Chapter Two

Deep inside, he was disappointed with himself. It was bad enough he was sitting there watching the mares trot around the track—again—but he was doing it in plain sight. Well, actually, he wasn’t sure if that was better or worse, but the fact he was doing it was pretty bad.

Regnant Troth was starting to think he might have a problem.

“Woof,” he muttered to himself, ignoring the annoying side of him thinking he had a problem. It was the fourth lap for the unicorn provoking the comment, and she had already been running before he got there. She was tall, lean, and gorgeous, with a stunning white coat and a lush light pink mane currently tied back away from her face. And all of this before dawn.

He briefly reconsidered the concept of him being in plain sight. True, he wasn’t hiding, but being a dark blue Chollima with a black mane did make him rather difficult to spot in the purple haze of the pre-dawn night. And standing just on the other side of the fence near a tree did make him much, much harder to locate.

Yeah, he was pretty sure he had a problem.

And not just his compulsive voyeuristic tendencies, either. His job was now on the line. Princess Luna and Tenebrous Quill made it perfectly clear they consider him a screw up, despite his years of service. Which made no sense at all. Sure he was a little late sometimes, but that doesn’t seem like a good enough reason to ignore his contributions. He was a member of the Night Guard! He served and fought against both Chrysalis and Coldheart when they invaded Canterlot, giving his all to protect Equestria. And even though one of those invaders now lived here—which made no sense to him at all—he would gladly lay down his life again. Even if it was protecting Princess Chrysalis—which even thinking the name made his muzzle crinkle up.

Plus, he was a stalwart. He guarded Princess Luna at every court, making sure no pony was able to get in anything that might harm her. He was the front line. The first defense. There was no way that any pony was going to get anything past him!

“Hi.”

Having wings helps when you jump about a meter into the air from shock. Mostly in the sense it allowed Regnant Troth to catch himself and gently return to the ground without face planting. He felt his heart in his throat, racing well beyond any reasonable number to count in regards to a healthy lifestyle. The narrow slitted pupils almost disappeared in his yellow eyes as he focused on the mare standing across from him on the other side of the fence.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” she said with a smirk.

“You, uh,” he cleared his throat quickly, “you didn’t startle me. I was just checking on…something higher.”

“Of course you were,” she could barely suppress her giggle.

“Um, so…” He glanced nervously to either side, looking for something to give him focus. “How can I help you?”

“Oh, no. It’s nothing like that. I’ve just noticed you over here a few times watching me run, and I was curious why you didn’t come out and run, too?” Her eyes were half lidded, and seemed to be that way naturally. Despite being half hidden, he found himself getting lost in those purple pools.

He swallowed reflexively.

“I’m just making sure purple are okay,” he said weakly.

“Purple are okay?”

“Ponies! Not purple. Eyes meant…I! I meant ponies. Purple. Ha. That doesn’t make any sense, does it? No, not really.” He was nodding the whole time.

“You’re one of the night guard, right?” she asked, the smile unable to leave her face.

“Yeah-huh. I sure am.” He was still nodding.

She nodded in time with his head until he noticed and suddenly stopped. His nod was instantly replaced with a wide, awkward smile.

“Most of the Chollima don’t come out and fraternize, especially during the day,” she said. Her eyes glanced up. “Well, near day anyway.”

“Yeah. Our eyes don’t like the bright light so much,” he answered. He suddenly shook his head sharply. “Hey, you said Chollima.”

“Well, that’s right, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Yeah-huh. It’s just…you didn’t say bat-pony.”

“I know. I was the one who said it.” She opened her eyes a little further and turned her head slightly.

“But no pony uses that. Well, almost no pony, anyway.” His mouth was hanging slack and he was staring at her directly.

“You seem to be having a tough time with this,” she said. “Do you need some space to let it settle in?” She took a half step backwards. He moved against the fence in response.

“No! I mean…no. No, I understand, I’m just…amazed.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she laughed.

“Oh, yeah! Yeah, do. That’s what I meant,” he fumbled over himself. “I meant it in a good way. A compliment kind of way.”

“Good.” Her face was tight as she tried to not openly giggle again.

“So, um,” he searched for something to say. “Why are you out here running so much?” Mentally he smacked his own forehead.

“I have to keep in good shape. For work,” she answered. “Running helps do that.”

“Really? What do you do? When you aren’t running, I mean.”

“I’m a model,” she answered. “And I really should get back to my run. I have a couple more laps I want to do, and I have some work later on, so I have to get ready for that, too.”

“Oh. Okay. That’s…okay.” He nodded. Again. “You go run. I’ll just…not stare. I swear I’m not staring.”

“Well, whatever you think is best,” she chuckled. She turned and started to trot away. “It was nice talking to you.”

He watched her for a full second before his eyes shot wide. “I’m Regnant Troth!” He yelled. “That’s my name, I mean.”

She turned and trotted slowly backwards for a bit. “Nice to meet you, Regnant.”

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Fleur. Fleur de Lis.”

She turned and trotted away a little more quickly. Regnant watched her run away—trying not to stare, and failing—while he slowly nodded. He caught himself and stopped. He wondered for a moment if there might be something wrong with his neck.

* * * * * * * *

She could feel the sun waiting to rise. Tugging at her. Begging her to let it begin its journey across the sky. And as always, Celestia listened.

Her eyes blinked open and her head slowly turned around, scanning the dim light to gain her bearings once again. Twisting her head to the side she found no pony in bed with her. She was alone. The heavy sigh from her did little to hide the sound of the curtain fluttering near the balcony.

Lightly she stood from the bed and walked to the doorway. A familiar figure stood outside.

“Good morning,” Celestia said gently.

Luna turned, looking back over her shoulder. “Oh, my apologies. I didn’t hear you rise. Time has gotten away from me somewhat this evening. It’s been a rather hectic night.”

“Yes, so I heard. How do you feel?” Celestia stepped out beside her.

“Tired,” Luna laughed. “I’m not used to such things.”

“It is an unusual event, that is certain.” Celestia turned and looked over Canterlot. No snow was falling, but the city remained blanketed in white. In a short while the sun would rise and so would the temperature, but not enough to melt the snow. Winter Wrap Up was still weeks away.

“Yes, it was.” Luna’s tone caused Celestia to turn to her. “You had nothing to do with that, did you, Tia?”

“With what? The ponies who came to see you? What would make you think such a thing?” She recoiled slightly.

“Because it…felt like you. As though you were wanting to make me feel like the ponies were seeking my aid and guidance more so than usual.” Her voice was dark. “Or that you were testing me.”

Celestia’s head shuddered. “Testing you? What do you mean, testing you?”

Luna filled her lungs, and let them out slowly, a mist of steam expiring from her. “I have been thinking. A great deal, actually. About myself and Equestria, mostly.” She turned to look at her sister. “They will never trust me. Not the way they trust you, will they?”

“Of course they will!” Celestia answered instantly. “They know what you did against Coldheart and how you risked your life and limb to save not only myself, but the country from devastation. You are-“

“I am the darkness who threatened to destroy their Princess and sink them all into eternal night,” she replied. “Do you truly think they will forget that soon?”

“They have already forgotten that, Luna. They came to accept you very quickly. You know that. Why are you thinking this suddenly?” Celestia raised a wing up and lowered it over Luna’s back. “They love you.”

Her head dropped down slightly, eyes lowered to look at the floor. “I wish I was as confident as you, Tia. I do wish it was true that they love me like they love you.” She looked over at Celestia once more. “When I look into their eyes, I see fear. And, so help me, I like it.”

“Luna,” Celestia laughed. “Ponies do not line up in droves to see a princess they fear. They come to see a princess they respect.”

“Really?” Luna snorted a laugh in response. “Yes, they come out of respect to speak with the Princess of the Night so they can discuss all of the important events of the day. Things like vicious attacks on outhouses by neighbors. The devastating obstruction of a window by a new building being erected. And the tragic loss of a cat that has yet to return home. Truly, matters desperate for royal guidance.”

Shaking her head, Celestia answered, “Luna, you are looking at this the wrong way. These are matters that must be dealt with by somepony. They chose you to help them.”

“Why not you?” She answered curtly. “Why not come to you for these matters, then?”

Celestia opened her mouth silently for a moment. “There isn’t time. I deal with as many as I can, but matters of state have to take precedence over those matters. It is why I have put judicators in place to deal with such things. It gives me time to—“

“Lessers. You can use whatever word makes you happy, Tia, but you allow lessers to deal with these matters because they are beneath you.” Her voice grated in her throat. “And now they are coming to me.”

“No, no! Luna, you are twisting my words. I wasn’t saying in any way that you are beneath me,” Celestia pleaded.

“And yet, you just did.” Luna’s wing popped up, pushing Celestia’s away from her.

“Luna, what is going on here? Where did all of this come from? I don’t understand.”

Luna turned, her hoof stomping into the floor of the balcony firmly. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “The stress of the evening. The weather. Doubts left behind from Coldheart. I don’t know.”

“Doubts? What doubts?” Celestia asked calmly.

“It doesn’t matter,” Luna grumbled.

“It does matter. You shouldn’t feel—“

“I said it doesn’t matter!” Luna spun back around, fangs bared and energy trailing from her eyes. “Do not force this matter, Celestia. Is that clear?”

The wind washed over them, a chill carried across their flesh.

“No,” Celestia answered, her voice like steel. “It is not clear. And it is not something I will sweep aside and ignore. You are my sister, you are my wife, and you are a Princess of Equestria. If there is some doubt in you—something that may jeopardize our love or Equestria—I not only deserve to know what it is, I insist upon it.”

“Well, you will have to forgive me, Your Majesty,” Luna snarled, “but I do not feel like sharing at the moment.” She stepped back and unfurled her wings.

“Luna…” Celestia said firmly.

“You have a duty to perform, Your Majesty. I will do mine, and then the day can begin.” Pushing off of the balcony, her wings beat once, carrying her upward. “Good day.”

She banked and swept off, arcing downward and then quickly curling up into the dark sky.

“Luna!” Celestia stepped to the edge of the balcony. Her voice pierced the sky as she watched her sister fade into the distance. “Come back here! Luna! Luna!!”

* * * * * * * *

The snow crunched under her hoof. She settled it in, turning and twisting until it found a solid surface beneath the powder, and only then did she take her next step. The cold pierced and soaked into her, numbing her halfway up her leg. One corner of her mouth opened into a snarl, but she let no sound come out. Slowly she took another step.

“I do not understand this, Princess,” Dapifer stated. “You know the cold is harmful to you, yet you come out here every morning and subject yourself to this pain.”

Her eyes shifted, staring at him through the thin veil of her teal mane. “Yes, I do.”

“And as I said, Princess, I don’t understand why.” Dapifer moved towards her, raising a blanket to put over her back. He stopped when her head jerked around and her eyes bored into him.

“Then you do not understand the truth behind weakness. You can never let your own weakness be your defeat. You must rise above weakness and put it beneath you.” She turned and took another step forward, her hoof crunching the snow. “My changelings may not be active in this cold, but I am their queen. I will overcome this…annoyance.”

Dapifer huffed a cloud of steam and stepped up, levitating the blanket over her body. Her head spun towards him once again.

“You have nothing to prove, Your Highness. You are, as you stated, active in this cold. You make it a point to receive ponies in this cold. You have nothing to prove to anypony.” He met her gaze without flinching.

Her fangs came clearly into view as her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed. Then, slowly, it softened and she raised her head up, extending her neck high. “The only one you should ever seek to prove anything to is yourself, Dapifer. I don’t do this for anypony save myself.”

“And…?” he quickly added.

“And what? Do you truly think there is some grand scheme behind me walking in this accursed snowfall? No, my aide, there is none.” She turned to face him directly. “In your life, what do you consider your greatest accomplishment?”

His eye flinched. Chrysalis looked at him openly, no animosity or duplicity in her expression. It worried him.

“When I was twelve my father took me to the Empyreal Acumen Tourney, held every other year here in Canterlot. Princess Celestia herself was in attendance. The theme of the Tourney that year was ‘Innovation.’ I had already cleared through the local competition in my home town, and then qualified at the top of my class at the regional meet in Phillydelphia, and then found myself in the final score of participants. I was the third youngest one there. I ended up placing fourth overall, and it brought me to the attention of Vigilant Scryer, who was at the time the Privy Counsellor for the crown. After a conversation with my parents, he convinced them to enroll me in the Junior Assistant program at the castle where I would finish my education. He took me under his wing—literally in his case, as a pegasus—and taught me the need and roll of the aide in the castle.” He stood up tall and took a deep breath. “And I have never failed to live up to that honor.”

She nodded at him. “And what do you see as my greatest accomplishment?”

His neck twisted slightly before he brought himself back to look at her. “I am sure you might consider your invasion of Canterlot an impressive event, or possibly your battle with Coldheart a few months ago, but I would prefer to think the time you have spent as a Princess of Equestria to be your finest accomplishment.” He smiled.

“I see,” Chrysalis purred. “I understand how you could think those things about me. It makes sense. And for your achievement…” She shrugged her shoulders. “Honorable. Respectable. And ultimately, very disappointing.”

Fire burned in his eyes as his jaw slid back and forth, threatening to grind his teeth. “Disappointing? I…disagree, Your Highness.”

“It is, though.” She took a step towards him, her size looming above him. “It means your greatest accomplishment is in the past.”

“That is what you asked,” he said through tight lips.

“No, no. I asked what you consider your greatest accomplishment. I gave no specific time. You chose to limit yourself that way.” She brought her neck down, bringing her head level with his. “I do not choose such limits for myself.”

“You deceived me, Your Highness,” he grumbled.

She rolled her eyes. “I did no such thing. And could you be more trite? Accusing a changeling of deception…” A heavy sigh echoed from her.

“I meant no insult,” he clarified with a brief bow of his head.

“Oh, I know that. I am allowed to make a joke, aren’t I?”

He nodded. “Tell me then, Princess, what is it you see as your greatest accomplishment?”

Her chest swelled out and her head turned to one side. The slightest hint of a fang reveled itself under her faint smile as the tip of her tongue came out and flicked against her upper lip for a moment. “Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” He raised an eyebrow. “What happens tomorrow?”

“I have no idea,” she said. “That’s what makes it so promising. Every day is another opportunity for me to accomplish something magnificent, and then go beyond it the day after.” She stepped beside him, looking over her shoulder into his eye. “My greatest accomplishment is the one I will achieve next, no matter what or where that might occur.”

She strode on, moving back towards the castle once again.

“That is what ambition truly is, Dapifer. You can consider this a free lesson in the matter. Now, let’s go back inside where any reasonable pony should be in this weather. I have some things I want you to gather for me.”

He turned around and watched her stride towards the building, each hoof rising up high out of the snow. His head began to shake back and forth without him realizing it.

“I was the one who thought it foolish to come out here in the first place,” he mumbled as he trailed behind her.

* * * * * * * *

A flash of light coated everything in the room in a shade of gold for the briefest of moments. Fleur closed one eye reflexively, mad at herself instantly afterward for doing it. She knew better. You never close your eyes when something sudden happens. It was the easiest way to be caught off guard, and in her line of work that usually meant very bad things.

In this case, though, she knew she was safe.

“Princess.” She bowed her head easily towards the statuesque white mare now sharing the room.

“Please, Fleur, there is no need for such formalities.” Celestia walked over to the other mare and draped their necks together, pulling Fleur into an informal hug and then released it to look her in the eyes. “How are you? We never do get to spend any quality time together just speaking.”

“An unfortunate side-effect of my job, Your Majesty. Such familiarity could ruin my position by exposing my relationship with you.”

Celestia walked past her, stepping towards the table at the nearby window. The sun was high overhead, lighting the room while keeping much of it in shadow at the moment. “I doubt it would be so severe. I already see you and Fancy Pants at several social occasions each year, so extending that out—“

“Extending that out puts me in a greater spotlight of association with you. I keep a high profile on purpose, but in a much different spotlight. You aren’t exactly known for dealing with vacuous socialite models for friendship.” Fleur moved over to the table, sitting across from Celestia.

It was a smallish room, circular in design, with stone walls covered in tapestries, and only the sole window on the northern wall and no visible doors. A few heavy tapestries hung from the walls, helping to soften the noise. Most of them were blank, serving more function than form, but one did bear the stylized image of Luna and Celestia rearing over an orb seemingly comprised of half sun and half moon.

The sole piece of furniture in the room was the table where they sat. There were only two seats, but both were ornate and solid in their design, and were quite weathered and worn from usage. On the table was a pot of tea and two cups.

“Well, it still seems sad we only truly speak in secret,” Celestia stated. Fleur only nodded calmly in response.

“Tea?” Fleur asked.

“Please.” Celestia displayed a polite, but genuine smile.

A pink glow surrounded the pot, raising it up and gliding it over to Celestia’s cup, smoothly pouring it three-quarters full. She levitated the pot over to her cup and filled it to the same level as Celestia grasped hers magically and brought it to her lips.

“Mmmmmm.” Celestia closed her eyes and held the cup under her nose for a moment, filling her lungs with the aroma to match the flavor still playing across her tongue. “There are two things about you, Fleur, that I will never understand. First, how you manage to find such wonderful teas to share with me, and secondly how you get them into this tower for us to share.”

Lowering the cup from her own lips and setting it on the table, Fleur smiled gracefully. “And I am not going to answer either of those questions, Your Majesty. It would completely ruin my mystique.”

A soft laugh spread from Celestia’s throat, dampened by another sip of tea.

“May I ask why you called this meeting, Your Majesty? We aren’t scheduled to speak for another three weeks,” Fleur asked as she ran her hoof around the rim of her teacup.

“Why do you think?” Celestia kept her eyes and voice level.

She took a deep breath and held it for a moment. Her hoof came away from the table, moving to sit against her chest as she spoke. “You’re concerned about Princess Chrysalis and her daily activities. The purpose behind all of her open courts and open—at least for her—nature. And, as I have already told you, it’s my belief she is using them to feed passively. She’s sustaining herself from the admiration and support she is building through this goodwill demonstration.”

“And that hasn’t changed?” Celestia asked.

“No, Your Majesty. If it had, I would have already informed you. She seems to be playing a waiting game.”

Celestia took another sip of tea, the warmth of it on her throat half-closing her eyes and drawing her shoulders up slightly in response. She opened her eyes and looked back over to Fleur. “Good. I suspected that to still be the case. She flaunts it openly beneath my balcony every day, so it’s not like she’s trying to keep it hidden.”

“Then that isn’t why you summoned me,” Fleur stated, twisting her head slightly.

A quick sigh preceded Celestia’s answer. “No. No, it isn’t. I want you to find out what is happening with Luna.”

Fleur raised an eyebrow. “Can you be more precise? Is there a specific event or aspect you want me to investigate?”

“Perhaps.” She set the tea down and looked out the window. “Last night an unusually large number of ponies showed up to the Night Court. For some reason it upset her deeply. I want to know why.”

“Why it upset her or why the ponies showed up?” she asked.

A laughed snorted out of Celestia in a single puff of breath. “Both, I suppose.”

“Why don’t you ask her directly why it upset her?” Fleur asked bluntly. “You two don’t keep secrets from each other, at least not since you became a couple.”

It was Celestia’s turn to raise an eyebrow as she looked back across the table. “And how much do you keep tabs on my sister and I?”

“As much as you would expect me to, Your Majesty. I would be remiss if I didn’t.”

“True.” Celestia nodded slowly. “Well, since you already are keeping in the know, do you have any clue what brought on last night’s events?”

“No.” Fleur shook her head. “I can find out, though. I may have a connection there.”

“Who?”

“I don’t want to give out a name. At least not until I determine if that pony is willing to work with me—one way or another.”

“Do I want to know what that means?” Celestia asked.

“Probably not,” Fleur stated cooly.

“Thank you.” Celestia returned to her tea, lifting it up again and taking another sip. “You have been an excellent friend, Fleur.”

“No, Your Majesty, I haven’t,” she answered. “A friend wouldn’t do half of the things I’ve done—or inevitably will do.”

“They would if they knew it was the right thing,” Celestia said with a smile.

“Then let’s hope I always remember to do the right thing,” Fleur responded with a chuckle.

They both raised their cups and sipped their tea.

* * * * * * * *

“Not again. Not again. Not again.”

He was reciting the words under his breath as a mantra to himself, hoping that somehow saying it out loud might alter the truth of the matter. He was late for the Night Court—again.

Many things rushed through Regnant Troth’s mind. Most of them involved Luna standing above him, fangs bared, and him pleading for his life—and not in a fun way, either. A couple of the thoughts were about Luna laughing as he was stripped of his position and relegated to new duty as the latest guard of the prison latrine. And then there was that one image of the pink-maned mare he met at the track the previous night—she had a very familiar face.

Thoughts and realities came to a sharp collision as he raced into the Throne Room, slowing to a trot in the hopes Luna wouldn’t notice, and…she wasn’t there. He looked around quickly, trying to spot where she might be hiding—though why he thought the Princess of the Night would hide from him never really crossed his mind.

Other guards were in place. The main doors to the hallway were closed. The throne, however, was empty. He glanced across at one of the other night guards and motioned vaguely towards the throne, opening his eyes wide as he did. The other guard shook his head slowly and turned away.

“She’s not here.”

He lurched backwards, but kept his hooves on the ground. Too many damn mares startling him lately…

“I, uh, I can see that.” He nodded quickly, affirming his statement.

Tenebrous Quill rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky. This would be your last night, otherwise.”

“You aren’t going to tell her?” he asked.

“Why should I? I don’t want to be the tattle-tail pony. Besides, one more night on the job shouldn’t be a long wait,” she said with a smirk.

“One more night, what do you…” His brow furrowed. “Oh. I get it.”

“And here I thought you had no good qualities,” she scoffed.

He looked around quickly, and turned back to her with a sour expression. “So, where is she, anyway?”

“She told me earlier that some matters of state had arisen and cancelled the court for tonight. We will be resuming normal duties tomorrow,” she replied. “Well, most of us will, anyway.”

“Yes…ma’am,” he replied reluctantly.

“Glad you understand,” she said calmly.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and held it, counting to ten. After he reached ten he went ahead and held it for five more seconds just to make sure, and then he released it. He opened his eyes and, much to his shock, Tenebrous Quill was still there, staring at him with a smile.

“Um, can I help you?”

“Oh I sincerely doubt that,” she answered. “You do still have a full night’s duty tonight, though.”

“I do?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Of course. Somepony is going to have to stand outside those doors and tell every single pony who comes up that the Night Court is not in session this evening. I’m sure they will all be very understanding. Well, some of them, in any case.” If anything her smile grew wider.

His mouth fell open and his eyes went wide. “I…can’t we just put up a sign or something?”

“That wouldn’t be respectful to the citizens of Equestria. I want a pony out there dealing with their concerns.” She leaned in towards him. “All night long.”

His wings stiffened—and not in a good way—as his mane bristled up. Clenching his teeth, he spoke slowly, “Since you’ve already made up your mind, ma’am, may I ask a question?”

“Please do,” she answered.

“What in Tartarus did I do to piss you off and make you hate me so much?” The volume of his voice was low, but the words behind it were shouted.

She gave a half-nod with a smirk. “Candidly? You have done nothing—and that is exactly the problem. You are lazy. You have no discernible skills or abilities. You have no aspirations or goals. From everything I have been able to put together on you, you got to this position through luck and happenstance, and if it were not for a decided lack of competent ponies with experience, you would have been removed from your position months ago. You are, in short, a waste of this court’s time and effort.”

He stood there for a moment, staring openly, his eyes now narrowed but his mouth still hanging open.

“Okay,” he began finally,” but what did I do to piss YOU off?”

Slowly, her eyes closed, a soft pop issuing from her mouth as her tongue clicked off the roof of her mouth.

“Go into the hall,” she instructed, leaving her eyes shut. “Tell every pony who comes up to the door there is no court tonight. Be polite and concise.” She finally opened her eyes, glaring over at him “Is that perfectly clear?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I got it the first time you told me.” He nodded, his neck sliding to make it move at an angle.

“Good. It’s pleasant to know something makes sense to you. Now, get out there and do your job.” She wheeled about on her rear hooves, walking away briskly. The small shoes on her hooves clicked against the hard floor.

Shaking his head, Regnant Troth turned and walked to the door he guarded almost every night. He opened it slowly, only creating a small enough gap for a single pony to step through. Immediately, he was met with the gaze of hundreds of eyes as all of the ponies on the other side stared at him suddenly. From their look, it seemed as though they had been waiting a while, and they weren’t happy about it.

He swallowed hard.

“Crap,” he muttered, and stepped through to the other side of the door.

* * * * * * * *

The quill rested above the paper, not moving or even touching the parchment itself. Just as it had been for the past twenty minutes. Her eyes focused on the page, but all she could see was a blank field of nothingness. With a resolved sigh Celestia sat the quill back in its holder and took a step back away from the desk.

Her head turned and looked towards the window. The moon shone down through the curtains, still fairly low on the horizon. As she said she would, Luna had performed her duty. Lowering her head slightly, Celestia noticed the large ice ring surrounding the moon that night, and it reflexively brought a smile to her face for some reason.

Slowly she stepped over towards the window, stopping just as she entered the direct light of the moon. She sat down on the floor, still staring outside. Lifting her right wing up, she gracefully brought it around until it was beside her head. Softly and carefully, she twisted her neck and brought her lips up to nuzzle through her feathers, pulling on them in a firm, calculated manner. The ones that did not pull free she straightened and brought back in line.

“You still do that.”

Her head snapped around at the words. They were barely more than a whisper, but they blazed in her ears. A shadowed figure stood on the far side of the room, staying out of the light from the candle.

“Luna?” Celestia’s voice rose in anticipation.

“Ever since I can remember, you have preened yourself when you were nervous or bothered. It’s the first time I’ve seen you do it since I returned from the moon.”

Celestia half-smiled as she lowered her eyes slightly. “It’s the first time I’ve been afraid since then.”

The sound of Luna’s hooves clacking against the floor were crisp and clear in the silence of the room as she stepped out into the light towards her sister. “The first time you’ve been afraid? I’m trying to decide if I should be offended.” There was a hint of laughter in her voice.

“I wasn’t afraid of you when you were a threat to Equestria. I didn’t have time. I was too adamant about saving the ponies who relied upon me—especially you,” Celestia answered calmly.

“You always have put others ahead of yourself.” Luna walked further, finally coming to a stop and sitting down on Celestia’s left in the pale moonlight. “I wish I could say the same.”

“You are a kind, caring soul, Luna. Don’t think otherwise.” Celestia smiled weakly.

“No, I’m not. I am a proud, selfish mare who does what she feels is best for herself first and foremost. If I can find a way to do that for the benefit of others, then I will, but—“

“Luna, stop,” Celestia brought her wing up to Luna’s lips, silencing her. “There is no need to disparage yourself. I will not deny that you have darker urges than I do, but the fact you are able to overcome them and be such an amazing pony, princess, sister, and wife is a testament to your character.”

A short laugh rested deep inside Luna’s throat. Celestia started to remove her wing, pulling it to fold to her body, but found it suddenly motionless. She could feel Luna’s lips holding on tightly to one of her primary feathers.

Gently, Luna pulled on it, tugging at it and then pulling the strands in line with her lips when it held tight. Then she moved to the next feather on the wing, testing and then using her lips and tongue to align and coat the surface with protective fluid.

Celestia held her wing in place, letting Luna move from feather to feather, cleaning and caring for them one after another. In short time she came to realize she had stopped breathing, and did her best to resume that activity without bringing undo attention to herself.

Thankfully, Luna continued, and Celestia watched as she moved up along her wing, going from primaries to secondaries, and then briefly to secondary coverts before she finally raised her head up to look her directly in the eye.

“I’m sorry, Tia.” Her voice was soft and her eyes softer, the predatory quality buried beneath a sheathe of compassion. “I should not have spoke to you like I did, nor flown off in a huff.”

“You were upset. I don’t blame you,” Celestia choked. “I’m sorry I said things that made you leave. I’m just glad you came back.”

Luna’s laugh was much more audible. “Did you really think I was gone? I dug through the mountain below us looking for you. I’m not exactly one to give up easily.”

“Oh, I am very aware of your persistence. I’ve been on the wrong end of that a few times,” she joked. Luna winced.

“I’m sorry about that, too,” she stated.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Celestia quickly responded. “Everything has worked out for the best.”

Luna’s lips turned up into a smile as Celestia pulled her wing back and folded it to her side.

“Are you willing to tell me what was bothering you earlier? You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” she quickly added.

Wordlessly, Luna turned her head to stare out the window at her moon, and a long silence followed. Celestia waited patiently.

“I was afraid,” she finally answered.

“Afraid? You?” Immediately Celestia regretted her words, but the emotion was genuine. She quickly did her best to play it off. “I don’t think that’s really possible.”

“It’s very possible, Tia. It’s something I’ve felt ever since Coldheart’s invasion.” Luna took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“You keep mentioning her and what happened. Did something occur I need to know about?” Celestia asked.

A quick glance passed from Luna to the horn resting on Celestia’s brow.

“My horn?” she asked. “Something about my horn bothers you?”

A slow nod built up with Luna. “Yes. The fact that you lost it, actually.”

“But I fixed it. Everything is fine, Luna.” Celestia smiled and brought her head forward, glancing over at her sister.

“I almost lost you, Tia.” Her eyes stayed focused out the window. “I couldn’t protect you.”

“Luna, you don’t have to protect me. I’m perfectly capable to taking care of myself,” Celestia answered.

Luna turned to look at Celestia with moisture filling her eyes. “No. No, you aren’t. You are going to die, Tia. Something, somehow, at some point will kill you. You will be gone and I will…I will still be here. I’ll always be here. We will be forever apart.”

“Luna…”

“And what is more, the ponies will hate me, possibly more than they already do, because I didn’t save you. I do not have your kindness inside me, Tia. I have darkness, not light, and it is only kept in check by you. Once you are gone, I…I do not know what will happen.”

“Luna,” she whispered. “Oh, Luna, don’t think that way. Firstly, I have no intention of dying, by any means at any time.”

“No pony does, Tia.”

A warm smile grew on her face as Celestia brought her hoof up to touch Luna on the cheek. “Then I suppose you and I should follow the lessons of the mortal ponies, and live every moment together as something special.”

“Every moment with you is something special,” Luna replied.

Their eyes locked. Neither of them willing to turn away or speak, lest that single sensation be lost forever. Eventually the darker alicorn inched closer, turning her muzzle slightly until her lips found Celestia’s, and at that moment they both closed their eyes, letting the emotion continue through their kiss.

Finally, Celestia pulled back, lifting her eyes half open while remaining focused on the floor. “Mistress, I—“

“No,” Luna cut her off softly, and Celestia glanced up to see a crooked smile on her wife’s lips. “No, tonight I just want to be Luna. Please?”

Celestia stood, rising up to her full height and holding a hoof out for her sister, who took it and rose up to stand beside her. Laying a wing across Luna’s back, Celestia guided them both over their massive bed and crawled up onto it. Luna followed close behind. Magic lifted Luna’s chest plate and crown from her, placing them on the table beside her sister’s.

They lay together, facing each other on the bed. Luna brought her hoof up and touched Celestia on the cheek, gently caressing as she drew it back towards herself. As it reached the front of her mouth, Celestia brought her own hoof up to hold it briefly, kissing Luna’s fetlock and the top of her hoof before letting it travel away. Celestia followed the hoof towards her sister, tracking towards her muzzle and once more finding her lips for a passionate kiss.

Their lips still together, Luna raised her right wing up and started to move it over. At the same time, Celestia brought her left wing above the bed, meeting and pressing against Luna’s until their feathers began to intertwine. Pinion and primaries overlapped each other, rendering an odd checkerboard mix of black and white above the bed in a soft canopy.

Beneath it, they continued to find each other in a kiss. Meeting and breaking apart, only to return and explore carefully, pulling and pressing with their lips.

Celestia was the first to move, breaking her wing free of Luna’s and shifting herself slightly above her sister. Her kisses trailed away from Luna’s mouth, tracking across her muzzle and onto her neck. She was in no hurry, letting herself linger on Luna’s neck, finding the tender zones causing Luna to moan and writhe beneath her. She could feel her wife’s pulse racing as she planted a series of kisses down the neck, tracing the vein running along the side.

Languishing for a moment at the point where Luna’s neck met her barrel, Celestia carried herself along the full width of the area before venturing further down.

Luna closed her eyes and rolled onto her back, a smile growing on her lips as she felt Celestia move down to her marehood. Tiny electric jolts raced through her flesh, igniting a fire inside her, both in body and soul. She could feel herself rising up, meeting her sister’s tongue as it darted and played along her sex.

Her mouth fell open, and she sucked her lower lip in between her teeth, biting down softly. Inwardly she chuckled, proud of herself for training Celestia to please her so well—but she knew that wasn’t true. Celestia was more experienced than she was, and she was much better at expressing her love. All of the sensations shooting through her body were a clear indication of nothing more than raw emotion translating to passion.

As the fires in Luna’s loins grew, so did her passion to reciprocate it.

Celestia felt Luna’s forehoof grasping down, trying to find and pull on her own leg. The indication was very clear, so she raised herself up, moving her mouth away from the tasty treasure she had been enjoying to shift her own body, positioning herself over Luna so they both had equal access to each other.

Luna lunged upwards, slathered her tongue against Celestia’s sex, finding her opening drenched and ready for pleasure. Immediately, Celestia returned to her task, once more locking her lips down around Luna’s marehood, sucking gently as her tongue teased against the hardened nub waiting in the folds.

They lay there, locked together, sharing all of their energy and all of their emotion, channelling it into a single physical act. As their fever rose, the intensity of their administrations increased. Luna wrapped her hooves around Celestia’s flank, pulling her down tightly to hold her in place as she continued to coax all of her sister’s juices free from her sex.

Deep groans grew louder from Celestia, starting in her chest and rising up to be muffled against Luna’s dripping pussy. Luna could feel the slight tremors beginning in her sister, her sex clenching and releasing rhythmically at an ever increasing pace. Luna latched onto Celestia’s clit, sucking it into her mouth and raking it against the sharp points of her fangs as gently as she could, while still lashing against it softly with her tongue.

That was all Celestia could take. Her head shot up, rising away from Luna’s sex as she screamed along with her release. A torrent of cum issued from her pussy, and Luna sucked on it, drinking as much of it into her mouth as she could manage.

Before the first wave fully subsided, Celestia once again returned to her task, intent on bringing as much pleasure to Luna as she had to her. The tongue slashed along the length of Luna’s marehood, parting the lips and giving access for Celestia to plunge her tongue inside. Pushing as far as her long, strong, wet muscle could manage, she drove into Luna’s cunt, driving in at the same tempo and intensity she felt as her orgasm continued.

The raw, primal intensity of Celestia’s loving assault was enough to push Luna over the edge, and in moments she felt herself erupting with an intensity every bit the equal of her wife’s. A roar, deeper and darker than Celestia’s cry, resonated against her sister’s still spasming sex.

Celestia’s felt her face covered in a strong stream of she-cum, splashing against her jaw and nose, and carrying up to strike her throat, soaking into her coat. She moved her mouth up, trying to catch the fluid releasing itself against her, only to find it splashing against her mouth and lips, and falling against Luna’s legs and belly.

Eventualy, not even the formidable endurance of two goddesses could keep them going, and they collapsed onto the bed in a heap of flesh. Celestia lay on top of her sister, panting hard and heavy, her brain slowly returning to a more normal level of sentience as Luna did the same below her.

The fact she was lying on her wife finally registered, and Celestia slid off and to the side, lying immediately beside her once again. With another display of strength, Celestia turned her body around to come face-to-face with Luna once more before she collapsed onto the mattress.

The stared at each other in silence, both of their faces twisted delightfully up in a wide smile. A tear broke and streamed down Celestia’s cheek.

“I’m sorry I upset you earlier,” Celestia said, “but I must admit I was very happy with our mutual apology.”

Luna laughed. “I noticed. I must say I enjoyed it myself.” Her eyes narrowed playfully. “Don’t get used to it, though. You do understand you are still my slave.”

It was Celestia’s turn to laugh. “Of course I do, and I wouldn’t want it any other way, Mistress.”

“Good.” Luna stretched over and placed a soft kiss on Celestia’s lips. “I didn’t hurt you with my fangs, did I? I was trying to be very careful.”

“You were fine, Luna. I didn’t even notice.” Celestia laughed again. “Besides, with as rough as you were on me last night, it would have had to have been something extraordinary to cause an issue. Not that last night was a problem, but this was a very pleasant change of pace.”

There was a pause, and then Luna raised her head up slightly off the bed.

“Last night? What do you mean, last night?”

* * * * * * * *

Chrysalis reclined in her chair, her body lounged out casually in the massive oblong circle. The dark cushions beneath her held her head high and perfectly in line with the book floating in her magical grasp. The words ‘Rites and Rights: An Equestrian Codex’ were inscribed in ancient script across the cover of the thick tome. The changeling’s tongue passed over her teeth again and again, pressing against the fangs threatening to draw blood at any moment.

“I really must take a moment to properly thank Dapifer,” she mused aloud. “He has proven to be a most excellent assistant.” She raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps I will even keep him around.”

She levitated the book to the table beside her chair, and took a moment to stretch her body. To any casual observer it seemed as though her limbs actually grew slightly as she pressed them out to loosen her muscles.

A quick glance to her left confirmed what she knew was there, and she grasped it with her magic and brought it slowly towards her. She sat up in her chair, bringing her haunches underneath her as she settled in again.

The tray floated in front of her, holding a single, simple cup and a large, flattened kettle. She raised the kettle up and poured the steaming liquid into the mug, and then set the rest of the tray back down on the table where she plucked it from moments ago.

She stared at the cup of hot liquid in front of her and frowned.

“Then again, it was Dapifer who got me addicted to this horrid brown liquid,” she muttered. Despite her protest, she brought the mug up and inhaled the fumes, closing her eyes for a moment and then bringing the cup to her lips. She pulled down a sip, feeling its warmth carry down all the way into her stomach.

“Damnable liquid,” she grumbled, once again holding the cup under her nose.

The doors to her chamber rattled against the walls as they were thrown open in a sudden burst of sound and energy. A few small items—treasures and mementoes of Chrysalis’s previous accomplishments—fell to the ground, only increasing the cacophonous din in the room.

A single figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted in the light from the hall. Waves of dark power cascaded off her body, leaving her form obscured save for bright white fangs and glowing draconian teal eyes.

Chrysalis casually turned her head to look at her.

“Oh, hello Luna,” she droned. “How are you this evening?”

The figure in the doorway remained silent, her form swelling up to an immense proportion, threatening to block out all light around her. Chrysalis carefully replaced her teacup with the kettle on the table and then stood from her chair, turning to face the other mare.

“Did you finally get to have a talk with Celestia?” Her voice was rich with honey.

Luna moved a single step into the room, the tiles beneath her hooves cracking.

“We…have things…to discuss…” The words growled out of her, barely making it through her clenched teeth.

The right side of Chrysalis’ mouth curled up into a sneer as she brought her chin closer to her throat.

“Oh, do we…?”

…to be continued.

Author's Notes:

I am aware that I spelled "tattle-tail" incorrectly. It just seemed better for a pony to use that spelling.

:)