it be possible that you can spend more time with her too?-

-Unfortunately not Siegfried- the sun princess replied with sadness -Even now that the war is over, there is still much work to be done. The villages of Appeloosa, Manehattan and Filly Delphia had to stop their construction in order to send resources to army camps. Most of the workforce throughout the kingdom was moved to the various camps to stop the advance of Sombra's troops, and not all of those volunteers returned in one piece or able to continue their work anymore. That is not to mention that the suffoals we have suffered from other kingdoms have continued to increase. The kingdom's economy was terribly affected by the spending of war, and the raw materials were also over-exploited in order to meet the demand of recent months. What is more, some of the noble families are not entirely satisfied by everything that has happened and I am aware of the fact that they distrust us. I have no doubt that some of them think that we are not sufficiently prepared for this job, especially having in mind realize that this is the second time the kingdom has been attacked at this destructive level.

-I understand- Siegfried said.

-If you want to avoid a coup or an uprising by the nobles. All you need to do is give us the order princess- said the mare annoyed. She immediately stretching a pair of vampire-like wings, she was clearly offended by the fact that some ill-educated rich boy could even think about dethrone the princesses.

The deity of the Sun look sternly at the mare. She knew that if she gave the order none of those present would tempt the heart before taking the life of a pony that was against the royal crown.

-I would prefer to avoid another confrontation if possible, Epsilon-

The mare bowed, she clearly disagreeing with the monarch but did not intend to disobey her princess either.

-If you prefer to take care of it by yourself, I will respect your decision- Added Epsilon

- Thanks captain. Although to be honest I do not think I can deal with them. With the whole workload by myself. Especially considering the numerous meetings with the nobles. It's going to be hard for me to organize my time-

-What about sending Luna to talk to them? I'm sure she'll be more than happy to put them in her place- Siegfried said, swirling his eyebrows.

-I don't want to send Luna to lead with them right now, not after all the stress she's been dealing with lately.

-So you plan to send Luna to make expeditions all over Equestria, to take care of economic activities?, pardon me if I offend you princess, but Luna is not the type of mare that is good for financial management, she is more of an action pony. Isn't that why you decided to overtake the battlefield while you were finishing the administrative preparations?

-Luna is as capable as I am of handling all my activities, it just a little bit harder for her, she just need to put a little more work on some subjects that’s all-

Celestia remembered for a moment, while it was true that both she and her sister had been educated to administer an entire kingdom, Luna had never shown a particular interest in administrative activities such as finance or strenuous trade negotiations and she remembered pretty well how her younger sister used to specially avoid everything related to taxes. Luna had always been more attracted to the strategy and combat activities their mentor StarSwirl talked about whenever he told them about one of the pillars adventures, which is why the princess of the night had not been surprised that she took the initiate ready to confront Discord as soon as they heard of the Draconequus' betrayal.

The same thing happened after Sombra's first attack, Luna did not hesitate and surely did not reflect for a second before moving to the front line in order to slow down the empire's advance.

However, despite Celestia’s refusal to allow her younger sister to lead the fight with her own hooves, the sun deity could not think of anyone more capable of dealing with the counterattack so she allowed her to go, no doubt Celestia had spent days and nights fully awake, working tirelessly to join her younger sister on the battlefield, but that did not demean Luna's excellent work in keeping the empire from invade the whole kingdom.

But that was before Sombras’s spell hit them. Something had really changed in Luna and even now it was impossible for the deity of the sun to identify it.

-Luna is very strong physically and mentally. But every creature has a breakpoint, and I think my sister has reached hers for some time.

-What do you mean, princess?- asks Siegfried.

-After Sombra vanished the crystal empire, she and I tried to find any survivor. It was not long before I realized that Luna looked extremely agitated at the time, she looked frantically and with extreme desperation for some sign of life, but all we could see around us was just snow and rocks, followed by more snow- The deity of the sun paused —I couldn't describe how happy she got when we find Cadence in the snow- The pearl-colored alicorn closed her eyes, her face looked sad and extremely concerned —She didn't hesitate even for a second before executing a healing spells on Cadence despite how exhausted she was at the time.

After a brief silence Celestia continued.

-I know Luna has a very kind heart, but sometimes that's her biggest weakness. When she puts too much effort into something and things go wrong, she usually blame herself for it, even when is clearly some-pony else's fault.

The princess looked out the window an old memory came back to her mind as she watched the beautiful blue sky.

-...-

Celestia would swell in her bed, she felt extremely tired, her eyes ached, her cheeks were numb to smile for so long, for all the ponies, she was even unable to bear the pain of her hindquarters caused for been sitting for so long. She also made a mental note to make sure to ask her assistants to get her a softer cushion for her throne.

As exhausted by the meetings and all the real duties that had arisen due to Discord's betrayal, Celestia knew she had forgotten something, it was like a little voice that constantly poking at her head.

That voice had followed her all day, from the time she had risen to sunset and as much as she had wished to remember that in Tartarus she had forgotten she was unable to remember what it was. She had gone to bed in the hope that a little rest would help free her mind and allow her to remember what in all pony kind she had forgotten. She knew it was important, she actually remembered that, and she also knew it had had something related to her beloved ponies, other than that she really couldn’t recall any other detail.

-HAAAA- complained audibly spreading both hooves in the air -It's official, I won't be able to sleep well tonight either-

Heavily and with its sore flanks, she stood on her four hooves and set out to pour herself some cake.

Being honest the prank Discord had played her was not entirely unpleasant, at least now she could enjoy more often the delicious desserts the real cook, Jelly Cake prepared, even when she looked like she was addicted to them.

-Perhaps a night walk around the garden will help me clear my mind?- declared the monarch lighting her horn and a second latter the doors were wide open.

In front of her own chambers was Luna's bedroom, the door remained open and the curtains could be seen running wide.

-I guess Luna's already at work- Celestia said.

The older monarch advanced with weary step through the long corridors, usually the nights were extremely quiet in the castle of the two sisters and that one was no exception.

Amid a mixture of frustration at having no one to talk to and relief from anyone watching her walk in such a manner… she really had to make sure of changed that cushion first thing morning… She finally got to the Castle’s kitchen.

Using a simple searching spell, she locates a hidden cake that was still left and took a generous slice. The white-pearl alicorn then repositioned the rest of the cake back were she had founded and cover it to protect the last slice f the strawberry cake. After that she levitates her cake into her mouth.

-Mmmmmhhh- moaned pleasantly the moment the strawberry frosting touched her palate, delicately savoring the texture, consistency and ingredients in each bite while jogging happily in the direction of the outdoor gardens.

Her mouth was filled with extremely pleasurable sensations, each small bite triggered any amount of sensations of pleasure and satisfaction like no other. It soon sensitized to feel the softness of the lawn under her hooves before she looked up, what she saw left her in awe.

The sky looked stunning, the stars glowed like never before, the smaller ones twinned subtly while the larger ones seemed to constantly change shapes. It was almost as if they were emitting a silent melody, as if it were a living majestic painting. At the top stood proudly the silver Moon, flooding the atmosphere with drops of light.

-Your Skye is amazing Luna- she murmured. Celestia seemed to be under some kind of spell that kept her from looking away from the wonderful night skye above her.

The realization hits her as hard as a block of concrete in the middle of her face. To the point of making her completely lose her control in the energy that kept her piece of cake suspended mid-air.

Without losing any more time she turned around and entered the castle, panic invaded her to the point of clouding her trial completely. She galloped across the aisles, not stopping to think about whether if she was making too much noise with her hooves or if she wake up any pony every time she opened a door.

Now she remembered it perfectly, the only thing she hadn't done in the whole day, the only thing that had nothing to do with a problem or natural disaster that was related to the Draconequus betrayal, the one thing she had been personally asked for as a favor.

-Damn it! Why in Equestria was that the only thing I had to forget?! - shouted frustrated.

-Idiot, idiot, idiot, I'm a complete idiot!- She cursed herself as she spread her wings and shot out from one of the windows.

-Oh Luna, where are you?- she murmured, trying really hard to think. She had walked all over the main hall and the rooms her sister used to be in, unsuccessfully.

-THE TOWER!- Celestia exclaimed suddenly, swirling hard.

She circled the tallest tower in search of her sister until some sounds caught her attention. There, leaning over the railing Celestia could see her little sister staring at the stars that had just begun to cross the sky.

-Luna- she murmured. Her throat was dry, making each word hurt her deeply.

She descended silently behind her younger little sister, who seemed not to have noticed her presence so she decided to approach cautiously, Luna’s sobs becoming clearer the closer she was from her.

-Lu-Luna... I-I'm sorry...- she hushed.

Luna burst in tears suddenly, her suddenly loud cry make Celestia run towards the dark-blue alicorn and embrace her with her hooves and wrapped her protectively with her long wings.

-Luna... i'm so sorry- she tried to apologize, yet her words were suppressed by her little sister's crying. The sound she was emitting ripped the deity out inside. Celestia had just done some terrible harm to her beloved sister. Although clearly unintentional, she still could not forgive herself for this.

The older sister felt the blows Luna was throwing on her chest with her hooves, however what hurt her most was feeling Luna’s tears moisten her white fur. The damage was already done and all she could do was keep her in her own legs and wait for the young princess to vent with her.

-Not long ago, I did great harm to my sister- confessed the deity surprising both knights -I promised myself I wouldn't let her suffer that way ever again, but...- she paused once again -I know something else happened while I was under Sombra’s spell. I already try to talk to her but she refused to tell me... from then ‘til this day I haven’t stopped thinking that perhaps the spell may have affected her in some way, that is why I hoped Zephora could give me a clue that would allow me to decipher the mystery, However, I think I’m more adrift than before- she added.

-Princess...- replyed Siegfried.

-I didn't want to push her anymore, but... at this point I doubt she is willing to tell me at all- cut him off the deity of the Sun. The knights remained silent -Unfortunately with everything that has happened in the last few months it has been impossible for me to talk to Luna at all and the war itself has managed to take her further away from me-.

-That's not true princess. Luna... I mean, Princess Luna doesn't hate you or anything- Siegfried said -She cares for you a lot and no matter what happened I'm sure she'll forgive you. It's not in your sister's nature to hate somepony like that. It is one of the reasons why she constantly puts her own life at risk before risk any of her subjects. She just wants to be useful, to help you in your duties and that's why...-.

-That's the problem...- the monarch interrupted him -Luna thinks that what she does is not enough, she has not realized how much she has done and how much she’s helping me-

-And don't you think if you assign her some extra duties, she could take care of it?"- questioned Epsilon -I don't think the princess has any problem dealing with some of those pretentious and egocentric nobles on her own-

-I'm sure Luna can deal with them for a while, but... not in her current condition, I’m sure that you two have already noticed the lack of spark in my sister’s eyes, that joy that surrounded them has been gradually consuming and after this war I think that the damage has only been aggravated-

Both guards thought for a moment, although Luna acted "normal" when spending time with them, it was also true that her attitude was a little tighter, even with Crisi seemed to behave more reservedly, they knew that the relationships between mares did not were very well seen. However, it did not seem that the black unicorn had done anything that would cause the odd behave of the dark-blue alicorn.

-That's normal after what we've been through, but I firmly believe that now that peace has finally returned to the kingdom, princess Luna will be able to regain her smile- Siegfried said.

-Yes, well... I really hoped she'd take some vacations, but I'm sure she won't accept it-.

-No, she won't- they responded in unison causing a friendly smile to be drawn on the face of the pearl-colored alicorn.

-I really envy you- she murmured.

-I'm sorry, princess, but didn't hear what you said- Siegfried said.

-I'm sure whatever's trying to hurt Luna will come looking for her here in Canterlot, plus I think it would be easier to keep an eye on Luna if this place wasn't that big-.

-I suppose you're right- agreed the night watchman while massaging his chin with his hoof -If we could in some way decrease the amount of ponies entering the castle or maybe move Luna to a less crowded region, it would be safer for the princess-

-So far only Puddin, Hurricane, Platinum and Clover are aware of my intention to leave to my dear sister the lands of the old castle for her to manage- Celestia, resuming her walk around the room.

-Is it a slightly isolated place don't you think?- commented Epsilon raising her eyebrow.

-Yes I know, but I think it might be a good opportunity. I will be able to give my sister some of my duties there and at the same time it will keep her away from the stress of the daily basis-

"And especially from me!" thought the monarch.

-Being apart for a while may also help in our relationship- Celestia said.

-But if she’s in danger, it could be very risky to move her to a place like that - Epsilon object taking a couple of steps forward.

-That castle is better protected than this one, I assure you, besides...- the princess looks at them -I'm sure she won't be alone, she'll still have you four-.

Epsilon let out a long sigh –Pardon me princess, I do not agree with your decision, however, I can assure you that we won’t let anything bad happen to Luna-

-Ejem... you mean “Princess” Luna- Siegfried corrected her.

-Humm- She ignored the pony looking away.

-Hehehe, I'm sure she’ll be fine- the monarch said.

-Tell me Your Majesty, did Zephora give you any clues that can help us identify what is threatening Princess Luna?-

Celestia nodded solemnly -All I know is that it is an elongated, black creature with a long horn, wings and fangs. I really doubt that it will be any difficult to identify her-.

-Do you think it's some kind of dragon?- Epsilon suggested looking at the princess with her good eye.

-I doubt it, it would be very easy to identify a dragon and the tribe of Zephora knows them well. If she had seen one in her vision, I'm sure she would have mentioned it.

-I don't know, maybe she didn't come up with something that rhymed along with dragon at the time and decided to omit it- Epsilon said.

The princess giggled –I doubt it-.

-No matter what could be threating Princess Luna, I’ll keep my promise and assure you we’ll protect her promise we'll keep her safe-

-I know could count on you. Now...- she said clapping her hooves enthusiastically -I'd better go back to the ceremony, I don't think Hurricane will forgive me if I'm late- both guards nodded and subsequently followed the alicorn out of the room.

The castle gates opened wide, revealing an fancy unicorn, she was walking in perfectly, slightly wagging her perfectly rounded flanks. She was wearing a long light purple dress, witch glows under her the dim light. Her horn shone gleaming as well as her polished hooves. Her fur was brushed to perfection and her curly mane fell gracefully on one side of her face. On her head she wore a silver crown adorned with beautiful precious stones, on her neck was a beautiful ruby necklace which perfectly matched her attire.

Princess Platinum wait patiently at the end of the stairs gracefully, stealing the sight of hundreds of ponies waiting anxiously outside the castle.

-WOW Platinum, I can see that you don't skimp on expenses. That drees must cost you a fortune-

The princess closed her eyes for a moment she did not have to look to know to whom that little voice belonged.

-It is a pleasure to see you too Puddin...-The unicorn stopped half-sentence, her companion was wearing a strange hat that looked more out of a circus than anything else, the extravagant colors she sported did not combine at all with each other. Their surprise only increased by paying more attention to the rest of Puddinhead’s attire. The strange figures, geometrically attached to each other did not seem to follow a definite pattern, neither did the color that filled them. It was really strange to see such perfectly distributed chaos, something that would certainly hurt her eyes and yet force her to keep looking closely at the earth pony’s clothes.

-What do you think of my suit? Isn’t it fabulous?- said the pony taking a full turn to show off every corner of her clothing.

-Truly… unique- the unicorn replied unable to think of a better word to describe her friend’s attire.

“Sweet Celestia is it even ok to wear something like that to an official ceremony!” the unicorn cried to herself.

-I knew you'd agree. Smart Cookie was against I wore it, but I'm glad I ignored her advice, that is, what does she know about fashion anyway?- said the earth pony jumping around.

-You know you should possibly give more credit to your counselor, after all I trusted her judgment- the unicorn stipulated. It really must have been a headache for Smart Cookie to deal with Puddinhead, she really admired the pony for her patience.

-Can you explain to me why they took so long?- snorted Commander Hurricane as she gracefully descended to the level of the other two leaders.

-Come on honey, you should be in a better mood after all, today is the first day of winter, it's a big celebration- Platinum said as she slightly rub the commander’s chest.

-Of course I'm in a good mood- the commander replied, turning her back on them.

-Is it a blush what I see?- Platinum questioned the pegasus in a mocking tone.

-NO IS NOT!, it's just the heat, now come we can't keep wasting, it is already time to start the ceremony-

The three advanced to the front of the crowd who waited anxiously for the moment their beloved princesses appeared on the balcony above them.

The sun's deity entered the room, followed by a couple of his royal guards. The room was slightly darkened, but the cheerful laughter of the indigo alicorn and the pegasus filly flooded the atmosphere with warmth.

-t’s been so long since I hear you laugh dear sister- said the multicolored mane alicorn.

-Your’re right Tia, it's been a long time since we've been able to laugh like this-

-Your Majesty- said the pegasus bowing to the deity of the Sun, whom she seemed to locate perfectly despite not being able to see her.

-I'm glad to see you once again Snowdrop- replied the deity by lifting the filly's chin using of the feathers of her wing. -Are you ready, my dear?- she asked politely.

-Of course, Your Majesty- the little pegasus replied enthusiastically swirling her tiny wings.

The deity of the night simply gave her a friendly smile nodding in agreement.

-If so, I see no reason to keep them waiting- said the sun's deity advancing towards the balcony followed by her little sister, between them was the little pegasus holding among her little hooves the winter star she had selected specially for this year.

Behind the trio advanced the royal guards followed by a cream-colored pegasus with pink mane.

-I’m really proud of you, my dear Snowdrop- muttered Primrose, as she watched her little daughter walking side by side with the rulers of the kingdom, tears of happiness filling her eyes.

She had always seen her daughter as a blessing, despite her inability to appreciate the world with her own eyes, Snowdrop had been blessed with a much greater gift, the ability to see through the hearts of other ponies and fill them with joy. And now she was there in front of her, side by side with the most important ponies of the whole kingdom, who had accepted her as one of her own, all thanks of snowdrop’s own merits.

Truly her little girl was born for greatness and Primrose was sure that greatness would be what would await her daughter, for her long journey was only just beginning and Primrose knew her tittle girl would never travel alone again.

She watches her daughter step across the threshold of the balcony and disappear into daylight amid applause and cheers. She felt like she was the proudest mom in the world.

The ponies erupted in cheers of joy and rejoicing when they saw their princesses accompanied by the pegasus appearing over the balcony of the palace's tallest tower.

-It is a great honor to share a new winter by your side. One of many prosperous winters to come- speak Celestia using her real Canterlot voice to make sure her words reached the ears of all their subjects -This year has been one of the most difficult we have ever lived, but I assure you that we will not rest until we ensure that harmony reigns in our land once more—the crowd cheered their princess.

The sun’s deity lifted her hoof silencing the crowd, then she looks at the little foal nodding. The little girl discovered the winter star she had kept protected between her hooves, the winter star was exceptionally detailed, it looks beautiful and full of life. Celestia could appreciate the effort that the pegasus had pawned to create such a work, who despite been so small carried a much greater weight since she had become a symbol of the desires and hopes of every pony in Equestria.

The pegasus approached the edge of the balcony before dropping the piece of ice that she had so jealously kept secure in her hooves until that moment. A moment later, the rest of the pegasus began to kick in the clouds, from which lots of snowflakes began to fall down. In a matter of seconds the skyes and earth were covered by millions of those little winter stars.

It was an eye-catching spectacle, the joyful laughter of the little fillies and colts as they play with the snow, soon became louder and clearer.

Winter was no longer a time of sadness and pain, now it could bring the same joy as spring, without losing its original purpose.

The deity of the night remained quiet, watching the scene taking place before her eyes. Just be sitting watching as the little winter stars falls from the skye was one of her main pleasures, one that she could only appreciate for a short time each year. In the past Luna had been drawn to the nights when the snow fell silently from the sky, but after meeting the little pegasus sitting right at her side, her best friend, she couldn't help but think of all those nights she spent just admiring the Snowfall from sky to ground.

Both Snowdrop and the winter stars she creates every winter have very much in common. For starters they shared almost the same color, both were silent and of course both were Lunas most precious treasures. But the most important thing was that they both also had much in common with her beautiful nights and herself. She was truly grateful to have met that foal and that was why she also thanked every moment she spends by her side.

Unconsciously the princess of the night protectively wrapped Snowdrop in her wing. The little filly did not seem to be uncomfortable in any way as she simply nuzzled the princess' chest.

Celestia just looked at them, a Warm smile placed on her lips. Perhaps it was true that Luna possessed some freedom she did not possess at all, even though Luna worked mostly at night, it was clear that the connections she had with those who remained by her side were really special. Snowdrop, Siegfried, Epsilon, Merak, Alcor and Megres, all have something in common. They’ll never think of deal any harm to her younger sister and none of them wanted to be by her side because of her social status. They all Love her sister for who she was. Celestia on the other hoof has had a lot of problems finding even one pony who she could fully thrust and did not follow her just because she was royalty. Some of the few were her captain Caramel, Clover and Zephora.

Watching Luna nuzzling her little friend’s neck affectionately made her think. Luna would be safe under the care of her night guards and would always be surrounded by those who loved her even if she herself was forced to spend less time by her side, Celestia knew her little sister would never be alone.

"Tomorrow I will talk to Luna to start the preparations in order to move her to the old castle so that she will be able to take some of my duties from there" she thought as she turned around and retreated back inside the castle were there were some paper towers waiting for her signature. Paperwork was the worst and she still had work to attend to and a big to-do list that seemed to never end.

Hidden in the shadows, the night guards keep watching closely.

-Luna said that winter star was made especially for Megrez- Alcor said quietly.

-That little girl really has talent- Siegfried said, looking at the winter star maker, who remained sitting between the dark-blue alicorn princess's long legs.

-Epsilon, are you all right?- asked Merak.

The mare remained staring with her only one good eye at the indigo colored alicorn. Her stoic expression was hard to read even for her friends.

-Epsilon...- called him again.

-Our mission is to take care of our princess and make sure we're by her side whenever she needs us- replied the young mare by giving him a killing gaze, which make Merak take a precarious step back.

-We know, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy a view like this- Siegfried replied as easy going as ever.

-You can do whatever you want in your free time Siegfried, I really don’t care how many mares you sleep with then, but while you're on guard you'll fulfill your duties without distractions- the mare refuted by opening her wings menacingly.

He knew first hoof how dangerous his leader could be, not to mention Epsilon’s words were truth. After all, if what Princess Celestia and that zebra suspected was true, none of them could let their guard down, at least not until they knew for sure their princess would be safe.

-I'm sorry, you're right- he replied, looking down.

-Well...- Epsilon said turning around and looking at her princess once more. -Tonight we will talk about the rotations, I want to make sure she will be accompanied by one of us at all times...-

-Yes, of course- Siegfried replied.

-Sorry if I sounded more pissed than usual, but I want you to understand the importance of the oath we have taken-

-Yes, Captain!- all three responded as one.

-You really are incorrigible- mumbled the mare with a tiny smile.

The smell of sex completely invaded her body, she wasn't sure how many times she had been assaulted, but she could bet that by that point the whole hive had used her own body for at least one time.

The dim light that illuminated the dungeons, barely allowed her to see beyond her hooves, the wounds on her body still ached but her brain seemed unable to process the sensations at all.

She decided to keep her mind busy on the only thing she knew could keep her from lose her sanity. She had lost her first time, had lost her pride and her royal status, but still kept in her heart the only feeling that her mother could not take from her, the only one not even she could fully comprehend, that feeling that grew in her every time she thought of her beloved princess of the night.

She rose to her hooves with difficulty as she began to sing, letting her crystal tears fall freely once more.

She then look at her sealing as if she could see the night Skye.

She then look down again shutting her eyes and whimpering.

The characteristic sound of the swirling of her jailers, echoed in the cell where the young Changeling princess was, got her immediate attention.

Although fear overwhelmed her by imagining what was to come, she held her mask firm on her face. She had to stay strong and return to her beloved ruler of the night.

-Princess- the Changeling flipped at the soldier's fearful call.

Their eyes met for a moment, shame invaded the gaze of the soldier in front of her.

-I'm so sorry for what I did to you- the guard continued taking all his courage to face his princess -I won't ask for your forgiveness, less to excuse my actions, but I want you to know that I only tried to protect you just like the rest of the hive.

-You don't have to worry. I know very well that you have had no choice- replied Changeling princess.

-Still that does not justify our behavior, and that is why I have brought you something in return-.

The soldier placed one of his helmets on his own chest which began to shine, after a few seconds he removed his hoof from his chest, on the tip of it floated a small sphere of energy that glowed in a light blue color.

-No, no, no, you can't give me that, Mother will kill you if she finds out- the princess begged him frantically waving her hooves in a negative way.

-The greatest honor of a soldier is to die for his queen... or in this case for his princess- replied the soldier by offering her the small amount of energy he was keeping on the tip of his foreleg.

-No, please don't- the princess pleaded, resisting the hunger that gripped her before such a delicacy.

-Take it princess, it will give you the strength you need to heal your wounds and lessen your agony- the soldier replied by again offering the energy ball that floated over his black hoof.

The changeling princess approached the bars as long as she was allowed by the chains that remained tied to her body. She stretched her neck and opened her jaws to absorb the small amount of energy held by little soldier and then swallowing every last spark.

The feeling she felt consuming that small portion of love made her feel alive once again. Although it could not end her hunger it certainly helped to temporarily diminish it.

-I must retire princess, or else the queen might suspect- the soldier said, looking in all directions to make sure they still were alone.

After making sure there was no one else any nearer, the soldier looked at the princess one last time before making a pronounced bow turning around and returning to his post.

-Wait!- He was stopped by the princess. –Please tell me... what's your name?-

-Spur- replied the changeling before resuming his walk out of the hive dungeons.

-I thank you, Spur- the princess said sincerely -I'm sure she'll come for me- the princess muttered in hope.

She waits until the soldier hooves were no longer hear. She took some time and in deep thoughts, if she was strong enough she could consume some of the energy of her soldiers during the sex act and perhaps be able to contact Luna and escape from that place.

She knew how powerful the princesses were and trusted that together with her beloved alicorn she would be able to take the throne from her mother. If Queen Cocoon was so interested in the energy that the dark blue alicorn possessed, it might only means that Luna and Celestia could be enough to overthrow her. After all they have already defeated a king.

She look with determination at the chains that imprisoned her hooves, no matter what kind of torment she faced, she would rise victorious in the end.

-Jejejeje- laughed Changeling princess.

Author's Notes:

Author's note:

First of all, I want to thank you for following this little story (and above all for the patience you have had waiting for the publication of the new chapters).

As you may have noticed, it's the first chapter that features a song. XD well two song in fact. The original one (The Spanish version) used the “I Know Those Eyes” song instead of “Every day a little death” one, but I though in the English version this one fits more.

To be honest the most complicated thing about this chapter was to give a coherence to the ideas That I plastid in this chapter, so I had to edit a couple of dozen times the original text when it came out almost a year ago, so that the ideas did not feel so forced and to be able to give a little more fluidity to the scenes of Celestia.

And while it's not my best job, I admit I'm happy with the result. I hope you enjoyed it in this version too.

Thank you for your support and until next time.

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In memory of Victor Fidel Beloved grandfather and mentor.

March/1938 - October/2018