2.7

“It is troubling, Starswirl. Luck makes no mere coincidence and this move is brash and unrealistic,” Midnight protested.

“Shall I read it to thou again or would thou like to see it for thyself,” he argued back, clearly annoyed.

Luna considered the text and when they read it before, they assumed something of a more positive light, but now they knew the grave deed awaiting them. She stood in front of the great window in the library where the full moon shone down on them. It was her favourite place to sit and think.

“In a desert of the far south east, awaits a tyrant who slumbers deep. In their kingdom you will spar, to turn them into the Falling Star,” Luna recited, “Rosetta came here, humiliated me and attempted to overthrow my rule. She is a tyrant. If nothing else, she deserves what is coming to her.”

She took a deep breath and watched the moon. She felt calmer and wiser when she could see the moon and it comforted her. She thought of what it’d be like to be on the moon and gaze down at all of Equestria, watching everypony go about their nights. She turned to face them, the full glory of the moon behind her, announcing her and strengthening her.

“There is no other option or explanation. We are to go to Concordia and slay Princess Rosetta,” Luna commanded, “Our ponies are behind us and we have a reason to go against them.”

“But Luna, it is folly. We are at peace, thou would sacrifice your people for your quest?” Midnight challenged.

Midnight had become increasingly against Luna’s quest, constantly complaining about the consequences. He had always had a point and even made Luna question the legitimacy of it. She had returned to a home that she could not discern from the one in her old broken memory, her rule was strong and the only motivation she had was an old memory of her sister. More often than not, she thought about giving up on it and just living in this realm, but no more.

“It hath become clear to me now Midnight that we need to continue the quest, for our search for the stars is no longer a quest at all, tis a chain of events, preordained by the stars. By finding the one star, we set in motion events that will lead us to the next. Unfortunately, we are not the only ones affected by these events, it seems like all of Equestria is part of this quest and I will not rest until we see this though.”

Luna turned around and slowly paced around the study.

“I fear that suffering will fall upon Equestria if we fail to follow through with what we started,” Luna explained. There was silence as the words left her. Midnight was considering her thoughts.

“So be it. I know I have disagreed in the past, but I will follow my princess,” Midnight established.

Luna formally declared war on Concordia the following day, only four days after her battle with Rosetta. Chances were that she’d be too weak to rally her people and Luna was going to drive this advantage. As part of her letter she offered to duel Rosetta for the Crown of Concordia so that their people may be spared, a one on one dual to the end, to be put on display for their subjects to watch. Rosetta did not reply. So Luna pressed her army into Concordian lands.

No matter Rosetta’s response to her challenge, she would not go to Concordia without the full force of her military. Rosetta’s last incursion into Canterlot was a prime example of what happens in such scenarios.

As they passed through, Luna forbade her soldiers from any barbaric behaviour as they walked in their dark purple plate armors adorned with the sign of the moon. She knew that her claim to war was weak as it was and she didn’t want her army to second guess her command. Neither did she want her popularity with the people to diminish so, only the noblest behaviour would suffice.

She flew over the great dark army marching in lockstep and her heart beat with anticipation to their rhythm. Her pegasus knights streaked across the sky like Jagged lightning. Every thundering step was one step and heart beat closer to Rosetta, the star and Celestia.

Luna wore her Royal Lunar Armor and took her Spear of the Stars. The polished dark blue armor gleamed an eerie moonlight despite being in the sun and covered her with precious moonlight that gave her comfort and strength. Her spear was enchanted with a legendary spell that trapped the power of the 13 constellations in it. From it she could withdraw terrible power that would do more harm that good. She did not intend to use it for those purposes, but merely to make herself a stronger leader. Starswirl had warned against wielding it while retrieving it from a vault far below the castle. She reassured him that she did not plan to unleash its full power. He asked what she intended to use it for, if not for its enchantment.

“Tis the most sturdiest and most sharpest spear. Plus it looks powerful. Imagine it Starswirl! The Princess of the Night soaring across the sky in her royal armor, equipped with the Spear of the Stars. Would thou not follow her into battle?” Luna exclaimed enthusiastically, sparkles in her eye.

“Yes, I would…” he mumbled. He continued to ridicule her, increasing his volume in frustration, “As to prevent thine brash and reckless princess from releasing an Ursa Major or literally any other impossibly powerful, uncontrollable nightmare back into the world.”

“Oh look, there is my spear!” Luna shouted, as the vault opened and she laid her eyes on the weapon in front of her, “Be a good master wizard and fetch it for me, so that I may not accidentally release the suffering of a thousand years on our plane.”

The spear itself had a great magical weight to it. Even as Luna flew with the thing levitating by her side, she could only swing it so much. It had a strange connection to her though. It felt more like she was holding it in her own hooves rather than an object she moved through space with magic.

They had just reached the outskirts of Concordia’s namesake capital city as darkness began to fall. Despite being an army of the moon, most soldiers in it did not actually fight that well in the dark, so they bid to attack the following day.

A messenger had met with them and they welcomed him and treated him as a friend, giving him food and asking him to spend the evening with them. Not to Luna’s surprise he told her that Rosetta would not meet her challenge and instead would command her army against Luna’s. He sent the message and was returned one immediately.

“So it has come to this,” she said quietly to the messenger. She turned to face her anxious army, and boomed her royal voice “This good messenger has given thee news from Princess Rosetta. She has decided to hide behind her army and watch them fall for her, she is wise. Like this good stallion, they are worthy ponies and will be treated with honour and respect. And because of that you will show them no less than your most worthiest self. They will show no weakness so thou must maketh them. Give them no quarter, no mercy and not an inch of ground. No matter what.”

The army cheered for Luna, inspire by her speech.

Later that night Luna and Midnight had potentially their last night together. They snuck away from the camp and walked out into the surrounding countryside. Away from the city lights, the nebulas and depths of space fill their souls. Giant clouds of space dust painted an immovable picture of colour on the sky.

“What dost thou think the riddle of the Evening Star reveals?”  Midnight asked.

“It said it will appear at the end of my journey and that I will learn of a bitter mind,” Luna wondered, “I suppose after I find the Falling Star, the Evening Star should just appear.  As for the bitter mind, I do not know.”

“So thou shall not be here much longer,” Midnight concluded.

“I fear not.”

They came to a stop and looked at each other in the moonlight. Midnight was clearly sad at this and Luna fared no better. They had come to like each other a lot in her short time here. Luna remembered her old memories of Midnight before she was imprisoned and wished she would have been closer friends with him than she was. All the time they could have spent together was wasted with formality and pseudo-friendliness.

She wanted to see Celestia more than anything else, but it won’t be easy leaving Midnight or even Starswirl behind. Luna knew that as soon as she got back to her old time, she’d go be friends with her Midnight as soon as possible.

“But after I leave, the Luna I replaced should come back, so it shan’t be any different, right?”  

“Right.”

“What was she like?” Luna asked thoughtfully.

Midnight began walking again, Luna following close behind.

“She was noble and just, always good to her people,” Midnight explained flatly.

“You like thee more, do you not?” Luna inferred.

Midnight stopped for a second. He was surprised by the princess’s accusation. However, Luna would have imagined that’s what her Midnight would have said about her.

“How could I not? To the other Luna I was just a guardian and a knight, no more. But to thou I am a friend. I care about thou and not just because of an oath,” he admitted, “I had not the heart to tell you that and I have been so selfish.”

“Midnight…” Luna replied tenderly.

“Ever since the first night that thou came here, I had secretly hoped thou would stay, so that we could be friends, I put myself before my princess, but no more. I apologize for my insolence,” he continued emotionally and shamefully.

Luna walked up to him and nuzzled him lovingly.

“Do not apologize Midnight, I am not angry and I know what thou feeleth because I feel it too. I was trapped away for hundreds of years and thou were the first pony I saw, the first pony who called me by name… my first friend…  Over this quest, I had considered staying because of thou. If we were not where we were, I would have.”

Midnight Sky hugged Luna. They held each other for what could have been an eternity. They continued walking and decided to just lie on the ground and look up at the night sky with wonder and also at each other bittersweet love. They exchanged their last stories, feelings and memories. They did not know the great destinies that await them, but they knew they’d always have the other in with them in their heart.

Quiet words were exchanged.

“I love you and thank you.” Next Chapter: 2.8 Estimated time remaining: 28 Minutes