#mun msg: KJGDSKGKJGSD yes we will hurt them later

[clippedwingsmuses]

the energy in the room has shifted, twilight has realized. tension gradually ebbs out of the walls, out of the light from the stained glass. though it only serves to further illuminate the tears of teal and baby blue that roll down the cheeks of the stylized ponies, it is calmer now. the time for tears has passed... for now. it will re-emerge, but twilight has yet to feel their aching tug on her mind and body once again.

through the window, she can see the moon. she can see how it moves even still, even with what little magic has engulfed the dark shade of the night queen's horn. briefly does it ignite to shift the moon's position at it drifts toward the other horizon, already on the path to setting. twilight's own horn sparkles, ensuring that the sun is ready to rise on the other side, glow carefully tucked beneath the horizon and invisible to equestria's citizens.

but she could always delay her duty if she got distracted. this was more important anyways.

hearing the broken up medley of the lullaby only made twilight's heart ache. in luna's singing, she could hear the gentle tone of celestia. at the same time, she could hear the vivid smoothness of nightmare moon. and in the same vein, in that tone was the rigid and strict vocal calls of the queen of the night, luna. every piece of her joined together to mold her singing voice. but twilight was most familiar with what made it sound as though celestia could sing through her sister.

" her memory persists through song, " twilight mumbles, barely realizing she's spoken. eyes stare at her notepad but they read nothing, looking somewhere in the distance that is intangible at her current position.

twilight's ears and head raise when fluttershy's name crops up in conversation. finally her pupils pulse and with a few short blinks, she has grounded herself back in reality.

" i'm sure fluttershy would love to help us, " twilight mused, attempting to return her earlier excitement for their plans to her voice, though it's obvious she's forcing it in every aspect. " she's, of course, been shy singing in front of others for the longest time... but i'm sure she'd be more than happy to join us and help us. ah, she makes music with her birds too... we might be able to ask her to teach some of hers an instrumental for the song. "

twilight takes a daring step towards the stained glass when luna ascends into the air. finally she feels tears perk in her eyes as luna's hoof glides across the lightly textured surface, across the white figure that hardly seems graceful as the image's centerpiece. she shakes her head and wipes her eyes, nearly poking herself in the eye in the process. she's a mess, and even her hair has begun to fall into an unruly state. she had been so well put together when she approached luna, but the longer the conversation had drawn out, the more twilight let herself fall apart just like that day.

" i don't need to sleep, " twilight said. she did, she was tired from the crying. but she was a liar, and she was set on a task. she ruffles her feathers, and the loosened few flutter to the ground at her sides, with little care from her glossy eyes. " this is infinitely more important to me than resting. we've little time left to make these plans before the day will be here... i-i can't let it all fall apart when we've talked it up so much. she deserves better than for this to be another discordant gala, or another celebration with the fate of the world at hoof. this... i-it needs to go right- it has to. "

the elements lived on without the tree though if only those were needed to restore everfree, it would have been tamed years ago. wild violent heart wrenching magic wielded by element bearers - the first born alicorns at that - had damaged their castle and the surrounding land. luna's theory was something akin to the opposite was required to settle the forest. she'd told the idea to celestia and set starswirl on figuring out just what sort of spell would undo such harm. the old unicorn doubted that exact contrasting spells to what they'd fought with would work. he'd wondered if the sisters just needed to wing it. rekindle their bond, reconnect to celestial and familial harmony.

they'd never gotten the chance to try. equestria couldn't wait for the two sisters to fix their synergy when citizens were in danger. ponies safety trumped all. luna wishes they'd had more time. peace or space for another civilian adventure without their crowns. starlight's spell might have opened their eyes but when the sun rose, there were still things to do duties to attend to. she should've fought harder to find the days to just spend with her sister. talking, sharing, frolicking like fillies.

now she considers erasing everfree from existence. destroying the problem once and for all before it could hurt anyone else. there was no guarantee even that would work. there was no harmony in such a destructive act who knew what would come of it? ponies weren't meant for discordant magic. dark magic, obviously, but nature breaking chaos was discord's realm not any alicorn's.

her moon drifts on. stained glass tints light with faint color where it strikes the floor. the vast room feels cold and empty. celestia's throne remains. luna had almost bitten the first to dare suggest moving it. that surge of violence was hers alone, not nightmare. star hot rage built in seconds and she'd lashed out, teeth snapping, canines bared. for a terrifyingly long moment after she was unable to speak. such disrespect to her sister rendered the queen incapable of anything beyond feral uncivilized sounds.

weight shifts to back legs, allowing front hoof to cock and take pressure off prosthetic. she too had completely forgotten about the pillars. starswirl had done the eulogy but that was the last she'd seen of him. luna was always very good at not being social even when she didn't intend to be. canterlot's night staff was cut, with pay of course, when celestia died to give her more privacy. she'd simply never hired new ones. the night returned to being hers and hers alone to wander silent halls like a phantom.

"equestria should remember her." as it hadn't remembered luna. she knows older ruler had been incredibly ashamed and guilt ridden over banishment. nightmare moon deserved to be lost to the dawn. tall white horse who held several statues over the capitol had a constellation in her image.

insecurity is quickly stomped down at the question. the two sisters had been raised in a time when music was the only entertainment. when magic and harmony was still new to equine kind. harmony magic itself often presented in song. other species didn't suddenly know lyrics or choreography. the dragons had been baffled upon witnessing several ponies sing about their journey. luna nods decisively. "yes. she sang to me. i should return the favor."

only after asking does she remember fluttershy is the musician of the group. "we could ask fluttershy." though there were dozens of renowned writers who would love to compose for a queen, they likely wouldn't capture the original sound as well. "i could sing you that song in my sleep, twilight sparkle." it still infiltrated her dreams. the first time she'd heard it in person she had sobbed for over an hour. celestia did too.

a tired bitter part of her doubts their search will come up with much. the summer sun celebration nightmare crashed had no mention of luna. the elements themselves standing where two had fought so long ago didn't seem to know they were sisters. despite their color and build difference, celestia always took after the grace of old unicorns compared to luna's pegasi strength, both were still alicorns. no other being had successfully moved the heavens for so long.

"good night sister mine. rest now in moonlight's embrace." the melody drifts from her throat like smoke pulled in the wind. luna looks to the large portrait of two circling ponies with fresh tears in her eyes. "fate has been cruel and order unkind. the harmony's silent today." it's out of order but she doesn't care. large black tipped wings unfurl and bring her into the air. one hoof reaches out gently to the glass, tracing celestia's cheek. she slowly descends back to the floor and shakes herself off from horn to tail.

her moon is still on track. the stars remain. neither of them are morning ponies. the alicorn clears her throat and turns back to younger. how twilight has grown. she'd seen so many pictures of her as a filly. how young the mare had been when the elements returned - when the tree was destroyed. thirty sixty years is less than a blink to luna. "i don't believe i'm sleeping this day, would you like to start our search now? or would you like to go to bed?"