LoE- The Blackest Night-A royal meeting

The sky to the north east of Ponyville after sundown.

Celestia landed on a large lone fluffy cloud, her hooves setting into the white shining vapor material made walkable to the alicorn by her magic. The weather service had been ordered by the crown to clear the sky around Ponyville save for a scarce few clouds, and had this large cloud placed in this part of the sky at the orders of Luna, leaving a few smaller and far away clouds out as places for the flying guard to watch for trouble from. It had been the intention of Celestia and Luna to have a meeting spot far away from both Ponyville and Canterlot that was safe from prying ears and wagging tongues of both the town and the court. The hardliners cabal had been a completely unexpected and frightening discovery and the creation of such a meeting place was an understandable action for what was about to be discussed. As the Princess of the Sun folded her wings and settled upon the island sky she greeted the other attendees for the clandestine meeting.

She hated the secrecy, but it was needed. Her meeting with the Privy Council had gone well, her various advisors contributed their wisdom and Celestia listened, hoping that her councilors could see something she herself could not. He knew the Grand Marshall’s opinion from what Luna had conveyed earlier, about using the rings.

But...

The Indigo ring's touch had changed her perception of things. It felt as if the ring was...alive! While she wore it, the feelings of all her ponies, the emotions they all...glowed with were perceptible to Celestia. It was more than reading body language or the stresses of their words...she actually felt their emotions! No wonder Rarity was sobbing! The burden she willingly gave herself to! Generosity indeed!  

The twinkling still tapestry of light across the sky was broken by the occasional shooting star creating a brief streak of intense light as it fell to earth. The moon had not risen as of yet and so the jewels of light in the night were the only natural light to conduct the business at hoof. The stars in the sky seem to be like a blanket the world wore to comfort itself to feel safe, the twinkling points of life promising to anyone looking up that the night was not all darkness and offering the chance of a new day to come.

Princess Luna rose onto her all of her legs, the sparkling stars in her gently waving wind blown mane echoing the light of the stars in her night’s sky. The Princess of the Moon had chosen to come dressed only in her basic royal raiment, the silver crescent moon of her breastplate shimmering softly in the light of the night time stars. “Greetings sister” the lady of dreams welcomed her sibling with as gentle a voice as she could muster. A tinge of worry still came through her tone “I hope all went well.”

Celestia nodded. “Well enough. We have many things to address when we return home Luna. For now things should calm down a bit” Celestia turned and faced the prostrating pony before her that softly glowed violet from the Star Sapphire uniform she was clad in. The pony’s wings were open, the wing tips touching the cloud surface, her face half curled under her neck facing down into the cloud. The mare’s pink, purple and white mane more gentle and muted in color in the starlight. Her horn glittering in spite of the dark.

“She acted like this to me as well when I arrived Tia.” The moon princess said, looking at her sister. Luna’s lips were drawn slightly taunt, stress making her face look hard.

“Cadence, please rise! You have no need for such posturing here with us.” Princess Celestia quietly chided her adopted niece. Cadence slowly rose up, folding her wings and standing on all of her legs, the Star Sapphire uniform fading away, the violet glow disappearing save for her ring.“I appreciate your respect, but I think we can dispense with such posturing here,“ the white alicorn placed her right front hoof on the shoulder of Equestria’s Princess of Love.  

“I Feel it necessary Aunt Celestia, considering the title the leader of the Star Sapphires is ‘Queen’ “ Princess Mi Amore Cadneza regarded her aunts with with a face trying to hide concern “ I find it a little…unnerving.”
 
‘What I find unnerving my adopted niece is that the first violet ring did not choose you, the ascended Alicorn of Love, as its bearer’ Celestia thought. She shook her head, snapping her mane with the movement

“Nopony questions your loyalty Cadence, though it appears we all are going to be tested in our own ways soon.” Luna and Cadence both nodded in agreement.

“Let us begin Tia,” the Alicorn of the Moon pressed, her dark blue eyes reflecting worry in them “Much has happened in the time you have been meeting with the Elements of Harmony. The tidings I carry, I’m sorry to say, are ill.”

Celestia’s eyes widened “What has happened?”

Luna drew her head and neck up as she took a small breath. She closed her eyes and her nostrils flared as the cool night air entered her lungs. When she had arrived at her full standing height, she began to speak.

“The enemy Twilight Sparkle and the Lantern ponies fought has attacked a large guard garrison town. The water stop of 29 Fronds has been abandoned,” Luna’s sister shook her head “The Grand Martial himself alerted me to the attack just moments before I departed for our meeting.”

“Was Hurricane there?” Celestia bit her bottom lip in concern.

“We don’t know. There was no mention of Commander Hurricane in the report.”

“Where there any, deaths?” the older sister asked with a slight crack in her voice.

“Many Tia, many.” Luna then looked back in the direction of Canterlot, its lights outlining the city in twinkling beauty,” The city was evacuated under the garrison executive officer. Most are heading to the nearest large city.”

“Las Pegasus,” Celestia breathed. Equestria’s second largest city was now endangered.

“They appeared to have stopped for the time being. Beyond those few facts I have no more information on the situation itself as of this time.” The moon princess sighed “The Grand Martial is getting ‘insistent’ the Guard be allowed to have access to the rings if not confiscating them outright. In spite of the Hard-liner’s Cabal being destroyed, or maybe because of it, I suspect the military may try and make a move to take the lantern’s power for themselves no matter what we command. I can not say I blame them sister.”
 
Princess Celestia shook her head. The military officers that were with her at the meeting with the elements were quietly insistent that the rings be shared, and from their standpoint, their fear and concerns were understandable, a lantern possessed an unknown level of power, and so far the power demonstrated was frightening.  

”Luna, there’s another small town in that area isn’t there?” her sister nodded “ A small settlement is the nearest. It is a small farming town called Appleoosa.”

“The Buffalo Tribe! They live near there as well don’t they?”

“Yes Tia they do.”

The Princess of the Sun turned and lowered her head to look at her niece in the eye. Her jaw was clinched in worry, but she spoke calmly and evenly, “Cadence, we will send an official message to Twilight when we reach home tonight. Can you meet with Fluttershy and then Twilight to co-ordinate help? Las Pegasus and Appleoosa need to be protected and a princess of Equestria should speak to the chief of the buffalo's.”

“Absolutely Auntie, I will go myself if Fluttershy will not.” the violet ring on her leg flashed as she made the statement, as if the ring itself were speaking with light its intent to go itself. Celestia glanced down at the ring then up into the eyes of her adopted niece.

“It is fitting that say that because it is one of the things I wish to talk to you about,” Equestria’s co-ruler pointed at the Star Sapphire ring on Cadence’s leg with her right front hoof as she folded her rear legs under her. She paused for a moment in thought, her violet colored eyes looking into the stars as she searched for the best way to ask Cadence what she was about to ask her. Celestia gestured to Luna with her right wing in a curling motion to sit besides her. The Moon Princess walked quietly to her sister’s right side and sat down besides her. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza sat as well, facing her co-Lieges squarely.

“With Fluttershy receiving the first violet ring, she is the ‘leader’ of the Star Sapphires as they are called.” Celestia’s tone sounded almost sad as she spoke those words “Twilight Sparkle has learned from you and I well; I have no doubt about her abilities, especially with Spike at her side to help keep her balanced. Rainbow Dash has been…vigorous and while much of what she has done has been wrathful and reckless, no doubt because of her red ring, she has been proactive and acting in what she thinks is the best for Equestria. Rarity has been both gentile and dynamic in wielding compassion. Applejack has lead before, and though she almost lost her heart in her encounter with the Black Lanterns, I can sense her resolve in-spite of her fear for others and she will soon be formidable again. Do you think the Element of Kindness can be the leader we may need in this crisis Cadence? Can she face these Black Lanterns? I know I’m asking a lot of all my ponies, but the Element of Kindness in particular concerns me. Can she deal with the Black Lanterns?”

Luna’s face became a sour looking mask at the mentioning of the fell things. Her eyes narrowed, her teeth clinched behind her lips, her jaw muscles twitching every time the name ‘Black Lantern’ was used. Celestia caught the tension from the corner of her eye. ‘What have you not told me sister?’

Cadence rolled her eyes up and to right then down as she searched her heart and her mind for the answer, her lips curled up and down as she thought through her response. This was going to be painful. In the opinion of the third Star Sapphire, their ‘Queen’ was completely hopeless to the task as proffered, but as she had that thought she was struck by how that seemed overly unfair, perhaps harsh and cruel somehow. Perhaps Fluttershy could be taught what she needed to do, maybe she could learn as Twilight had.

“She is painfully bashful my aunts, passive and unsure. Many times she seems lost as to what to do and hesitant. However she has allowed Cheerilee and I to do what we felt was necessary and given us much lea way with our rings. I think she needs…instruction, guidance. She needs to be taught what it is to be a leader…a ‘queen’.

The royal sisters looked at each other. The ends of Luna’s lips turned down as her eyes half closed.

“Do you think that you can help her Cadence?” Luna asked in a cold tone “You may have to go beyond advising and offering suggestions. You may have to demonstrate, teach by example. You will have to make here aware of threats from everywhere and take steps to deal with them.”

“I have already began Auntie Luna” Cadence brought herself up to her full height as she spoke, “I have started the expansion of our home and protecting of the Violet Battery. Love will not be used against Equestria again!”

The Alicorn of Love almost seemed to sneer as she spoke that last statement. Cadence’s posture had become erect and stiff, her tail lashed back and forth quickly, her ears back, almost in rage. The site of her rigid and hard was a shock to both of her aunts. She had never acted this way before.

‘Interesting statement and stance Cadence’ Celestia thought, “Has something happened? Has somepony tried to do something to the violet battery? Did the Cabal try and take it?” Celestia asked, wondering if somepony acting in her name had tried to acquire a battery without telling her, even after everything had been revealed.

“No. No pony has tried, at least not yet. But it is just a matter of time until they try,” Cadence’s frowned,her eyes shown with a light that seemed red rather than violet. Her jaw clinched and she continued speaking through gritted teeth, “They must NEVER get their hooves on that battery, they would be unstoppable! Fortunately I have the assurance of both Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash of support if she tries to.”

“The Changelings?” a cool voice inquired.

“Who else Aunt Luna. It’s only a matter of time before they discover the battery exists. After they do, they will come for it…in force.”  

The tone of Cadence’s voice told Celestia all she needed to know about the status of her niece’s heart. While she agreed with the star sapphire’s assessment of the danger the violet lantern represented if Chrysalis got her hooves into that power, her tone made it clear the reason for her precautions was not wholly based on the situation itself; something else was controlling her actions, driving her thinking and her feelings. The Princess of the Sun caught the first evidence of it with the question about Fluttershy’s leadership, seeing the Princess and now Warrior of Love soften her opinion of the first wielder of a violet ring. This new…posture of Cadence was something else.

‘The Element of Kindness is running through the Violet Light just as the other elements are running through the other colors. Hopefully this will be for the better’ Celestia thought to herself ‘I wonder how sharp that statement about Chrysalis would have been were it not for the kindness now infused with the light of love.

“Very Well Cadence, do what you think is wise and prudent. You have my trust my niece.”

“And mine” Princess Luna affirmed, her wings opening and closing adding emphasis to the statement. She was inclined to have Cadence take a much more active roll than she had so far, but the securing of the source of violet light of pure love was an action that Luna felt was completely correct. Queen Chrysalis would come the moment she found out about the battery’s existence, which meant it was a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’. “If you must become the Princess of the Star Sapphire Court, do so! We understand there are greater issues being dealt with. We shall handle issues in Canterlot.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow on that statement from her sister. Normally Luna disdained court politics and avoided engaging in such ‘games’ as she was inclined to call them. Hearing her say she was willing to deal with the issues at court paradoxically was both disquieting and comforting to Celestia at the same time.

“Please keep us appraised of all the happenings with the Star Sapphires and your perspective on the other lanterns and their leaders, including Twilight, ” Luna concluded. The edges of the Moon Princesses mouth were turned down slightly in a faint frown.

Celestia drew closer to her niece and sat before her on the white cloud, “One other thing Cadence, I’d like you to send me letters on the difference between your own power and the violet ring’s power. The contrasts between the two would be enlightening.”

Mi Amore Cadenza, Princess of Equestria and Star Sapphire embraced her aunts and then kissed each in turn on their cheeks. She slowly backed away facing the co-rulers of Equestria  and opened her wings wide “ I must return to my duties. I will send reports through Twilight and Spike as things with the Star Sapphires develop. By your your leave my aunts, good night.” Cadence turned at the edge of the cloud and leaped off, the air opening her wings fully as they bore her weight. She flew in a spiral, descending away from the cloud slowly. When Ponyville came into her view she began to beat her wings, beginning to fly back to the town which hosted of the growing palace of violet crystal her corps called home. She did not call the power of the violet power ring, preferring to stay dark and unseen returning to her new home.    

Celestia looked up into the stars, the vault of the sky twinkling with the bejeweled lights of the night. Two more shooting stars fell, painting arcs of white light across the night sky as the fell from the heights. “Fluttershy and the Star Sapphires will be in good hooves with Cadence guiding them,” she said quietly.

“We need to decide what we shall do now Tia. What actions do we take from here on? What policy do we follow? I believe we are out of practice by about a thousand years when it comes to outright war.”

“For the moment we take no action, at least for the time being. We treat the lanterns as allies and friends, because that is what they are. Many of them are our subjects,but that may not always be so. We’ve directed them to do what they can to protect us, and we can advise and council them.” Celestia looked at her sister. The moon princess kicked her left fore-hoof on the cloud while her head hung down.  

“Luna?” Celestia asked, her sister’s head came up as the sun princess approached her sister. There was sadness and the hint of tears in her eyes. They also contained a spark of rage…a rage she had not seen in her sister in a thousand years.


“What is it? What’s wrong?” Celestia gently nuzzled her sister, who turned her head and neck away from the touch of her older sister.

“It’s nothing Tia. I will be fine.”

“Luna?”

“It is nothing. I’m acting selfish and childish while our subjects suffer! I should comport myself with dignity and not be petulant.”

“Tell me little sister. What ever it is, it clearly has greatly upset you.”

Luna closed her eyes sighed, her wings hung down loose in depression instead of resting closed and against her body. She began speaking in a soft and low voice, her eyes still closed.

“This year has been joyous for me sister. The happiest in a very long time…”

Celestia nodded. The last year had been good for Luna, her sister’s treatment by their subjects had gone far to improve her mind and her heart after her long exile.

“…now, that is over. The Black Lanterns have seen to that.”

“I know the carnage they bring can…”

“It’s not that Tia. I which it were so simple as to be that…it’s what they sang er chanted as they did their awful work in 29 Fronds. Their cursed oath poisons the joy I had.”

Celestia cocked her head to one side, her eyes narrowed as she tried to understand what her sister was telling her. What had the Black Lanterns been saying that could cause so much upset to Luna?

“…their oath?”

Luna’s face became hard as she faced her sister. The muscles of her jaw rolled a bit as she clinched them with controlled anger.

“Have you heard their oath Tia? All lanterns we have encountered have an oath. The Black Lanterns have one as well!” Magic power flared from her eyes, her breathing was quick, shallow. To Celestia it seemed her sister was about to scream with the Royal Canterlot Voice.

Luna paused for a moment to regain control of her emotions. After slowing her breathing she took an final deep breath before she continued.

“The report I received about 29 Fronds contained a report of the Black Lantern oath Tia, and their oath is an insult, a direct insult to me!” The Moon Princess’s tail lashed back and forth in agitation, her ears were flat in anger, she bared her teeth again as she continued to speak “Isn’t what they are doing to our subjects bad enough? No…they add defilement to their crimes!”

‘An insult?’”Luna…what was this oath?”

Celestia’s sister closed her eyes and slightly bowed her head. As she spoke the words her voice gurgled slightly in restrained rage. Celestia had not heard that from Luna in over a thousand years. The cloud beneath their hooves rumbled as she recited the Black Lantern Oath. The Princess of the Night was trembling, magical power arced across her eyes as her fury boiled.

“That cursed chant is now going out over the country. Even now it is whispered in Canterlot, and those who recite it look upon me and flee in terror.”

The gentle blowing of a breeze in the night air was the only sound the sisters could hear for a moment. The silence between the two royal sisters adding emphasis to the dread that now welled up in Luna’s heart.

It’s happening again Tia!” a lone tear appeared in her right eye.

“Luna…”

“NO!” a crack of thunder erupted as the Moon Princess stomped her front right hoof down on the slowly graying cloud.

”You didn’t hear the whispers coming from the shadows of the palace when that oath was recited to me! I heard quiet sobbing in the palace behind closed and barred doors‘ Nightmare Moon, Nightmare Moon’” Luna ground her bared teeth “Even when I was Nightmare Moon, I never wanted all light to die! Yes, I wanted the Moon to have primacy and the stars to be loved, but I wanted light. Our subjects merely shunned my night then, these Black Lanterns defile it! And now our subjects fear my night again Tia, and some have started to fear me!” Tears appeared in Luna’s eyes, her rage and sorrow spilled forth with her tears. “I had just began to be…the Moon was honored in celebrations unlike ever before in my memory, and not from obligation or requirement or fear. Equestria began to…”

Celestia placed her neck against her sister’s, her head resting on Luna’s mane. A ache shot through Celestia’s heart as she realized what her sister was trying to say. This year, Luna had made connection with their ponies in a way she had never been able to in the past. No longer had her sister been shunned and ignored…this year with Twilight’s help Luna had finally felt wanted…loved.

Luna’s back flattened as her body stiffened. Tears continued to fall from her eyes as the ends of her mouth drew back revealing her teeth again in a fearsome grin. Sorrow was no longer the source of her weeping as anger flooded her heart. The cloud beneath the princesses became dark, churning and rippling along its surface. Celestia removed her neck from her sister’s. She nuzzled Luna trying to calm her down. Her sister did not reciprocate the gesture,she stood stiff and unmoved.

“They have killed our subjects and stolen my joy! I will not have it!” tears were now falling from Luna’s eyes. Her voice cracked as she continued to speak “I am the Princess of the Night, blackest or otherwise! I will not yield to them! The Moon will stand her ground Tia! No more I say, NO MORE!” there was another burst of lightning and a crack of thunder as she stamped her hooves into the cloud.

“What do you intend to do Luna? Become a lantern? Fight them directly?” Celestia asked in a whisper.

The moon princess pulled her neck back and locked glances with her sister. Luna wiped the tears running from her dark blue eyes away with the back of her leg. Then eyes closed, she shook her head. “No. I can’t. WE can’t, unless it is a last resort. If I took a ring, and you did not, many might say The Crown was again divided and I was in rebellion. If we both took a ring, some in the military might say we were supplanting them with the lanterns and try something foolish. There could also be panic as some might say we had no choice but to use the rings ourselves. We also do not know at this moment how many lanterns there can be at any one time. There is so much we do not know Tia. Then there is the issue of the Griffin Kingdoms, the Caribou Earls and the other nations of the world. They might see us as grabbing even more power than we already have. That action might make them aggressive, if just to posture for their populations. It could also push them into outright panic, and make a bad situation worse, turning a narrow victory into defeat and disaster.

Luna took a breath, the warmth of her exhalation vapor floating in the air for a moment. “I’m sorry Tia. I am just stating what I know we should NOT do. I barely have an idea of what we should do…”

“Please continue Luna,” ‘I really do want to hear more of your thinking on this,’ Celestia thought. Luna rarely engaged in such thinking, and seeing her sister take such an active role was either hopeful, or frightening, depending on the direction Luna was heading.

“For the moment and for all, we must be as the other leaders or at least appear to be. We must act through others for now, and we have much work to do. I will gather together from the shadows the pieces of the cabal and make them available to Twilight Sparkle. We need to know more about the tool fate has given us.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow as she reared her head back.‘I rarely see this side of you Luna’ ”Very well little sister, I agree with much of your thinking.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed, cold blue fire seemed to shine from them as she whipped her mane around to flow behind her.”I will be the ‘public’ face of this Tia. Your judgment about the Cabal was correct, but unfortunately they have given us tools that while it is repugnant how we got them, we must now use. Keep your hooves clean of this just in case. There could be a point where you might need to intervene and we must have your moral authority unassailable. I could be forgiven for getting dirty with this in my zeal, but you Tia must be untouched. It would also give cover to Twilight Sparkle, which brings me to her and her friends and their position in all this. The Elements of Harmony will have their hooves quite full just dealing with the threat and will need support. In my opinion this is what we should do: You grant them deference and liberty of action in the public eye, giving then passive support. I will give them active support and protection from the shadows. Until we know more about the Black Lanterns and their ultimate goals, I say that this should be our policy for the time being. As for the Lanterns of Color, as long as they do not go too far, become too disruptive, I say leave them alone. Let us watch their actions and wait.”

Celestia put a hoof over her mouth and in spite of the seriousness of what Luna had just said let out a giggle, her wings quivered as the titters left the white alicorn’s mouth. The Moon Princess raised one eyebrow and a half closed an eye wondering, her ears cocked at different angles. What her sister had suddenly found amusing. “I’m sorry Luna. It’s just that…you’ve always hated politics, and yet here you are politicking with real skill!”

“That should tell you just how much I hate these Black Lanterns Tia! I have finally found something I hate worse than politics,” the lady of the night smirked at her sister “Wonder of wonders is it not? You said to Cadence we would all be tested in our own way, perhaps this is my test. The Black Lanterns incurred my wrath when they invoke my night and try to make me one of them. They made it personal Tia! ” Celestia shook her head “That night the black ring came looking for Nightmare Moon! She was dead, and they wanted me to be her again. NO! I have had quite enough of these monsters doing their horrible work to our world!”

Celestia nodded ‘If somepony were using my sun’s fire to destroy, and had sent a black ring to try and awaken a terrible version of myself, I would feel the same as Luna.’”Are you afraid of being Nightmare Moon again Luna?”

The Princess of the Night sighed and lowered her head. ‘That piercing insight of yours is always so pointed when you want it to be Tia.’  

“Yes I am, especially empowered by a black ring. The best thing for me when I am like this is to do something; an undertaking, a task.” Luna sniffed and then let out a small titter, “ So this is the task I will undertake but unlike in the past I will be more thoughtful and less rash.” Luna looked at her elder sister with eyes that shone with a resolve Celestia had not seen in a millennia, but unlike last time the sun princess was not the focus of the quiet ire that now boiled in her sister, and Luna’s wrath had righteousness adding to its already fierce heat.  

“When all that the cabal had is known, their skills and tools used to learn about the rings and understand them better, when all that is in place Tia, we can act with certainty. Let me be clear: I have no doubt about Twilight Sparkle’s abilities my sister, but I suspect she will have to divert her energies elsewhere. She will have to devote her mind to other problems. Making the Cabal’s resources available to her will give her tools she may need to get answers, and help clear up what does not make sense.” Luna whipped her tail as she smiled “, Besides Tia, you and I may have a perspective that will help unlock secrets our subjects may not be able to even perceive.”

Celestia nodded. She and Luna, with their great power and long age understood forces that most of the ponies of Equestria could not even hope to understand.

Understanding brought wisdom, and wisdom guided action.  

“I agree Luna, and though I find it almost obscene to use what they created, your assessment of the cabal having the tools we may need to unlock the mysteries of what is going on, I’m afraid is correct,” Celestia shook her head in disgust and revulsion. To use what she herself found horrific…was it a sin? Was this compromise one too much? She felt slightly queasy in her stomach as she went over and over the implications of what Luna and she had just agreed to in her mind.

“For now let us concentrate on building our defense Luna. Let us just hope that Cadence can guide Fluttershy to do what need to be done dear sister.”

A bright shooting star appeared overhead streaking down from the heavens trailing a brilliant blue tail as the star fell to earth. The royal sisters silently watched as the falling object’s glow seemed to increase as it descended through the air, its incandescent glow disappearing behind the cloud floor to the south east.

Luna dropped her head and sighed. “I fear kindness will paralyze love instead of love galvanizing kindness. It is also my concern that we will need all the colors to fight this enemy, and that we will not have them all available in time. In that Tia I truly hope I am wrong.”

The two sisters walked to the edge of the cloud and looked out in the dark at the lights of Ponyville, seeing the lights of the village shining softly in the night. The muted hues of Ponyville brought out by the gentle light of the overhead stars. Only the street lights of the town broke up the tapestry of gentle, muted colors. The brightest light coming from near the center of town. There was a gathering of some kind centering around a beautiful brilliant blue light that seem to wash over the town like a gentle wave of clear water cascading over a beach. The waves of light then seemed to go out over the whole of the countryside, filling the night briefly with a light as great as the moon’s.

The blue light washed over the sisters from their cloudy perch, and for a moment both the royal sisters felt filled with a feeling they had as of yet not felt in this crisis. Their heart lightened from their worries and brought a clarity and calm.
 
“What did we just see Tia? What was that?”

Celestia gazed intensely back at the village as she searched her mind and her heart for an answer. She discerned that no new horror or danger had fallen on Equestria; instead she felt something that her ponies had needed since this business with the black lanterns had began, and that feeling now fortified her in a way she had never felt before.

Celestia, co-monarch of Equestria and princess of the sun felt none of the burden of her great age. She felt renewed and the alicorn also felt something burning in her heart as bright as the core of her sun; she felt hope.  

“I believe we have just seen the arrival of another ring Luna, and this ring is one that was needed. I think fate has been kind to us all tonight.”