The Waning Moon - Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Guests filed out of the Grand Ballroom in a somber and slightly confused march into the night. The Grand Galloping Gala had ended on a sour note, to say the least. I sat and watched as everypony made their way out of the main gates. Only Private Firewing, still in formal guard's attire, remained at his post. Lieutenant Strongwill had probably been called to help Captain Skybolt. I cantered over to the guardhouse and fought my way through the crowd which had gathered around the unfortunate guardspony. I broke through to find the beleaguered Private Firewing fending off questions and angry outbursts from irritated guests.

"Private Firewing!" I called out.

He didn't hear me. He continued to fend off the advances of the pressing mass of ponies. He squeezed his eyes shut before finally shouting at the crowd. "Everypony get out! Vacate the castle grounds immediately, or I will have you all arrested!" Everypony was suddenly silent. "Was I not clear?" he bellowed. "Everypony out, or you will all be spending a cramped night in the holding tower, and at this rate, that might last quite some time!"

Tower. The word flashed through my mind.

A murmur ran through the crowd, and the guests all began to shuffle back towards town. I stayed back, and approached Private Firewing, who, after the whole affair, appeared to be attempting some sort of breathing exercise.

"Pardon me, Private Firewing?" I felt somehow guilty for bothering him.

He swiveled his head and snapped, "What?" His face relaxed slightly when he saw me. "Oh, Starswirl's beard, it's only you." He sat down on the ground, exasperated. "What's the problem?"

"Nothing, aside from the obvious." I looked towards the moon.

Tower...

"I don't understand," he said, his eyes scanning the passing guests. "Who would've thought that Princess Luna would do such a thing. She and Celestia have always been the most caring of sisters. At least, that's what the Captain always told me."

Tower...

We shared a defeated silence.

"In any case," he continued, "I'll just have to wait here for the Captain. If we don't find the princess on the first pass, we'll be putting every guard station in Equestria on alert. " He hesitated. "I'm probably not cleared to tell you that..."

"You don't need to worry, I—"

Tower...

"Tower!" I shouted. "I know where the Princess is!"

Private Firewing's eyes widened"What? Where? How?"

"I haven't got any time to explain," I said hurredly. "Come with me!"

"I...I can't leave my post!"

"Private Firewing, I think we have more pressing matters at hand right now! Now I don't want you AWOL on my account, but I really need your help for this one."

He hesitated for a moment. "Alright, let's go."

I charged off towards Canterlot proper, Private Firewing lifted off and followed close behind me.

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"So where do you think we should look?" asked the guardspony.

"There's an old lookout tower at the edge of town. I feel like that's our best bet," I said.

"How do you figure?"

"It's a long story," I replied. "Just trust me on this one."

We reached the train station, and began following the tracks. As we drew closer and closer to the edge of town, the blue haze began to appear, and grew thicker and thicker as we approached the tower. We tried to open the door at the base of the building, but it had been locked from the inside.

"Stand aside," Private Firewing said as he turned his back to the door. With a mighty buck he sent the old wooden door sailing off its hinges and into the dark interior.

"Well, that's one way to handle things," I said. "Come on, we don't have any time to lose!"

We galloped up the stairs through the ever-thickening haze. We arrived atop the tower, where we saw Princess Luna's figure amidst a swirling dark blue cloud.

"Princess Luna!" called Private Firewing, "the entire Royal Guard is on alert looking for you!"

"Oh?" sniffled the princess.

"Princess," I said quietly, "everypony is worried sick."

"Why?" she asked, turning her head. "Are they concerned for me, or that I may never end the night?" Her eyes were red and filled with tears.

I turned to Private Firewing. "You'd best go alert Captain Skybolt. Let me talk to the princess."

"I'll go as fast as I can!" With that, he bolted from the tower and began circling in the sky, looking for the captain. I drew closer to Luna.

"Princess...why do you do this?"

"Dear pony," she said to me, "thou cannot be expected to understand." Her voice trembled, despite her formal tone.

"Perhaps, fair princess, you could shed light on this—" I stopped, realizing my poor choice of words.

"Shed light?" Luna's eyes suddenly filled with fury and went wide. I stayed silent, and watched as the blue aura swirled violently around the princess, as she shouted again, "Shed light! This," she roared indignantly, "is why we have always taken backseat to our sister! Why we have never garnered any appreciation for what we do!" I noticed a change in her voice. This was not the usual tone used by the royals. This was bizarre and otherworldly. "Fear is all we have earned! Fear of darkness! Fear of the unknown! So if it is fear that everypony wants, it will be fear that everypony gets!" She glared at me.

"Princess Luna..."

"We appreciate everything that thou hast done for Princess Luna. Thou hast been a good friend to her, but this no longer matters. Princess Luna is—"

"Princess Luna!" came a voice fro outside the tower.

I looked up, and saw Captain Skybolt, accompanied by Lieutenant Strongwill and Private Firewing.

"Princess Luna, you must come back to the castle. The entire Royal Guard is looking for you, and Celestia is in a panic," pleaded Captain Skybolt.

"In a panic, thou sayest? In a panic that she cannot bring in her precious daylight?"

"In a panic," replied the captain, "because she cannot find her sister!"

The air began to swirl about the room. "Then she may continue to look, Captain. She will not find her sister here, nor at the castle, nor anywhere else in Equestria. Princess Luna is gone. Henceforth, I shall be referred to as," she paused, "Night Mare!"

"Princess Luna, I—" Captain Skybolt's plea was cut short.

"Be still!" shouted Night Mare. Everypony in the room cowered on the ground. "Return to the castle. If the princess wants to find me," she said, abandoning her royal tone for a moment, "she can look for herself." With that, she spread her wings, and in a shroud of darkness, vanished into the night.

When the noise and dust settled, everypony looked to each other, as if one of us would know what should be done. Captain Skybolt turned to me. "Fountain Pen, come with me. Your presence will be required."

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I stood in the throne room, flanked by Private Firewing and Lieutenant Strongwill. I shot alternating glances from one to the other. Strongwill seemed to be scrutinizing me as though I was somehow to blame. Firewing kept his head bowed in silence. We had been waiting for what seemed like hours for Captain Skybolt to return with Princess Celestia. After Night Mare had vanished, we had come straight back to Canterlot Castle, and the captain had left me here with Strongwill and Firewing. Lieutenant Strongwill gave me a piercing look. I remembered what Firewing had said to me about the lieutenant before, and did my best to ignore it.

Captain Skybolt and Princess Celestia entered the room behind us. Lieutenant Strongwill was suddenly quiet, and both he and Private Firewing stood at attention. I stepped aside and bowed my head as they passed. Celestia ascended to her throne, which stood next to the now empty one belonging to her sister.

"Fair Fountan Pen," she said to me, "thou art among the last to see Luna, is this not so?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Your majesty, you can't possibly be taking the word of this pony seriously!" Strongwill interjected. After all, he is only—"

"We can decide for ourselves, Lieutenant, whose word to take," she said calmly before turning back to me."Describe to me what happened."

I told her everything. Her sudden outburst, her change in demeanor, and lastly, her adoption of the name "Night Mare."

"Night Mare, you say?"

"Yes, your highness. She gave herself this name before disappearing." I paused. "I don't think that she's Princess Luna anymore. I...Princess," I let out a sigh. "She's not the same as before."

Fighting back tears, Princess Celestia closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She took a long look at the empty throne which had belonged to her sister before turning to Captain Skybolt. "Captain, order the Guard to stand down. You've all had a long day, it's time for you to rest."

"Yes, your highness." Skybolt turned to the other guardponies. "You both heard her. Go spread the word." She turned back to the princess. "What do you plan to do, your highness?"

"We..." Celestia hesitated. "I have business to attend to." Her formal facade began to crumble. "If what this pony says about my sister is true, then I fear that this has come to—" She lowered her head. "Skybolt, fair Fountain Pen, I thank you for everything, but now it is in my hooves. Now please, leave me be." Her voice cracked, breaking the last bastion of composure she had fought so hard to maintain. Her horn glowed, filling the room with a blinding light, and she was gone.

"Come on," said Captain Skybolt to me, "I'll escort you out."