Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia

by Aegis Shield

First published 5th of June, 2012

Celestia's ego is shattered after the royal wedding, so Luna promises to whip her into shape.

After her complete defeat at the royal wedding, Celestia's ego is shattered. Luna promises to whip her sister back into shape, because it'll take far more than a few laps around the palace to put a grown alicorn at the top of her game. But, with Celestia coming home each day with a new set of bruises and a slightly more forward royal attitude, her subjects begin to fear her more than love her. Is Luna's

special training turning her into a monster, or is it all according to some greater plan? It's time for some tough love!

(Warning: Dark tag for some Celestia abuse.)
(Featured 6/19/2012! :D)

Mud and Water

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 1: Mud and Water

Celestia stuck her horn into the waiting bucket of ice for the third time. It hissed audibly, and she did too. “Ah… ah… Ssss…” she gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. Very un-princess-like she whimpered before pulling her horn free again. Queen Chrysalis had so cleanly, so easily dominated her in a battle of magic she’d been literally burned by it. The upper third of her horn had been charred to an ashy grey. Though Twilight Sparkle and her friends had once again saved the day and everything else had gone off without a hitch, Celestia had retired at the end of the day completely ashamed. She’d been trounced in front of all her subjects. She dipped her horn again, the loud hissing returning. Gritting her teeth she held it in the ice bucket for as long as she could, then pulled it out again.

There was a tapping at her door. Celestia shoved the ice bucket under her bed with a flick of magic, raising her head as the door opened. Only one pony dared enter her private chambers without being invited in first. “Sister, we came to check on you.” It was Luna. The midnight alicorn glanced over her shoulder at the gathering of four guards outside the room, and quickly shut the door behind her. She lowered her voice, “How are you?” she nodded at Celestia’s horn.

“It burns a little.” Celestia said truthfully, deflating from her usual regal posture. Her sister crossed the room to get a better look. “I only wish you had been there, Luna, perhaps together we could have—”

“We would not surmise to have the magic to defeat the power of love, harnessed and weaponized.” Luna interrupted, shaking her head. “If we had been there, we might’ve been smote as easily as thou.” She smiled just a little, her mischievous brow rising on one side. “Though we must admit, seeing thou get knocked on thy backside would’ve been worth it.”

“Luna!” Celestia squawked, her wings rising in an offended way. Luna chuckled a little. “It is nothing to joke about! What if my subjects lose faith in me for being bested like that?” It was not unusual for Celestia to drop all of her regal shields to talk frankly with her sister. She was the only one able to relate to all things alicorn-related.

“Oh, do not presume me to stroke thy wounded ego sister, you shan’t get my sympathy.” Luna turned her nose up and closed her eyes. Celestia’s eyes went a little soft and her ears turned back. “Thou hast not participated in a battle in more than a thousand years. Of course thou was bested. Your opponent was young, potent, and feeding off of an incredible power source unlike any other.”

“Are you saying I’ve gotten soft?” Celestia said, her mouth a little agape.

“In terms of getting off thy royal flank to do battle with evil? Yes.” Luna said without hesitating. The words wounded Celestia, and her wings wilted down to the bedding she lay on. “You have lived in a millennia of peace and prosperity, it is what happens when thou has no worthy opponents or means to keep thy edge.” The princess of the night flicked her wings open, leaning to nuzzle her sister briefly.

“My edge?” Celestia said, suddenly uncertain. It was true, the white alicorn hadn’t attacked anypony with magic since the war on the Lunar Republic. In the final battle she’d rained lightning from the sky, torn open canyons, boiled oceans and split the very fabric of reality while doing battle with Nightmare Moon. With the Yoke of Harmony around her neck, she could’ve unmade and remade the world, easily. “What about you, Luna?” she wondered, looking up at her sister.

“What do you think we did all day and night on the moon?” Luna said, cocking her head and looking away. “Counted stars? Walked laps around the place? No. We trained and meditated and exercised while we awaited the chains to come undone for our return.” Celestia had the wild vision of a sweaty Luna doing push-ups on the moon while Eye of the Manticore played in the background. “Meanwhile, thou sat in a cushy seat and played princess for centuries, unchallenged.” Luna said a little cruelly. Was this her holding a grudge? How mean!

Celestia looked up at her sister, feeling much smaller than her all of a sudden. She got a closer look at her sister’s chest and legs. They were toned, brushed and lithe. The hooves, though shoe’d, were tight-looking and expertly shorn. Her fetlocks were perfect. Her eyes trailed along the midnight alicorn’s torso, beyond her regalia and to her ribs. They were neatly incased in slender muscle, very little fat to speak of. It suddenly struck the sun princess that her sister was a little more than just taller than other ponies, and sporting a horn with wings like she did. Luna was slim, trim, and racy. Very much in shape. “I’ve gone soft.” Celestia realized aloud, aghast at herself. She hung her head.

“Sister…” Luna said soothingly, reaching and looking a little apologetic for her earlier words. “Thy priorities were to run a nation, that is not a very physical job.” She pushed her starry mane to one side, out of the way. “If thy ego is bruised from being struck down, the only thing you can do is to build yourself up again.” She tossed her mane a little, smirking down at her sister.

“What? How?” Celestia cocked her head. “I can’t exactly wander into a dojo and ask for lessons. The media and royal circles would have a field day!” she scrubbed at her chin a little. “Perhaps if I hired a personal trainer, or went to spar with the palace guard, or…” she trailed off, for none of those sounded like good ideas.

“Dost thou honestly think any of them would train you properly? That they would look beyond thy crown and horn and wings?” Luna, ever the pessimist, reminded her softly. Celestia scowled at her sister, but knew she was right. Her subjects often fell all over themselves to please her, and treated her like she was made of glass. “Clearly, we art thy only option.” Luna’s lip curled upward, mischief sparkling in her eyes.

“You?” Celestia asked, cocking her head. “What can you do?”

“Many things thou cannot, sister. We are opposites, after all. One as night, and one as day.” Luna reached and pushed a strand of Celestia’s mane behind her ear. Glancing over her shoulder, she knelt and kissed her sister’s cheek affectionately. “But I shall teach you.” Celestia felt a small smile crawl its way across her muzzle. “And we shan’t hold back. For your sake.” Luna bowed her head briefly, and was away. “Rest. We shall come for you in a few days when your horn is better.”

=-----=-----=-----=

A few days later, in the evening time, Celestia stared at herself in the full-length mirror of her private chambers. She frowned quietly, her mouth in a neutral line from its usual bemused smile. She slowly folded her wings. Though her horn had returned to its normal pearly shine, her servants had been particularly tender with her lately. One of her butlers even ended up falling into her bath one evening, trying to help her step over the lip of the tub. She wasn’t made of glass, for goodness sake. The white alicorn sighed. Luna was right. She’d gone soft, and she needed to step back up to get into shape again. She needed to do it for herself, and for her beloved subjects.

Reaching slowly, she made a slight gesture with her horn. Her chest regalia was surrounded with a pearly aura, unhinged itself, and floated to rest on the vanity. She did the same with her crown and golden hoof gauntlets. Standing naked in front of the mirror she looked at herself for a long time in silence. Just Celestia now, without all the trappings and frills and gold hanging on her body. She spread her wings up and out, turning to survey herself for a bit. She wasn’t a vain pony, always worried about her looks, but the recent turn of events did make her study her hips and chest a bit more. Mumbling worriedly, she reached up to caress her mane. It was perfectly groomed, flowing with a breeze that wasn’t there. Blue, green, purple, and pink streaks melted back and forth over each other like an aurora. It made her mane look ethereal and ghostly.

The princess jumped a little when a hoof knocked two, three, four times on the door. It was a firm and heavy hoof, and the stallion behind it seemed just as firm and heavy when Celestia opened the door. “Her Majesty Princess Luna has sent me to fetch you, Princess Celestia.” It was a lunar stallion in full armored regalia, dark purple and ashen grey. His golden eyes flicked briefly at her lack of royal trappings, but he said nothing of it. “By your leave, your majesty.” His voice was deep and syrupy, she found she liked it. Smiling gently, Celestia gave a regal lift of her wings and followed him out into the hall. The twin solar guards posted on either side of her chamber doors made to follow, but she lifted a hoof to stay them. They frowned like scolded foals, but let her go.

The lunar stallion led Celestia to the other side of the palace, and soon she could tell they were taking the long way around. They didn’t use any of the main halls, corridors or entryways. They were taking servant paths, quieter passages, and passing fewer windows than she expected. Celestia half-expected to see spider webs and bats hanging from the ceilings. The further they went, the darker it became. It was no small secret that one end of the palace was devoted to the Princess of the Night, and that was where he was discreetly taking her. Now that it was night, this half of the palace was coming to life with activity.

Celestia and the lunar stallion emerged into the midnight court, where Princess Luna sat regally upon her throne… pillow… thing. She didn’t have a proper throne, she still preferred the massive sitting pillow that she and her sister had used in the olden days. There were a few ponies scattered throughout the room, most of them busily writing over desks or rushing bits of important paperwork to various destinations. Dreary and shadow-filled as it was, it still helped run the nation. Luna looked up from her latest scroll of who-knew-what, and flicked it aside when she saw her sister standing there at the base of the dais.

“Well done, Stalwart Hide.” she spoke to the lunar stallion, who bowed and took up his position at the right side of the base of the dais. “Sister, welcome to the midnight court.” She clip-clopped down the stairs to embrace the white alicorn with both wings. Celestia returned the hug a little stiffly, not sure what to expect. “We… I’m glad you decided to come.” Luna cocked her head a little, remembering to speak using a more modern term. Closing her wings, she stepped back, and then around to walk side-by-side with her. The two alicorns went out a side door into a courtyard. “I’ve no court appointments this evening, we are free to do as we please.” She made note of the twin lunar stallions following behind them, as they were wont to do with their princess. “Aegis Shield, Stalwart Hide.” She called to both by name. “Attend to us. We’re going to the Midnight Wheel.”

“At once, your Majesty.” Both stallions passed them up, spread their wings and flew out of sight.

“The Midnight Wheel?” Celestia asked as they walked.

Princess Luna smiled a rather chilling smile. “It is a training ground for young recruits of the lunar stallions, my private guard.” She explained. They turned a corner, weaving their way past the palace gardens and beyond the barracks area on the edge of the city. They set hoof on a regular dirty road and started climbing skyward, up the mountain that Canterlot sat on.

“Can we not fly there, and save the night?” Celestia asked curiously, looking at the long path ahead of them. It seemed to stretch, weave, and climb for miles. How would they even make it before dawn? Luna gave her a look. “Well… I guess I am overdue for the exercise.” The white alicorn admitted. The sisters continued on for over an hour, silently trekking up the mountain road. The hooves of hundreds of ponies had stamped it firm, and the mild breeze stirred dust around them. The solar princess winced at the dirt lodging itself in her pearlescent fur. She would need to bathe before the noonday court. She couldn’t imagine the looks on her subjects faces if they saw her like this. As a Princess it was her job to look clean and otherworldly so that her beloved ponies would do their jobs with all the more gusto and—!

“Where is your mind, sister?” Princess Luna asked. “Your eyes see something elsewhere. Focus on the now. We’re nearly there.” She gestured with her long horn, and Celestia looked up. They emerged from the dirt road onto a perfectly flat slab of stone. Stairs sent them down for a bit, which emptied into an amazing sight. There on the side of the mountain, exactly opposite of Canterlot, was a massive courtyard balcony of hewn stone. It was covered with short walls, designs, and even a few craters. The sun princess didn’t want to imagine what had made said craters. The twin lunar stallions were waiting for them, and bowed when they arrived. “Is everyone gone, Aegis Shield?” Princess Luna asked one of them. The ashen grey stallion nodded, saluting. “Bore off my regalia and store it.” She commanded. Celestia side-stepped a little, for both ponies came forward and stripped Luna naked. They removed her chest regalia, the chains about her neck, and she had to daintily lift her hooves so they could make off with her silvery horse shoes. They took the treasures away and out of sight.

Celestia’s mane suddenly flapped wildly in a breeze that rushed away from Luna like a ring. It pushed away dust, pebbles, and dry grass that had come up between the stones. “Luna!” The white alicorn shielded herself with a wing, gritting her teeth and trying not to let the forceful wind push her over. Soon the vorpal rush of air ended and Luna shook like a wet dog, wings opening like she was stretching.

“I suppose we forgot to tell you, sister.” Luna smiled none too gently, looking over at her. “My regalia’s horse shoes act as magical inhibitors.” She gestured to her dinner plate-sized hooves. “If I were to let up my magical aura for even a moment, my hooves would spring together like powerful magnets.”

“But isn’t that like torturing yourself?!” Celestia gasped, looking at her sister’s hooves. “If you were to give a magical output out all the time, you’d exhaust yourself and die!”

“You’d be surprised what you can live through.” Luna said a little acidly, walking forward and flicking her eyes at the moon. Celestia stared after her in mild guilt, then cantered after her. “Come, look.” The midnight princess gestured as they approached the edge. There were no guard-rails around the massive courtyard balcony, only a drop that was thousands of feet into a chasm of darkness. “I’ve lost a few lunar stallions over this edge. Those that fall, fail.”

“Fail what? You just let them die?” Celestia was aghast at the brutal training tactics.

“The lunar stallions are few compared to their solar counterparts, sister. They come to this place, the Midnight Circle, to train and hone themselves.” Luna went on, not answering her question. The white alicorn started to raise her voice, but her sister cut her off. “Here is where I shall train you.” She gestured over the dirty, broken hewn stone around them. “This place has seen more violence and training and battle than some killing fields I could name from the old wars. It is perfect.” She led her mildly shaken sibling to a grand design on the floor.

“What is this?” Celestia asked softly, noticing that she stood in the center of a massive circular design. It went perhaps forty feet in all directions. She turned a slow circle, admiring the carving and craftsmanship it must’ve taken to make something so intricate last for so long.

“This is a training star.” Luna gestured, bidding her to stand where she was. “While you are in it, this will be your territory. Your world.” She gave Celestia time to stare around herself. “It works like a collapsing star. First it starts big, then it shrinks down to something much smaller, then it explodes outward.” She showed Celestia how there were several circles within circles, and then gestured to the entire courtyard. The white alicorn nodded slowly. “You’ll start with a large circle, then the medium one, then the small one, then you’ll be ready for something bigger than yourself.” The midnight princess said philosophically.

“I… understand.” said Celestia softly, then nodded. “I’m ready.” Luna turned with a flare of black magic, BLASTING Celestia in the side and right off of her hooves! The white alicorn yelped doggishly, tumbling across the ground like a skipping stone. She lost hoof-fulls of white feathers in the process, and landed hard on her back. Whinnying in pain, she bicycled her hooves in the air for a moment before she righted herself. “Sister!” she cried out, tears of pain in her eyes.

“You don’t look ready to me.” Luna rolled her eyes, the magic fading from her long horn. “We will practice with other things. When you can withstand me from within the smallest circle, you’ll be ready to leave the training star. Are you ready now?” she asked with a smirk. Celestia had the very bad feeling that her sister had some frustrations she was just dying to work out on her. But, she’d brought it on herself, coming all the way out here and begging for training to become strong again. She saw her sister’s horn alight and lifted a hoof, shaking her head no. “Good.” Luna said, letting the darkness fade. “Lesson one, admitting thy weakness.” She told her, lifting a hoof. She watched Celestia shudder and pull herself with a groan to her hooves. “You cannot ever get stronger if you do not admit to yourself that you have a problem and that you need to face it. Thy weakness will be the catalyst that drives you forth, as well as the humiliation that you suffered.” Luna wasn’t nice, wasn’t gentle, and wasn’t holding back. Bad things needed to be said. Wounds needed to be ripped open to drain the infection out. Her sister would need some tough love if this was going to work.

Celestia rested on her belly, trying to ignore the bruise on her side as she did so. “Queen Chrysalis struck me down in front of everypony.” She whispered, hanging her head in shame. There was a long silence while Luna stared at her from where she stood. “I was… weak.” It was like pulling teeth, but her royal majesty of the day finally got it out. She wanted to be sick. It had been thousands of years since she’d ever done such a thing, admitting weakness. “I must become strong again!”

“And you shall, sister.” Luna said, eyes lighting up and turning white throughout. “You shall.” Her horn ignited with black magicks, and Celestia scrambled to her hooves to defend herself. Standing outside the training star, Luna smiled mischievously. Clods of dirt and mud lifted themselves from the earth between the hewn stone bricks around them. The two lunar stallions returned in time to see the royal sisters have what appeared to be a dirt clod war! The brown missiles rushed back and forth, Celestia limited by the circle she was bidden to stay in. She yipped now and then when a clod got past her magical shielding and pelted her in the chest or side. Before long, she looked like a spotted alicorn rather than a white one. Luna bore only one or two marks on her, which she brushed off with ease.

“What is the point of throwing dirt at m-OWCH!” Celestia yipped when a clod of mud connected with her royal muzzle. She held herself, checking for blood and whimpering a little. “Lulu that hurt!” she said, rubbing her nose back and forth on her raised foreleg.

“So did getting knocked on your ass in front of all your loyal subjects.” said Luna nastily. “Yet here you stand, still alive.” Both sisters danced back and forth, the lunar stallions watching them in awe. This was like some sort of freakish filly mud pie war, but it was the princesses! They just didn’t know what to make of it. “Trust me sister, if you can dodge a clod of mud, you can dodge a bolt of magic.” This continued on for over an hour, and sweat began to bead down Celestia’s flank and face. She panted and began to slow. She really was out of shape! It sounded like a simple thing, don’t get hit, but after so long she was wearing down and Luna was hitting more and more. Soon she was more brown than white, and her mane was a disaster.

“I give up! Stop! I give up!” Celestia called at last, flopping onto her side in a mess of dirty feathers and panting. “I—give up. H’oh. Huh. Huh…” She said, laying there and trying to breathe. Luna stepped into the training star, looming over her sister and frowning. Celestia smiled nervously, nostrils flaring as she tried to get more air into her lungs.

The midnight alicorn painfully jabbed her in the side a few times, “Get up. That was just the warm-ups.” Luna snapped. She booted her sister back up onto her hooves, where she sagged and limped along to the other side of the circle. Trying to retreat. “Do you think your true enemies would let you call a time out?!” Luna followed her mercilessly. The shouting had to be done, the wounds had to be ripped wide open. The infection was deep. “Do you think they would waste one instant before simply striking you down for GOOD?!” Luna turned and rather wildly bucked her sister’s chest. Celestia cried out, collapsing onto the ground in pain and exhaustion. A few more feathers caught the breeze. She moaned, curling up on her side like a beaten foal. Her breathing was shuddering and her wings lay in odd, uncomfortable angles. “You’ve forgotten what it means to have an enemy, to truly fight…” Luna whispered, coming to her belly to croon over her sister. He anger was gone from her voice, and pity had come to her eyes. Leaning down, she kissed the weeping alicorn’s forehead.

“Lulu…” Celestia whimpered, looking up at her with soft eyes.

“It’s not going to be easy, Tia. It will only get harder.” Luna whispered. With more strength than was probably necessary, she gripped her sister’s weakened mind and put her to sleep. Celestia’s purple eyes rolled into her head and slid closed. Lunar magic was certainly crafty when it needed to be. “Aegis Shield. Stalwart Hide.” She said calmly. Both stallions stood at attention. “Bear my sister back to the palace. Let none see you.” She commanded. They bowed and, with a nearby supply cart, loaded up the fallen alicorn. “Be very gentle with her.” She added as they moved her body. “The first few sessions are always the worst with thy new recruits. Our sister will be no different in this.” Both stallions nodded and, spreading their wings, pulled the cart up into the sky. Using the low-hanging clouds, they would be able to sneak her majesty back into her chambers via her balcony.

Sighing, the midnight alicorn went to collect her crown and regalia. Pulling them gingerly on, she ignited her magical aura on a low light spectrum. Her horse-shoes pulled at her, trying hard to draw her hooves together and tip her over. But, she wouldn’t let them. Her magic prevented it. She was strong. Very strong. If Celestia had the mental fortitude, she would be too.

=-----=-----=-----=

Celestia awoke with one of her maids shrieking over her. “Your majesty!” she cried out. The guards in the hall rushed in, armor clanking and hooves stomping. They screeched to a halt, gaping at her in horror. “What happened to you?!” the maid put her hooves over her mouth in terror.

The white alicorn unfolded herself gingerly from her bed. Her everything hurt, especially her sides. She was dirty from hoof to horn, and her mane looked like she’d wandered into a hurricane. She looked over at the mirror, then moaned a little, flopping over weakly. “I was uh…” she scrambled for an explanation. “Gardening, in the royal gardens.” She smiled up at her maid.

“In the middle of the night?” One guard asked the other.

“It’s… quieter, then.” Celestia said, wincing as she drew herself to her full height. “I’m less likely to be bothered.” Her back gave a few audible, painful crackles. One of her wings took a bit of effort to close all the way and hug her side. “D’hh… Daisy Stalk, would you draw my bath?” she asked the maid. The frightened mare rushed away, whimpering as she did so. Celestia’s heart ached. She didn’t like to scare her subjects like that. Her guards continued to stare at her, a little slack-jawed. When she grew tired of their presence, she spoke again. “I’m not dressed, sirs.” It was playful, but they rushed out of the room none the less. The alicorn snickered. It wasn’t often she was seen without her regalia and royal trappings on. “Oh’hhh!” she called, gritting her teeth as she clip-clopped slowly across the room.

Within the hour, an alicorn-sized bath was drawn and Celestia was led to it. She saw the warm and inviting waters bubbling at her as she approached. “Your majesty! You look terrible!” one of the servants said without thinking. She fixed the mare with a bemused stare, and she promptly wilted into a blushing shiver. “S-sorry! I just… just…” she gestured.

“The point of a bath is to get clean, I would think.” Celestia’s voice tinkled with soft laughter. “Little point if you never get a little dirty.” She limped a little as she made her way to the bubbling bath. A stallion came forth, the only one in the royal bath house, to help her into it. Sore as she was, she obliged him with a hoof. She felt his muscles coil as she leaned her weight on him. She sank into the hot, steaming waters and he nodded. Bubble Bath was a handsome stallion, but being the only male in a mostly female department (Celestia and Luna’s baths and relaxations), he hardly ever made a peep. She thanked him with a lid-eyed smile. Then, quite un-princess-like, the white alicorn flopped her head onto the lip of the bath. It was like a jacuzzi, sunken into the ground like a pool. It didn’t keep her from falling asleep, though. The hot jets had massaged her into a murring blob of useless alicorn.

“Is she… is she asleep?” A voice said on the edges of Celestia’s hearing.

“Somepony told me she was up all night gardening or something.”

“Gardening? In the middle of the night?”

“How odd, look-it her wings, they haven’t even been preened.”

“Look at her mane, it’s so limp!”

They gossiped over their dozing princess, but after awhile it became apparent she was making no move to actually clean herself. Bubble Bath cocked his head and waved a hoof in front of the Princess’ face. When she didn’t move, he looked pleadingly at the gathering of mares. They hopped to it, and shut the bath-house door for privacy. Brushes and scrubbers came out of the cabinets, along with shampoos and oils. The one stallion leaned, tenderly extending her majesty’s wing with his teeth. Working with a very soft brush he began realigning her feathers.

It was like being in a surgeon’s orchestra pit. There were perhaps seven or eight ponies crowded around the sleeping alicorn, scrubbing and brushing and cleaning while she rested. Celestia could feel it all, but didn’t want to move. She was too sore. Perhaps if she lay very still they would let her sleep in the bubbling bath for a little while.

End of Part 1

Stone and Straw

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 2: Stone and Straw

23 Nights Later…

Celestia bobbed, weaved, and danced about. Holding her wings closed made her a smaller target. Facing Luna directly, rather than walking sideways, made her a smaller target. Lowering her head and leading her shots with her bannering mane kept her guessing as to where she was going. One out of maybe fifty dirt clods hit her anymore. The solar princess had learned about projectiles, how they worked and their weaknesses when it came to one on one combat. Atop that, she’d not budged from the smallest circle in the Training Star all night.

Princess Luna did a slow, walking orbit around her, outside the biggest circle. Mounds of dirt would lift themselves, pressurize into clods, then launch like missiles at Celestia. Luna’s smile had slowly been growing that evening, until finally she stopped altogether. The Princess of the day cocked her head, slowly relaxing and staring at her sister. “Good. Let’s see what you learned these past few weeks, sister.” Her horn ignited with black magics glitters that might be mistaken for stars gathered to her cause, and beams of light went in all directions. The dark alicorn reared up with a cry of conquest.

Celestia’s pupils turned into pinpricks as the beam of black magic lanced at her! A flash of the Changling Queen’s face raced across her mind’s eye. Gritting her teeth, she shifted to an angle, opened her great wings and--!

A new crater blasted itself into the far side of the Midnight Circle, sacred training ground of the Lunar Stallions. Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide, Luna’s attendants, sat up from their card game with interest. It was all smoke and dust, so they squinted. After a time, the night breeze drifted the cloud away. Celestia stood there, panting, almost completely unscathed. Her left wing had a little burn on it, but she’d only lost a couple of feathers. She’d not left the smallest circle.

“Very, very good.” Princess Luna came forward and embraced her sister in earnest. “You’ve learned your first and most basic lesson of combat.” She smiled grandly, so Celestia allowed herself to smile too. “Don’t stand and take what you can just deflect.” She leaned and pawed lightly at her sister’s wing. Celestia, using a small magical shielding, had turned her wing into an angled shield and sent the beam of black magic not only away—but well off to one side of herself. It had struck the ground at a clumsy angle and done little more than leave a burnt crater in the ground. Celestia? Unharmed. Luna was impressed. Leaning, she kissed her sister’s cheek.

“I did it.” Celestia said uncertainly. “I did it!” she smiled, looking at the smoking crater some yards away. “I could’ve done that with Crysallis and--!”

“H’ohhh no, dear sister.” Luna shook her head with a scowl. “If you’d done that in the throne room of the palace you would’ve brought the whole thing crashing down and killed who knows how many ponies. Deflection is not for enclosed spaces.” She patted her sister’s shoulder a little, for her face had fallen. “But worry not. Simple understanding comes before mastery.” She smiled, turning and making her way to another part of the training ground. “Come! Thy time in that circle is over.”

Celestia smiled, looking about herself. She would miss the Training Star, to be honest. While that was all she had to worry about, her world had felt much smaller. Much safer, and more in her control. The psychology of Luna’s training had taken hold, for the white alicorn sighed when she left her little world for the bigger one. Folding her beautiful wings, she followed her sister. “What’s this bit here?” she asked when they arrived at the next portion the training center. Before the royal sisters was a series of columns and a pit. The bottom of the pit was laced with thick straw, no doubt to cushion ponies from broken bones. The Sun Princess thought she knew where this was going. “Is the next lesson about balance? Sister, we have wings.” She cocked her head, frowning. Suddenly a great steel chain lashed itself over Celestia’s back. Before she could rear up and whinny she was hauled back down and a padlock was forced on her. The Lunar Stallions had appeared like ninjas, tying her wings to her sides.

“Not anymore you don’t.” Luna said, nodding to dismiss her minions.

“But why?” Celestia whined before she could stop herself. “Never has there been a time when I could not fly! No circumstance!”

Luna scowled at her darkly. “Flying on the moon is a death sentence, sister.” She said quietly, ice in her words. “Gravity is lesser there. To launch into the sky is to chance floating into oblivion for all time.” She put her face very close to her sister’s, and Celestia shuddered. “Thou might think not being able to fly will never happen to you, but guess what? It happened to me. I learned to surpass it and grow stronger.” She leaned and checked the chain while Celestia whimpered and strained against it. She turned her head to look. Oh, of course. Moonsteel. The precise opposite of her solar magic and aura. It would bind her like normal steel bound a mortal pony. “Your wings are a gift, Celestia. If you ever want to use them, you need to learn to do more than take them for granted or flash them at a handsome stallion.” The comment was dirty, but Celestia understood and hung her head a little.

“What do I do here?” The sun Princess asked. “Just go across?” she peered at the pit, then the columns. They were uneven, but rather wide. Wide enough to stand atop like little platforms. She thought she could do it, and smiled a little.

“Well, for now you’re just going to stay here for a bit.” Luna gestured that she go on.

Slowly, Celestia moved and leapt to the first column. Rather gracefully considering her wings were bound, if she did say so herself. Smiling back at her sister, her smile vanished when she saw both Lunar Stallions returning. She’d already come to associate them with something bad about to happen. Both were carrying long poles with them. Bamboo? Something similar? They looked bendy and not very firm. She watched them split up, each standing at one end of the pit. “They’re not going to hit me with those, are they?”

“Don’t get ahead of me, sister.” Luna clucked, smirking. Celestia scowled at her. “For now, just hop about a bit. Get used to the platforms. Their size and stability.” She gestured a little for her sister to try them out.

Cocking her head and eyeing the Lunar Stallions distrustfully, the sun Princess peered over the edge of her little platforms. There couldn’t possibly be enough straw to catch something as heavy as an alicorn down there. She dreaded to know what was under it all. Stone? Gravel? Worse? Frowning, Celestia looked about herself for the nearest platform. Deciding on one, she leapt gracefully to it. “Uh-WAHHH!” it broke under her like chalk and she fell.

Luna squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head when Celestia hit the bottom of the pit with a yelp. “Ohhh…” she winced, peering over the edge at her. “We forgot to mention, not all of them are very strong!” she ignited her horn to repair the column her sister had broken. It looked as good as new, if more instable than before.

Celestia lay in the bottom of the pit, on her back, groaning. She didn’t want to think about the massive bruise that was forming on her right flank. She only hoped her white fur was thick enough to hide it. She lay there for a long time, the Lunar Stallions and her sister looking down at her. She just wanted to lay there and breathe. The impact had taken a lot out of her, and the chain was pinching her poor royal wings. She closed her eyes for a moment, swallowing tiredly.

In her mind’s eye, she saw Twilight Sparkle’s face. The unicorn mare, her most beloved student. She looked terrified. Celestia could see her from below, where she’d been laying on the floor after the Changling Queen had struck her down. Her little pony had never seen her mentor defeated so, and her world was coming apart in her eyes. The sun Princess jerked her eyes open and rolled over onto her belly. Trying to ignore the pain in her flank, she rose slowly to all fours and arched her back. Stretching the screaming muscles, she looked around for a way out of the pit. Sure enough, there was a ramp. Trotting up it and going past her sister without a word, she hopped to the first column in the grouping again. Testing her weight and trying to feel the stability of the stone through her hooves, Celestia bowed her head and closed her eyes for a bit. The breeze kissed her grimy forehead.

“Perhaps you can appreciate your weight more when things break beneath you?” Chirped Luna, smiling darkly.

“Did… did you just call me fat?” Celestia said, turning around slowly. “Was that a fat joke, just now?” the alicorn could not believe her sister would sink so low and say something so hurtful. “Lulu that’s mean!” she said, eyes turning soft.

“Muscle weighs more than fat, Tia.” Keeping her wings closed, the dark alicorn leapt nimbly onto a different column. While Celestia watched, she hopped from one to the next, landing squarely in the center of each platform, no doubt where the stone was the strongest. She held her breath when Luna leapt upon the column she’d broken, but it didn’t break. The Princess of the Night paused there and bowed gently. “Balance, and judgment of pressure and weight on your surroundings.” She told her the true purpose of the pit and columns. “It can be the difference between landing hard,” she paused and looked down at the pit. “And breaking your neck.” She smiled rather nastily, then nodded at the two Lunar Stallions. They approached with their bamboo sticks raised. Celestia moaned, her head hanging low for a moment.

Hours Later…

“For the last time, watch your hoof work! Hooves closer together means more pressure on a smaller space, things break under you! Spread your weight! Spread your hooves!” Luna shouted from the sidelines. The Lunar Stallions had been chasing Celestia around the column platforms, rather unceremoniously WHACKING her on the butt with their bamboo sticks. It hurt more than just her pride, for soon her backside was pink and irritated. She was sorely tempted to just grab their sticks with magic and break them over their fool heads.

“I can’t!” Celestia said, huffing and puffing as she tried to avoid her assaulters. “I’m being attacked from two sides!” She yipped when one of them swung particularly hard and printed her flank with a red bar bruise. She rubbed at herself with a whimper. Now her cutie mark seemed to say ‘no suns’ to any who looked upon it. She frowned in embarrassment.

“Suppose you had two opponents! Do you just give up?!” Luna roared. “No! You keep moving and make sure they don’t surround you! Their gift is numbers, so yours should be maneuverability!” The dark alicorn never stopped talking for the entire exersize, much to Celestia’s vast annoyance. It was hard to jump from platform to platform, land correctly, ignore one’s own wings, eye the moving stallions chasing her, AND listen to her sibling’s abusive ranting. “Balance! Watch your hooves!” she barked. “Concentrate on yourself, not on them. You’re not here to fight them, just avoid them! As long as you stay ahead, they don’t exist!” Luna’s face was set in an angry scowl while she watched her sister leap back and forth.

Over the course of a few hours, Celestia fell into the pit three more times, and got more than her fair share of pink marks on her haunches and flanks. By the time they called it for the night, she could barely walk. “Ohh-sss. Ohh-sss.” She said as she limped forward. The Lunar Stallions vanished right after Luna had called a halt to the exercise. Though they would never be able to tell anypony about it, it had been pretty funny to spank their Princess with bamboo poles for so long. They snickered, but melted into shadow none the less.

Luna leaned, tapping the padlock of the chains her sister wore with a horn. They broke off and vanished into glittering dust. “There we are.” She nodded her affirmation, smiling. “We shall continue tomorrow night, sister.” She promised.

“You’re enjoying- sss- this, aren’t you Luna?” Celestia said acidly as she made for the path back to the palace. Luna smirked a little, but said nothing. When she was clear of her sister’s sight, the Princess of the Sun lit her horn with magic. Carefully targeting, she vanished with a crack of parted air. She reappeared in the palace in Canterlot, at the Royal Bathhouse. Groaning and walking tenderly along, she peered both ways down the hall. Pushing the door open with magic, she slowly went inside. Calling for an attendant, who stared in shock at her sorry state, she spoke. “Go and fetch Bubble Bath for me.”

“I think he’s asleep, your majesty. It’s five-thirty in the morning.” said the mint green mare. Celestia limped towards the room that contained the springs, and did little more than look over her shoulder at her subject. She gulped, then scurried away. The alicorn felt a pang of guilt, but she was too sore, too tired to chase her with an apology. This training was worse than regional council meetings. Worse than tax law cases. Worse than… than… she didn’t have a comparison, she suddenly saw. She didn’t participate in sports, exercise, or other physical activities with her subjects. Cocking her head, she sighed again and wilted onto a waiting couch.

“Mhhh?” a voice woke her, a wordless male syllable. When had she fallen asleep? It was Bubble Bath, the only stallion to work at the Royal Bathhouse. He said nothing, bowing dutifully and then gesturing towards the bathhouse chambers. Celestia smiled happily at the rather mute stallion. He’d left her asleep, drawn her bath, then came and got her. He hadn’t wandered up like a buffoon, asking what she wanted. She was in the Royal Bathhouse, of course she’d come for a bath. She favored the top of his head with a dainty nuzzle, and let him lead her to said bath.

Bubble Bath had assembled most of the team to help the Princess with her bath. They’d grown to be on high alert lately, for the Princess of the Sun often visited them these days. She would come in with scratches, bruises, off-color and even broken feathers. Always she was talking about different activities. Gardening, cliff-climbing, river-riding. Apparently alicorns didn’t have any particular time of day or night that they needed to sleep, because their Princess must’ve had a new hobby interest every week! It did hurt them to see her so banged up, though. She’d sworn them to silence, and they always worked their magic to make her look presentable for the next Noonday Court. These days, Celestia was spending more time stewing in a hot bath, dozing, than she was in her own bed.

“Ah, at last… sss!” Celestia tried to lift her hooves over the lip of the bath, but just couldn’t seem to. The muscles had knotted on her, and it brought very real pain to lift them much higher than her chest. “Bubble Bath.” She said whispily, giving him softer eyes. The stallion rushed forward, providing a rock for her Majesty to lean on. The alicorn leaned heavily on him as she forced one, two, three, four hooves over the lip of the bath. He eased her down into the waters, letting the foamy stuff rush up over her chest and then her back. She gritted her teeth, but wouldn’t rise from it for anything. After a few long moments of boiling pain, she finally relaxed and flopped her head down, very un-princess-like.

Bubble Bath murmured quietly, eyeing her bruises as he picked up the scrub brush. He worried over her, gingerly touching one of the bigger ones and getting a hiss of pain from his princess. Her wings spread slowly in response to his poking, but she said nothing. Frowning in frustration, he walked around in front of her and lay on his belly so they could be eye to eye. Questions were in his eyes, though he did not voice them.

“It was… er… base-jumping.” Celestia lied right through her perfect royal teeth at him. He stared at her, cock-eyed and clearly not buying it. “My wings were tied.” She said indignantly, turning her face away.

Bubble Bath stared at her incredulously. She’d jumped off a cliff with her wings tied to her sides and a parachute on her back? He frowned and cocked an eyebrow to show her how very outrageous that sounded. She nodded slowly, masking herself with her usual royal expression of bemused smiling. Base-jumping gave her this assortment of massive bruising? He touched her royal flank with his hoof and she yipped a little in both surprise and pain. He mumbled a wordless apology, avoiding the bruises while he scrubbed her slowly.

“I… landed in a tree. A big one.” Princess Celestia told him, smiling in her usual melodic way. “It hurt.” She gave him soft eyes and he sighed at her, seeming to buy into it. Even though a real base-jumper would never base-jump over an area with trees. ‘Please don’t do it anymore’, Bubble Bath begged her with his soft eyes, gingerly gesturing to the pattern of pain on her body.

“I won’t try it again. I learned my lesson.” Celestia chuckled, then stilled herself when the laughter pained her. “What’s the damage going to be this time?” she said a little playfully.

Bubble Bath silently gestured to the red welt over her cutie mark on one side. The Princess sighed. She would have to sit profile, practically, to avoid having that discovered. That or put a blanket over her lap. The stallion reached and dabbed at it with a warm soapy rag. She hissed and squirmed a little, but brightened when the rest of Bubble Bath’s team arrived with her oils and lotions. Perhaps she would look like a Princess again by the time they were done. She dozed while they stretched her wings out.

Suddenly a blot of blackness appeared before her. “Ah, sister.” Luna said, making Celestia flinch and open her eyes. “I did not expect to find you in the Royal Bathhouse at this hour.” The Sun Princess had to use all her willpower not to scowl at her sister as she walked by, towel and shampoo on her back. She eyed the team working at Celestia’s wings. “I had no idea you had a team to wash you, either.” She nickered, putting a hoof over her mouth. “I’m not sure I would want so many hooves on my body.” She giggled scandalously.

Celestia moaned, then spoke. “Is nothing sacred, sister?” she whispered sorely. She hissed again when one of the mares of the team ran a washcloth over a particularly sensitive bruise.

“I hear the next few nights are sacred to some.” Luna said cryptically. Celestia’s ears lifted. “Perhaps you should rest and relax like a normal pony for once, and soothe thy troubles.” Was she offering her sister a few nights off?! Blessed Faust above, that sounded like the most wonderful--! Wait. No. Almost a month of training with Luna told Celestia her sister was not so kind. This had to be some kind of test.

“There is no rest for the wicked or the weary, Luna.” Celestia said, equally cryptic. Luna smiled wryly, then turned up her nose and wandered to her own bath. The Princess of the sun had seen the split second of rising pride in her sister’s eyes. Was she finally making progress?

End of Part 2

Smoke and Paper

Tough Love
Part 3: Smoke and Paper

The Next Night…

“Sister, what are you doing?!” Celestia gasped when she arrived at the Midnight Circle again. Well, arrived is perhaps the wrong word. Limped to would be closer. She was still stiff from the previous night, and no amount of hot baths had aided her. But, that’s not what she was upset about. Princess Luna was lying on a small litter on the lip of the training grounds overlooking the abyssal canyon. Splayed out on her back and void of any of her royal trappings, she was showing the moon and anypony else that looked all her Faust-given feminine… beauty. “At least cross your legs!” the white alicorn rushed over as fast as her sore body would let her, extending a wing over her sister’s pelvis and undercarriage.

Luna turned her head with a sultry smile. “Who, pray tell, is here to look upon me, save you?” she said with a soft keening sound. Celestia looked around quickly for Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide, Luna’s two attendants. They were nowhere to be seen. “Besides, moonbathing can be good for you. Join me.” She tilted her head all the way back, closing her eyes and smiling in a content way. Her sister stared at her.

“Is this some kind of test?” Celestia asked, peering around. “Your two Lunar Stallions aren’t going to jump on me if I lay down, are they?”

Luna looked over at her with a scowl. “The body can only take so much exercise before it just becomes torture, Celestia. Even I know that. Your body,” she nodded at the barely hidden bruises on her side and flank. “Needs a rest. Tonight we will relax and talk together.” Celestia looked around, still suspicious, and then sat on her haunches next to her sister. She heaved a great sigh, sagging a little to relax. There was still no sign of the two stallions. Finally, she settled onto her belly and relaxed.

“Must you splay yourself out like a spring time mare?” Celestia quipped, looking briefly over at Luna.

The Princess of the Night chuckled, a touch of pink on her cheeks. Turning, she lay on her side instead. “Why, we’re sisters Celestia, does it make you that uncomfortable?” she said a little sulkily. “Ponies haven’t had any concept of nudity since the dark ages and the great wars, millennium ago.”

“Well ponies don’t often lay out on display these days, either.” Celestia said, frowning crankily.

“I said we were alone, did I not? If a stallion tries fancy mathematics in the forest and no mares are around to hear him be wrong, is he still wrong?” Luna snickered. Her sister groaned at the philosophical jargon.

“What is tonight really about?” she asked, folding her wings and keeping her eyes on her sister’s face now. Luna smiled, turning and rooting around in her little litter nest. She produced a wok. That is, a shallow bowl meant for stir frying. Also, a piece of tinder and a little bottle of white powder. Working with magic and laying out on her back again, she set the wok between them, poured the powder in, and set the tinder in the center of the powder pile. With a flick of magic, she ignited the tinder and the whole thing began to smoke. Celestia quickly covered her muzzle, afraid it might be a hallucinogen or something. “You’re not going to make me breathe that, are you? Celestia asked suspiciously. “We both know such things don’t actually send you on spirit journeys or anything of the sort. We discussed this when Zafrica became civilized.”

Luna snickered, shaking her head. “You wound me sister. It’s just scented salts. I think they smell nice.” She thought for a moment and then spoke again. “I think the modern equivalent is candles, is it not?” Celestia relaxed a little. She had plenty of scented candles, sure. She watched Luna lay down again, soaking in the moon rays with a content smile and closed eyes. “We’ve tortured you with exercise for quite a few nights. Tonight we rest and talk.” She reviewed, scooting over to make room for Celestia. The white alicorn checked just one more time to make sure there were no Lunar Stallions around, then laid on her back. Her bannered mane mixed with Luna’s, and her sister smiled at her. “There now, was that so hard?” she said softly.

Celestia said nothing, only tilted her had back to mimick the relaxation pose. The scent of vanilla and oaken wood drifted slowly up from the wok. The line of smoke was like a slow, erotic white snake that drifted back and forth in a little wiggly line. It teased Celestia’s nose and she sank into the blankets with a heavy sigh. They lay there for a long time. “Mhh, this is nice.” The white alicorn admitted, smiling at last. “Your starry nights have always been so beautiful, Luna.” She looked up at the moon with a tired, happy expression. “My stars were nothing compared to yours. I had to hire entire teams to show me where to put the groupings for ages. Even then, they were not as beautiful.”

“The stars are my domain sister, you merely control the most important one.” Luna said dreamily, gesturing. “Why, even moonlight is only reflected sunlight. Did you know that?” Celestia nodded gently, unsure if she’d been insulted or not. Probably so.

“How long do you think I’ll be training like this before I’m back to my old self again, Luna?” the white alicorn had finally worked up the courage to ask.

“That depends on which era of your ‘old self’ you’re talking about sister. The farther back you go, the harder it would become.” Luna said in earnest. Celestia looked at her with questions in her eyes. “Well, remember the dark ages? Before electricity and most modern architecture?” she said with a smirk. “The Celestia back then hosted harvest festivals. She reminded ponies everyday that she was the law. She had unicorns that wanted to be her guards host jousting tournaments. She also had a harem of handsome stallions waiting at her beck and call.”

“I never had a harem! That was your idea, Luna!” Celestia protested.

“And you went right along with it.” Luna quipped, laughing and holding her forehead with a hoof. She put on a vaguely Celestia-like voice. “’Sister, that would be a marvelous plan! T’would keep away thy pesky suitors and further assert our dominance over the masses!’”

“I never said that!”

“You did.” Luna clucked, laughing.

“But… I…!” Celestia was flustered.

“The Celestia back then was large and in charge.” Luna turned on her side. “Perhaps I lied sister. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned tonight while we relax.”

“I am not getting a harem, Luna. I don’t care what your training says about it.” said Celestia with a growl.

Luna threw her head back and laughed wildly, shoving her sister’s shoulder. “No! No!” she shook her head, and it took her some time to come down from her laughter. Celestia lay there and seethed at her, very much annoyed. “Pffft…. Pfft… hehe… sorry, sorry.” She cleared her throat a little, turning on her side to see Celestia more clearly. “I’m saying that back then, you were more… forward, with your powers. You wanted something, you got it. Why? Because you could. Even a handsome stallion to warm your bed, if you wanted.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia frowned.

“Suppose you decided to drop the SUN on Canterlot tomorrow.” Luna said as an example. “You just got fed up with all those beaurocrats, nobles, and so on.” She lifted her hoof to make a sun-smooshes-Canterlot motion. “Do you think anypony could stop you?”

“Luna that’s terrible!” Celestia was horrified.

“Do you?” Luna pressed, scowling at her.

Celestia lay there, calculating carefully for a moment. She bit her lower lip, then whispered, “No.” she looked to one side, as though ashamed of the very thought. “They would not be able to stop me.”

“That’s the power you once possessed.” Luna said, flopping back onto her back. “You had the power, knew you had it, and used it often.”

“Equestria has become much more civilized than it was back then.” Celestia said with a distressed sigh. “My little ponies don’t make me so angry anymore. They don’t need to be constantly shepherded by an overpowering mother figure.”

“Your little ponies have tamed you.” Luna said a little nastily.

“You say that like it’s a terrible thing.” Celestia looked over at her.

“You’re an alicorn, sister. Unto a god in their eyes. You move the sun with your mind, something they can’t even comprehend doing.” She prodded her sister’s chest sharply. “Suppose you suddenly wanted something, anything, is there even one pony out there that would stand up to an alicorn and say no, you can’t have that?” Luna’s words were becoming more and more draconic. Celestia shifted uncomfortably.

“No, I suppose not.”

“That’s power, Celestia. Not just political power.” Luna stared up at the moon.

“Just because I’m an alicorn doesn’t mean I have the right to anything I want.” Celestia said.

“Old Celestia would not have said that.” Luna smiled suddenly, nastily. “She knew what she wanted, and by Faust’s teats, she got it when she wanted it.”

“Don’t swear on our mother’s breasts, Luna!” Celestia moaned, face-hoofing. There was a smile hidden there, but she supressed it after a moment. Luna grinned. “Besides, I don’t want to be a grabby, my-way-or-the-highway ruler. That’s not who I am.”

“I know, sister.” Luna leaned and kissed her cheek. “But as tame as you’ve become, it may not hurt to step up on your aggression now and then.”

“My aggression?”

“They see you as a white, virginal goddess without a qualm or a care in the world.” Luna said softly, looking at her in a meaningful way. Celestia frowned. “When was the last time you really, truly yelled at someone?”

“I haven’t used the Royal Canterlot Voice since before you left.”

“Not even the Royal Canterlot Voice.” Luna shook her head. “Just the chance to show anger, when was the last time you even made an angry face at one of your subjects?”

There was a long silence between the sisters. Celestia thought. Surely she’d made a mean face recently. At somepony. Somewhere…? She couldn’t come up with one, and frowned at her sister. “I’m not going to turn into the medieval version of myself, Luna. The world no longer needs such strong leadership. Every town has a mayor, they can take care of themselves for the most part.”

“I just think you need to be a little more selfish, sister. We’re alicorns after all.” Luna lay on her back.

“That doesn’t make us entitled.”

“Yes, yes it does.” Luna smirked. “We move the heavens above for them. In a way it entitles us to pretty much whatever we want, if you think about it.”

Celestia sat up angrily. “Listen-!” she started.

“There’s the angry face!” Luna grinned at her, sitting up too.

“I came out here for combat training! To learn to be stronger so I don’t get struck down in front of my subjects and humiliated again!” Celestia had actually raised her voice a little, and that only made Luna grin a bit wider. “It’s true I could crush Canterlot under the sun if I wanted to, but I have enough self-restraint to fix problems in a non-draconic way! I’m above using my powers for selfish gain!”

There was an icy silence while the sisters stared at each other. “And you wonder why those beaurocrats walk all over you.” Luna whispered. “Unable to bring down a heavy hoof. Maybe not drop the sun onto a city, but… you’re impotent.” Celestia gasped at her, scowled, and then rose to her hooves. She stalked away, genuinely angry with her sister. “Try it, Celestia! Try it just once!” Luna called at her back. “Put just one of them in his place! You’ll feel better for it! More powerful!” Celestia spread her aching wings and, with a crack of parted air, teleported back to the palace. Luna sighed softly, shaking her head. There was more work to be done off of the battlefield, it seemed.

As though on cue Luna’s two Lunar Stallions melted out of shadow. They bowed deeply and she inclined her head, turning over to lay on her belly. Aegis Shield approached and nuzzled her cheek gently, gurgle-growling. She purred. Such a handsome stallion. “Is there anything we can do, your majesty?” he asked in his deep, bronze bell voice.
“Not right now, Aegis Shield.” Luna shook her head. “The ball is on my sister’s side of the court right now, I have no need except to wait and see what she does next.” She stretched lazily, then turned over and lay on her back again. The moon’s rays felt so good on her bare fur. She kind of liked the two stallions stealthily oogling her, too. It made her feel beautiful, and powerful.

=-=-=-=

The next day, Celestia was sitting in the throne room during the Noonday Court, staring vacantly at an official who was lecturing her about an odd across-the-board tax law. Equestria’s universal rate had always been between 7%-9% of annual income to the palace coffers, with the rich paying proportionately more to compensate. With that roads could be maintained, schools funded, festivals thrown, buildings and communities built, and everything else that the government paid for. While it was precarious and one had to be careful with spending, there had been a constant push from the upper classes lately for slightly lower tax rates for the upper class.

“And since our hooves move the most money around, offering jobs and other such things to various communities, leaving more bits to us would make the most sense.” said the official, showing Celestia a chart with a jagged line going steadily upward. “With a lower tax rate we could offer 13% more jobs to certain regions, slow growth only slightly, and be able t—“

“Be able to hang onto more of your money, thusly stockpiling for your own gain while the lower classes continue to pay the same prices for everything. A monetary choke hold.” Celestia suddenly heard herself interrupt. The official was stunned into silence. “There are no laws that require you to create jobs, and I cannot take your word for it merely spoken that you would do all of these things. And even then if you did it does not mean every wealthy business owner would.” The alicorn lifted her papers of information to her nose. Sure enough, it said nothing about blanketing job creation laws or exactly what would be done if the tax rate of the upper class were lowered by 1.63% like he wanted. “Frankly, I am insulted.” She heard herself say. Was her tone… annoyed? The guards posted around the room snapped out of their mild dozes, and more than a few servants were listening carefully while they worked now.

“B-b-but your majesty!” The official said, flushed at being called out so easily.

“I of all ponies understand the different between the lower middle and upper classes.” Celestia said slowly, hiding behind the bemused smile of the benevolent ruler. “When I was a filly eons ago, I lived in a forest and ate berries for centuries. At the dawn of civilization I lived in a cave like everypony else.” She stood from her throne slowly, regally. “I lived in a house when somepony invented houses, and now of course the palace.” She walked slowly down the stairs of the dais until her very real shadow cast itself over his shocked visage. “I have been on both ends of wealth and power, I assure you.”

“I was only trying to help--”

“The upper class. I understand, my little pony.” The Princess of the sun smiled serenely, her mane flowing with a breeze that wasn’t there. But even through the smile, through the happy eyes and graceful motions, something was radiating from her. Something huge and a bit intimidating. “The upper class likes to keep itself rich and, when it can, drive a greater void between itself and the lower classes.”

“B-but I-!”

Celestia daintily took his charts and stack of papers with him, turning about and walking back up to her throne. She looked them over for a moment, then set them aside. “I must decline your request, sir.” She said pleasantly. “And please, let your circle of friends know that my sister and I will be on the lookout for similar proposals. If one pops up that reminds us of this one, that pony will spend the evening in the Solar Barracks scullery. And since the Solar Guard of the palace alone numbers in the hundreds… well, that would be quite a few pots to scrub.” Celestia’s filly-like chuckle was melodic, and she lifted a hoof to her muzzle. More than a few eyebrows around the throne room went up. Whoa! That was quite possibly the most aggressive thing they’d ever heard their Princess say! Not only had she turned down the proposal, but threatened him!

“Er… I… I…” the official pulled at his collar a little, sweat beading down his face. “Y-yes, your Majesty!” He bowed deeply, flushed and embarrassed. With that, he turned tail and walked shakily from the throne room. Celestia smiled for a brief moment, satisfaction playing across her features. She startled a little, then wiped the expression away to her normal bemused and serene expression. She didn’t know what had come over her! Perhaps she was just cranky from all the training and exercise…

Luna watched from shadow, a rising smile on her face. “What can they do? Not a thing.” She whispered bemusedly. “That’s true power, sister. Good to see you remembering it again.” She melted away into darkness and back to her own chambers. She smiled at herself in her vanity, proud of the progress she was making. “Good to see her put even one imbecile in his place.” Luna giggled, taking off her crown before retiring to bed.

End of Part 3

Mane and Cheesecake

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 4: Mane and Cheesecake

It had been 60 days since the start of Celestia’s special training under her sister. She woke with a dull ache in her bones, just before dawn as he internal clock always bade her to do. Sitting up with a sore groan, she rubbed at her right shoulder and tilted her head until the bones in her neck crackled like popcorn. Wincing at the un-lady-like gesture, she rolled out of bed and went to the balcony. Throwing the doors open, she stepped out and headed towards the edge. Heaving a deep breath, the white alicorn smiled sleepily. Streeeetching a bit and flicking her tail, she opened her wings and launched herself perhaps ten feet into the air. Thrusting her hooves skyward and igniting immortal magicks, she pulled the sun from beyond the horizon just as the moon was slipping out of sight.

She landed with a satisfied clop of all four hooves touching the floor at once. Smiling and feeling the sun’s warm rays on her face, Celestia folded her wings and turned to go back into her room. With her god-like duties seen to, she could see to herself before she stepped out to start the day. “Lah-lah-luh-lah-lahhhh… lah-lah-luh-lah-lahhh…” she bent to get her golden regalias from their velvet pillows, then went to the vanity to brush her m—“AAAHHH!” she reeled backward in shock, her royal trappings going every which way.

Hearing the screech and the clatter of metal, the guards posted outside her Majesty’s room jolted into action. One of them bucked the door open and the other rushed inside, followed by his comrade. “Princess! We heard scr—whoa.” Both gold-armored stallions stopped to stare at their Princess. She was splayed out on her belly, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

“My mane!” Celestia stood up, scrubbing her hoof through her beautiful locks. The Princess of the Sun’s mane was… pink. No longer the four vibrant colors it always was, but a pure and whole color of pink and nothing else. “My mane!” she said again.

“Pink.” said one of the two stallions, pointing rather stupidly with a hoof. Both of the guards stared, slack-jawed.

“I-I’m not dressed.” She told them, quickly standing and shooing them out. The stallions quickly retreated to their posts, closing the door. Celestia rushed to the mirror, pulling at her ethereal mane on a magical level. It wasn’t colored, there were no chemicals in it that shouldn’t be there. It didn’t feel stiff or wrong in anyway, it had simply… changed color. Why? Had Luna snuck into her room in the middle of the night and pranked her with an enchantment? No… she couldn’t feel any Lunar magic stuck to her scalp. The Princess puzzled over herself for a long time until a maid poked her head in suddenly.

“Your Majes---pink!” she squeaked, eyes wide.

“Yes, Mint Leaf?” Celestia said, jolting out of her staring at her own reflection.

“Er, breakfast is served at your leisure in the white room. Princess Luna is already there.” She bowed low, but when she righted herself her eyes went right back to the bubble-gum pink of Celestia’s ever-blowing mane. The Princess turned, quickly lifting her horse-shoes, crown and chest regalia to herself. Struggling into them and tapping all four of her horseshoes on the floor quickly, she nodded after running a brush through her bizarre mane a few times. “This way, your highness.” Mint Leaf bowed and began to lead the way. The solar guards followed the Princess and the maid down the hallways. There was dead silence wherever the Princess went, and little shrieks of ‘pink!’ as she passed by. Celestia felt herself blushing, but there was nothing she could do about it. It wasn’t as though she could hide in her room and NOT be the ruler of a nation for the day because of her hair. Sighing and straightening up, she inflated her chest and walked regally. “Princess, you seem different lately.” Mint Leaf said gently as they turned a corner.

“I’m well aware my mane is pink, Mint Leaf.” Celestia smiled gently.

“No no!” The mare blushed a little, looking at the floor for a few moments in a searching way. Then, she finally looked back up at her ruler. “I mean you seem… taller, lately.” She cursed herself with a wince. “Er-well, not taller, but… but… better, than usual. It’s hard to describe.” She fretted a little bit, pushing her mane out of her eyes.

“Her Majesty’s obviously been working on her posture or something.” commented one of the two solar stallions that followed them. “Why else would she look more radiant the normal, lately?”

“Captain Grey!” Celestia chirped, a heat going across her face. The stallion shrugged, smiling good naturedly.

“Has something besides your mane changed lately, your highness?” asked Mint Leaf with innocent curiosity. Celestia smiled in a mysterious way, and the little mare knew she would get no answer for it. “Well, either way, I was just wondering.” She said, bowing and pushing a grand door open for her.

Beyond was the White Room, or more often than not the Royal breakfast room. Luna sat at one end of the table as always, and she stood when Celestia entered. “PINK!” she squawked without thinking. Celestia gave her a look. “Er, I mean--” Luna quickly contained herself, folding her wings down and looking more regal. “Good morning, sister!” she greeted more properly.

“mumble-mumble-pink-mumble.” Aegis Shield whispered to Stalwart Hide from the shadows where they watched over Princess Luna. Celestia gave them an honest scowl and they quickly silenced themselves.

“I woke up and my mane was like this.” Celestia said, taking her place at the table. The usual hay bacon stripes, juices, cereals, and other things were waiting. Luna, as usual, had not touched a thing until her sister arrived—but was now buttering toast.

“It looks good on you, much like the rest.” Luna smirked a little, gesturing with her spoon as she helped herself to some sugared hay rice cereal. Scooping up some into her mouth, she watched Celestia look herself over again.

“My maid and guards said the same thing this morning…” the Sun Princess mumbled in a troubled way. “Do I look that different, suddenly? Other than my mane, I mean?”

“If you’ll forgive the term, you have been looking a bit more radiant lately. Healthier, if you will.” Luna winked mysteriously, gesturing at her chest and fur with her spoon. “One might think you were having a second youth, with your complexion suddenly turning that color.”

“My complexion?” Celestia looked down at her white fur.

“Look closer, sister.” Luna said bemusedly. “Normally you’re a milky white, yes, but look even closer.” She watched her sister screw up her eyes and lift one of her legs, looking a bit closer. She gave a slight start when she saw it. There was a certain… sheen, to her now. Not that she hadn’t been clean, white and virginal-looking before. Now, there was a certain otherworldly shine, just on the bare edges of perception for even her, to her fur. “See it?” Luna asked. Celestia nodded slowly, mouth a little agape.

“Oh my.” Was all Celestia could think to say. She didn’t look around the room, but she could feel the eyes of every pony else boring into her, trying to see what Luna had seen. She still looked white to them, what was different…? Cocking her head and lighting her horn, the sun Princess fixed a plate of mounded food and began to eat.

“You have been eating quite a bit more lately, Tia.” Luna chirped, finishing her bowl and reaching for a potato hashbrown. Celestia looked up with her mouth full, mildly offended. “Oh no no, nothing wrong with that.” The dark alicorn said with a smile. “I just mean, you’re getting stronger and…” she paused to word it carefully. “You need more fuel. It’s a healthy sign!” she said with a grand smile.

Celestia swallowed and wiped her mouth daintily, “Oh.” She said softly, not sure what to make of Luna’s words. Sure, she’d been training for two months, but now her body seemed to be… what, awakening? She didn’t wake up feeling dead like she had the first few mornings. She was eating more, now her fur and mane were looking like she was centuries younger… was she finally getting back into shape? “Well, I do feel a little more energetic lately.” Celestia admitted.

Luna smirked with approval. “I’m glad.” She tilted her bowl to drink her sugary milk, then came up puffing. Very un-princess-like, but both Lunar Stallions chuckled at the cuteness. “You know, sister, I can sit on the throne for a few minutes more if you’d like to fetch a bath and tame your new mane.” The Princess of the Night offered.

Celestia considered, then smiled and nodded. “Alright.” She said, rising when her third plate of food was half empty and she was full. “I think I will. Mint Leaf?” she called to the maid, who appeared at her side with a little squeak of attention. “Call for Bubble Bath and his team. I want a morning bath.” She said, standing regally and tilting her head up a little bit like royalty.

“Yes your highness!” Mint Leaf galloped away to make it so.

Luna’s eyes narrowed in bemusement, watching her sister stride confidently to the end of the table—pause—consider—then grab a banana from the fruit bowl and continue out. The yellow fruit followed her, levitating along by magic. The Princess of the Night shook her head proudly. Now her sister was acting more and more like a healthy Princess. The pink mane was unexpected, but still. Celestia of centuries past had had a pink mane, so maybe that was a sign of healthiness to her body? She didn’t know. But hey, if a pink mane was what it took to show she was getting healthier and stronger, then so be it. “Pink.” She mumbled, shaking her head. Stalwart Hide giggle-snorted, rushing a hoof over his mouth to shut himself up.

=-----=-----=-----=

Celestia was stewing in the hot bath while Bubble Bath fussed over her mane. He cocked his eyebrow at her silently, then pawed at it some more. A team of four mares, two on each wing, were using the usual special oils and preening her wings. But, none of them could take their eyes off of Celestia’s newly pink mane. Shrugging a little, Bubble Bath lathered a brush and began to work at it with his usual strength. “My tail too, Bubble Bath.” The white alicorn folded her arms over the lip of the bath and rested her head on it blissfully. “Don’t forget my tail.”

The stallion nodded, working at her bannering mane for a long time before moving around to the rear. Bubble Bath was very professional when it came to his job, so it was not a sexual thing for him to literally grab the royal tail and lift it up into his hooves. It was his job, after all. Celestia startled a little, not used to the motion, but stayed relaxed. Dipping the brush into the water, he lathered it down and began to smooth and straighten it with the cleaner. The alicorn purred while he worked. The pairs of mares were impressed while they worked at Celestia’s great wings. Usually they found at least a couple of broken or misaligned feathers. This morning, however, there was almost nothing for them to do. Yes, they oiled and lightly brushed the beautiful flying span, but the individual feathers looked… great. Their stalks were strong, and their color vibrant. Perfect.

Bubble Bath worked Celestia’s tail a bit more, moving to the over and under of the dock, or base, of it. Though it flowed as though caught in an eternal breeze, he could still hold the thing in his hoof while he worked. But, the moment the brush stroked the underside of the base of the royal tail, Celestia jittered and giggled aloud. Her wings RUSHED upward, bodily tossing all four of the mares working on them. She turned about ticklishly. “Bubble Bath! At least give me wine and dinner first!” Celestia laughed. The team of five ponies felt their jaws drop in sudden dead silence. The Princess’ hoof jumped to her mouth in horror. Had she just SAID that?! “F-forgive me!” she quickly rose from the bath with a splash. “That was inappropriate! I’m sorry, my little pony! I-I’ll do my tail from now on, I should not have asked--!” she begged her servant, her face a lovely shade of crimson. Bubble Bath nodded slowly, his face still one of open shock. The bath team watched the white alicorn struggle up and out of the tub, shake herself like a dog, then use magic to super-heat her body to dampness. “I-I must away! Noonday Court will start soon!” Celestia rushed away, astounded at herself.

"Bubble Bath? Did you just goose the Princess, working on her tail back there?” one of the mares asked with a cocked eyebrow. Bubble Bath scowled and pelted her with the soapy brush. The blush on his face didn’t help.

=-----=-----=-----=

Princess Celestia was more than a little distracted at the Noonday Court that day, her cheeks a rosy sort of pink that matched her mane so well nopony mentioned it. Everypony seemed to think the Princess was either making a fashion statement, or had simply reinvented her image into something more pure and radiant. After all, she did look so much better with a single-color mane, right? Right? Of course she did!

Celestia was troubled at her comments at Bubble Bath. She would need to stay out of the Royal Bath House for awhile, that was going way over the line and she’d not been so embarrassed in ages. She couldn’t say such things to her subjects! They were all safe and equal in her eyes, and she was supposed to be--

They see you as a white, virginal goddess.

Luna’s words suddenly rang true in her head. Celestia frowned at nothing, cocking her head. When had been the last time she’d had a stallion to warm her bed, even for a night? She thought for a bit. It was before Luna’s banishment, she winced. That was a long time to have no masculine company at all. Sure, a raunchy romance novel and thick enough curtains could make for a pleasant evening of stress-relief. But, one’s own hoof did not kiss your cutie mark and purr your name when it was over.

Captain Grey looked up at Princess Celestia on a whim, and cocked his eyebrow. She was grinning a very bizarre grin, and her cheeks were a little rosier than before. “Er, Princess?” he called up to her. “Are you alright?”

Celestia flinched a little, then looked down the dais stairs at him. “Of course! Send in the next pony, please.” She gestured, straightening herself and pushing her mane out of her eyes. Calmly as she could, she served the rest of the Noonday Court until it was time to stop for a break. It was, for lack of a better term, snack time. Celestia had always insisted to give her attendants snacks or little sweets to reinvigorate them in the late afternoon. The work day was literally as long as the sun was in the sky, after all, they deserved treats! Most of them chose things like fruit smoothies, chilled raw vegetables, or small cakes. The Sun Princess, however, had had a particular craving lately and had voiced it to the kitchen staff. Cheesecake. Cold, chilled cheesecake with a drizzle of strawberry sauce.

“Your majesty?” A stallion chef with a white hat on approached with a covered silver platter.

“Ah, Chef Cherry Ontop!” Celestia was delighted to see him, very much looking forward to her afternoon snack. “I’ve been waiting all day, do you have my cheesecake like I asked?” she said with a wide, wide smile.

“Er.” The stallion wilted a little, looking to one side. “I… no, no I don’t.” he lifted the lid to reveal a chilled slice of carrot cake. Celestia cocked her head, her smile falling. “I could find no proper ingredients, and the resupply carts do not come until tomorrow.” The chef said a little shamefully. “But, I did remember your highness has a like for carrot cake as well. I had enough materials for that!” He perked up, holding up the perfection that was the slice he held.

You wanted something, you got it. Why? Because you could.

Luna spoke in her head again. “Hrm.” said Celestia with just a tiny twinge of disapproval on her face. The stallion looked at his Princess a little nervously. “The supply carts that stock the palace pantries come tomorrow, you say?”

“Yes, your Majesty.” Cherry Ontop said, looking side-to-side and sweating a little.

“And I had asked for a cheesecake yesterday evening, to be served today, yes?” Celestia asked. The stallion nodded again and the white alicorn heaved a patient sigh, like a mother reasoning with her foal. “In the half day or so since-- what kept you from visiting the market-- or a bakery, my little pony?” she asked serenely.

Cherry Ontop’s ears wilted down, his eyes went soft and he looked at the carpet he stood on with utter shame. “W-well I… I…” he didn’t have a single reason and wilted down even further, red in the face. His chef’s hat deflated into a pile atop his head.

“You are a royal dessert chef. You must be adaptive when the situation calls for your special talent.” Celestia said, smiling on only one side of her mouth. The stallion gulped, not daring to look up at her. “Please serve that carrot cake to one of the palace staff. I shall go without today.” The white alicorn said with a sense of finality, no longer looking at him. He was dismissed.

Every guard in the room could pinpoint the exact moment when Cherry Ontop’s pride got punched in the eye and his heart snapped in half like a Twix bar. He looked positively destroyed. Ears wilted, trying not to cry, the poor stallion turned away, “Y-yes, your Majesty!” He choked out. He covered the carrot cake slice with the silvery lid and bore it out. He was trying very hard not to break down and flee, some of the throne room officials could see.

Captain Grey eyed his Princess out of the corner of his vision. That had been just a little bit… cruel? No. Surely not. That was not the Celestia they all knew and loved. The kitchen had just gotten lazy when the Princess had asked for something specific (for once), of course she was going to scold them. If he, a mighty solar stallion, showed up for work with shoddy armor, unshorn fetlocks, and no snap in his step—he’d be laughed out of the palace! Working for the royal family demanded only the very best from ponies who were good at their jobs. Yes, “snack time” wasn’t super-important, but if you had only one thing to do for her Majesty you’d better Faust-damned get it right! Captain Grey withdrew his sympathy from the bumbling dessert chef, no longer worried about Princess Celestia’s behavior.

“Captain Grey!” Celestia called down the dais after everypony had had their fifteen minute break and tasty afternoon snack. The solar stallion snapped his head around to her. “Send in the next pony, please.” The white alicorn was smiling, clearly in a very good mood. The solar stallion sighed with relief as he went to the great double doors to summon the next appointment of the day. Of course her majesty wouldn’t dwell on something like cake. There were more important things to worry about, and her subjects didn’t need to see her scowling over something so trivial. He found his respect for his Princess renewed.

End of Part 4

Horn and Scroll

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 5: Horn and Scroll

CRACK went a bolt of magic near Celestia’s head. “Six-four-two!” Barked Luna, standing to one side. Celestia tossed her head, slashed, and then parried an invisible attacker. CRACK went another spark of magic sent to her by Princess Luna. “Seven-two-five!” The white alicorn whinnied, parried again, then flailed her front hooves like a warhorse. “And lunge!” Celestia turned, flailed her wings, and split a boulder in twine with the sheer force of her pressing horn! It crumbled into pieces. The sun Princess stood there, a wry smile rising on her face. CRACK, a spark of magic pressed into her side and she yelped. Celestia suddenly turned and made an angry leap at Luna! The Princess’ tangled briefly, horns alight until Luna overpowered her. Sticking her head rudely under her sister’s undercarriage she flipped her over onto her back. Celestia landed painfully and lay there, panting. Luna’s horn poked her sibling’s soft underbelly a few times. “Fight with your head, sister, not your heart.” She offered her hoof and pulled her upright. Cracking her neck one way, then the other, Luna strode a short distance from her sunny partner. “Let’s go again.” She turned about, her horn lighting with black magicks. She was smiling.

Celestia rose, lighting her horn with fresh and powerful magic. Suddenly it was like a bizarre lightsaber duel, their horns being the only thing lighting the training grounds they stood upon. Luna’s guards looked on in awe while the alicorns danced back and forth, their horns crashing into each other like swords. Their strikes at each other sent bolts of stray magic crackling back and forth through the air, sending pain through the recipients until they were both sweaty and panting. Celestia saw she couldn’t just keep aiming at her sister’s horn, or she would never do any damage at all. In a sudden burst of speed she struck her sister in the chest with her front hooves, overpowered her with momentum and jabbed her shoulder with her glowing horn. Luna cried out and tumbled to the ground, smoking where she’d been struck. “I did it…” Celestia said, shocked at herself as her sister slowly righted herself and rubbed the sore shoulder. “I managed to hit you!”

“Yes, very good.” Luna chuckled, wiping her muzzle where dirt had gotten on her. “BUT DON’T STOP!” the night air was concussed with her Royal Canterlot Voice and Celestia dug her hooves in. The dark alicorn charged at her, and the duel continued all the more fiercely.

In the background the two Lunar Stallions, Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide, were passing popcorn back and forth to each other from a bowl. They’d been told to relax for the evening and watch, but this was better than any coliseum or action movie they’d ever seen. This was a pair of fighting goddesses! They couldn’t keep their eyes off of them. Back and forth the alicorns danced, their horns crashing wildly against each other. They backed up, lowered their horns and made to charge—!

Pop!

A scroll appeared in front of Celestia with a flash of dragon’s flame. “Uh?” she paused. Luna blink-blinked, stopping as well. “It’s the middle of the night, why would Twilight Sparkle be writing to me now?” she mumbled. Their duel paused for a moment as the white alicorn flipped the scroll open and began to read. Luna came, wanting to see too. “Dear Princess Celestia,” though she spoke the words aloud, she could hear her faithful student’s voice. “Today I learned that its never a good idea to run away from your problems. You have to face them head on, even if it means standing up to your friends--” she read on, learning that Twilight Sparkle had gotten into an argument with one of her friends and run away crying into the EverFree Forest. There she’d gotten lost and tired and hungry, suffering until she’d been discovered and nursed back to health by a zebra named Zecora. Twilight had been councilled by the voodoo shaman, and eventually went back to Ponyville where both sides apologized. “Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia wiped the sweat from her brow that had been building up from the exercise and dueling, smiling and rolling up the scroll.

“It seems both of you are getting just a little bit stronger.” Luna smiled at her sister, wiping her brow as well. “When was the last time you saw Twilight Sparkle?” she asked suddenly, cocking her head.

Celestia thought for a moment. “Oh, goodness, I’m not sure. Not since the Royal Wedding!” she said, a little sad at the very thought. She’d been so busy training and getting back into shape, she’d not made time to visit her most precious subject. “That won’t do.” She mumbled, cocking her head.

“I agree, sister.” Luna nodded affectionately, smiling. “You should go and visit her, or have her come visit you at the palace.”

“We could have tea in the Royal Gardens.” Celestia said. “We did that often when she was just a filly.” Her eyes already saw the past and she began to start away to make arrangements, but stopped short and looked at her sister for permission. “Are we finished for the night, Luna? We did get interrupted.”

“Ah, yes, let us be done for now.” Luna smiled. “I can see you already have your heart set on this. I shan’t train you when you’re distracted.” The darker alicorn nodded her approval and Celestia was away with a crack of parted air, teleporting back to the palace. As soon as she was gone, Luna let out a shudder, coming to all four of her knees and holding her shoulder. Hissing just a little, she parted her fur while both Lunar Stallions rushed to her aid. While they nosed her and nickered with worry, she showed them the bruising under her dark fur. “Go to the training ground medical hut, Aegis Shield.” She said with a huff. “Fetch me a soothing balm.” The stallion nodded and galloped away. “Stalwart Hide.” She bade the other stallion. “See if I have anything else I’m not feeling yet.” Stalwart Hide inspected his Princess with a critical eye, pausing occasionally to brush at her fur. He found a couple of nicks, but little else to be spoken about. When he shook his head, she sighed in relief. “My sister is getting stronger. Much stronger.” She smiled a little devilishly, but looked up when Aegis Shield returned with the balm she’d asked for. Unscrewing the top with his mouth, he got a small blob and rubbed it generously into her bruised shoulder. “Hynn…” she purred softly.

“Do you think she will surpass you, your majesty?” asked Aegis Shield.

“HAH!” Luna burst into cruel laughter, shaking her head. “No no, I think not!” The stallion blushed at her, suddenly embarrassed. “I trained alone, to the point of madness, on the moon for a thousand years, my stallion. A couple of months of exercising is nothing compared to that. My sister will never be as strong as I.”

“Did you let her hit you?” Stalwart Hide wanted to know, still pawing through her fur to check for any other injuries. Luna glanced at him with a frown, her eyes cool and calculating for a long time. “Forgive me, your Majesty.” He said quickly, averting his eyes from hers.

“I shall forgive you, Stalwart Hide, if you will kiss it and make it better.” Luna said playfully to lift his spirits. The stallion chuckled affectionately, leaning around Aegis Shield and pecking her Majesty’s shoulder. Luna giggled delightedly, heaving a grunt of effort and coming back to her hooves. “Come, we still have a few hours to enjoy the night before the dawn comes.” The dark alicorn smiled at her two guards. “Fetch my chariot, we shall ride among the stars for a bit and enjoy this starry night.” With a flick of magic she summoned her travelling cloak. “My sister shall enjoy herself for tonight—and train all the harder later.” She snickered. Both stallions nodded, galloping to go and fetch her vehicle from its resting place. “She deserves the company of friends.”

=-----=-----=-----=

The next morning tea time with Twilight Sparkle was going very, very well. After the initial shock of the Princess’ pink mane, Twilight had lavished her beloved ruler with compliments about her sleek physique and rather youthful new look. This, of course, made Celestia feel even better. The training was paying off, and even her most faithful student was taking notice. Smiling more broadly than her usual bemused and neutral smile, she lifted her teacup to her lips and sipped while the conversation veered this way and that. Of course she didn’t tell Twilight Sparkle that she was participating in combat training, merely that she’d been taking better care of herself lately.

“You seem to be developing into quite the lovely mare as well, my faithful student.” Celestia complimented with a tinkling chuckle. “The stallions of Ponyville must have their work cut out for them.”

“Oh-h, w-well…” Twilight flushed red in her cheeks, looking to one side. Celestia knew that Twilight’s bookish ways usually kept her from looking at stallions at all, but it didn’t hurt to give her a little prod now and then. Maybe she would be lucky one day. “Th-there is this one stallion…” she murmured into her tea.

“Oh?” Celestia said with interest. She made a show of checking around to make sure nopony was listening. There were no guards within forty feet of them, so the white alicorn lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Do tell, Twilight.” She smiled. The purple unicorn’s ears turned back and she wilted with embarrassment, mumbling a little. Celestia cocked her ears to listen, but could barely hear her. “He’s handsome, yes?” she offered a bread crumb to get the ball rolling.

“O-oh yes.” Twilight said with a goofy smile as she saw the stallion in her mind’s eye. “And big. Very big.” She turned a bit redder, her face matching the color of the stallion in question that she was crushing on.

Reaching to salvage the conversation while her student squirmed, Celestia offered up her own thoughts. “I’ve had a coltfriend or two, through the ages, myself.” She smiled at Twilight’s shocked look. “Haha, what?” she sipped her tea. “I’m centuries old, Twilight, but I’m still a mare. It’s nice to be fussed over when I’m not on a throne.” The purple unicorn giggled a little, despite herself. “Just be sure to tell me in your reports if you do end up pairing up with anypony.” Celestia said teasingly.

“I will.” Twilight promised shyly, smiling.

Celestia’s ears turned when she heard a shrill-tuned whistling. Cocking her head, she peeked over the hedge that surrounded the picnic table where she visited with her student. Her eldest gardener, the scruffy stallion called Green Thumb, was watering a flowerbed and singing with the birds. Or rather, drowning a flower bed. He seemed to be too busy admiring his feathered friends to notice he was drowning a grouping of mums on a patch of raised earth. Those plants had been put there by the late Flower Power, a mare that had died of old age a few decades ago (and Celestia’s finest gardener to date). Unbeknownst to anypony Flower Power herself was buried a few feet under that particular patch, resting peacefully in her own garden. Celestia often mused that she still helped the flowers grow, such a beautiful mare… At the rate he was going, Green Thumb might wash the earth away and reveal the poor thing’s remains, though! The white alicorn winced a little, but wiped the expression when she turned around. “Excuse me just a moment, Twilight. I’ll be right back.” She rose from the stone picnic table, and bade her guards to stay put to watch over her student.

Working her way through the hedges, the Princess poked her head out of the picnic area and into the park-like portion of the gardens. The squirrels and other little animals gathered on branches, and she smiled to them as she always did. She did love the little woodland creatures. Green Thumb saw her coming and quickly pulled the sprig of hay from his teeth. “Why, Princess! Good mah’rnin’.” He said, chuckling at nothing at all while the hose continued to run on the poor mums.

“Hello, Green Thumb.” Celestia smiled gently. “I was having tea nearby, and noticed that you seem to be drowning Flower Power’s memorial mums just a bit.” She said in a non-scolding sort of way. “Would you mind moving on, just bit? They’re small and rather unsturdy plants in that raised patch.”

Twilight Sparkle peeked up over the hedges. She wasn’t close enough to hear the conversation, but a giant white alicorn was hard to miss so she zeroed in on the Princess with ease.

“Don’choo wuh’reh about a thing, Princess! Let the expert handle it!” Green Thumb said, returning the sprig of hay to his teeth and not moving from where he stood. A bird landed atop his patch-covered hat and he chuckled, batting it away playfully.

Celestia frowned, her brow arching just a little. “That particular patch is rather precious to me, my little pony.” She said a little less gently. “I’m sure there are other parts of the garden that need your skilled attentions.” She offered with a sweeping hoof. She watched the mud flow this way and that. Though Flower Power herself was six feet under, Celestia did NOT like the idea that her resting place was being disturbed by the daft gardener.

“Gardening is my special talent, dun’cha worry!” The rather thick Green Thumb brushed her off with a smarmy smile, whistling to the nearest birds. “This place don’t look this amazing ‘cuz you’ve got an amateur here! Heh-eh-eh!”

Was he actually defying her? “I must--” Celestia paused, scowling rather openly as magic gathered into her horn. A small crackle of magic cut the hose, way back at its source at the spicket. “Insist!” She said with a bit more force. The stallion looked up at her, then to his severed hose. He felt the limpness on the other end. Twilight Sparkle cocked her head, frowning a little. “Move to a different portion of the royal gardens, Green Thumb.” She leaned forward just a little bit aggressively. Slowly, her wings opened and a very black shadow cast itself upon the stallion. The sun behind her, it turned her into a massive black shape from his perspective. Celestia leaned, neigh, loomed over him for a few horrifying seconds. Her normally pleasant eyes flickered gold. If he’d been a lesser pony, he would’ve wet himself. It is hard to describe, dear reader, how terrifying it can be to look into the angry eyes of a GOD. Merely try to imagine it.

Green Thumb leaned back, his brow rising and sweat going down the side of his face. “Eh-h-hr… sure thing, Princess!” he coiled up his hose and quickly retreated, eager to be out of her sight. Celestia relaxed, smiling pleasantly and folding her wings. When he found the other end, he saw that it was frayed like fabric, now quite useless to ever be used as anything but makeshift rope. “Aww, dangit…” he mumbled, looking over his shoulder at Celestia. The Princess was still looking at him, the same lazy smile on her face. “Eep!” he scrambled away and out of sight.

“I’m so sorry.” Celestia whispered to the mound of earth under which Flower Power lay. Reaching with a touch of solar magic, she helped the water evaporate and flow away. The earth molded, shaped, and bent to her will until the mound of mums became perfect again. “There we are. That’s much better, don’t you think?” she smiled as though at the deceased mare herself, then quickly turned to rejoin her student.

Twilight, who’d watched the whole scene from her perch, quickly raced down and back to the picnic table. She stumbled over her own hooves, pin-wheeled a little, and crashed into it rather painfully. Rubbing her head, she’d just managed to get back up on the stone bench and lift her teacup when Celestia swept back onto the scene. “Princess!” she smiled nervously.

“Sorry about that, Twilight Sparkle. Something needed my attention.” Celestia apologized, lifting herself up onto her seat again. She reached with magic for her teacup, sipping daintily.

“N-no problem!” the purple unicorn smiled. Celestia considered her for a moment. The sudden shift in body language and tone said she’d been watching, despite her telling her to remain there at the table. Ah well. She wouldn’t worry about it for long. Interestingly enough, though, none of the ponies present had sensed the Lunar Stallion watching Celestia from shadow.

=-----=-----=-----=

After having seen Twilight to the Canterlot train station, Celestia walked briskly through the streets of her capital city. Things were going so well lately! She felt good, she looked good, her little ponies looked especially good today too. She paused when she saw a little earth pony filly trying to get her ball out of a tree. Smiling, the Princess paused and got it down for her. “Princess! Thank you!” said the little filly.

“No problem, little one.” She leaned and kissed the top of her head affectionately. Solar magic blessed the child. Good luck would follow her around for a few days, thanks to the potent alicorn magic. The filly scampered off to join her friends who were waiting for her to return with their toy. The Princess smiled to Captain Grey and her other guard, Striking Spear. They beamed at her. They did love it when their Princess was happy, and she seemed much happier lately.

Now, Princess Celestia could do something she loved doing. Even before she started training. She called it shop-lifting. Not stealing, no no. Lifting up a shop with her presence. You see, when a Princess gave her patronage to a particular business, that business’ customer numbers would shoot through the roof for months on end. After all, if you heard that a bookstore was good enough for a Princess, wouldn’t you want to go buy books there? That was how it worked. Celestia loved the concept, even though it was a little vein. After all, if it helped, what was the harm? The white alicorn strode along, smiling to her subjects as she passed shop after store after stand. “Hmm?” Captain Grey gestured, making Celestia turn her head. There on the corner was a sweet shop, and in the window on a display box was a cheesecake! The white alicorn’s face lit up, and she increased her canter to stop in front of the window.

The shop looked just a little bit run down, but there was cheesecake in the window so it could not have been that bad. Smiling grandly at her two guards, Celestia cleared her throat and arranged herself into regal posture. More than a few ponies watched her majesty step into the tiny little shop. “One chilled cheesecake, please. With lots of strawberry sauce drizzled on top.” She bade the shopkeeper, who was half-asleep in a romance novel from lack of customers.

“A whole cheesecake, just for you?” the mare said a little rudely, not looking up from her book.

Celestia frowned and shushed Captain Grey before he barked something obscene at the store owner. Reaching up with a golden horse-shoe’d hoof, she pushed the romance novel down rather firmly so the pony would look at her. “For me, and my two guards.” She smiled from under her bangs, watching the mare go as pale as a sheet.

“Y-y-your Majesty! O-of course! Right away!” she fell all over herself, staggering into the back to go into the cooler for the order. Princess Celestia smiled when she was given her desired treat, paying for it from a small golden purse hidden under her wing.

“You might try to work on your manners a little, perhaps that’s why you’ve not had too many customers lately.” Celestia smiled gently. “May we use one of your tables?” the alicorn took the box with her magic, gesturing.

“S-sure thing!” The mare darted out from behind the counter, rushing to wipe a table down and put a tiny little vase of flowers on it. Right by the window, in the sunshine. Celestia smiled her approval, seating herself and gesturing for her two guards to do the same. The armored stallions sat, peering around a little. They never got to eat with the Princess, this was new. They could see more than a few ponies peering at them curiously from the sidewalk outside, but Celestia ignored them. Forks and little plates appeared on their table while the shopkeeper laid down napkins and such.

Princess Celestia took the cheesecake out of the box and set it in the middle of the table. “This looks divine.” She smiled, eyeing the luscious strawberry drizzle, the chunks of fruit ontop, and the the shine of the flecks of ice on the side of the whole thing. “Beautiful.” She mumbled. Looking up at her two guards suddenly, she chuckled. “Oh, where are my manners?” She lifted a knife by magic and sliced the cheesecake into nine thin slices. Levitating one to each of their plates, she bade them to dig in.

Captain Grey smiled inwardly. Being the Princess’ private guard seemed to have its benefits now and then. How often did you get such a treat, and eat it with royalty? Striking Spear at a little less, not particularly fond of sweet things, but it was only polite. If the Princess was treating them, who was he to turn down such kindness? Princess Celestia opened her mouth, leaning over her cake happily, when CRASH!

Something shattered their window, smooshed her cake and bounced across the room. Captain Grey flipped the table with a roar, turning it into a shield and tackling her Majesty to the ground to cover her with his body. Striking Spear puffed his chest out and, with a cry of battle, pulled a spear from Faust-knew-where to challenge the assassin outside. Leaping forward he smashed through the remainder of the store window in a spectacular explosion of glass. He landed hard and whinnied, rearing up with his spear arm cocked!

A group of five of six foals cowered before him, and one of them was wetting himself. They whimpered and shook like leaves before the armored pony. Striking Spear looked around, then slowly lowered himself, blinking a little. “W-w-we’re sorry, mister solar stallion guard s-sir!” the bravest of the little group said. “W-we didn’t mean t-t-to lose our ball in that window! Please don’t hurt us or throw us in a dungeon!” the group of children quite literally threw themselves upon his mercy and he stood there, looking more than a little annoyed. Peering over his shoulder, he saw the hoofball still rolling across the shop floor. It didn’t take long for the shopkeeper to come boiling out of her door to yell at the foals explosively. “It was just some foals and their hoofball!” he called inside to the Princess and Captain Grey.

Back in the shop, Celestia was on her back with Captain Grey atop her. Both were breathing hard, the stallion crouched over her. Slowly, the Princess turned her head and sighed. Her precious cheesecake was all over the floor, and exactly none of it had gotten into her mouth. Turning to look up at her loyal guard when the danger was seemingly over, her eyes suddenly zeroed in on his nose. There was a fleck of cheesecake on his nose. Leaning up, she licked it right off of him. The brief and glorious flavor of cheesecake washed over her tongue and she moaned a little, happily working her mouth.
Captain Grey launched himself off of the Princess like he’d been struck by lightning, rubbing his nose furiously. “Ahem. The danger is over, your Majesty.” He said, cocking his head in an official way. “I suggest we return to the palace before the media gets ‘hold of this or something.” She could see his wings trembling.

“Very well.” The white alicorn slowly righted herself. She considered asking for another cake, but no, the mood was ruined and the shop would be full of cleaning and repair ponies soon. So much for her shop-lifting and cheesecake. Back on her hooves, she heaved a great breath and sighed. “Back we go, then.” They stopped briefly to collect Striking Spear from the gaggle of foals and the shouting shopkeeper, then headed for home.

End of Part 5

Stallion and Blood

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 6: Stallion and Blood

“Your Majesty, my report, as you requested.” Stalwart Hide came before the obsidian throne, bowing and laying his wings out upon the floor. It was an ancient gesture, passed down through the generations, to invite Luna to stomp on his wings if he displeased her. Luna stood slowly, regally stepping down the dais and taking the scroll from him by mouth. Gracefully, she tossed it into the air and seized it by magic, unfurling it. She scanned the words, leaving her massive hoof on the crown of Stalwart Hide’s head. He shuddered just a little. “Cherry Ontop… Green Thumb… Cheesecake? Really?” she murmured the names with a slight frown. “Such odd names some ponies have in this era.” She chuckled, patting Stalwart Hide’s head and letting him rise as she turned to go back to her throne.

“Princess Celestia seems… agitated more easily, lately.” Stalwart Hide offered his opinion to her Majesty of the night. Luna seated herself slowly, tossing her mane back out of her eyes. She read the scroll over again, carefully considering how the game was playing out right now. She frowned, deep in thought, so the stallion went on. “She’s growing stronger every day, Princess Luna, but with all the adrenaline and such coursing through her new muscles, she doesn’t have anything to release her new strength on. There is no changling invasion or dragons roaming the skies over Equestria.”

“I agree.” Aegis Shield said from where he stood guard. Luna, again, nodded thoughtfully. “If Princess Celestia has become that much stronger she may be… pent up.” He said after a pause for the right word. “With nothing to challenge her, she may be a little frustrated to try out her newfound strength on some enemy she does not have.”

“She has nothing to raise her hoof against.” Luna agreed carefully, nodding and rolling up the scroll with some concern. “It seems I’ve stoked her fires, but she has nothing to burn.” She rubbed her chin and narrowed her eyes a bit. “If she is striking out at innocent little ponies, it is time to move to phase two of my plans. She must be tempered and sated if she is to remain the same Celestia everypony loves.”

“Phase two?” asked Aegis Shield.

“We have a phase two?” asked Stalwart Hide.

“Yes, my stallions.” Luna smiled a little smugly. “It is time to get my sister laid.” Both stallions stared at her in shock and she burst into diabolical laughter.

=-----=-----=-----=

Celestia heaved a great sigh of relief as her bedroom doors shut behind her. The royal apartments were simple, personal, and completely lacked the grandeur of the rest of the palace. It was the one place where the white alicorn felt slightly normal. She had a bookshelf. She had a toothbrush. She had a little squeaky toy she sometimes hugged in bed. All the trappings of living a semi-normal life. So long as the room was quiet and the door was closed, she could indulge in a little fantasy of playing house for a bit.

The Princess lowered the sun gently, reflecting on her day. Somepony had wanted to tear down a temple that was part of the Canterlot Skyline, and build a greenhouse atop it. Of course, Celestia had put a stop to that. Ponies got married there, it had served as a place of moon-worship while Luna was gone, and to this day it even served as a small orphanage. Needless to say, she’d not been pleased when the prospect had been brought before her. Celestia had put the upstart in her place after showing her the back of a bit, their unit of money. The building was part of the picture on their money, for Faust’s sake! It was important and was to be preserved, not knocked down for more greenery. The royal gardens covered an entire tier of Canterlot. She could commune with nature there, not displace the dozen or so orphans that called the temple home. To discourage such similar ideas, she’d had Captain Grey show the mare a dusty old dungeon cell. He didn’t put her in it, just showed it to her. That was warning enough for wanting to destroy priceless buildings like that.

Throwing her chest out and surveying herself in the mirror, Celestia smiled and opened her wings. She ignited her horn, taking off her crown and other royal pieces. Setting them gently aside, she looked back and forth at herself. “You look… pretty good.” She admitted to herself finally, pawing at her pink mane and admiring one of her hooves. She wasn’t a vain pony, but she had to admit she did look really good these days. Luna’s training was paying off more and more each night, it seemed.

“I agree.” A deep, syrupy voice made Celestia’s head snap around with a slight yip of surprise. “Hey there.” He was big. Very big. That was the first thing to come to the white alicorn’s mind. He was a large, muscled earth pony with a mountain-climber’s kit on his flank. He was chocolate brown, and midnight brown in the mane. That, and he was splayed out on her bed like he owned the place. And there next to him? A chilled cheesecake with strawberry sauce dribbled on it.

“Wh-what… who…?” Celestia’s eyes were all over him without her even realizing. That back. Those withers. Those big hooves! And you know what they say, if he’s got big hooves…

“M’name’s Mountain Hide.” He said, turning lazily to subtly flex at her. His tail flicked while his undercarriage rippled with a wonderful sort of velvety strength. He was quite possibly the most studly looking pony she’d seen in ages. “And I hear from Princess Luna,” he turned again to show off his strong back and shoulders. “That you’re in need of more private attention than your servants can give, your Majesty.” He winked at her so lewdly Celestia literally FELT the explosion of heat on her face.

“I… er…” her mind was a swirl of confusion and embarrassment and oh my, muscles. The scent of his virile musk swirled up into her nose, and she felt a heady sort of haze surrounding her. Leaning, he rather erotically teased her by gesturing at the cake. He put his mouth over it, nomming a single bite off. Celestia felt her back legs shiver. “Uhm… uhm…” her wings were slowly rising, completely without her knowledge. The studly stallion turned, smiling in a warm and sexy way. Leaning, he blew out the nearby lantern and cast the room into a sensual half-light. He backed up, pulling the curtains around the bed nearly closed. He became a black shape and the cake was lost in darkness too. The white alicorn didn’t know which one she wanted more. She cocked her head, sticking her nose into the darkness. A dark, sensual chuckle sounded from within. She lit her horn and found him laying on his side, his whole… virility, on display for her. Celestia’s wings ached, and she clambered into the bed and closed the curtain behind herself with a chuckle. The stallion coo’ed, opening his arms to embrace her as she came closer.

Outside Princess Celestia’s apartment rooms, Captain Grey studied his hooves. He was squinting at his fetlocks as he did so. Was that a hair growing out of place? He would need to trim that when he got off of work. A royal soldier needed to be the picture perfection of military discipline, after all. Hundreds of recruits and even low level officers looked up to him. If he didn’t look his best all the—CRASH! He whinnied and reared when Princess Celestia’s doors flung themselves open and crushed him against the wall! Bucking wildly, the stallion roared and righted himself, looking up to see a dark brown stallion splayed against the wall with a massive pink erection hanging out from between his hind legs. “The hell…?!” he said, turning quickly to rush into the room and check on the Princess.

Captain Grey’s journey was short, however, for the Princess emerged from the room herself. Next to her floated a cheesecake, and he rammed himself right into it in his flustered rushing. Splat! Celestia’s face fell while the cake dribbled all over him. She sighed. “Captain Grey, please deliver this stallion to my sister Luna, and ask her not to leave her toys in my room anymore.” The tone was a little playful. She leaned and swicked her hoof across his face, tasting the remains of the cake. “Mmm--” she eyed him a moment, up and down. “Neigh, strike that. Striking Spear, you deliver him.” She licked her chops just a bit, and grabbed Captain Grey by the front of his breastplate. “Captain, come with me.” She grinned in a way that made the grey stallion go white.

Striking Spear watched the wary Captain follow her Majesty into her royal apartments and cast a fearful look over his shoulder as the doors snapped shut. “Er… you heard the Princess! Move along, y’great sausage!” he rudely shoved at the painfully aroused stallion until he was on his hooves. “Guh, have some decency would you?” The brown pony walked to the side of him so the solar stallion wouldn’t have to look at the dangling… thing. “In the Princess’ bed… meh!” the guard spat after a time, moving quickly and quietly to take the boy toy back to the shadier Princess.

Meanwhile in Celestia’s room, she was eying her Captain up and down with a wry smile. “It doesn’t become you, my little pony.” She chuckled a little. “I must admit it was a little security oversight on my part, but it’s not often I retire for the night and find a stallion waiting in my bed.” Captain Grey smiled painfully, but it was hard to tell under all the cake globbed on his face. She ran her hoof across his cheek and tasted again, chuckling. “I can move the sun and all the heavens, but a decent cheesecake escapes me these days.” She sighed and shook her head.

“Well I’ve got most of one.” The Captain joked, his tongue coming out and licking around his lips. Celestia giggled despite herself, and it was only then that he noticed her full wingspan on display. His brow rose and his cheeks colored. “Er, that-that-that is… Princess…” he couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t be serious with a face full of cheesecake on him. His military might and stoic ways were breaking down at the ridiculousness of it all. “Maybe I can go fetch you one? When Striking Spear gets back to watch over you?” She ran her hoof slowly over his face again, tasting. She giggled a little more, and then quite suddenly eyed him up.

“Well, I cannot have you and your armor in such a state. Strip.” She commanded him. The stallion jolted like she’d slapped him, his eyes turning into little pinpricks of panic.

“Y-your Majesty?!”

“I’m not going to molest you, Captain Grey!” she laughed her same tinkling laugh. Turning, she gestured with her horn. “I’ve a private bathroom you can use to clean up. Meanwhile, I shall see to your armor with a few spells. I cannot have a private guard covered with cake following me around.” The pegasus deflated in vast relief. Well of COURSE she wasn’t going to pounce on him. She was the Princess after all, not some slutty mare from Manehatten’s underbelly. She reached to get a little more cake off of him, but he jittered away playfully. She laughed, shooing him into the bathroom.

…It didn’t keep her from secretly peeking at him while he showered, though. Just a little peek. She was too distracted to see the Lunar Stallion hanging, upside down and bat-like, from her ceiling behind a column. He watched Princess Celestia with golden, glittering eyes of stoic intelligence.

=-----=-----=-----=

Luna crashed wildly into the ground, yelping doggishly as she bounced across the cobblestone like a skipping stone and landed in a heap of flailing hooves and oddly-positioned wings. She felt the bruising before she even started moving, and moaned just a little bit. Celestia rushed over, thrusting her horn almost up her nose. “I yield!” Luna grunted painfully, putting a hoof up to stop her attacker. Their training had moved to open, undiluted combat between alicorns, and Celestia had just thoroughly bested her sister. "I yield!" she said again, panting raggedly.

Celestia relaxed, the flicker of gold in her normally purple eyes fading. Peering at her from above, her face turned pleasant again. “Luna? Are you alright?” she said with just a little bit of concern. The dark alicorn blinked up at her, panting a little.

“I’m alright, Tia. I think we’re done for tonight.” She said, not rising.

“Do you need help?” Celestia said, offering her a hoof.

“No I’m fine, sister.” Luna said just a little bit savagely. She quickly wiped the angry look from her face. “I’m just going to lay here for a bit and… and… collect my thoughts.” She forced up a thin, reedy smile.

“Thinking up the next part of our training? Excellent! Alright then.” Celestia said carefully, backing up and closing her wings. “I’ll return to the palace. I’ll see you at breakfast?” she smiled. Luna nodded, just once, not moving from where she lay. The white alicorn ignited her horn and, with a crack of parted air, vanished back to Canterlot.

The dark alicorn suddenly gave out, in all of her strength, her hooves bicycling lightly. She couldn’t rise. Not at all. “Aegis Shield! Stalwart Hide!” Luna was gagging in pain. If there was one thing she was good at, it was hiding pain. Both Lunar Stallions exploded out of shadow, galloping onto the dueling platform. “My balm, fetch my healing balm.” She whispered to Stalwart Hide, who rushed away to the medical supply hut on the edge of the training ground.

“Princess, are you alright?” Aegis Shield fell to his belly and extended one of his powerful, bat-like wings over her to protect her from the cruel night. “What can I do?” he said worriedly.

“Turn me over, I think I’m bleeding.” Luna panted. Using the crown of his head, the Lunar Stallion gently pushed at her side until she turned with a loud whimper of pain. He recoiled in horror at what he saw. Drips of something bright and silvery were falling from Luna’s wounds, and there were definitely wounds. She’d struck the ground so hard that it had ripped her skin open in a grand laceration that even made her private soldier gasp.

“Princess, this will need stitches!” Aegis Shield shouted, recoiling from the wound. “She’s ripped you open!”

“No!” said Luna savagely, then wincing in agony. “No. I can fix myself, I just need the balm for a cataclyst.” She lay there, breathing, for a long time. Aegis Shield fretted over her, pacing back and forth like a worried foal for his mother. There was a long silence while they waited. “She’s strong, Aegis Shield.” The Princess whispered in a vulnerable way, looking at the stars in the sky instead of him. “She’s so strong… three months and she’s so, so strong…” Stalwart Hide suddenly arrived back, letting out a cry of obscenities when he saw his Princess’ side too. “Put it on me!” Luna commanded. “I can use it to boost a healing spell. Be quick about it.”

The stallion nodded, “Yes, Princess Luna.” He knelt down, screwing the top off of the container. Balm mixed with alicorn blood as he applied it generously. Luna gritted her teeth, trying very hard not to whimper. When he was done he stepped away. Luna gritted her teeth and, using the moonlight to help too, began to heal herself. Before their eyes the long laceration began to close and the bruises began to melt away. Luna quivered with effort, for there was much to be seen to. She’d only struck the ground three times, but the duel had been going on for some hours. Celestia gaining the upper hand so suddenly had been a shift in power. Luna was quivering by the time she was done, and flopped down to breathe some more when the spell ended. Her Lunar Stallions settled on either side of her, their wings extended to shield her from view.

“Time to go home for now.” Luna slowly, agonizingly, turned herself upright. She wasn’t in pain anymore, but she ached and she was magically exhausted. She stumbled to her hooves like a newborn foal, and her guards supported her when she fell one way. They helped her gingerly into her chariot, which she collapsed into, and they began to bear her home to the palace. She found an emergency blanket tucked in a panel and pulled it over herself.

There was a long and awkward silence between the three of them as the stallions flapped their wings and took off. Luna lay on her back, staring up at the stars. It was Stalwart Hide who broke the silence at last. “Princess, I’m worried.” he said softly, looking over his shoulder at her. “I heard the other day that Princess Celestia stopped a colt putting graffiti on an alleyway wall, and had him arrested like a stallion. He’s sitting in jail for the next week, shaking like a leaf in a jail cell. I think perhaps you’ve created a monster.” Luna only smiled tiredly at those words. The two Lunar Stallions worried over her for the rest of the night, but when they arrived home she slept deeply with a content half-smile on her face. Everything was coming together.

=-----=-----=-----=

When Princess Luna awoke alone the next morning, still sore, there was a scroll on her bed. She broke the seal and opened it, eyes flicking down to the signature. A cruel, and rather dark smile twisted its way across her muzzle. “Ahhh, Twilight Sparkle…” her eyes raced back and forth across the letter itself. The young unicorn mare was voicing her concern for strange rumors she’d been hearing about Princess Celestia. It also told of the events that happened in the royal gardens with Green Thumb. Even out in the tiny town of Ponyville, according to the scholarly mare, some rather strange stories were going around regarding the day Princess. “Right you are to be concerned.” she said in a whisper. Luna rolled the letter and, with a flick of magic, made it burst into ash. Conjuring parchment and quill, she composed a brief, concerned-sounding reply to Twilight Sparkle. They would meet in secret soon, to discuss her sister’s recent strange behavior. With a quick sending spell, she vanished it. She rolled out of bed, cursing softly at her limping. Stopping to check herself in the mirror and adjust her pointed crown, she strode out of her chambers to join her sister for breakfast. “I have created a monster.” She whispered to nopony at all, smiling from under her eyebrows.

End of Part 6

Colt and Student

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 7: Colt and Student

Princess Celestia loved days like this. She was going to a local daycare in Canterlot to visit the foals there. She only got to do it maybe once or twice a year, but she always loved to see their bright and shining faces. Sure, she could visit a group of nobles and their children, but they lived a life of plenty anyway. Foals that needed daycare often had hard-working parents. Being visited by a Princess would light up their lives. Captain Grey and Striking Spear were pulling her golden chariot down the cobbled lane. A few ponies darted out of the way, mild fear in their eyes, but she didn’t notice. There were younglings to go see and inspire! Why, she’d prepared over a dozen solar blessings, and she had a little satchel of goodies—she loved her littlest subjects very much.

They pulled up to Morning-Side Orphanage and Daycare, a brightly colored, humble little place with a huge backyard that was scattered with toys. Princess Celestia could already see the little ones frolicking in the field, playing on the swing sets and chattering amongst themselves. Smiling with glee, she nodded to her two guards and they stopped at the sidewalk path. Hopping daintily out with her little sack of goodies, she came to the door and knocked. An excited looking mare pulled the door open. “Ah, Princess! Everyfoal is outside, in the back yard. They don’t know you’re coming.” She giggled.

“You must be Cheeriloo.” Celestia smiled, tapping her with her horn and giving her a blessing. The mare shuddered pleasantly as the solar magic gripped her for a few moments, then melted into her skin. “You do such wonderful work here, thank you on behalf of Canterlot.” She praised. She looked over her shoulder at the two armored stallions. “Ahem, now, I have two rather handsome guards that will be bored stiff for the next few hours, if you wouldn’t mind entertaining for a bit?”

The mare looked outside at the two of them, her cheeks a little pink. Solar stallions were always rather handsome, she knew. “O-oh! Come in!” she waved them to unhitch their chariot buckles. “I’ll get you two some drinks while the Princess plays with the children.” They smiled politely and Celestia winked at them, bidding them to stay inside.

Celestia emerged into the backyard, drawing the eye of many foals right away. But, what drew the Princess’ gaze was the sound of a tiny little filly sobbing. “Give it back, Coal Dust! Give it back!” she cocked her head, seeing a dark grey colt holding a little doll high above his head and out of reach. The tiny little filly reared up, hopping on her back legs. “Give it back or I’ll tell on you! I’ll tell Miss Cheriloo!”

“And what’ll she do about it? Sit me in a corner for five minutes?” said the colt nastily. Celestia approached rapidly with a frown. “More time to think about the next thing to do to you and your grubby little doll!” he shook it back and forth, the stitching on one of the eyes starting to come loose.

“Stop it! You’re hurting her-er-er!” the sobs were getting louder and more shrill. Miss Cheriloo was inside with the two solar stallions and did not hear the weeping foal. Celestia knew it was up to her to put this travesty right. “Why’re you so mean to me-hee-hee?!” the tiny thing wailed, plopping down on her butt and burying her face in her hooves to cry. The foals around the yard watched, swallowing, as the white alicorn came up behind the bully and waited for the right moment.

“Because I’m bigger, I’m stronger, and I can.” He threw the doll on the ground, where it’s head came off, and he stomped on it with his little grey hoof. That tore it even further.

Celestia could stand it no longer. Taking one step closer, she cast her shadow over him. Coal Dust’s wicked smile fell, and he slowly turned around. For lack of a better word, the Princess eclipsed him in darkness. She grabbed the bully by the scruff of his neck and lifted him, shrieking, off the ground to her eye level. His tiny hooves flailed and his eyes finally found her face. He went as pale as a sheet. “I think you need a time out, little one.” She said acidly. His response was the rather striking stink of urine wafting up into her nose. Celestia carted him, bodily, to a nearby flat space while all the other foals watched. Dropping him on his butt, she ignited her horn with terrible magicks and blasted--- a black circle around him. The grass burned briefly, then the smoke settled. He peered around, shaking like a leaf, surprised he’d not been scorched to cinder too. “See that line? Don’t cross it. If you do… something bad will happen.” Celestia promised him darkly. He curled up in a quivering, whimpering ball of dark grey mottled fur.

“W-why?” was all the little colt could manage to squeak out.

She leaned close to his face, down to his level. He squeaked and hid himself under his quivering front hooves. “Because I’m bigger, I’m stronger, and I can.” She threw his nasty, poisonous words back in his face. There was a certain satisfaction to be had there, and she grinned down at him as she rose.

When she turned around, the other foals recoiled from her like she would do the same with them. The Princess went to the little weeping filly, looking at the smashed and ripped doll. Using a simple repair spell, she stitched it back together and repaired the eye. Sitting across from her, the alicorn’s massive wings gingerly cast her into a warm shade. She looked up, “P… Princess Celestia?” she whispered in disbelief. Celestia smiled in a motherly way, shaking the little dolly at her like it was alive. She smiled cautiously, reaching out to take it. The alicorn wiped her tears, and soon the other foals began to gather around. She blessed them, as many of them as she could. Then she passed out the sweets she’d brought with her. Then she told them cooing, encouraging things that foals needed to hear.

It was over an hour later when Miss Cheeriloo came outside to check on them all, and found a puffy-eyed Coal Dust shaking in a little black circle off to one side. “Coal Dust? What’s wrong?” She started to quickly trot over and check on him.

Celestia saw the matron come out and waved her down. “He needed a bit of a time out. I caught him being cruel to one of the other foals.” She smiled gently.

“Oh’hoh, well, Princess.” Cheeriloo said with a nervous smile. “You shouldn’t worry yourself with the punishments of the foals, I can handle that. We do have certain rules around here, don’t we Coal Dust? C’mere now, silly thing…” She reached over the black line to gather the terrified little pony into her arms. Celestia reached out, mouth open, but it was too late. The spell FLASHED, blinding Cheeriloo and sending her reeling back and clutching her eyes! Only the presence of many foals and the years of practice kept her from swearing every word she knew in agony.

“Miss Cheeriloo!” One of the foals cried. There was a stampede of little hooves to gather around and peer at her worriedly. Coal Dust looked at her in horror. That could’ve been him!

“I-I can’t see!” she said, tears streaming down the sides of her face. “I can’t see!” she rubbed at her eyes over and over.

Celestia made a mad dash, regretting having set up the spell without targeting just the one foal. She hadn’t thought somepony would try to go into the circle. “Oh, please forgive me!” Celestia said, lighting her horn and parting the tide of little ones. “Here, let me fix it. Hold still, hold still now…” she coaxed, pawing at the mare a little until she held still. A short solar spell later, the matron’s eyes were restored and she looked around at all the sad little faces around her.

“Oh, I’m okay, don’t worry.” She said, the twin moist streams going down her face while her eyes tried to clean themselves out. The children all began to cry and mooshed in around her. “Oh shhh-sh-shhh, I’m alright. There-there now.” She tried to wrap her arms around as many of them as she could.

Celestia stepped back a bit, feeling just a little bit guilty. She looked over at Coal Dust, who had joined the thrall to coo and whimper over their injured mother figure. The white alicorn stepped back again. Had a flash bang spell really been necessary? She pondered. “I’m… sorry.” said Celestia a little meekly.

“I-I think you should go, Princess.” said Cheeriloo without looking at her. “Thank you for visiting us.” she said it in such a neutral way even the foals could tell she didn’t want Celestia to come back. The big black mark in the middle of the play yard spoke as much, too. Coal Dust had fought his way through the gaggle of foals and was trying to nuzzle her.

Slowly, Celestia turned and was away without another word. Gathering a confused Captain Grey and Striking Spear, she mounted her chariot and quickly retreated back to the palace. Well, that could’ve gone better. Well, at least she’d put a stop to that colt’s bullying. He’d be looking over his shoulder for awhile. She smirked just a little, and by the time she’d arrived home the guilty feeling had already passed. Bullies deserved to be put down like that.

That Night…

It was a strange idea to Twilight Sparkle, sneaking into Canterlot. Neigh, sneaking into the palace itself in the dead of night without Celestia knowing. She got off the train and was greeting by a Lunar Stallion who called himself Falling Storm. He was a grey, ashy thing with golden eyes and dark armor. He came bearing Luna’s secret password (“Sunset”), so she would know to trust him. Twilight looked around as the train began to hiss away, and he herded her into shadow.

Falling Storm gently took Twilight’s shoulder, not daring to light a light. “We’re going through a secret passage, miss. Try not to wander off. My dark vision only reaches so far.” He warned. The purple mare nodded slowly, warily following where he led. They turned abruptly into what Twilight was sure was a wine cellar in an alleyway, but no, it went deep into the mountain. She leaned on him a little, for the stairs never seemed to stop. When they were well into the darkness, he finally lit a torch.

Twilight smiled gratefully when he held up the torch so she could see better. “Thank you.” She looked into his golden eyes, admiring the serpentine glitter of stoic intelligence. “You have… pretty eyes.” She said lamely, trying to make conversation. She then blushed and kept going. He didn’t answer, but didn’t make a mean face either. “Is all this secrecy necessary?” she asked after a time. They were winding up some spiral stone stairs now.

“You may not like what you have to hear. So yes, it is necessary.” Falling Storm said quietly. His voice was deep and syrupy, lulling Twilight’s fears until a bat screeched and flapped by. The purple mare shrieked, mooshing up against him a little.

“S-sorry!” she jumped away. “When I was little, a spider got caught in my mane for like five minutes. I’ve been afraid of things crawling in my mane since then, bats’re no different.” She shuddered.

“S’okay.” He said pleasantly. “We’re almost there.” He turned his golden gaze forward, squinting at the sealed door ahead. Opening his wings, he reared up as a series of nine panels poked themselves out of the wall. A stack of nine tiles was next to him. Twilight frowned in confusion, staring at what she’d thought was a tic-tac-toe board initially. The Lunar Stallion put the torch on the ground, then ritualistically placed all nine panels in a certain order. The symbols were nonsense to Twilight, perhaps Ancient Equestrian. When he’d placed the final panel on the tic-tac-toe board, he pushed the middle one and there was a sound of shifting stone.

“It must be pretty hard to use all these secret tunnels.” Twilight commented, lifting the torch by magic.

“Not if you’re supposed to be here.” Falling Storm said, walking forward after he took the torch from her and started forward. The labyrinth of tunnels wound back and forth, but the Lunar Stallion seemed to know where he was going the entire time. “This way, miss.” He gestured to another stone door, and pushed it open for her. “Your Majesty, Twilight Sparkle, to answer your summons.”

Luna stood in a long, chapel-like room with a high ceiling. It was dark, and the pews were mahogany, a dark wood with a purple stain to them. The sweeping columns were carved with bat-winged pegasi, and the singular source of light was a stained-glass window depicting the moon in all its phases. Twilight craned her neck, and she could see the valley beyond it. They must’ve been under the city, hidden in the cliff’s face! Astounding!

“Twilight Sparkle.” Luna turned with a careful smile, opening her wings and pushing back her hood. “I am sorry to meet you in such dreary settings.” When her hood was pushed back all the way, her cape and cowl burst into bat-shapes and evaporated. Twilight flinched, but walked forward amongst the pews. The groan of the great door made her look behind herself. A pair of Lunar Stallions were pushing the heavy thing closed, Falling Storm having been sealed outside. They lifted a great log of wood into sconces, effectively barring it. Then, they stood at attention. “This is my lunar chapel. I taught some of the first Lunar Stallions here, thousands of years ago. We are safe to speak freely here, I promise you.” The Princess said. “Aegis Shield! Stalwart Hide!” she called over Twilight’s head. “More light! It’s chilled in here!” The two stallions set to work lighting the burning woks around the room with their torches. Soon, the room was a bit warmer and well-lit. With winter well on the way, such buried places of stone were cold indeed.

Twilight looked about in wonder. She’d never imagined that such a place existed under Canterlot. Suddenly remembering her manners, the unicorn bowed before her. “Thank you for responding so quickly, Princess.”

“Just Luna, here, Twilight.” Luna smiled kindly. “And we’re meeting in secret, so there’s little time for formalities. When I got your letter, I knew we had to act fast.”

“Is it true? What they’re saying about Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked. “Did she really throw a colt in jail for putting graffiti on the side of a warehouse?”

“I checked. Yes.” Luna said gravely. “Perhaps she thinks a harsh punishment will nip any delinquency at the bud.”

“Or it could traumatize him for life, living with those hardened criminals for a week. Who knows what they could do to him!” Twilight worried, pacing back and forth.

“I intervened behind Celestia’s back.” Luna said, trying to sound brave. “I made sure he was kept separate from the other criminals, and in his own cell. That was all I could do. I could not override my sister’s punishment.”

Twilight fretted more. “You should’ve seen her in the royal gardens, Luna. She terrorized this poor gardener, right in front of my eyes.” The purple mare went back over what she’d written in her letter, in greater detail. “She seems so different these past few months, I’m getting really worried!” she looked up at Luna with soft eyes. “A passerby in Ponyville was talking about Princess Celestia destroying some poor pony’s reputation because he brought her the wrong kind of cake! That’s just… just silly!” the poor mare paced back and forth while Luna watched, nodding along with her words. “Any idea why she might be acting dif--! Your side!” Twilight suddenly jolted to a stop, looking at Luna in horror. The dark alicorn was standing profile, looking regally at the ceiling with her wings open thoughtfully. On her side with a long, pink line, barely hidden by her fur. “Luna, your side!” she shrieked, pointing.

Princess Luna turned her head quickly, “Uh?” Looking down past her ribs but before her cutie mark, she saw the remains of the long laceration she’d (completely) healed before. “Oh, I thought I’d gotten rid of that.” She said softly, looking from side to side with a certain embarrassment.

“That’s almost a foot long, what happened to you?!” Twilight pawed at it, tracing along its length with her hoof.

“Er-well, Celestia and I were… exersizing.” It sounded like a pretty poor excuse to Twilight.

“Did Princess Celestia… hurt you?” Twilight gasped, her eyes turning big and soft.

“No no! We were exercising together! That’s why she looks so much better lately!” Luna eyed the Lunar Stallions to one side, then back to Twilight. “But don’t tell anypony, okay? It’s supposed to be a secret, just between us alicorns.” Aegis Shield opened his mouth to agree and give more details, but Luna gave him such a venomous glare that he was shocked into silence again. Twilight was too focused on the long scar to notice.

“Secret exercise that gets you hurt?” Twilight Sparkle said, furrowing her brow. “She’s not doing anything… bad, is she?” her voice fell to a quivering whisper, not even the Lunar Stallions could hear. Quite suddenly, all the different things she’d seen and heard about were sliding into place. If this was just one more thing, it had to be true as well.

They looked at each other for a long time. Then, Luna looked to one side, turning her ears back and with soft eyes. “Yes.” She said aloud, so even the posted stallions could hear. “Celestia… beat me, recently.” She let out a little mewling sound, her ethereal mane hanging over her face. Terrible, nightmarish images rushed into Twilight’s mind, in which a pink-haired Celestia slashed her horn over a defenseless Luna’s side, making her cry out and bleed. Twilight gasped, looking over her shoulder at the two Lunar Stallions. They nodded confirmation.

Stalwart Hide started forward, not wanting his Princess to suffer. But, Aegis Shield held him back and shook his head. This was for Twilight Sparkle to hear about. Clearly the Princess was feeling hurt that her sister had bested her in a duel, so easily, after only three months of training. Well, you couldn’t win every single duel but she’d taken a pretty heavy beating from Celestia, so her ego was probably pretty bruised. And when one had an ego like the Princess of the Night, well, one was bound to weep over it. The stallions looked at each other, then wisely decided to keep mum. There wasn’t anything they could add to make things better.

“B… beat you?” Twilight gasped quietly, looking up at Luna. The dark alicorn nodded quietly, a single tear dripping down the side of her face. Twilight Sparkle quickly pulled her into a hug, and the Princess shook like a leaf. “I have to see this.” She whispered. “I have to see this new Princess Celestia for myself. I can’t believe it until I’ve seen it for myself.” She gulped a little, but squared her shoulders.

“Be careful, Twilight Sparkle. My sister is much stronger than she once was.” Luna whispered in her ear so none could hear but her. “That’s why her mane changed color. Her powers have grown.” It was like she was delivering the secrets of the universe to her little subject. Twilight nodded gravely. “Just… just be careful.” The alicorn embraced the unicorn again, the shiver working its way up her back. Twilight stroked her mane comfortingly. Luna made a show of wiping her eyes and clearing her throat. “Aeg--- ahem!--- Aegis Shield. See Twilight Sparkle to the palace proper. She’s going to see my sister. Not a word until you return.”

“Yes, your Highness.” Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide pulled the log from the door so it could be opened, and he offered the passage to Twilight with a sweep of his hoof. Twilight looked at Princess Luna, then started forward.
“Stalwart Hide, do you have any more of my healing balm?” Princess Luna asked softly, looking at him with pathetic eyes. “It… it still hurts a little. I don’t think my spell sealed the wound over entirely.” She extended her wing to show him the long mark on her side.

“Right away, Princess Luna!” Stalwart Hide started forward, flipping his saddlebag open and getting the little jar. Twilight looked on in horror, but said nothing. Strong. She had to be strong. For Princess Luna, and everypony else. She was close to Princess Celestia, she’d be able to figure out what was going on and fix it. Luna yipped a little when the stallion pressed some balm over her scar, and he apologized profusely. Twilight could stand no more of watching Luna suffer from her sister’s abuse, and rushed away into darkness with Aegis Shield.

As soon as Twilight Sparkle was gone, Luna smiled quietly from under her eyebrows. “That’s enough, Stalwart Hide.” She lit her horn. “Keep rubbing it in, right there.” she praised him while her spell worked across her side. The cut vanished under the balm, though it hadn't been real to begin with. The original had been healed over the first time around, the current one had been an illusion. “Ohhh, much better. Thank you, my stallion.” She kissed him atop the head, and Stalwart Hide smiled bashfully. He did like her kisses.

Silently, Luna congratulated herself on a flawless performance.

=-----=-----=-----=

Celestia looked up from her novel when a hoof faintly knocked at her door. “Who is it?” she called melodically. It wasn’t often she was disturbed during her me-time, it must’ve been important.

“T… Twilight Sparkle.” said a meek voice beyond the door.

Celestia’s face lit up, and she flipped the doors open by magic. “Why, Twilight! Hello there! I didn’t know you were in Canterlot! How have you been, my most faithful student?” she rose, putting the book away. Twilight came and extended her neck for nuzzles, which Celestia lovingly gave her.

“Okay, I suppose.” Twilight said bashfully. “I’ve been hearing a lot about you lately too.” She smiled in a nervous way.

“Oh?” Celestia said.

“W-well yes! They say you’re in the best shape of your life! A lot of… exercising.” Twilight said, looking at her suspiciously with her head cocked to one side.

Celestia chuckled, backing up so Twilight could come in and shut the doors. “Oh yes! Luna has been taking very good care of me!” the white alicorn clucked happily. She went over to her large bed and clambered onto it, inviting Twilight Sparkle too. She smiled as her faithful student mounted the bed and settled onto her belly to visit. “And I’ve been taking care of her, too.” Celestia smiled. “It’s so good to have a sister again, I cannot tell you how lonely and stressful it was with Luna on the moon.” She sighed a little sadly, but then looked at Twilight. She was shaking. “Twilight, are you okay?” Twilight Sparkle’s powerful mind conjured a thought-bubble over her head that the Princess couldn’t see. In it, she saw a demon-eyed Celestia ‘relieving stress’ by beating the ever-loving tar out of a doe-eyed Princess Luna. The dark alicorn begged for mercy, but-! The bubble burst. “Twilight? You’re shaking.”

She couldn’t take it anymore. “Oh Princess say it isn’t so!” The purple mare suddenly burst into wracking sobs, startling the guards outside, who peeked in at them. Celestia shooed them out with a look. “Say you didn’t do it! Please!” she said, beating on her side with her small hooves.

“Do what?” Celestia said, folding a massive wing down over her student. “Twilight what’s wrong?”

“Luna told me! She told me everything! She said you beat her!” Twilight threw her arms around the white alicorn’s neck and sobbed like a foal. “Tell me you didn’t do it!”

“Well, I did beat her.” Celestia said, a little miffed. “I didn’t think I could actually do it, but I finally did-- after so long of trying, too! She puts up a very serious fight. It took me quite a while.”

“Princess that’s terrible!” Twilight reared up, putting her hooves on Celestia’s shoulders. “How could you do such a thing to your own sister?!”

“It’s good exercise.” Celestia blink-blinked at her belligerent student, not sure she followed.

“That’s not exercise, it’s torture!” Twilight was choking a little as her throat began to close up on her. She wheezed stressfully, making little mewling sounds.

“Well it sure felt like torture for the first few nights.” Celestia admitted with a knowing smile, gathering her student closer in her wings to try and calm her. “But we’ve been doing it for over three months, so now I’m used to it and we can work at it every night. It was supposed to be a secret, but I suppose it’s alright if my most faithful student learns about my little training sessions with Luna.” She smiled confidently at the purple mare, but she watched as right before her eyes Twilight Sparkle went right over the edge.

“Th-th-threee?! Three months?! You’ve been doing this for months now!?” Twilight backed up, forcing her way out of her mentor's feathery embrace. She fell off the bed, and scrambled backward in open-mouthed horror. “Princess what’s happened to you?!”

“Well… I got a lot stronger, and my mane changed color?” It came out like a question, for Celestia was very confused. “Are… are you okay, my little pony?” She said with concern, leaning forward to look down at her. Twilight looked like she was having some sort of panic attack. Her mentor, her first crush, her mother figure, her goddess! Not just the normal citizens she’d heard about—the terrible rumors-- and the poor gardener she’d seen! She was an abusive sister-beater, too?! And she was proud of it?! And she’d been doing it for months?! Poor Luna!

“You’re a MONSTER!” Twilight screamed shrilly. She turned and fled for her life, a few tears escaping into the air and glittering like diamonds. She ran, blasting the doors open with her magic and pancake-ing both guards to the wall behind them. She ran full tilt, and her sobs faded with distance.

Princess Celestia lay there on her belly, staring at the open doorway. A moaning Captain Grey came in, rubbing his head and looking around. “I take it the visit didn’t go well?” he said. The white alicorn was completely, utterly stunned. What had just happened? She’d never been more confused in all her many centuries of life.

End of Part 7

Dust and Cider

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 8: Dust and Cider

It took Celestia all of fifteen seconds to snap out of her stupor and rush out into the hallway. That entire conversation had been wrong, she’d just seen the other side of it in a snap of horrible realization. Her most faithful student thought she was abusing her sister! What a horrible misunderstanding! She had to right this, right away. Her large hooves sent bouncing echoes off the high ceiling. Servants threw themselves out of the way of the galloping alicorn, fear in their eyes. “Twilight! Twilight Sparkle!” she called ahead of herself, following the sounds of loud wailing. “Twilight, wait!” she spread her wings and launched into the air for extra speed.

The purple unicorn could hear her mentor catching up. She tore around a corner, pressing between two statues and into an alcove. Ducking through a servant’s passage and weaving through surprised ponies, she burst into another hall just as Celestia passed it. The alicorn dive-bombed, landing hard and screeching to a halt. Her eyes locked with Celestia’s for a moment, and she fled for her life. The alicorn turned, grunted, and launched herself forward again. Twilight panted in fearful effort, ripping a carpet, bouncing off a wall in a hard turn and knocking over a decorative set of armor. She had to get away. She had to hide. But where? Where did one hide from a GOD? She whimpered, looking back and forth through the massive windows. Celestia began to catch up again. Suddenly, she spotted the astronomy tower of the palace. Her former room, Princess Luna’s current room. Perfect! Twilight feigned left, and then jumped behind a column. The white alicorn followed, then vaulted past the column, chasing the unicorn that was no longer there.

Whimpering with effort and hoping Luna was home, Twilight Sparkle concentrated and her horn ignited with magic. Pop! She vanished into thin air.

=-----=-----=-----=

Princess Luna smiled over a small, metallic wok. The white powder, which she’d come to call moon dust, was almost ready. She’d been making batch after batch since she’d returned from the moon, each more potent than the last. It burned slow, like incense, and the scent was vaguely like vanilla. But, its purpose was far more sinister.

Turning and lighting her horn, she used magic to grind a mortar and pestle with poison joke, nightshade, tiger lily, and a few other things into a fine mixture. Checking the moonlight to make sure everything was the way it was supposed to be, she turned the bowl a few times as though she were frying something. The moonlight turned the mixture white and solidified it. She mumbled incantations quietly. Powerful magic, it was, for an alicorn to be using magic words. Most magic was soundless. This required more effort. “Hahh, sister…” she whispered softly, smiling. She didn’t monologue aloud about her plans, nor giggle maniacally like some storybook villain. No no, she was much smarter, much more tactful and subtle. If any listened to her door, they would merely hear the Princess of the Night quietly working in her room, studiously mixing fine powders of magic. They didn’t need to know what it was for.

Leaning, Luna poured the white powder into a long phial. Taking it in a pair of tongs, she lowered it into a quietly boiling pot of water and held it suspended. The white powder turned gold for a few moments, then flickered… flickered… back to white. A little poof of dust came out, shaped into a skull, then vanished when Luna blew on it. Oh so carefully, the dark alicorn placed a stopper in the phial and put it over a tiny magical circle she’d scratched in her table. Touching her horn to it, she murmured quietly and injected it—neigh, saturated it, with lunar magic. Dark magic.

Celestia had already been exposed to it several times, in increasingly large doses. The first time had been on the… which night was it? The third night of their training? Luna had told her the powder was like scented candles, and she’d bought into it like a trusting foal. By some bizarre alignment of the planets the strange poison smelled like vanilla, so the story seemed legitimate to her sister. How very foolish she’d been.

Merely putting a bowl of it next to her and lighting it would expose her to its poisonous effects. Well no, perhaps ‘poison’ was too strong of a word. It was more like a… relaxant. A relaxant for the mind. Centuries ago, in the time when weddings were blessed by the royal sisters, occasionally there would be… well… problems, on the wedding night. Or anticipated problems. A stallion might question his virility, or a mare be nervous of sharing a bed with her new husband. But, with just a little pinch of Luna’s moon dust burning on the bedside table… well, many minds were put at ease and many foals were made. Stallions were less nervous, mares more happy and willing, and wedding nights more passionate. Initially, that had been the only use for the silly stuff.

But, one night long ago a Lunar Stallion accidently dropped a whole phial of the stuff on himself and (. like an idiot.) licked it off of himself before anypony saw. The next week, he quit his station and opened a bakery. Why? Because he’d always wanted to, but was afraid to leave the army for such a frilly dream. He prospered wildly, and had seventeen foals with his wife. Completely uninhibited by fear, doubt, or circumstance, the stallion pursued every little fancy, every little desire, and threw caution to the wind. He’d died after a drinking game with friends on a rooftop, in which the loser would have to leap to the next rooftop with the other losers and start the next round of the game. He didn’t leap so well while drunk. After that, Luna more strictly controlled moon dust, and quietly circulated it out of existence.

To make it work on an alicorn required far more than a pinch, though. It required gobs and gobs of the stuff, along with encouraging words, loving looks, and general know-how. Somepony as powerful as Celestia needed more than a gentle nudge. She needed a shove. Which, of course, Luna was happy to provide.

Finally finished with the phial, Luna poured the fresh contents out into the metal wok. There. Now she had enough for this evening’s training session with Celestia. Luna had to keep giving her doses to keep her… relaxed. They had their ‘aromatherapy’ sessions together once a week, now. Luna smiled devilishly, mixing the fresh batch with all the rest and putting the lid on the--!

Pop!

“Luna! Princess! You’ve got to hide me!” Twilight Sparkle cracked the parted air with her sudden presence, making Luna jump. “Celestia is chasing me!” The Princess’ eyebrows rose in delighted shock, but she quickly wiped the face off and lit her horn with magic. The room shuddered.

“There. She cannot sense you here. What happened?” Luna came forward and pulled Twilight into a loving hug. Twilight was panting, wheezing, whimpering and started talking in jibberish. “Ohh sh-sh-shhh, there now. Breathe. Breathe.” She coaxed the mare, stroking her mane. Twilight cried, pressing her muzzle into Luna’s breast and clinging to her like a frightened foal.

“I d-d-didn’t want to believe you! I called you a liar, in m-my head!” Twilight confessed her sins as Luna’s wings slowly came down to engulf her in darkness. Luna sat on her haunches, pulling Twilight into a deep an intimate hug. Aegis Shield heard the noise and poked his head in. Luna shooed him back out with a look, and he quietly shut the door. “I didn’t w-want to think--- to think---!” she drowned in her tears. “Th-they were just rumors and bad stories and oh’hohhh Luna I’m so sorry!” she wailed, trailing snot in the Princess’ pelt while tears dripped out of her eyes and down her cheeks.

“Shhhh-sh-sh-shhhh…” Luna crooned over the mare like a mother, stroking her over and over again. “It’s alright. Tell me what happened.” she asked gently. Twilight hiccupped and whimpered, resting her cheek and the side of her head on the dark alicorn’s chest. She told her everything. Quietly, Luna rested her chin atop Twilight’s head and listened. Celestia had admitted to ‘beating’ her, calling it exercise just as planned. The foolish alicorn had even told her they’d been doing it for months now. Her prized, most faithful student was shattered-- her faith in her mentor utterly broken. Now was the time to make the next move, and to be very careful about it. “It’s okay, you’re okay, shhhh-sh-sh…” Luna crooned again and again. “There there.”

“H’ohh Luna, I’m so sorry…” Twilight croaked, her face pressed into Luna’s chest. “I wanted you to be lying, planning against your sister or something.” Luna’s heart skipped a beat and she winced. “I wanted you to be evil again, if only for it not to be true-hoo!” she broke into another shuddering sob, clinging to the dark alicorn all the harder. “Please, please forgive me!”

“I forgive you, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna whispered softly, nuzzling her mane. Lighting her horn quietly, the Princess gave her a lunar blessing. Good luck would follow her around because of the alicorn ma—rejected? The spell slid off of Twilight like oil, droplets of sparkling nothing on the floor at her hooves. When she was sure the unicorn wasn’t looking, she scowled and scanned her with magic. There was some sort of… sort of… seal, on Twilight Sparkle. Concentrated solar magic. Luna had never seen such a tightly woven spell. She squinted with angry interest, wondering just what Celestia had done. The spell was old, spinning slowly around the purple mare, covered with locks and incantations. Closing her eyes, she looked at Twilight Sparkle on the ethereal plain. It was like a golden… egg, incasing her. How odd! Was Celestia-- holding back her student’s powers? Why? The night time Princess considered this information for later use, perhaps to further bring Twilight to her side. Or merely to sully her sister’s name some more. She quickly remembered the conversation and continued. “It’s so very, very hard to believe. I know… I know…” she just kept petting and crooning over the crying Twilight Sparkle, who shook and hiccupped now and then. “Shhh…” she soothed and stroked her, for a long time.

“We hafta stop her, Princess.” Twilight looked up into her face at last, her eyes big and wet. “Th-this can’t go on.”

“Oh no-no-no! You can’t do that Twilight!” Luna said, taking her shoulders roughly. “You mustn’t! My sister is a Goddess, you could do nothing to stop her!” Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but Luna covered it with her hoof, worried and trying not to cry herself. “If she is content to merely abuse her sister, then I stand between her and Equestria! Suppose you stood against her, what do you think she would do to you?”

“We stopped you, didn’t we?” Twilight said quietly. Luna stopped. There was dead silence. They stared at each other for a long time. “Forgive me, but… we stopped Nightmare Moon with the Elements of Harmony. And Discord.”

“You speak of treason! High treason against the crown!” Luna lowered her voice to a fearful whisper, drawing her close so none could hear but them. “You could be banished, or worse, executed! There are laws with dust and cobwebs on them that could put your head on a chopping block!” the night Princess pleaded with the mare.

“Think about it!” Twilight whispered. “We have to do something, and if we’re going to stop Princess Celestia, an alicorn, that’s the only tool we have!”

“And do what? Banish her? Hurt her? How?” Luna said fiercely, whispering like a snake.

“We can’t let this go on!” Twilight said, putting both her hooves on Luna’s breast and leaning up into her eye-level. “Even if she is a Princess! She’s become a monster!”

Suddenly, hooves were coming up the spiraling staircase. Much bigger hooves than any mare or stallion. “She comes!” Luna said, brow raising and bunching together. “She must’ve been searching for you, you must flee!” The Princess of the night stood, opening her wings and pushing her mane behind her ears.

“No! I won’t leave you alone with her!” Twilight said, new tears rushing over her eyes. Luna was already looking down at her with a sad smile. The hoof-steps were getting closer, louder. Luna’s horn lit up. Twilight Sparkle began to back away, shaking her head quickly.

“Think of the safest place you can, where you can be among the most dependable of ponies. Ponies you can trust.” Luna whispered quickly. “This spell will carry you there.” Twilight’s butt pressed against the work table, where all of the alchemical ingredients were strewn about. A light cloud of white dust fell over her, and she sneezed briefly.

“No! Don’t do this!” Twilight whispered desperately, rubbing her nose. “She’ll hurt you again!”

There was a short silence. In a moment of brilliance, the night Princess said the most profound thing she had ever thought of, on the spot. The perfect line to endear herself to her sister’s student for all times. Luna whispered to her, “My body as your shield, Twilight Sparkle.” The alicorn smiled with moist eyes, then leaned down and rather roughly kissed her on the mouth. The purple mare let out a strangled yelp, her eyes wide. The magic flowed between them, then into Twilight. The spell violently grabbed her, taking hold. She vanished with a quiet hiss of magic, like so much sand pressed between one’s fingers. Turning into a vaporous purple cloud, she rushed out of the window and over the horizon.
The door flew open, and Luna had half a second to fling herself in front of the alchemy table and hunch to look busy.

“Luna!” Celestia trumpeted across the room. “Have you seen Twilight Sparkle?!”

“Sister?” Luna looked at her with a confused face. “You look upset!”

=-----=-----=-----=

Clop. Clop. Clop.

What a stallion does on his private time is his own business, especially behind the closed door of his bedroom, at the end of a long work day. Big Macintosh was no different. He enjoyed the few scant hours of night at the end of each work day enjoying himself. Sure, he had a meager scattering of books, some music records, and even a tiny radio, but some days it was best to just kick back for more basic, happy things.

Clop. Clop. Clop.

He was a stallion of few words, stoic and strong, the backbone of the Apple Family household. They relied on him for everything from plowing to handy work, and he loved his simple existence there on the farm. He enjoyed the sound of trees. The innocent laughter of Applebloom and her friends in their clubhouse. Even the squawking of Granny Smith, when she often sat in her rocker and complained at no pony at all about the weather or the time of year or those darn colts down the road leaving bags of poop on their porch. Big Mac was blissfully, contentedly happy.

Clop. Clop. Clop.

Yes, life was good for the massive, barrel-chested stallion. The only thing he lacked, to be quite honest, was a marefriend. Call it piggish, but a stallion like him only had basic needs. Food, rest, good company, and eventually a companion. Who didn’t want those things? From where he lay on his bed, he flicked his eyes over to his highest shelf. Pushed between books so only its head showed, was Twilight Sparkle’s Smarty Pants doll (complete with notebook and quill!). Now there was a little mare he could really get attached to. Smart, petite, lovely haunches and a bright-eyed expression. Why, if he could rope such a prize filly, he’d count himself the luckiest Apple there ever was, darn right sure as shootin’.

Clop. Clop. Clop. Clop.

He frowned over his latest… project, wondering what the problem was. Holding his tool, he turned it this way and that, furrowing his brow. It looked okay, sure, but it didn’t feel right. Was it even the right color? He wasn’t sure. He hoped so. Maybe he could ask—!

A cloud of purple suddenly filled his room and the stallion jolted upright. “Uh?!” he said plainly, eyes wide. Suddenly the smoke coalesced into a pony shape and Twilight Sparkle popped into existence! She fell out of the air and landed hard on him, knocking him onto his back when their foreheads connected with a crack.

“Ohhh, my he-eead…” Twilight moaned, rubbing her forehead and blinking a few times. Then she saw where she was. And who she was on. “Big Macintosh!” she squeaked, her face reddening. “Wh-what’re you-?!” The stallion blink-blinked up at her awkwardly. Barring that she’d somehow poof’d into his room in the dead of night, this was just too much. He cleared his throat, his face red. “I-is this your room?” she asked, quickly getting off of him.

Big Macintosh set down his hammer, nails, and the tiny dollhouse he’d been working on for Applebloom’s upcoming birthday. He clop-clopped the nail he’d been working on into the slot he’d made earlier as he did so. He rolled upright onto his hooves to stand. “Eyuup.” He said, cocking his head and sniff-sniffing at her a little suddenly. She smelled like sweat and fear and… vanilla? Odd.

“I-I’m sorry for bursting in on you!” Twilight said, casting her eyes worriedly back and forth.

There was a knock at the door. “Big Mac?” it was Applejack, who opened the door a smidgen. “You got company over? I heard… voices?” The orange earth pony saw Big Mac, saw Twilight Sparkle, saw the rumpled bedsheets where her brother had been laying--- saw how sweaty Twilight looked and how shocked Big Mac looked. “Uhhph!” Applejack slammed the door animatedly, rubbing her hooves over her eyes. “Uhhh! Sorry big brother! I ough’ta have knocked!” she made to retreat as fast as her hooves could carry her, red-faced, but the door sprang open again and Twilight dashed out.

“Applejack! Th-thank Luna!” she threw her arms around her friend and practically tackled her to the ground with affection. Big Mac poked his head out into the hallway, looking puzzled at the whole situation.

“I thought you was in Canterlot, Twilight?” Applejack cocked her head.

“I am! I mean I was!” Twilight said fretfully, “Oh Applejack you’re not going to believe it! Not a word of it!” She shuffled her hooves back and forth, doing what looked very much like an I-have-to-pee dance.

“Listen Twilight, you dun need mah permission to go out with mah brother, its just fine with m--!”

“Princess Celestia’s become a monster! A sister-beating, gardener-bullying monster!” Twilight exploded, grabbing Applejack by the shoulders and shaking her. The earth pony stilled herself, her eyes going in circles for a few moments.

“Whoa-whoa-whoa! Slow down there, Twi, what’s going on?” She looked to her brother for help, but the massive red stallion didn’t seem to have a clue. Or rather, his face looked like it normally did when he wasn’t speaking or being spoken to. A little bored. “What about the Princess?”

“She’s beating Luna! Beating her!” Twilight said, big soft eyes melting Applejack’s resolve. “She admitted it right to my face! Like it was no big deal!”

Applejack knew there had to be more to it for Twilight to make such an outrageous claim. “Big Mac? Go get some’a Granny Smith’s special stuff.” She commanded.

“Eyuup.” Big Mac turned and went downstairs, walking past Twlight as he went. He paused, smiling at her. Twilight looked fretful, but he patted her head with a massive hoof anyway. When he went down to the cellar, he went to the long rack of apple cider bottles. Last year’s kegs were still fermenting, but there was a certain kind that only got pulled for emergencies. And if Twilight was yammering like a madpony about the Princess, this was an emergency. He squinted… ah, there it was. He pulled a black bottle down that had a picture of a much, much younger Granny Smith on it. She used to be the poster mare for the brand, after all. The bottle was that old. Swishing it around a little, the stallion nodded and returned.

While he was working his way up the stairs, he saw something on his hooves and paused a moment. Something white? It looked like powder. Had that come out of Twilight’s mane? Odd. He ran his tongue briefly over it and rubbed the hoof on the stairs. There, all clean. Much better.

When Big Macintosh emerged from the cellar and closed the door, he saw Applejack easing a distressed Twilight Sparkle down the stairs and into the kitchen. “Ah, there it is. Good job, Big Mac.” The farming mare sat her unicorn friend at the kitchen table and went to the cupboard, pulling down a dusty shot glass. Running it under water, she took the bottle from Big Mac and popped the cork.

“This is no time for drinking, Applejack! We’ve gotta move! Princess Celestia is gonna come for me soon I need to go and warn Spike! She might come here looking for me, oh what if she decides to arrest your family for—GLAH!?” The red stallion had rather rudely seized the back of Twilight’s mane and tilted her head back, which forced her jaw open wide. Applejack took the opportunity and poured the shot glass. The liquid was black as Luna’s night, no-telling-what-proof cider. Twilight struggled a bit, but they poured it down her throat and he let go. The recoil made her swallow and she clutched at her throat, coughing heatedly. It burned like fire! Applejack poured the next one. They repeated until Twilight flailed out of the chair and fell over.

“Three ought’a be good. Takes the edge off.” Applejack said, putting the bottle aside. “Now breathe, Twilight. Tell us whut happened.” She coaxed her friend back into the chair. Flushed and a little cider touched (man that stuff worked fast!), she shook her head and hiccupped an apple-shaped bubble. Big Mac waited with stoic silence, smoothing Twilight’s mane a little apologetically for mare-handling her.

Twilight calmed down a little, finally able to slowly relate the story. She told the two siblings everything she’d seen. The gardener Celestia had menaced. Meeting Luna in secret. Seeing the long scar on her side. Celestia admitting to abusing her sister. That she’d been doing it for months. How she’d gone to confront Celestia and that Luna had saved her from punishment by teleporting her away.

“So how’d you end up in Big Mac’s bedroom?” Applejack wanted to know.

Twilight Sparkle blushed, and Big Mac blinked with interest. “W-well, Luna said to think of the most dependable of ponies. Where I could be safe for awhile. So, I thought of you and your family, Applejack.” She said shyly, ears turning back. “I-I guess the spell just picked one of you and delivered me to that pony. It’s a good thing I didn’t land on Applebloom or Granny Smith!”

Applejack swelled a little with Apple family pride, that Twilight had picked her and hers as a safe haven from… from what? Evil? “Twilight, it’s mighty fine of you to think of us Apples as so dependable.” She smiled gently, trying to soothe her friend. “Tell y’what. You stay the night here with us, and we’ll sort it out in the morning. Let ever’pony breathe for a minute.”

“What if the Princess comes looking for me?”

“She’ll look in the library and in town, Ah’d wager.” Applejack spoke the truth. Celestia knew she had many friends, but those friends were scattered all over town. If she did come to Sweet Apple Acres there would be plenty of time to find a safe place to hide. Slowly, Twilight nodded. “Att’a girl.” The farmer smiled comfortingly. “C’mon, you can come sleep with your big sister Applejack. Ah got a big bed anyways.”

“Could… I just have the couch or something?” Twilight asked meekly.

“Alrigh’.” Applejack said, nodding slowly. “I’mma find some fresh blankets, be right back.”

Big Macintosh stood in the kitchen with Twilight, rather awkwardly. He would be thinking about her tonight, right when she showed up during a crisis. He thought carefully, licking his lips a little. He had to think of something nice to say. Somethin’ upright and… and sophisticated. Somethin’ to impress her and make her feel at home in his home. Somethin’… somethin’… The white powder he’d licked off of his hooves had strengthened him just a little bit, and when he opened his mouth his words shocked even him. “You want company?” he said in his thick country accent. She looked up at him, her brow rising in surprise. There was a long silence, and they stared at each other.

When Applejack returned with spare blankets and pillows, she found her big brother laying on his belly on the couch in the living room. Curled up like the smaller spoon, Twilight was hiding her face in his massive chest and trying to blot out the world. Her deep breaths said she had already fallen asleep, the poor exhausted thing. The orange earth pony gave her brother a look. He stared back at her. She looked down at Twilight, who trembled a little in her sleep. “No funny stuff, Big Macintosh.” She mooshed her hoof into his muzzle.

“M’ope.” He honked a little. Twilight whimpered like a foal, tucking her head under the blanket.

“She moves, you go with ‘er. Understand?” Applejack said dangerously.

“Eyuup.” He nodded, taking the lip of the blanket in his teeth and pulling it up over Twilight a bit more. She shifted just a little, making breathy and exhausted sounds. Applejack reluctantly left her brother and friend there to return to her own room. She’d be up again in a few hours, no doubt, but for now she had to try and sleep too.

Meanwhile, under the blanket, Twilight had been feigning sleep in order to end the conversations. She needed time to think. She needed time to plan and make lists and figure out what sort of strategy one needed to stand up to a goddess. She needed-- Big Mac sure smelled nice. Her train of thought paused at handsome-studly-stallion station for a few moments, and she admired his crimson fur under the blanket where she lay hidden. The light musk of stallion smell wafted at her, and she blushed. Curling up, she tried to concentrate on the matter at hand. She peeked at him again. After a time, Big Macintosh lay his head down on the arm of the couch and closed his eyes. He didn’t dare put his arm around—yes, yes he dared. His massive hoof lifted and he mooshed the tiny mare up against himself. She squeaked like a dog’s toy, but lay still. The huge stallion’s underbelly was big and velvety and very, very warm. She didn’t mind laying there like this. Not at all. Oooh, muscles! What was the harm in a little stallion-snuggling? Just a little bit? Normally, she would’ve shot across the room, hidden, cried out in embarrassment, but… she… she just didn’t feel like it. Huh. Twilight wondered where the bravery of being pressed up against Big Macintosh had come from. She was probably just too tired…

=-----=-----=-----=

“You know, sister, you are right. I should not have chased Twilight Sparkle like that.” Celestia whispered, splayed out on her back in Luna’s room. The guards, both solar and lunar, were outside. They weren’t allowed to participate in the aromatherapy sessions the sisters shared. After all, the Princesses were also moon-bathing by the window, and it would be improper for a stallion or four to stand there oogling them. “If she was upset, she should have time to calm down and put her thoughts in order. Chasing her about was just making it worse.” Celestia reached over into the little bowl of chocolates Luna had procured for the night.

“I know you’re very worried, Tia, but don’t be too hard on yourself.” Luna smiled as smooth as black silk. “Twilight Sparkle will come around. She loves you very much. She knows you wouldn’t abuse me like that, haha! That’s silly!” Luna coaxed her to eat another before grabbing one for herself. The wok of vanilla-smelling white powder between them was burning silently. It’s slowly curling lines of white smoke drifted back and forth in the air. “She’ll realize, just as you did, how strange that conversation went and she’ll come back to you.”

Celestia sighed, inhaling deeply. Her eyes flickered from their normal purple and over to a curious golden color. The white alicorn shifted, lifting her wings so she could lay on her side comfortably. “Yes… yes you’re right. She’ll come around.” The Princess of the day smiled at her sister, who reached and plucked a new chocolate for herself. Luna smiled and stared into her sister's gold eyes, chewing lavishly. She did adore chocolate.

End of Part 8

Argue and Duel

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 9: Argue and Duel

The Lunar Stallions were seventy ponies strong. A pretty pathetic number, to be quite honest. There were hundreds upon hundreds of solar guards for Celestia, but Princess Luna had hoof-picked every single one of her own forces. She’d pulled depressed alcoholics from bars and shown them the glorious moonlight. She’d taken forgotten soldiers that sat itching in outposts on the edges of the world. She snuck away with underappreciated stallions who just couldn’t seem to get ahead in life. The Princess scoured the darker parts of Canterlot and all of Equestria for several years, gathering those who needed to be loved. She gave them a path.

Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide had been the first. Aegis Shield was pulled from a prison cell, where he’d been sent to rot on a false charge after fraternizing with the wrong noble mare under her father’s nose. Now he was one of the top-ranked Lunar Stallions to serve her Majesty, and he’d even been graced to her bed a few times. Stalwart Hide was a fallen Solar guard, dismissed by Celestia herself for his lack of discipline upon review. Now, he was more than he could’ve ever been standing in the light. Solar Guard be damned.

The stallions that came after them were greeted with open arms, all of them down on their luck and needing a family that cared for them. Former drunks. Failed athletes. Business owners with need to invest in something greater than themselves. Blind ambition and powerful thirst to prove themselves, every single one of the seventy Lunar Stallions was ironclad in the cause to serve her Majesty Princess Luna… and nopony else. She molded them with fierce training and merciless discipline, until they became the superior fighting force they were today. They guarded her. They spied for her. They loved her deeply. She’d saved them from the darkness of their own hearts, and for it they would gladly die for her.

She asked them to dye their coats grey. Yes, Princess Luna. She asked them to submit to turning their eyes golden. Of course, Princess Luna. She told them to operate in shadow, to complete subtle missions of information and security. Gladly, Princess Luna. Eventually, she’d even gotten some of them to file their front teeth like fangs. Our bodies are yours to mold and command, Princess Luna! She’d rewarded them with excellent pay, willing mares, lodging, armor, and any worldly thing that was within her power to grant. Being so small in number compared to the solar guard, she could treat them like kings and solidify her grasp over them all the more firmly. The perfect storm.

Sixty-eight of them were gathered in the Lunar Chapel, dressed in full armor and murmuring amongst themselves. A meeting had been called, and all of them had stealthed away from their usual assignments to answer. Suddenly, the double doors groaned open and the Princess of the Night herself came in. Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide flanked her, eyes closed and noses tilted upward. The doors closed by magic behind them, the great log coming across it. There was happy murmuring in the pews of the chapel, which instantly halted when Luna mounted the little stage and turned about. Many, many golden eyes looked up at her eagerly. She favored them with a quiet smile and moved over behind a little podium to speak. “Stand!” barked Aegis Shield. They stood from the pews as one. “Recite!”

“VIVAS NOCTUS!” boomed the entire room. ‘Long live the night’, in Ancient Equestrian.

“Settle down, my stallions. Be seated.” Luna said in a silky, bemused voice. They did so, smiling eagerly. The Princess didn’t often call a meeting of the entire Lunar Stallion Corps. This must’ve been very, very important! Luna looked about, meeting the gazes of many stallions directly and smiling. Some jittered with excitement. “I’m sure you’ve all heard about my sister’s recent changes in behavior.” She started with it, right out of the gate. There was troubled murmuring and lots of nodding. “I come before you as a concerned sister, and ruler of Equestria…” Luna launched into a long, complex, and very practiced speech. She informed them all of all the strange little things that had been happening for the past few months around the palace. She thanked her spies for looking out for her sister’s well-being, in the meantime, but the stories got more and more terrifying as time went on. Who put a colt into a flashbang circle!? That was terrible! What about that politician, threatened with a dungeon cell for merely presenting a new idea? And Celestia even chased her most prized student out of the palace? Was she a madmare?! The Lunar Stallions got more nervous and shifty as Luna did her very, very best to make Celestia look like a budding tyrant. They began to murmur angrily and scowl at each other. Aegis Shield could barely keep them under control.

“Be silent!” he commanded roughly. “The Princess still speaks!”

Luna leaned over the podium, her face wrought with worry and distress. “Please listen to me, my stallions!” she called out in such a way that their protective natures kicked in and they fell silent. “My sister is slowly going out of control, and before long she may morph into something far worse than an aggressive alicorn!” Turning with a flourish, she produced a long wall scroll and flipped it over the podium. It unfurled by gravity to reveal a stylized picture of an alicorn. It had a fiery pink mane, golden armor and eyes, and was surrounded by flames and destruction. The more shocked Lunar Stallions in the chapel stood in abject horror. That looked almost like-! “Nightmare Moon?” Luna asked, smiling on the inside as she once again complimented herself on her beautiful acting skills. “Neigh, Lunar Stallions. Something far worse. I call this creature… Daymare Sun.” There was a long, terrible silence in the room. They looked at the picture in complete terror, like it might spring off the parchment and burn them all to ash in an instant. They looked at their Princess, silently pleading for instructions or mercy or something. Anything to stay the beast. “It hasn’t happened yet, but it may happen soon.” Luna told her troops. “She’s been getting worse by the day, and more accounts are pouring in each day of my sister’s increasingly draconian ways. She’s becoming a terror to herself and every pony around her!” Luna banged a hoof on the podium, startling the gathering.

“What can we do?” Aegis Shield turned to ask.

Luna smiled on the inside. Count on her Captain to lead with the group’s thoughts. They looked to he and Stalwart Hide as their alpha males, and to her as the leader. “Twilight Sparkle, my sister’s former protégé, has gone into hiding. If we’re lucky, she will return with the other chosen ones bearing the Elements of Harmony.”

“Aren’t those locked in a vault?” Aegis asked with concern. “Under Princess Celestia’s spells and incantations?” The room deflated and the feeling of despair spiked.

“The elemental necklaces merely represent the powers they project.” Luna said. “If the element bearers need them they will appear, drawn to their owners.” She tried to explain. “It is how they bested Nightmare Moon, after all. They’ve taken many forms. For my sister, they were all together as a yoke around her neck. For the bearers after her, they were orbs of glowing magic. The latest incarnations that you know are necklaces.” She said in brief explanation.

“We’re going to send Princess Celestia to the moon, then?” one brave stallion ventured. There was a collective, shocked gasp from the room. Turn against Celestia?! The Princess that brought the day?! How could they?! She’d been leading Equestria in an era of peace for over a thousand years!

“My stallions.” Luna said quietly, her eyes soft with worry and distress. “I do not know if we have a choice. Celestia is steadily growing more powerful, changing into something she is not. But, she cannot be allowed to continue treating her subjects this way.” There was worried agreement in the ranks. “If she assumes this final form at the peak of her strength? This… this ‘Daymare Sun’? I fear none will be able to stop her.” The dark alicorn let her chin hit her chest and a slow tear seeped out. Hearts quivered at the sight of the weeping Princess, and many stallions fought the urge to rush the stage and embrace her—tell her everything was going to be okay.

Stalwart Hide spoke for the first time. “We shall have to halt your exercises and training with her as soon as possible, Princess. She can’t get any stronger without your excellent techniques, surely.” The stallion said officially. “Maybe you can tell her you’ve taught her all you know? Pander to her growing ego?”

Luna made a thoughtful face, then nodded. “Yes. That would be best.” She looked out over the crowd to explain. “Princess Celestia and I have been training together for a few months now.” She explained to them rather openly. “After her defeat at the royal wedding, which I’m sure you all heard about, her ego was shattered. I offered a helping hoof to exercise with her, but she’s grown so strong she’s gone mad with power.” She made a show of wilting down a bit. “It’s all my fault…”

“Neigh!” said an angry stallion in the center of the chapel crowd. “Never, Princess! You set out to help her get strong again and this is how she repays you?! Turning into a mean-streaked madpony?! Neigh! It’s not your fault!”

“Yeah!”

“Not her fault!”

“Madpony!”

“She was trying to help!”

“Rabble-rabble-rabble! Rabble-rabble!” The crowd of stallions were on their hooves, arguing back and forth about how nasty Celestia had become. Rumors circulated as Aegis Shield went to put a comforting hoof around her Majesty’s shoulders. He smiled gently, pulling her cloak up about her shoulders. She smiled weakly, nodding her thanks.

Luna hobbled upright while Aegis Shield nursed her supposedly failed sense of balance. “For now we must be patient, my stallions. Twilight Sparkle will come to help us save the day. Until then, we must all act as if it were business as usual.” There were roars up upheaval and cries for immediate revenge against the solar tyrant. “Neigh!” she shouted, just shy of the Royal Canterlot Voice. “We must wait until we are all mustered if we are to stop my sister. Bide your time, my Lunar Stallions.” She bid them, slowly smiling in a motherly, encouraging way. “Bide.”

“For Luna!”

“For her Majesty!”

“Down with the tyrant!”

“A lunar empire!”

“Rabble-rabble-rabble!”

=-----=-----=-----=

Twilight Sparkle woke in the wee hours of the morning, feeling heavy and a little pressed. She lifted her head and her horn poked against something fleshy and firm. She blink-blinked blearily. This wasn’t her room, nor her bed. The neurons finally started firing again and she gave a jerk. This woke Big Macintosh, who was quietly curled up with her on the sofa, covered in a thick autumn-time blanket. “B-big Macintosh!” she whispered, for it was still only just past dawn.

“Eyuup?” he asked softly, yawning. He shifted a little to rest her head on the crook of his arm.

The purple mare flushed deeply, looking up at him. “It’s all gone really really wrong, hasn’t it?” she whispered miserably. “If we go to stop Princess Celestia, even if we win—what will happen?” she whimpered a little at the very idea. “She’s been a fixture of all of Ponydom for over a thousand years! Leading us in peace and prosperity and--!” she yipped a little, for Big Mac’s massive hoof was stroking her mane comfortingly. He blinked in a slow, gentle way that made Twilight wonder if he was even listening to her.

“Eyuu-u-up.” He said a little throatily, eyeing her like a starving pony eyes a fat daisy sandwich. He looked hungry. The mild musk of stallion’s desire touched her nose.

Twilight turned on her side to face him, just a little bit entranced. Sure, just about every red-blooded mare in Ponyville had fantasies about Big Macintosh, but she’d never considered… the moon dust that had spilled on her made her hesitate and give it very real thought. If the world was basically going to end soon, surely some self indulgence could be excused? She didn’t want to die a vir-!

“Twilight.” His deep, southern accent made her heart quiver just a little. She looked up into his big expressive eyes. Her hooves slowly came up to rest on his massive barrel chest. “You worry ‘bout tomorrow, tomorrow.” It was a short, simple sentence, but it was like a lover’s erotic whisper. She felt her face fill up with heat. Big Mac NEVER spoke so many words to her before. And the words themselves! Like sagely poetry! Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow! How kind and generous of him, to soothe her like that.

Twilight Sparkle considered him for a long and breathy silence. She leaned up, slowly. Well, rather, she awkwardly sidled upward, so they could be eye to eye. “B-Big Mac?” she whispered.

“Yup?” he asked, eyeing her hooves. They were making little circles on his muscled chest, rather greedily feeling him out. It felt good, the red stallion decided. More please.

Their muzzles drew close. “If Celestia decides to set her sights on somepony besides Luna, we could be in for a lot of troub—mmph!” Big Macintosh cut her off with a powerful kiss. She flushed, her arms wrapping firmly around him. She felt the coil of muscle, smelled the spike of stallion hormones and shuddered under the purr of deep desire. He wanted her. Well, he wanted her to hush and stop making herself sick with worry. Maybe a nice furious rutting would calm her the buck d-?

The sun rose above the horizon, casting both lusting ponies in its orange light. Twilight flinched like she’d been struck, pulling out of the kiss and falling hard onto the floor. “I-I’ve got to go and gather the others!” she said, her eyes flickering gold for a few moments before returning to their normal hue. Big Macintosh thought it was just the glare of the dawn light in her massive orbs. He sat there on his belly, looking at her pathetically. Don’t go, his face said. I want you. He looked a little glazed, his mouth working itself a little. He smiled at her in a sultry, happy way that invited the mare back to the makeshift bed. All the powerful virility of an Apple family stallion, all hers, if she would come back to bed. He wilted when she tore away from him, flopping down depressedly like somepony had just gravely insulted his deceased mother.

=-----=-----=-----=

“To my faithful student Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia recited for the eleventh time, pacing worriedly back and forth in the grand conference. Captain Grey scribbled on the new piece of parchment for her as she spoke. “I’m terribly sorry for the grave misunderstanding between us in our recent meeting. No no, that seems too formal. The poor thing is frightened of me,” the white alicorn mumbled, stopping and frowning. Captain Grey balled up the letter and tossed it into the pile behind him. “To my faithful student Twilight Sparkle,” she tried again, rubbing her chin idly. “I’m so sorry things got so out of control during our last visit. It really isn’t what it looks like. No no…” she sighed, not liking that line either. “Captain Grey, what do you think?” she asked a mortal pony, he would know a better way to soothe a panicked mare.

“I think you should go in person, you Majesty. Nothing solves a problem like facing it directly.” The Pegasus said with a sniff. “Letter-writing seems a little distant.”

“Perhaps, but she ran from me when I tried to explain. A letter will look less threatening. And after she reads it, she’ll come back to me.” The Princess said it like she was writing to an angry marefriend, but he knew what she meant. Fretting while she walked back and forth, the white alicorn tried again. “Dearest Twilight Sparkle--!”

“Good morrow, sister!” Luna swept into the room, all smiles. “How fair you?”

“I’m trying to write a good letter to Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia confessed when the double doors shut behind her. “I’m very worried for my faithful student. She must think me a monster.” She wilted a little, but Luna put a hoof on her shoulder for comfort.

“If she were truly your faithful student, she would not think such things of you.” Luna said seriously. “Perhaps she’s merely rattled at your changing appearance and… eyes?” The dark alicorn made a show of leaning and looking closely into her sister’s face. “Golden eyes…” she whispered with a look of awe.

“Interesting, no?” Celestia brightened just a little. She fluttered her lashes at her sister, who giggled. The Princess of the day’s eyes were a rather bright yellow-orange, golden and shining with raw magical power. “I kind of like them, to be honest.” She paused, grinning at her sister. “They look a bit like your Lunar Stallions’ eyes.”

Luna squinted a little, as though to check, then chuckled. “They do! You’re right!” she checked over her shoulder to look cautiously at Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide. They nodded dumbly, their expressions neutral. They didn’t trust themselves to speak around the solar tyrant. Mean ol’ bitch. Luna turned back around. “Er, anyway. I came with a purpose this evening, sister. One I think you’ll be excited to hear.”

“Oh?” Celestia stopped her pacing, pushing Twilight from her mind for a moment. “What’s that?”

“Well, I think we’re just about done with our training regiment.” Luna smiled sheepishly. “You have surpassed me, I think. We’ve only one more thing to do before I think you’ll be done.”

“What?” Celestia said eagerly. Her goal was in sight!

“Why, a no-holds-barred duel, sister!” Luna smiled impishly, lifting her hoof to show off the special horse shoes she wore. They inhibited her magic quite a bit, both sisters knew. If she took them off for a duel, it would be serious business. Celestia’s mouth made a little o-shape, her golden eyes glittering with excitement and just a little bit of battle-lust. A fight with her sister, to see just how strong she’d become over the months? Glorious!

“Very well then!” Celestia found herself smiling grandly, golden eyes glittering. “I look forward to it!” she smiled, then glanced over at the curious Captain Grey. “Er, I’ve been training with Luna in the evenings, since the royal wedding.” She admitted with a guilty smile.

“You’ve been sneaking out every night?” Captain Grey stood so hard his chair toppled over. “Your Majesty! That is so incredibly risky it’s not even funny! What if you were captured by someone? Or assassinated? Or worse?!”

Celestia stopped his tantrum by pressing a massive hoof over most of his muzzle. “Peace, stallion. I’ve become much, much stronger for it.” She turned sideways and, with a rather naughty chuckle, shook her toned hips a little. His cheeks colored, and Luna fought down a barking laugh. Her sister, completely uninhibited thanks to the moon dust, was a sassy little thing wasn’t she?! Hah! “Thank you, Luna.” Celestia said with a smile. “We’ll meet in our usual place then? At the usual time?”

“Of course, sister. As your teacher I looked forward to measuring everything you’ve got to give.” Luna smiled confidently from under her eyebrows. With that, she nodded to her Lunar Stallions and they were away. Aegis Shield opened his mouth to voice his disapproval, but she shushed him until they were out of earshot and among shadows in a deep corridor. “I know you worry for me, my stallions, but I spoke the truth.” Luna said with a soft growl. “I must measure how strong my sister has become. With that information, we can plan more thoroughly.” She didn’t voice what the plan was in such a public place, in case there were ears listening. Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide nodded, though both grandly disapproved of this. Celestia had become very powerful. If she hurt their Princess, they would have to step in and try to stop her themselves. They promised this with a look at each other, and nodded.

=-----=-----=-----=

Big Macintosh was sitting around a grand table with six mares and a baby dragon. They argued animatedly back and forth, comparing stories and rumors they’d heard about Celestia. They were trying to figure out which ones were true by origin, when they’d heard them, and how much merit the sources gave. Twilight’s conversation with the Princess and learning that she was abusing her sister had sent all of them into a frenzy. The stallion was glad he wasn’t known for talking very much, and when he was asked anything he could nod or shake his head. It had been going on for hours and hours, from early that morning until well after dusk. Everypony had taken the day off work for the very serious summit.

“I just don’t know if this really warrants rebellion, Twilight!” Rarity said, scrubbing her hoof through her mane. “Perhaps Luna did something to deserve it? I mean, who better to punish an alicorn than one strong enough to inflict pain? It’s no different than spanking a foal, right?”

“Rarity she had a laceration scar a foot long on her side!” Twilight argued, slamming her hoof down on the table. “That’s not a spanking!”

“T’ain’t right to put your hooves on your siblings.” Applejack agreed. “One time ah thought to put Applebloom over mah knee? Granny Smith made me sleep out in the barn fer a week!” she admitted it to her friends, turning her ears back in shame. The six mares chattered back and forth some more at the thought.

“What about the gardener?” Fluttershy said meekly. “And the chef we heard about? Are they still there at the palace?” she wondered. “Nothing back happened to them… I hope?” she said even more softly.

“Dunno.” Rainbow Dash said. “All I heard was that Celestia terrorized an orphanage recently, and put a foal in a flashbang circle. You know they use those to keep captured criminals from fleeing?! That’s sick!” The prismatic-maned mare whapped a hoof loudly on the table. “This can’t go on!”

“But she’s the Princess!” Rarity wanted to defend her Majesty so much, didn’t want it to be true. “There’s always nasty rumors flying around about the upper class! Surely there’s been some misunderstanding!”

“There’s never been nasty rumors about Princess Celestia.” Twilight murmured, staring at the table. “I grew up in and around the palace. Ponies gossiped about everything EXCEPT her.” She told her friends. “She was always perfect, shining, and happy. We loved her…” she trailed off, wilting down further and trying not to cry.

“If she’s turned into a big fat meanie-pants, I-I dunno what we should do!” Pinkie Pie had an army helmet covered with leaves in one hoof, and a party hat in the other hoof. “I mean, she’s the Princess so she knows best, right? She’s over a thousand years old!”

“Good Princesses don’t terrorize foals like hardened criminals!” Applejack argued.

“Umg, Good Princesses don’t dismiss their staff for such tiny slip-ups… I think…” Fluttershy mumbled.

“Good Princesses don’t show their political opponents a jail cell to scare them! Or throw foals in jail either, for that matter!” Applejack was perhaps the most gung-ho to stop Celestia, for the worst crimes she’d committed all had Applebloom’s face, in her mind’s eye. She saw her little sister trapped in a flashbang circle. Then, sitting in a jail cell while criminals leered at her. She couldn’t take it.

“Good Princesses don’t beat their sisters.” Twilight whispered quietly, hanging her head. Everypony present looked at her. She opened her mouth to speak, eyes soft, but suddenly Spike stood up glutching his throat. Belch! A scroll burst from his mouth in a flash of fire. Twilight Sparkle seized it. “It’s from Princess Celestia!” she gasped. Gulping, she unrolled it. “Dearest Twilight Sparkle. I hope this letter finds you well, and I want to extend my deepest apologies. Our conversation last night was not as it seems. You see, Luna has been training me in the ways of combat, and I only recently became strong enough to best her on the field of combat. I am not abusing her, I merely defeated her and felt very good about myself for having improved so well.” Twilight’s brow was slowly rising in surprise, her mouth gaping open. One by one the elements stood up, leaning forward with growing smiles. “So you see, there’s nothing to fear, my most faithful student. I am not a sister-beating tyrant, as seemed to go through everyone’s head recently. I hope you come to visit me soon, so that we can make amends and visit. Your mentor, Princess Celestia.” Twilight Sparkle sat down hard. “W… why, this explains everything!” she said, pressing the letter down over the table.

“Wait, what about all that other stuff? The gardener? The foal in the flash-bang circle? All the rest?” Rainbow Dash wanted to know, leaning over the letter with a frown. “She might be lying to get you to come back!”

Twilight’s shields had already come up, though. A golden straw had appeared for her to grasp at. “Don’t talk about the Princess that way!” she said with a scowl. “This was obviously some sort of massive misunderstanding!” she leaned forward aggressively, pressing her nose up against Rainbow Dash’s. The Pegasus growled and pressed back at her. “She’s not a tyrant, she’s just been exercising privately under--!”

Princess Luna’s body popped into existence, crashing hard onto the table they all sat around. She was followed shortly by a pair of brutally beaten Lunar Stallions, who fell in a tangled heap of bent armor and moaning. Everypony, even Big Macintosh, shoved themselves away from the table with a cry as their chairs toppled over. “Luna!” The entire group shouted.

Princess Luna was covered with hoof prints, especially over her chest and flank. Her horse shoes were missing, and her regalia gone as well. Where were all of her royal trappings? What was worse, though, was her face! She had one eye swollen shut, and a silvery line of blood escaping one of her nostrils. Her tongue lolled out just a bit, and her hooves kicked weakly. Fluttershy fainted in distress.

“Princess Luna!” Applejack was the first to gain her voice, rushing over and clambering onto the table to get to her faster. “Speak to us!” She turned the wounded alicorn over, cradling her head and shaking her a little.

Luna moaned weakly, her forearm coming over her face for a bit. “Wh-when I refused to yield in our duel, my stallions tried to save me.” She whispered gutturally. “Sh-she wouldn’t stop!” She began to cry a little. “Sh-she wouldn’t stop…”

Applejack pulled the ailing alicorn off of the table, gently easing her onto a sofa. “You call this exersizin’, Twilight?” she said softly, gesturing to the massive bruises and silvery blood. Twilight Sparkle stood there, mouth agape. She began to shake. She looked at the letter lying innocently on the table. Seizing it with her magic, she tore it in half, then in half again.

“Forgive me, sir… easy does it…” Rarity was doing her best to drag Aegis Shield off of the table to the floor, where he could rest a little easier. He grunted in pain when he hit the ground, and she winced until he got him down onto his belly. Rainbow Dash was doing the same with Stalwart Hide, who moaned incoherently. When he flopped onto his back, the Wonderbolt-in-training recoiled in horror. The massive hoof print on his chest had turned his armor concave. How was he not dead?

“She’s strong… she’s so strong…” Luna whispered in a weak rant, staring at the ceiling with soft eyes. Applejack and Pinkie Pie quickly reclined her onto a sofa, hushing her gently.

“Save yer strength, Princess. You’ve done enough.” Applejack said, trying not to look at the hoof-shaped bruises all over her slender, beautiful dark body. “Whatever happened it’s over now, ‘kay?”

“Twilight…?” Pinkie Pie said, her poofy hair falling into its straight and curtain-y shape. Everypony looked to the purple unicorn, including Luna. They looked to her for leadership.

Twilight was shaking with visible anger, tears gathering in her eyes as she ripped the letter into smaller and smaller pieces. She let out little squeaking, whistling sounds while she tried to fretfully breathe.

Luna looked at her from where she lay, smiling on the inside. It was true she’d dueled with her sister, the ‘final exam’ of her training. She’d even taken her horse shoes off to fight at full strength… then leaned into every punch and kick and blast of magic. One night of pain was more than worth it to make it genuinely look like Celestia had beaten the ever-loving buck out of her little sister without mercy. And for her guards to have leapt in like that? Even better. Her sister thought it part of the test. When Luna had refused to yield during the duel, Celestia had kept going without qualm. Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide rushed to her aide, briefly throwing down with the Goddess of the day. But even at their full strength they were no match for Celestia. After Luna yielded, while her guards drifted in and out of consciousness, she’d declared Celestia fit as could be and let her leave early, as per usual. The Princess of the day left her behind without question, off to celebrate herself. The fact that she didn’t voice concern about her sister or her guards’ injuries spoke VOLUMES—much to Luna’s delight. She really had turned just a little bit selfish and wicked. That had given Luna ample opportunity to wait for a bit, then teleport straight to Twilight Sparkle and show off her wounds. Checkmate, Tia, she thought.

Twilight looked at the others, dropping the pieces of the letter all over the floor like confetti. The decision was made. “Okie dokie lokie…” said Pinkie Pie slowly, putting away her party hat and slapping on her leafy army helmet. She frowned in such a way that the others around the room could only nod their agreement. It was time to go to war against Princess Celestia.

On the ethereal plain, Luna saw the egg-like spell wrapped around Twilight Sparkle crack just a little. She again wondered what it was and why it was there.

End of Part 9

Egg and Cake

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 10: Egg and Cake

Luna moaned in pain, which pulled Twilight Sparkle out of her slumber. It had been almost twenty-four hours since the dark alicorn had moved, and the Lunar Stallions she’d brought with her were not much better. Unfurling herself from Big Macintosh’s massive, quiet embrace, she snuck out of the bedroll she’d been in. The floor was covered with sleeping ponies, all of her friends plus Big Mac, and the Princess and her two guardians lay on a bed and couches.

Twilight squinted at the light from her own horn, leaning over Luna. She looked just as rumpled and bruised as when she’d arrived. They’d tried to groom her, but the alicorn had whimpered and shrunk away. As a result, she still looked terrible. “Luna?” Twilight whispered, putting a tender hoof on her shoulder.

Luna’s unbruised eye slitted open and she looked up at the mare. “Twilight Sparkle? Is that you?” she whispered. Twilight nodded, smiling in a painful way. “Ohhh good, I was frightened my sister might’ve--”

“Shhh…” Twilight soothed her, leaning down and tucking her Princess’ head under her chin for a long and quiet moment. “It’s alright. I heard you moaning, just checking on you.”

“Thank you…” Luna nuzzled Twilight quietly, like a foal seeking solace at its mother’s breast during a thunderstorm. Just an extra little tidbit to add to the pile of excellent acting she’d been laying on so thickly since she’d arrived. She’d refused food, limped, refused healing spells for fear of more pain while knitting, and even asked after her guards whenever she could. She played the part of wounded Princess so, so well. While yes, her bruises and blood were real, it would take a beating ten times that to fell her thus. But truth be told she was fine. She’d only wanted to be marked up for Twilight Sparkle’s benefit. Just an extra little nudge to pull the purple mare to her side and point her powerful magicks at Celestia.

While Twilight stroked Luna’s mane comfortingly, tender, the dark alicorn once again peered at the strange golden spell wrapped around her. It looked much like an egg, cracked under the stress of emotion and magical presence. She probed gently, touching it with her magic. It rejected her lunar magic, letting it slide off like oil. But, there was something strange about it. It was pulsing quietly, like a heartbeat. The itching desire to see it break, just because it was Celestia’s spell, grew irresistible. Now was a good of a time as any. “What’s wrong?” Twilight whispered, seeing Luna’s expression change.

“Twilight, what is that light?” Luna whispered, pawing at her chest a little. “That light, coming off of you?” She tried to sit up, but her caretaker wouldn’t let her.

“That’s my horn, Princess. It’s just a light spell, I promise.” Twilight crooned, pressing the Princess down to rest.

“No no, that golden light…” Luna feigned ignorance. “The one wrapped around you.” She made a vague all-of-her gesture. Twilight frowned, looking at herself. “It’s wrapped around you so tightly… like an egg.” She whispered weakly. Luna reached up to stroke Twilight’s cheek, like she were trying to rub something off of her. Twilight turned her head, looking at a mirror mounted on the wall. She didn’t see anything.

Applejack stirred a little, so Twilight lowered her voice. “Princess there’s nothing there, I promise.” She whispered, smiling gently. She took Luna’s hoof, kissed it tenderly, and pressed it down to her chest. Luna’s hoof insisted up to her cheek again, though, and the black magic of her horn ignited quietly.

“Then why does it hurt when I do this?” Luna whispered, prodding at Twilight’s egg-prison with her spell. There was a crackle of magic on the ethereal plain. The egg shuddered, cracking just a fraction more. The whole structure vibrated, and a little pinprick of light emerged out of one sight.

Twilight recoiled with a squeak, then slapped her hoof over her mouth so she wouldn’t wake anypony. She rubbed hard at her temples. “What is that?” she whispered, furrowing her brow. “I saw it, I saw it just for a second!” she whispered.

“I don’t know.” Luna whispered. “I think it’s some sort of inhibiting spell, wrapped around you like a shell.” Twilight stared at her uncomprehendingly. “Has your magic ever gotten too powerful, or out of control?” she asked.

“…Once, when I was small.” Twilight said embarrassedly. “I was taking an entrance exam to enter Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns, and I… I shorted out.” She tried to explain. “My powers were raging out of control, turning ponies into potted plants, shooting lightning and growing Spike into a giant dragon right after he’d been born!”

Luna listened with barely disguised grand interest. “And what happened to all that power?” she whispered, eyes glittering.

“Princess Celestia came in and… and…” the mare’s memory was foggy after that point, and she frowned in a troubled way. “And then… she tapped me on the shoulder…” she trailed off, trying to make sense of the thing she’d not thought about it in ages. “And it all just kind of stopped. I was never able to do that again.”

“My sister put an inhibiting spell on you. Like a ball and chain on a runner.” Luna said, gingerly sitting up and nursing a particularly nasty bruise on her ribs. “I can see it on you, wrapped around your soul like bindings.”

“Princess Celestia… inhibited me?” Twilight Sparkle said, looking crushed.

“She probably thought you were too young to control all of your raw powers at the time.” Luna said matter-of-factly. “But then, she never took it off of you. Not even when you reached marehood.” The Princess of the night couldn’t believe her luck. New and interesting arrows kept arriving in her quiver to fire at her sister. This one was by far the sharpest of the bunch. “Tiz a shame she’s letting you waste your potential in the prime of your life.” She sighed dramatically, wincing inwardly at how dramatic it had been. She really needed to reign in her acting.

“Can… you get it off of me?” Twilight asked, cocking her head. For a moment, she’d forgotten Luna had been brutally injured. She wanted to know more about what sort of inhibition Celestia had cursed her with.

“I’m not sure.” Luna sat up the rest of the way. “It’s cracked. Like I told you, it resembles an egg.” She tried to explain the metaphysical ideas of solar magic on the ethereal plain wrapped around the soul of a potent mortal pony… but it was difficult. It wasn’t a branch of magic mere unicorns could weave. It took an alicorn to do such sorcery. “Solar and lunar magic are like… oil and water.” Luna said softly. “My spells might just slip off of you.”

“Try?” Twilight said with dilated pupils, leaning forward.

“All right.” Luna took a deep breath and, reaching slowly with her magic, leaned and touched Twilight Sparkle with her horn. Journeying briefly into the ethereal plain with her mind, she peered at the unicorn’s soul. It burned very brightly, ripe with talent and raw potential. Luna smiled pleasantly, leaning to peer at it this way and that. Pulling back a bit, she observed the egg-like seal around it. Now that Twilight knew and had given her permission, she could take her time. Looking at it this way and that, she spotted a golden thread leading away from it all, and stretching towards the horizon. A hair-trigger, no doubt, for Celestia. If the seal broke, she would know. Licking her lips in careful thought, she mumbled nonsense and poked the egg with her horn. Twilight whimpered, squeezing her eyes closed and trying to sit still. Luna shifted on the couch a little, face screwing up with concentration.

There were many ways to break a seal spell, but an alicorn-grade seal would be far more difficult. Especially one that would reject most of her lunar magic to begin with. She pushed on it again. The structure shuddered, shimmering in the golden light of the ethereal plain. Luna walked in quick circles around it, studying the cracks and the patterns of how they’d occurred. Perhaps it had lesser structural integrity at certain points…? She felt it gently with a surgeon’s hooves, trying to find any obvious weaknesses. Then, she found it. There it was, for all to see. Well, for her to see.

“I think I found it.” Luna whispered.

“Well? Break it!” Twilight said impatiently, eager to see what would happen. “I’ve been held back all this time, I’ve gotta know what my magic is really like! Please!” she was struggling to keep her voice down.

Luna squinted, horn lighting up as she pulled on the cracks. She wormed Lunar magic in through the weak spots, trying to make it expand like ice in pavement. Anything to send the cracks further, to weaken and break the seal on the purple mare. Unless she missed her guess she was about to have a much, much more powerful little ally. And if that light peeking out between the cracks was any indication, she may not need to trick the Elements of Harmony after all.

=-----=-----=-----=

Princess Celestia looked one way, then the other, suspicious. She sat in the white room all alone, eleven cheesecakes slathered with strawberry sauce sitting on the long table in front of her. One from Ponyville. One from Appleoosia. One from Manhatten. Another from Los Pegasus. All different places. She’d sent for them days ago, bidding that they arrive exactly at the same time. Cherry Ontop even redeemed himself by delivering his own, extra sauce on his to make up for his past mistakes. Celestia had granted him royal pardon for his little transgression in the past. Now, she sat alone, just DARING the universe to make something happen. She’d not gotten even one piece of the cake she so desired, and after so many attempts it was time to go overboard.

There were guards outside the dining room. Pegasi flying the night sky outside the window. The servant’s door was blocked and nailed shut. She checked all the corners, looking into all the shadows of the room. She’d even thrown out a Lunar Stallion that was, for some reason, playing hide and seek behind a column near the ceiling. There was nopony that was going to mess this up for her. Nopony.

The alicorn squinted around with a rather vengeful expression, the golden knife next to her lighting up and lifting itself by magick. Selecting the cheesecake from Apploosia, she pulled it towards herself and sat down daintily. Her golden eyes twinkled with excitement, pure unadulterated glee on her features. Pushing her pink mane behind her ears, she gently sliced the cake and teased herself with the knife she used. She let it glide messily across her tongue. The taste of heaven kissed her mouth and she moaned audibly, as though a stallion were having his way with her. Shivering, she lifted the slice from the platter to her plate. She dropped the knife unceremoniously, lifting her fork and cutting off a mouthful-sized slice.

She’d been looking forward to this. She’d just written a scholarship protocol to favor foals from low income families. She’d held the Noon Day court and put away a thief or two for stealing from somepony’s gardens. She’d patiently counted down the hours. She’d bested Luna in training, and here was her promised reward. Celestia trembled, waving the little morsal under her muzzle. She teased herself rather erotically, letting the chilled treat touch her muzzle. She sniffed deeply, letting the chill of the treat numb the tip of her nose. She licked her chops, lifting it happily to her—

Wh-BAM! The doors of the dining hall flew open and struck the walls they hinged on. Celestia’s fork fell. She let out a bitter chuckle, half-crazed, turning to see who it was. “Captain Grey.” She said, one of her eyes twitching a little. “This… had better be good.” She said with a measure of venom. Of course it was Captain Grey. He was the only pony that could just walk through the ranks of the fifty solar guards she’d placed outside the dining room.

“Good enough to get my ears twisted by a pair of mares, your majesty.” He said painfully, showing her the pink things sticking up out of his helm. Celestia leaned curiously, her expression shocked. “I’m here to report that your bath may be a bit late this evening. Your entire bathhouse team quit their jobs just minutes ago.”

“What? All of them? That’s five ponies, Captain. They all quit?” Princess Celestia stood slowly. The Captain nodded solemnly, knowing how sacred the royal bathhouse was to her Majesty. Bath time in the royal bathhouse was one of her most sacred pasttimes, where she could truly relax and not have to worry about anything. Without the team of ponies that ran it, it would fall to disrepair. Worse, there would be no team of mares to preen her vast wings in the hard to reach spots. What about Bubble Bath? She would miss him most of all. Celestia cast an eye over the table, over all the treats she’d gone through such lengths to get. She whimpered, then turned from them. Her… little… ponies… were more important. It was like walking through cement, walking away from that table. Maybe just one bite? No no, if she started she wouldn’t be able to stop. She had to see to this first. They were cakes, they wouldn’t go anywhere.

“This way, maybe we can still catch them.” Said Captain Grey, walking quickly.

Princess Celestia stopped on the threshold of the dining room, then stepped out into the hallway. The massive group of solar guards in the hall looked at her expectantly. “This room is now off limits. This door does not open.” She smiled pleasantly with thinly veiled malice. “If one pony finds his way into this room while I am away,” she walked among them, then turned with BURNING GOLDEN EYES OF DOOM. “I shall personally geld you all!” Her voice vibrated the hall with all the fiery hatred of a thousand suns. The massive group shuddered backward a few feet, looking at her in wild terror. The doors to the dining room slammed themselves shut, and a massive sun-symbol emblazoned itself on the wood, scorched with pure magical heat. The doors were ruined, but Celestia would know if somepony opened them while she was away. She turned and cantered quickly down the corridor. The solar guards looked at each other, aghast at what they’d just heard. Th-their P-Princess! So mean! What had she become lately?!

The pink-maned alicorn arrived in the royal bathhouse as quickly as her hooves could carry her with dignity. She found the five ponies, nicknamed ‘Bubble Bath’s Crew’, scrambling this way and that to gather their things. Shampoo bottles, brushes, combs, all sorts of supplies were being put in bags and boxes while they moved quickly around the place. Towels were being mounded up to one side, and Celestia saw her very favorite loofa get tossed in the trash. “Princess!” one of the mares squeaked when she saw her in the doorway. Everypony froze, turning with fear in their eyes and backing away from her.

Princess Celestia swept into the room, looking around with a rather blatant frown. “I was told that all of you were quitting your jobs here at the bathhouse.” She said, measuring her patience before she spoke. She was an alicorn, she was bigger than this, she didn’t need to scare them away. She was better than them, she just needed to rein them back in to do their little jobs for her. “Would somepony explain why? Please?” she sprinkled the please on the end like an afterthought, though it wasn’t really necessary. She was the Faust-damn Princess, and they would tell her anything she asked them or else.

Bubble Bath suddenly emerged from the store room, squaring his shoulders. The team of four mares crowded around and behind him, looking to him for their strength. He swallowed, coming forward with a brush in his mouth. He looked up at her, scanning for the Princess he’d spent so many nights grooming to perfection. But no, he couldn’t find her. That pink mane, those golden eyes, that self-righteous saunter and cruel gaze… he couldn’t find her at all. Suddenly, his chest began to inflate a bit more, Celestia could see his frame shudder a bit. The mares gathered around him backed up a little. Was he going to explode? He worked his mouth a little, and then the mute stallion SPOKE, “You should be‘shamed uh yerself. Turnin’ into all this-- this monster uh yers. You think you’re so big and powerful? You’kin wash yerself.” He threw down the brush in front of her. It clattered across the tile and stopped at her hooves. “C’mon girls.” His chest deflated back into his bored-faced muteness, getting several of the bags and heading slowly for the door. Celestia, Captain Grey, and the gaggle of she-ponies stared at him like he’d grown an extra head. Who knew Bubble Bath actually had a voice?! The mares looked up at Celestia with sorrowful eyes, then grabbed their things and followed. The last one paused before they rounded the corner, soft in the eyes, then rushed away to be with her companions. Bubble Bath’s Crew would have to find business elsewhere. They only hoped there was a spa with FIVE openings somewhere out there.

Celestia stood there, stunned. She was angry at first, but it wasn’t as though she could force them to stay. If there were ponies you didn’t want mad at you, it included ponies like your cook and your groomer. They could get terrible revenge on you. And since she’d just redeemed one of her chefs, she would have to settle with bathing alone. Celestia sighed. She’d spend weeks trying to find a new bath house crew, especially when word got around that the last crew had all quit on the same day. Ah well. Mortal ponies were perfectly replaceable, at the end of the day. Time had no meaning when one was practically immortal.

Captain Grey pushed the door closed gently, locking it so the Princess could have a moment. “They… drew you one more bath.” He nodded towards one of the Jacuzzi-like structures. “And I uh… made off with this.” He smiled bashfully, turning sideways. Balanced on the armored stallion’s back was a slice of heaven. When… how…? She didn't care. It was there, in front of her, and she could have it.

Princess Celestia slowly smiled, and eyed him hungrily. “Captain… since there are no ponies attending my bath anymore, I shall need some help.” Celestia levitated the plate and cake to herself with a tinkling chuckle. Who needed those ponies anyway? She could best her sister in combat! She ruled the biggest nation in the world! Millions of ponies counted on her to raise and lower the sun every day! She was the peak of all things in of ponydom! She shouldn’t be sad! She’d finally come back to the way things were, when she was more beautiful and powerful than anything else in the land! She should be celebrating herself! And she knew just how. No. More. Delays. Taking the plate in her hoof, she greedily wolfed down the cake slice. She moaned incoherently, getting it all over her face and not giving a damn about it. She licked the plate like a foal, then enthusiastically broke it upon the ground with a flourish. The Captain laughed a little nervously at her display, watching her hop into the water with a splash. She squealed at the heat, but refused to let it best her. Sinking in up to her neck, she turned about to look up at him. She licked her lips a bit. “Come and attend to me, Captain.” She whispered in a sultry way. It was easy to see she wasn’t talking about preening her wings or brushing her fur. Her wings rose seductively up out of the water for him to see.

“Er…” Captain Grey gulped a little. He could not deny it. He had red blood like every other stallion alive. Ever since the day Celestia had licked his nose, had flirted with him a little here and there… he’d been fantasizing in his cot at night. “Yes, your Majesty.” He found himself grinning. He loved powerful mares. He loved his Princess too. He started to unclasp his armor and toss it unceremoniously to one side.

“Mhmhmhm…” Celestia leaned on the edge of the pool while she watched the handsome stallion get naked. She licked her chops, trying to get the rest of the cake from around her muzzle. When he approached, though, she suddenly had something more interesting to look at. A lot more interesting. “Mhhh, Luna was right,” Celestia purred as he pressed her aggressively over the lip of the baths and pushed her tail aside..“It's been too long. I did need this.” She shivered in anticipation. He mounted her.

End of Part 10

Hatch and Fire

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 11: Hatch and Blood

Satiated. That was a word Celestia didn’t often get to use on herself. When she awoke, the scene around her certainly telegraphed this. On her bedside table was a stack of dirty trays that had once contained the other eleven cheesecakes from a few days ago. To her left, Captain Grey snoozed idly. To her right, Striking Spear was looking very guiltily at the ceiling with the covers tucked up under his chin. Purring softly, Celestia turned on her side and lifted a sultry white wing to tickle his nose. He flinched a little, looking over at her with a troubled expression. “Why so blue, Captain Spear?” Celestia whispered, pushing her mane behind her ear and smiling.

“I-I don’t know what came over me.” He said in a shame-filled way. “I have a wife! A son!” he looked over at her with a terrified expression. “What am I supposed to tell them?!”

The Princess smirked just a little, remembering how easy it had been to seduce him. The mildest flick of solar magic could ignite a stallion’s feral passions like no other. “That you went to bed with a goddess that wanted you.” Celestia snickered just a little, leaning and licking a crumb of cheesecake off of his cheek. He flinched out of bed like she’d slapped him. She admired his white and naked body while he scrambled around the room to work his armor back on. He was such a delightful shade of crimson, it reminded her of the strawberry sauce she’d licked off of his chest and—elsewhere, the night before. Captain Grey was just one stallion, he had his limits, the poor thing. But BOTH Captains in her bed, ohhh, that was the ticket to satisfying her. She liked the attention, very much.

“I-I’ve gotta go.” Striking Spear said, his eyes troubled and distant as he rushed out of the room.

Celestia just shrugged a little, her eyes flickering with a golden light before turning back to purple. She sighed and laid on her back with her great wings open. Smiling over at the sleeping Captain Grey, she tickled his nose with some of her feathers. He sneezed violently, waking up with a bluster. The alicorn giggled while he turned on his side and looked at her uncomprehendingly for a few moments. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Captain Grey.” The Princess’ tinkling laughter made him blush.

“Er.” Was all he could seem to say, and he rose from the bed very sore. Like the other Captain, she watched him wander embarrassedly around the room to collect bits of his armor. Celestia’s nudity spell had separated all the parts out into bits all around the room. While he struggled into them, the alicorn rose at last and lazily stretched her wings and limbs. “That was…” the Pegasus tried to find words for it all, blushing and staring at the door more than Celestia.

“Heavenly?” Celestia offered, flopping onto her side to admire his masculine studliness and face. “Hmhmhm, Captain, you should be flattered. Whatever a Princess wants, she gets. I am an alicorn, after all.” She rose after praising her own species, pecking him on the cheek. “Doesn’t it feel good to be the object of my desires?” she saw him flush again, and made for her private bathroom to ready herself for the coming day. As she walked by the window, she heaved the sun rather ungracefully into the sky. Bam. Morning. No effort or grace. Captain Grey watched her go, gulping a little. “Go and groom for a bit, I must make ready for the Noonday Court.” She dismissed him. Very suddenly, the white Pegasus felt used.

The Noon Day court began an hour and a half later. Captain Striking Spear seemed to be missing, so Celestia replaced him with a random guard from a random post on her way to the throne room. Captain Grey kept his eyes downcast, unsure about what was even going on anymore. He glanced at his Princess, who walked with her chest thrust out and a grand smile plastered across her long face. She seemed happy, and all was right with the world… but he had the itching feeling it was not. She’d changed for the better, sure, but… she was stronger, livelier, more assertive against crime and stupid ponies that didn’t do their jobs right. As a military stallion, he liked that but… but she seemed… he didn’t have a word for it. Poisonous, perhaps.

Captain Grey saw servants scurry out of the Princess’ path. None of them stopped to speak with her, or do much more than bow as she passed. They were even cautious about stepping on her shadow, in case it drew her eye. They all hurried past her, or into side passages as she went. One poor maid accidently knocked over a vase when she saw the Princess coming. Celestia stopped to aide her and fix the vase with magic, but the little pony rushed away in a fright. The alicorn shrugged it off, placing the repaired vase back on its display pedestal. Captain Grey bit his lip a little. This wasn’t how walking about the palace usually went. The scent of fear was too thick. He found himself wishing that Princess Luna was there, for some reason.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=

Ponyville quickly became aware of Princess Luna’s presence, and soon gifts and well wishes were pouring in. The moment it had been discovered she was injured, Twilight would often open the door of her tree home to find it surrounded with food baskets, get-well-soon items, and even things like flowers and candies.

It had been three days since the dark alicorn’s surprise arrival, and thankfully she was doing much better. The same could not be said for her Lunar Stallions, though, which she constantly crooned over like a mother hen. Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide didn’t heal nearly as quickly as her Majesty, and were bedridden for the moment. Poor Luna, she worried so much about all of her subjects, despite her own injuries. She could often be found pacing, quietly thinking to herself. But, she used the rest of the time to speak with the Elements of Harmony.

Well, speak with is a relative term. Poison is probably the better word. In a well-practiced mannerism of worry and virginal distress, she laced all six mares with stories of how horrid Princess Celestia had become. All the events were true, of course, and the Lunar Stallions confirmed them as time went on. One by one, the six grew to despise Celestia. Sister-abusing, foal-terrifying, tyrannical Celestia. Even innocent little Fluttershy grew distressed and was often seen with a troubled frown on her face. Princess Luna spun a thick web indeed, and now they were all caught in it. The game was almost over.

Princess Luna leaned over Aegis Shield, one of her Lunar Stallions, with a tired pout on her lips. He looked up at her weakly, smiling with cracked lips. Leaning, she kissed his forehead and whispered encouraging things. Aegis nickered quietly before returning to sleep. Nurse Redheart’s potent medicines kept he and Stalwart Hide relaxed and comfortable. While they did refuse to leave Luna’s side, they’d obeyed when she’d told them to rest and take their meds. Just having her in sight was enough for them, for the moment.

Princess Luna looked over when Twilight Sparkle came in from outside. “Princess.” She said, bobbing her head a bit. “It’s time for us to go now.”

“Go?” Luna said, putting on a confused face.

“This can’t go on. We’ve decided that we have to go stop Princess Celestia.” Twilight’s face was a somber, almost angry one. “I know you’re injured, but we need you to come with us. With your help we can get past all the palace guards and right to her.”

“Twilight, what do you mean to do?” Luna asked, her face a mask of worry.

Twilight Sparkle sighed softly, looking troubled. “Whatever needs to be done. If she doesn’t surrender, we’ll have to make her.”

“Thou means to get into a hoof fight with a goddess?” Luna said incredulously.

“She’s not my goddess.” Twilight whispered. “Not anymore.” She turned around in the doorway, going outside. Luna could not have been more delighted.

The dark alicorn made sure her Lunar Stallions were okay for the moment, then tried not to skip outside to join the others. All six mares were all frowns, each having set her face in a determined sort of fearful expression. Rainbow Dash even had a splotch of spectra under both eyes, like a hoof-ball player. She was ready to go into battle. Luna opened her wings slowly to help announce her presence, and they all looked at her. “Once we go to do this… there’s no turning back.” Luna said with concern. “A-are you all sure you want to do this? If we fail, terrible things could happen to all of us. I might end up on the moon again!” she mewled softly, looking distantly at nothing with a rather terrified expression.
“Dun worry none, Princess.” said Applejack soberly, taking off her hat in an endearing way. “We won’t let that happen to ya.”

“We’ll show that big fat meanie face what for!” Pinkie Pie said, hopping up and down as though she were a pony made of rubber.

“Darling, if we didn’t step up to do such uncouth things now and then, we wouldn’t be the elements, now would we?” Rarity gave her mane a haughty toss.

“Time to put the tyrant down!” Rainbow Dash was getting way too into it all, and everypony present winced at her inappropriate air-boxing. “One-two! Bam bam!” she said to the invisible Celestia she saw in her mind’s eye.

“I-I’m sure things will work out…” Fluttershy said from behind her mane. “I hope, that is, that they do… uhm…” she wilted a little, looking down and to one side very shyly.

“Big Mac, you’ll take good care of the Lunar Stallions, right?” Twilight looked over at her coltfriend standing in the doorway (the past few days had helped them grow very close).

“Eyuup.” He said, bobbing his head a few times. Luna thanked him with a broad smile. Turning, he shut the door with his muzzle and locked it, peering at them from a window after that. When he was sure nopony was looking, he blew Twilight a kiss and she blushed a little.

“Ready Princess?” Twilight said, trying to sound leaderly and confident. Luna leaned down, stretching her great arms around all six of them and pulling them into embrace. They returned the hug, pressing up to the princess like the devoted herd of mares they were. They would sort all this out. For Princess Luna, for Equestria!

“Ready.” Luna said when she’d straightened herself. “Hold on, now.” Her brow furrowed as she concentrated. Her horn ignited with a bright light that swept beams back and forth around them. Everypony but Twilight stepped back a safe distance away, watching with interest. They’d only been vaguely told about what was happening, that Twilight’s magic had apparently been retarded as a foal. Now, her full potential was about to be brought out. “Here goes!” she said through gritted teeth, mane flapping wildly back and forth.

One the ethereal plain, the golden egg wrapped around Twilight Sparkle’s soul jarred, twitched, and crackled animatedly. Almost as though something were heaving from the inside. Little pillars of light were escaping through the cracks, pointed in all directions. Luna only wished that Twilight and her friends could see its powerful glory. Lunar magic slapped up against the container, over and over, spreading the cracks, teasing them to spiderweb further across the surface. For three days during various sessions of trying, the dark alicorn had been easing the egg to the fruition of breaking. Now was the time, and the glorious birth of whatever power Celestia had sealed away was about to be unleashed. Luna was panting in exhertion, sweating down the sides of her face. Open. Open! Break open, damn you! Truly, it took an alicorn’s effort to break an alicorn’s seal. It had just needed to be weakened over a period of time.

The egg suddenly burst, a great ring of wind and magic rushing away from Twilight Sparkle. Luna stepped back, peering at the true form of the purple mare’s soul with her jaw agape. She couldn’t believe it. Celestia you cheeky, brilliant little bitch. Twilight’s soul-- it was a perfectly contained star. A sun. Twilight Sparkle was a solar pony. A mortal alicorn. A mana battery. An incarnation of magic so pure, Luna had never seen one with her own eyes. They were the stuff of legends. Tears went down her cheeks as she stared at the fiery nexus. Glorious—simply glorious!

The perfect weapon of endless energy to take down her sister. Incarnate.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=

Celestia was a little disappointed when she saw the Noon Day court was deserted. Normally her schedule was packed to the gills with appointments, ponies rushing to and fro to have just a moment of the Princesses time and get her input on things. No, now the place was as quiet as a mausoleum. Groups of ponies were quietly writing at their desks, hunched over their work and not daring to look up at the throne. Squires rushed back and forth on their errands, ears turned back and eyes always shifty like they were expecting to be struck. Anypony’s hoof steps were like loud echoes in the quiet throne room, and if anyone so much as coughed, everypony knew it.

The Princess looked one way, then the other, wondering at all the strangeness. Things had been rather light lately, but then again it was fall right now. Ponies were busily harvesting their crops, planning festivals, tabulating their year’s work before winter was supposed to begin. Winter was vacation time, after all. Celestia chalked it up so a simple alignment of the stars. No and then perhaps there really wasn’t anything that needed her royal stamp of approval. If that was so, it obviously meant she was doing a good job! If nopony was coming to see her, they must’ve been very busy with their own productive lives. That filled her with joy.

Captain Grey looked over his shoulder at Celestia, who was up on the dais. They locked eyes for a moment, and he quickly turned his head back around again. She’d mentioned what had happened to Striking Spear. Poor guy. He hoped that his friend’s family wouldn’t cast him out into the gutter. Though, if he’d been seduced by the Princess maybe he couldn’t help it? HAD he been seduced by the Princess? The solar stallion felt stress rising up within him. Something was just wrong. Very very wrong. He shouldn’t be nervous and unhappy at his job. He couldn’t help but feel that some sort of line, somewhere, had been crossed. He was used to following the Princess of the day around everywhere, so he knew how her subjects looked at her. But, they didn’t look at her right anymore… it was just… just… CRACK! He startled, for a teleportation spell had gone off right outside the throne room. Celestia looked up from her thoughts, tilting her head curiously.

Princess Luna pushed one of the massive double doors open, one of her eyes still swollen shut . Servants and scribes gasped, every pony rising from his or her seat. Celestia lifted a hoof, looking concerned. “Luna! Did you not see to your wounds from the other night?” she leaned forward from the top of the dais, eyebrows bunching in the middle of her royal forehead.

“My pride goeth before a fall, sister. I bear this bruise with pride, knowing I stood up to you.” The dark alicorn crossed the threshold and into the room with a flick of her tail. Celestia frowned in confusion. What? There was murmuring amongst all the ponies in the room. Princess Luna stood up to Celestia, and got a black eye for it?

“Quiet now.” Celestia tapped her hoof none-too-gently on the platform, startling them into silence. “Sister what’s happened? You look… off.” she said.

“You’ve done enough, sister! It’s time for you,” Luna threw her chest out with a toss of her mane. “To step off of the throne!”

Dead silence reigned. Celestia stared at her. The servants and scribes looked back and forth. A small, curling and rather nasty smile started to work its way across the sun princess’ face. “Ohh, I see. This is another lesson of yours, is it?” she peered around. “Where are your two Lunar Stallions, ready to pounce on me?” she made a show of checking the ceiling, the columns, and the entryway of the balcony behind the throne. “What is today’s little test, Luna? I thought our lessons were over when I beat you?”

More troubled murmuring from the crowd. Celestia had beaten Princess Luna?! Luna heaved a breath, lifting her wing and drawing out a long whistle-like item. She blew on it, but it made no noise. For MILES AROUND, every single Lunar Stallion flinched and rushed his hooves over his ears. The Princess doth call! From all over Canterlot and in the palace, they launched into the air and rushed for the throne room. The moments of long silence while they waited were terrible, for the sisters stared at each other. Celestia with quiet bemusement and smiles, Luna with a defiant glare of righteousness.

Suddenly, side doors few open as Lunar Stallions began to fill the room. They swept in from the highest windows, shattering the ones that weren’t open. They poured in from the open main door, knocking over scribe desks and shoving past servants to rush to the Princess’ aide. The time was neigh!

“Oh.” said Celestia with a rather impressed face. “There they are.”

“More than them, Princess.” Applejack pushed open the second double door of the throne room with the crown of her head. “It’s us too. Y’all done wrong by Equestria, t’ain’t righ’ what you’ve been up to lately.” The group of five ponies stepped aside while the scribes and other civilians that worked in the throne room fled. This was heating up a bit too quickly for them, who knew what was about to happen.

“Twilight’s friends?” Celestia was genuinely confused now, and rose onto all fours. “But where is--!” she stopped when she felt it. A warmth touched her, magically. A warm, frothy feeling that one got right after emerging from a hot tub, or napped in the sun in spring. A lazy, curling, sensual warmth was stroking Celestia on the ethereal plain, the plain of magic. She squinted, peering at it instead of the physical world. Tendrils of white and orange were slowly filling the room from the hall outside. What was that?

“Sister!” Luna shouted up at her from across the throne room, over the heads of the Lunar Stallions. “You’ve fallen from grace! Step off the throne peacefully, and you shan’t be harmed! I swear it!” Luna extended her olive branch in front of everypony.

“I’ve done nothing wrong, sister.” Celestia scowled rather openly, returning her vision to the physical realm. The tendrils of magic would have to wait, Luna would be the more powerful adversary.

“You’ve done plenty of wrong, Princess!” shouted Rarity.

“Big mean, meany-face!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing up and down and rearing to go.

“Y’all’ve turned into a tyrant, pushing yerself on ever’pony like you own the world and you can do whatever y’all want! T’ain’t right!” Applejack stomped a hoof angrily.

Celestia stared down at her subjects, wings slowly lifting to open in a threatening way. “I do own the world, my little ponies. I’m an alicorn. If I want something, I get it. I can do whatever I want,” her pearly chest suddenly inflated with all the power that nopony alive had ever seen before.

“BECAUSE I MOLDED THE FOUNDATIONS OF EQUESTRIA! IT IS MI-IIIIIIINE!”

Every single pony in the room except Luna fell to their knees in agony, blood spurting from their ears! Jagged, throaty cries brought even the gathered Lunar Stallions to their knees, and the roars of pain and confusion filled the air. The Royal Canterlot Voice— weaponized!? Celestia slowly worked her way down the stairs of the dais, stepping on Lunar Stallions as she crossed the carpet to stand in front of Luna. “Another coup, sister? Really?” she whispered, though nopony could hear her through the blood in their ears. Even Pinkie Pie was weeping at the pure, awesome power that had concussed her eardrums and made her bleed so fantastically. Writhing and misery all around them, the alicorns stared at each other. “We already proved I am more powerful than you, once more.” Celestia smiled just a little bit evilly, a lopsided grin of raw confidence.

“Perhaps, sister.” Luna whispered back, her eyes twinkling as she backed away in a rather submissive way, turning her ears back. All the ponies were watching. This was the most tender moment. It all had to go exactly right if this was to work. Celestia followed, lowering her brow into an under-the-eyebrows grin of devilish intent. Celestia's horn lit up with its white-gold magicks, ready to punish her very naughty little sister. Everypony seemed to think she was beating her sister... maybe just this once she could let them be right. The white alicorn grabbed Luna bodily with her magic, rushing her forward towards herself. Grabbing her by the shoulder, she back-hoof’d Luna so hard she cried out like a yelping puppy. Back-hoof’d her again. Back-hoof’d her again. She watched Luna’s face snap one way, then the other, then back again. A Lunar stallion sank his teeth into Celestia’s back right hoof, and she kicked him away without mercy. He died on the steps of the dais.

“You. Didn’t. Learn. The. First. Time?” Celestia’s eyes lit up like gold, oily cigar-like smoke rising slowly from her lids. The rush, the pure adrenaline-filled rush of the violence was glorious! Solar magic was brimming from her, smoking off her with all the bright aura of the sun itself. Luna yipped, yelped, put her hooves up over her face, only to be struck again and again. “Why? Not? Was a thousand years on the moon not enough to teach you a lesson?!” Celestia raised her hoof to knock her sister down, when something bright appeared in the doorway.

“Stop.” The voice was both male and female. Many voices. Celestia jerked her head to look. The power she'd sensed earlier was standing in the doorway. The mare was quite literally-- on fire.

End of Part 11

Blaze and Battle

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 12: Blaze and Battle

Luna could not believe her pure, dumb luck. Her original plan was to corrupt her sister, turn all her subjects against her, then fight her into the ground until she surrendered. Afterward, to seal her forcefully in the sun or moon, whichever she felt like at the time. Then, she learned of the Elements of Harmony. Perhaps if she corrupted her sister enough the Elements would take care of her? Then, oh-hoh-hoh, then—Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle was by far the most satisfying of the three options to destroy her sister’s good name. All it took was careful planning, subtle string-pulling, and a bit genuine suffering. And Luna knew how to suffer. She’d suffered the madness of the dark and icy cold of space for a thousand years. She would never, never forgive Celestia for that. Never.

Imagine the quietest room you can. Alone in that room, forever. Your mind would begin to play tricks on you past the twenty-minute mark, trying to find something to hear. A university somewhere in Manehattan had devised such a room and promised a huge sum of bits to anypony that could stay in it to be studied for an hour. Nopony had ever lasted for more than fourty-seven minutes. Luna had endured the loneliness, the silence, for a thousand years. A thousand years to sit and brood and plan and hate.

While Nightmare Moon’s assault was the first and most forward plan “A”, plan “B” was far more subtle and brilliant. When one had a thousand years to sit and think, one’s plans tended to be brilliant and almost full-proof. Each tiny, little detail was perfect. The training, the sweet-talking, the moon dust, the self-righteous coaching—all of it. All of it meant to coach Celestia into thinking without inhibitions. When the Princess of the Sun started thinking only of herself and not of her subjects all the time, Luna’s plan would be complete. Now, it was.

Luna lay on her side, pretending to be weak and beaten. A little blood seeped from her nose, but she only felt it as a tingle. Really, when alicorn fought alicorn it would take more than a few back-hoof’d hits to take her down. But she wasn’t here to stand up to her sister directly. She had enough puppets gathered to her cause to do it for her. Enough ponies that thought they were protecting her, and Equestria, from Celestia. It was positively delicious. No. Don’t smile, she coached herself. There would be plenty of time to giggle in darkness later. For now, the curtain was coming down on her elder sister and things had to go perfectly. “Twilight! You must stop her!” Luna called from where she lay, nursing her bloodied nose.

Celestia turned to look from Luna, back to Twilight, then over to Luna again. Her mouth opened in wild realization. “Luna what have you done?! The seal!” The white alicorn shuddered with anger, and the throne room vibrated as the place began to grow saturated with magic. Doomed Lunar Stallions started crawling for the doors, holding their bloodied ears and trying to get their fellows to safety. “You turned her against me!”

“You have done that yourself, sister!” Luna put up a hoof as though to stave off Celestia from hitting her again. “You have done it yourself!”

Twilight Sparkle left black, ashy marks in the wake of her hoof steps as she made her way into the room. The furious, world-ending glare on her face made her ruby eyes glitter with a terrible hatred. Her fiery mane and tail licked back and forth, the very air around her wriggling with magic and heat. The ponies that littered the floor scrambled weakly to try and get away from her. She waited very, very patiently for them to open a path across the floor to her. Twilight looked around at all the suffering ponies and devastation. She turned to look at her friends, also writhing on the floor and deafened by the power of the Royal Canterlot Voice. Celestia’s voice. She turned to face her former mentor, cheeks vibrating because she was clenching her teeth so hard. “Surrender.” The pearly-white mare said. Her voice was many voices, both male and female. She almost sounded demonic. But no, Celestia knew better. Twilight had shown off her true potential that day at the entrance exam, many years ago. Wild, uncontrollable solar magic that a mortal pony like her could never truly grasp. Culling the torrent to a drip had been an act of mercy at the time, but… but now… this new incarnation of Twilight, this fiery and terrible creature, it looked much like what it truly was. A burning ball of fire and magic that was without end. Had growing up with chains all around her made Twilight into some sort of super pony? “Surrender!” the mare demanded again, standing directly across from her.

“This is my kingdom, Twilight Sparkle.” The white alicorn said. “If I must punish you to maintain control, along with everypony else here--” Celestia began to glow and morph in shape and stature. “Then I will!” Golden platemail began to erupt into existence all over her body. A battle regalia! She would not underestimate her most faithful student in the new form she’d taken. Even an alicorn like Celestia would fear harm with all the power of a star pointed at her.

“Duh! Duhhh!” One of the Lunar Stallions laying in the crowd said, pointing. “Dahyyy!” He shook his closest comrade, remembering that all of them were essentially deaf at this point. The pony next to him looked up, then went as white as a sheet. “Dahyyymare Suhhhn!” shouted the deaf pony, pointing with wide eyes and tiny pupils. “Dahhhyymare Suhhhn!” Princess Luna’s prophecy had come to pass. Princess Celestia had morphed into a war-pony form, complete with golden armor. Daymare Sun.

“Surrender, Princess!” said the fiery Twilight Sparkle in many voices, all of them in a righteous arcane fury. “We can end this without anypony else getting hurt!”

“Sometimes, my most faithful student,” Celestia’s horn lengthened into a golden, jagged, glittering shape. “Words are not enough to reach everypony. They must learn in other ways. You are a scholar, I’m sure you can apprieciate that.” Her eyes, once lavender, once golden, were now a terrifying neon pink. Her pupils slitted out into a serpentine, draconic shape.

Luna looked on in very real awe. This was it. This was it! It was finally happening! Lunar magic could not compete with solar magic, but what would happen with two stars collided? The Princess of the Sun, and a solar pony, magic incarnate?! Pressing herself back a bit to make room for the battle to come, Luna found herself being pushed down and back. She looked around in a brief panick, but found her Lunar Stallions were doing their best to bear her away from danger. She smiled despite herself. Such handsome, useful little pawns. She soon found herself among Twilight’s friends, pressed to the tiles to hide. Lighting her horn, she leaned over the closest one and began to mend her ears. Then the next, then the next. It took a lot of effort and magic to restore their eardrums, as well as cure the blood and restore their sense of balance. After doing it five times, Luna was winded. Healing magic had been one of the first things she’d learned, but sensitive things like eardrums and such took serious effort. “Friends, we must remain here. Twilight is Sparkle is--!”

Crck-BOOM!

It was as though a thunderstorm had sent a bolt of lightning into the room, centered on Celestia and Twilight. A sphere of red, molten fire coalesced around them and the Lunar Stallions still strewn about the floor began to writhe and try to crawl away faster. “Where in tarnation is the solar guarrrd?!” Applejack roared over the screaming flames. “We need’a evacuate everypony outta here!”

“Agreed!” shouted Luna, igniting her horn. She pulled a random Lunar Stallion from the pile, wrenching him out through the archway. “You must bear them away! Get out into the hall! I can withstand the heat for longer than thou!” Luna stood bravely, her mane whipping around as bursts of heat and light began to go this way and that in the room. When she squinted, she saw the dancing figures of Celestia and Twilight in the sphere of fire. They were horn-fighting. “Hurry!” Luna shouted, opening her wings to act like a shield for them.

All five mares crawled, bellies pressed to the floor for safety, out into the hall and around the corner. Luna began to work as quickly as she could, hefting another Lunar Stallion off the floor and levitating the poor soul out into the hall. Rainbow Dash stepped up, thrusting herself under him and bearing his limp body away from the terrible scene. Luna pulled another, then another. One by one she tried to evacuate as many of her soldiers as she could, sweating profusely from the heat and effort of it all.

Suddenly, the solar guard arrived in great numbers, filling the doorway with expressions of shock and horror. “You must aid us!” Luna roared over the bouncing bolts of magic. “We have injured! Hurry!”

“You heard the Princess!” shouted one of them. “Let’s go!” As one they boiled into the room, braving the heat and thrusting off their helmets to keep from burning their heads. Strong solar ponies bore away limp and bleeding lunar ones, rushing them away from the danger. Twilight’s friends fell to directing traffic, hurrying them all in a comprehensive direction with large gestures and shouting.

Luna turned and looked back into the sphere of fire, for there was a grand battle being fought within. “I! Hate! You!” Twilight roared, rearing up and whinnying wildly. “I loved you! I did everything you ever asked of me and more!” Her warped many-voice would haunt anypony that heard it. Her horn clashed with Celestia’s, who parried and struck her in the chest. Twilight shrieked, skidding back a little and then leaping to jab the white alicorn’s knee. Consumed in a ball of fire and solar magic, none could hope to interrupt their duel.

“Bow! To! Me!” Celestia roared, horn-fencing back and forth with all the training Luna had given her. “You are my subject and my student! Bow!” Using her massive weight she shouldered Twilight hard, but the mare held firm. The raw arcane power gave her strength. Without warning the white unicorn blasted her teacher in the eyes with her horn, elicting a scream of pain. She shook her head, quickly recovering. “I am the Princess of this land! I made it in my hooves, it is all mine!”

“What about your sister?! You’re supposed to rule together as equals! You’re just a tyrant!” Twilight roared back. “A sick, twisted tyrant!” Their horns crashed together again, sending sparks and bolts of pure energy in all directions. “You don’t deserve your power anymore!” It was a strange and epic sight indeed, to see an alicorn clash so hard with a being barely a third her size.

Luna paused in her Lunar Stallion moving to watch the fight, hoping the solar guard would do their best without dying. Twilight truly was standing up to her sister, and seemingly holding her own! She watched the two shapes in the ball of fire dance wildly back and forth, jabbing and shouting at each other. Luna couldn’t hear the conversation, but the tones were tell-tale enough. Shaking her head quickly, she gathered up a limp Lunar Stallion on her back, rushing from the room. She followed the traffic of retreating ponies, hoofing him off as soon as she could so she could return to the battle herself. Twilight’s friends were rushing back as well, trying to find some way to help.

“I am a Goddess!” Celestia roared, crashing her horn into Twilight’s in a powerful downward stroke, over and over. Violently smashing her face and horn against her student’s, time and down again, she felt the poor mare begin to give. The tiles were melting around them, for the pure force of heat and magic was too much. Twilight was unused to her unleashed form and wouldn’t be able to maintain it for too much longer, hopefully. “You! Will! Bow! Before me!” Smash. Smash. Smash. Smash. It was like playing bloody knuckles, and Celestia’s knuckles were much larger and firmer. Twilight began to buckle, going on the defense at least. Sensing victory, the alicorn reared up to crush her to the floor with her massive front hooves. Twilight rushed forward and under her, blasting past the golden armor at her soft underbelly! Celestia cried out, somersaulting forward and onto her back. While her hooves flailed in the air, Twilight leapt upon her wide chest, straddling mercilessly.

“I’ll never bow to you again, monster!” Twilight straddle-punched Celestia right in the nose, then seized her mane like a school-yard fighter might. She shrieked in feral rage, red eyes ablaze and turning a sterile and powerful white. She looked just like she had that day at the entrance exams! Wild and out of control. The solar pony had found her second wind, the fight wasn’t over yet.

Roaring in frustration, Celestia blasted Twilight point-blank, launching her off of her chest so she could right herself. Struggling to her hooves and wiping her bleeding muzzle, Celestia advanced to press her advantage. Twilight launched a trio of arcane bolts in all directions, wiich punched at Celestia’s side’s like boulders. She grunted, but returned fire to send Twilight tumbling end over end. The unicorn righted herself, still powered by all the fury of a contained star, rushing forward again to do battle.

“This can’t go on!” Luna shouted to Twilight’s friends. She looked up at the shuddering ceiling and vibrating walls. “The palace will tear itself apart!”

“We gotta use the Elements!” Applejack shouted back.

“No! We can’t do it without Twilight! She’s there in the thick of it all!” Rarity said, holding her mane so it didn’t catch fire from the increasing solar winds that were vortexing violently around the room. “It doesn’t work with five!”

“Rarity’s right!” Fluttershy whimpered, sinking onto her belly. “We can’t do it with just us!”

“Get the others to safety!” Luna shifted gears. “Evacuate the palace! Get everypony out!” she folded her wings and lowered her head, walking slowly forward into the fire.

“Princess, no! You can’t!”

“I have to, my little ponies!” Luna roared over her shoulder. They could barely hear her, so intense was the howling storm of solar and arcane magic. “You must do as I say! I am your Princess!” Turning her ears back, she smiled apologetically at them, and started forward again. The five of them looked at each other, then as one turned to retreat. They would save as many as they could. Princess Luna knew best. Squinting and surrounding herself with a shield of lunar magic, the dark alicorn pressed slowly forward into the swirling fires. Gritting her teeth and stepping slowly, she felt like she was walking through cement in a sandstorm. “I’m! Coming! Twilight!” she tried to scream, but she couldn’t hear her own voice anymore.

Back in the spinning ball of fire, Twilight and Celestia fought wildly. The unicorn mare had even sent a black bruise over her former mentor’s chest, her small hoof prints leaving marks. Holding her wrist for a moment, she launched a giant spectral horseshoe at the tyrant, which struck her head on and knocked her down. Leaping after her projectile, Twilight rode the air current and slammed into her like a torpedo, making her cry out. She felt a rib crack. Suddenly all four of Celestia’s legs wrapped around her like a vice, and she barrel-rolled to be atop her student. Holding her down, the armored alicorn began to headbutt her mercilessly. Clang! Twilight yelped, her fiery mane faltering for a moment when she saw white. Clang! She felt a line of blood go down the side of her face, instantly crusted by the heat of their swirling, furious magicks. Clang! It hurt! It hurt so bad! She tried to concentrate, to blast the Princess with her horn. Clang! She couldn’t concentrate, the pain kept coming over and over. “Submit!” Celestia roared, spittle and rage dripping from her maw. “Submit! Submit submit submit!” she struck Twilight with the front of her gilded helm over and over again. The poor mare yelped doggishly, pinned under Celestia’s massive weight. She couldn’t move, couldn’t concentrate.

Arching her back and trying to conjure up a third wind, Twilight let out a jagged roar of fury. Rage, power, magic and heat pulsed off of her body like a heartbeat. The floor began to concave itself into a wide crater, and they slowly sank into the earth. Shards of broken stone were shooting away from them, trying to escape the pressure of the two massive clashing forces. Clang! Clang! Clang! Twilight yelped again, one of her eyes bruising over and then—horrifically—one of her teeth falling out. She coughed, shooting it into Celestia’s face. “Princess…” Twilight moaned, limpening under her slowly. The fires of her mane and tail flickered, flickered... died. Slowly, her head turned to one side and she gave a feeble moan. Her coat blushed back to purple, and her slowly closing eyes returned to their normal hue. Even a star unleashed could not stand against a goddess. She was only mortal.

Celestia felt the thrill of victory wash over her. She’d done it! Twilight had fallen! She was bruised and beaten and… and… and… Celestia’s face turned to one of complete and utter horror. She got off of Twilight, her mouth agape and her hoof rushing up to cover it. There was a long silence. “T-Twilight…” she gasped, her eyes filling with tears. The ball of fire around them began to dissipate. Weak in the knees the Princess fell in exhaustion, watching her beloved student lay there and cough quietly. “Wh—what have I--!” She cried out when a lash of lunar magic cracked across her spine like a whip. Celestia’s head jerked around, her eyes betraying stabbing fear.

Luna stood over her sister, wings open, terror of the night! Eyes flashing completely white Luna ignited her horn and, point-blank, gave her absolutely everything she had. It seemed to almost happen in slow motion. The gathering of lunar magic to her horn. The breath she took before she unleashed the spell. The tension of her legs as she reared up. The wild bannering of her mane as it was pressed back in the recoil. Then, finally, the glorious release of navy blue and black energy over its victim. Opening her mouth in a god-like, savage roar of lunar fury, the night Princess unleashed all her might. The navy-blue beam engulfed Celestia, split the stone she lay on, shuddered the room and almost ripped a hole in reality itself. Celestia’s armor cracked, then blasted wildly apart. It sent shards of gold in every direction. So long as Luna’s scream lasted, so did her stream of pure pain and magic. The white alicorn writhed, screamed, jerked about like a small animal that was being electrocuted.

Luna did not stop. A thousand years. A thousand years of hate and planning and build-up, all for this glorious moment! She’d saved a little magic, just a little, every day since the day she’d been banished to that Faust-forsaken rock. That was 365,000+ days worth of careful storage and planning. All for one spell, all for the hate she would never stop feeling for her sister! Let her burn! Let her writhe! She would not die-- let her suffer the fury of the night like no other! Celestia’s screams were orgasmic! ORGASMIC!

By the time the spell had been spent, Celestia was a quivering pile of blackened misery. Ash covered her, from the floor around her dissolving under Luna’s fury and covering her in a thick coat of death. She whimpered meekly, unable to even lift her hooves. “L…! Luh…!” she wheezed, looking up at her sister fearfully, tears working down her face. “Luh!” she couldn’t even work her mouth properly.

Luna stood there panting. “Don’t… worry… sister.” Her chest heaved and she wavered back and forth on her hooves, completely spent. “I have enough lunar magic for just one more spell. A saved it up from all our moon-bathing together.” She drew herself up, gathering the shadows of the room to her cause. Drawing strength from the places that the day dare not go, she drank in the power of darkness all around her. Grunting, whimpering, taking it all in as best she could, she wove the very spell that had been used on her all those centuries ago. Celestia’s eyes widened in icy-white fear. No! NO! She couldn’t move! She couldn’t resist it or defend herself!

Luna heaved at the great blackness beneath Equestria, stirred the dark powers that only the night dared to cuddle up with. Her outline glowed a terrible, sickly purple. Her wings snapped all the way open to their full, apocalyptic glory. She planted her hooves, crushing the tiles she stood open into shards. The great weight of it all, plus the spell, plus the powers she was conjuring up—now was the time!

The moon suddenly peeked over the horizon. But… but the sun was still high in the sky! What was going on?! The great sphere moved, jerked, rumbled audibly across Equestria. It parted the clouds, pushing away any chance that anypony should not see this. From Manehatten to Appleoosia, from Las Pegasus to Neighpalm! Let them all see! Let them all witness the black glory that was upon them! The moon passed over the sun, blanketing the world in an eerie half-orange darkness. Eclipsed. Finally all was ready. The game was over. The plan had followed through. Victory was neigh. Throwing out her chest in a great and glorious cry of victory Princess Luna proclaimed in the Royal Canterlot Voice,

“TO------ THE------ MOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!”

Celestia winked out of existence, and suddenly the moon had a new face.

End of Part 12

Crown and Scepter

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
Part 13: Crown and Scepter

They found Twilight Sparkle laying in the ruins of the destroyed throne room, dirty and bleeding and broken. Luna was curled around her, her long wings wrapped intimately around the wounded mare. She’d not died, but she’d come very, very close. Luna magic was steadying her laboring heart and seeing to her vast injuries. But oh, such injuries. Half-dead when she arrived in the hospital, it would be days before much improvement was seen. When she was sure the Element of Magic was in secure hooves, Luna heaved the moon out of the sky as quickly as she could to restore the late afternoon. Nudging the pesky sun towards the horizon, she started it into its dusk cycle before flopping down to rest.

Ponies were all around her, panicking and shouting and flailing about in confusion. Their poor princess! She’d gotten rid of the tyrant, but she looked terrible. Thick woolen blankets were brought and, after Celestia’s throne had been cast aside (smashed to pieces at the foot of the dais), they made a nest for Luna at the top of the platform in the throne room. There, the alicorn rested. All of her servants thought her darling when she meekly put her head under her wing like a swan. They didn’t see her wicked smiling under there.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=

Twilight Sparkle slowly moaned awake, turning her heavy head slightly. She hadn’t expected to wake up at all, the last thing she remembered was Daymare Sun head-butting her to death. What had happened? Why wasn’t she dead. Thinking hard made her head throb like little white hammers on her forehead, and she gave another loud moan. Her hoof lifted to touch her temple, but she found her head wrapped in bandages and most of her body suspended in slings. She sighed, limpening.

The door opened and a trio of doctors came in with Princess Luna. Twilight noticed the larger and more gem-covered crown on her head. That wasn’t the dainty princess tiara she always wore. “Twilight, thou hast returned to the land of the living!” the dark alicorn smiled in a friendly way. “We art so glad thou survives!” she leaned and nuzzled lightly at Twilight’s cheek. The doctors tittered and checked the medical equipment that the purple mare was hooked up to. Adjusting the medicine drip to her body and fluffing her pillow and a few other things, they bowed and were away.

“Luna…” Twilight breathed, looking up at her with a weak and pathetic gaze of soft eyes. “Is it… over?” she had to know, though she feared the answer just as much as she needed it.

“Yes.” said Luna gingerly. She nodded towards the window, where it was night outside. Sure enough, the profile of a crowned mare was plastered across the moon once more. It symbolized Celestia, who was there now. “I… I had no choice, Twilight. She was out of control, and she would have killed you if left to run wild.” Princess Luna wilted and sat by the hospital bed.

“What about the others?” whispered Twilight.

“Your friends are alright.” She nodded. “We lost a few good stallions, though.” She sighed in a hurt way. “They laid down their lives for Equestria, though. Honorable deaths.” She nodded as though to reassure herself, but her ears were down and sad. Twilight felt a sadness in her heart. She’d never witnessed soldiers being killed before. Much less by their own Princess.

“…how long have I been here?” Twilight was just full of questions.

“Four days, under constant watch.” Luna smiled, reaching and running a hoof intimately through Twilight’s mane. The weakened mare smiled a little, comforted. “But the doctors say you will be okay. And when you are better we shalt restore your tooth as well.” She giggled just a little. Twilight flicked her tongue through her mouth quickly. Sure enough, one of her front teeth was missing, and the sickly hole in her mouth felt very weird.

“Are you alright, Princess?” Twilight looked her up and down. Luna had a few faded bruises, but she’d been scrubbed and tended to by lots of servants no doubt. She still had her black eye, but it was faded as well. The alicorn nodded, closing her wings a little self-consciously. “I can’t believe it…” the mare in the hospital bed said softly, her sad eyes casting downward. “Princess Celestia--!”

“Daymare Sun, Twilight. Celestia no longer.” Luna betrayed just a little bit of acid in her tone. Twilight looked up at her, a little surprised. “She’s on the moon now, just as I was. She’ll have plenty of time to think about what she’s done.” She said just a little bit savagely. Twilight gazed up at Luna, a little surprised at the anger in her voice. Seeing Twilight’s look out of the corner of her eye, Luna lifted a hoof and touched her black eye. The purple mare’s expression softened. Of course she was relieved to see Celestia put on the moon, she’d been abused by her for months.

“Princess…” Twilight said softly, stretching just a little to touch her.

Luna seemed to be gathering herself for a few moments, then smiled apologetically. “There will be time to mourn, Twilight. I promise.” She whispered, leaning and pressing her muzzle gently into Twilight’s mane. “Until then, thou must heal.”

“Wh-what about Equestria?” Twilight blushed at the kiss on the head. Not even Celestia had ever done that before. “I mean, you’ve been gone for so long, how will you run it all by yourself?”

“Well, to be honest, I think it best that I bring in representatives from all the different regions of the country.” Luna said with some confidence. “That way, I will hear about the events and needs of everypony from ponies that are from those places.”

“Ohhh.” Twilight smiled. “You mean like a Republic? A Lunar Republic?” she teased just a little.

“What?” Luna cocked an eyebrow, her muzzle wrinkling a little. “No no, that would be silly.” She cocked her head at the outrageous idea. As though she would give up supreme power after all of this effort. Pffft. “Equestria has always been a diarchy… then a monarchy, then a diarchy again.” She smiled a little painfully. “Now, a monarchy with myself as Princess alone. The gathered ponies I mentioned will be like… advisors.” She said with a more peaceful expression.

Twilight nodded her understanding. “That’s really smart.” She praised her Princess. “I guess a country wouldn’t turn government types overnight, haha! That would be pretty silly. But yes, all those advisors from different regions would be a great idea!” she winced when something pained her, and tried to lay still again.

“I shalt need a Vizier as well, Twilight Sparkle. A most faithful, trusted advisor.” Luna said with a coy smile. “Perhaps thou…?” she leaned over the purple mare, a twinkle in her eye. Twilight’s mouth went agape and her face blushed. Her? A government official? Oh wow! She stared up at Luna, flattered and silent. “Hehe, I will let thou think on it.” She stood up again, leaning over out of Twilight’s field of vision. “Here. I’ve brought thee reading material for while you are like this.” She smiled, pushing a stack of books onto the end table by the hospital bed. Twilight could have kissed her, she was so happy. She could stay here for ages now, if she could study and expand herself still.

“Thank you, Princess.” Twilight said softly.

“Just Luna when we’re alone, Twilight.” The Princess smiled serenely, making for the door. “I await thy answer when you are able to walk again. But, I must away. Equestria needs me for clean-up and reparation delegations.” She gave a little bow and, waving in a friendly way, left Twilight alone in her hospital room.

The alicorn frowned a bit as she came to a hospital intersection. There were a group of doctors all running about doing this and that, their nurses scribbling on clipboards and tallying things. Many injuries had happened during the fight against Celestia, and the hospital was a madhouse of activity. A few of them stopped and looked up when the Princess stopped at the counter. “Yes your Majesty?” one of the braver nurses came to greet her.

“I want special eyes to be kept on Twilight Sparkle.” Luna said, lifting her muzzle regally. “I want her to have the best treatment. The best!” she pointed a hoof rather threateningly at them, but quickly lowered it so they would not fear her as badly. “She fought for country and Princess. She deserves anything bits can buy.” The nurse nodded dumbly at the passionate words. “Thou shalt see to it that all of her medical bills are sent to the Palace accounts. I will draw the funds from the royal coffers myself.” With a snap in her step, the Princess left the hospital and made for the exit.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=

Celestia heaved against her bonds, groaning loudly. She was, quite literally, chained to the moon itself. Great ebony locks draped all over her, chains criss-crossing across her breast, and a massive set of weights on her hooves. She could barely walk forward and backward, and flying was out of the question. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out where she was, for Equestria herself hung in the sky above her.

Then, suddenly, with a crack of magic and a shower of purple sparks—Luna. The two alicorns stared at each other. Luna smiled rather wickedly, silent. “Come to gloat?” Celestia said with a scowl. Her solar magic heaved against the lunar steel that bound her. Luna said nothing, only watched her. “This was your plan all along, wasn’t it? You were just waiting for the opportunity.” The white mare struggled forward, within hoof’s reach of her sister now. Opening her wings, she tried to lunge but Luna merely stepped out of the way. The chains and bonds were just too heavy. She couldn’t pounce on a slow-moving wildlife creature, much less on Luna.

Luna cocked her head, watching Celestia struggle and stagger over herself with grand satisfaction. She looked so ridiculous, chained up like that. It was fitting, after all that had happened. After all, how else was she going to keep the terrifying Daymare Sun on the moon? Bind her to it with magic, and weigh her down of course. Still, the Princess of the Night didn’t speak.

“Well?!” Celestia said, frustrated at her.” Say something! You’ve brought me low, sister, the least you can do is acknowledge me!”

Luna’s horn lit with magic. In her mind, Celestia heard, <There’s no air in space, sister, I can’t hear what you’re saying.>

Celestia lit her horn, but it spark-crackled out. The Lunar Steel holding her was impeding her magic greatly. “This isn’t fair, Luna!” her mouth moved, but now she understood. Her ears weren’t picking up the sound of her own words. “Auugh!” she cried out in frustration, but Luna only stood there and smiled.

<I imagine you’re wanting to vent your frustrations at me. Too bad.> Luna thought-spoke with a light chuckle. Celestia glared at her, eyes flashing into their pink spectrum. <Heave and throw yourself against your bonds, sister, it will do you no good.> the dark Princess knew it was safe to gloat on the moon. There was nopony else around to hear it. She opened her wings, lifting herself up a few feet with magic to aid her. <Enjoy your time out here. Perhaps in a few thousand years when ponies invent space travel, you’ll be able to come home again. By then, I shall have consolidated my power.> She grinned at Celestia from under her eyebrows. <And do not worry,> she thought, turning to return to the planet and enjoying her victory. <I’ll take very good care of Twilight Sparkle.> With that final heart-wrenching sentence she flapped her wings hard, just once, and rocketed away.

Celestia gave a wounded cry, trying to fly after her. Not Twilight! Luna would poison her innocent, most faithful student! But no, her bonds were too heavy. She couldn’t even get off the dusty grey ground. Her ebony chains glittered as she screamed silently at the heavens. “No! Luna! Don’t leave me here! Luna! Don’t leave me here! Luna! Luuuuu-nahhhhhhhhh!” In space there was nopony to hear her scream, and she could only watch the bright star that was her sister shoot down to the surface again. She fell to her knees to weep.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=
Some Time Later…
=-----=-----=-----=-----=

Princess of the Night walked regally down the royal hall of the palace. By her side was Royal Vizier Twilight Sparkle, decked out in sparkling lunar garb. She’d given Twilight and all her friends medals of bravery, and had taken the brilliant scholar under her wing to serve as her most trusted advisor. She did look quite good in the dainty bits of metal and sparkling horseshoes. The dark, sparkling cape and flared collar looked good on her too.

The double doors opened as they came near, and Luna nodded to the two Lunar guards that had heard them coming and made way. Twilight peeled away from Luna and to a low platform, leaning slowly as she lay on her belly on a plush sitting pillow. Luna ascended, pairs of Lunar guards at either side of her bowing as she went up the dais stairs. A great onyx throne melted out of the floor (her own design, thank you very much), up into the place where Celestia’s throne once stood. Turning as a pillow popped into existence, she savored the moment. She looked about the room, then slowwwwwly sat down. Ohhhh, gods yes. The moment was almost erotic. Taking the throne. The only throne. Hers. All hers. Mhhh!

Cocking her head a little, she folded her wings in an elegant manner and tilted her muzzle up regally. Very princess-like, she heaved a quiet breath. She looked down at her servants, her guards, her vizier. It was all hers. All the planning and silent suffering and everything in between. At last, it was all hers. “Captain Stalwart Hide.” She turned her head, calling one of her Lunar Stallions. He snapped to attention, stepping forward and saluting. “Send for the first ponies. It is time to begin the Midnight Court.” She bade him. He nodded, cantering away with an air of authority about him.

Twilight Sparkle shuffled a few papers she’d had in her saddlebag. “Ahem,” She said, drawing the Princess’ eye. “The first appointment is a land dispute between two stallions and a--” The purple mare laid down a list of details, and Luna only smiled serenely. Even her sister’s most faithful student was all hers now. She briefly entertained the thought of seducing Twilight to her bed, but it would have to wait for awhile. The wound of losing Celestia was no doubt still fresh. Perhaps a decade or so down the line, they could be lovers. Anything to ruin any remnant of Celestia’s presence. Well-- that and she did have a cute butt, hehe.

The Princess turned her head when a pair of sleepy-eyed stallions came into the room. It would take Equestria some time to get used to their government running itself at night. Ah well, they would get used to it eventually. She didn’t have any delusion about nighttime eternal like she once had since, well, crops and such. But, it didn’t keep her from performing her royal duties strictly at night. She was an alicorn, she could do things her way. Both stallions bowed, and began to lay down their sides of the case for the Princess to hear. Luna smiled patiently, listening to both of them and almost jittering in excitement. She looked over at the moon, out the window and high in the sky. Celestia’s profile was stark against its milky surface. A light smile lifted on her lips.

It was good to be Princess.

THE END

*Extra* : Original Ending

A/N: This is the original ending of the story, in case anyone wanted to see it. I like the canon one, but many people were curious about what happened in the ORIGINAL-- so here it is, have fun. :)

***This is NOT the intended ending of the story, you've already read that. This is the failed ending that I took down.***

=-----=-----=-----=-----=-----=-----=-----=-----=

Tough Love: Luna vs. Celestia
EXTRA: "Original Ending"

A week had passed since the eclipse. Princess Luna was in her room, gingerly packing her alchemy kit in a special metal box. Four Lunar Stallions waited patiently nearby, masks over their muzzles, watching her carefully handle all the chemicals. She wore a special mask as well, she didn’t want to inhale anything unpleasant. The glass containers tinkled back and forth before she secured each one in its proper place. When she was done, she closed the lid and sealed it with magic. “Now, I want all of you to take this far out into the ocean and throw it overboard. At least a hundred miles offshore.” She bade them, gesturing. “I only send four of you because it must be done properly and without fail.” They nodded, saluting, and carted their burden away.

Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide entered the room, bowing and displaying their wings for her in submission. Luna smiled gently. “Are we moving into phase three now, your Majesty?” asked Aegis Shield quietly. She could tell he already suspected.
“Do we have a phase three?” Stalwart Hide looked over at his comrade.

Luna nodded slowly. “Unfortunately yes. This will be the hardest part of all my plans.” She ran her hoof over the empty alchemy table. “Do me a favor, my stallions?” she took off her special ventilator mask. “Have this table thrown in a furnace. If it has any traces of… things, on it, then it must be destroyed.” She turned over to a nearby woodstove, opening the little doors while the two stallions tried to mare-handle the awkward table out of the room. By the time they’d worked it beyond the door, Luna was burning stacks and stacks of paperwork. She stoked the fire carefully, turning the ashes so that everything would be consumed. Formulas, original copies, equations too-- she had to get rid of it all so not even she would remember how to make the concoction she’d been poisoning her sister with for the past few months. She peered out the window as she worked. The mare in the moon was hunched sadly over its face. She sighed.

With all her papers burning, she moved over to the little kit she’d set up in the corner. It was for blood work. Pricking herself and dripping the silvery liquid into the waiting mixture, she leaned eagerly with baited breath. She watched the mildly acidic mixture turn, curl, then turn to a pure and milky white. She smiled, genuinely smiled. “At last.” She whispered in a haggard way. Grabbing the blood work kit, she tossed it into the fire as well and swept out of the room.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=

Celestia heaved against her bonds. A dozen chains of pure moonsteel held her, perhaps a hundred feet from the moon’s surface. She’d tried to launch herself off of the moon and simply float back to Equestria, but it hadn’t worked. As soon as she’d reached a certain distance from the moon, the chains had appeared and grabbed her. Moonsteel was a metal that she, being a solar being, could not break by any means. They were specifically designed to hold her. Sighing, the white alicorn used her magic to steer herself down to the rocky surface again and the chains vanished. She landed on the cold and dusty surface of the moon, looking around. It was quiet, so very quiet.

She’d been on the moon for a week, or she thought it was a week. It was very hard to keep track of time, with no sun and moon moving across the sky. Now it was Equestria and the sun moving across the sky, in patterns that she didn’t yet know how to read. Being on the moon was a different perspective. The white alicorn looked down at her hooves, scratching at the dusty and uncomfortable lunar surface. It had taken her awhile to learn how to even run with lesser gravity, but it didn’t seem to matter where she went. It was all the same. Cold and dark and grey, filled with nothing but silence and dust and LUNA! Celestia gave a start, her eyes widening.

There, atop a hill with her wings open, was her little sister. Celestia scrambled her way, tumbling a little in the lesser gravity. Walking by clutching the ground with her hooves, like she was on ice, the sun Princess made her way as quickly as she could to her. “Luna! Luna it’s you!” she said, stopping in front of her.

“Yes. Tiz I.” Luna smiled a bit sadly. Celestia punched her in the head without even thinking about it. Luna yelped, bit didn’t resist. Shaking her head to clear her vision, the dark alicorn looked up at her sister with a grim expression. “Well, I deserved that, I imagine.”

“You locked me on the moon.” Celestia pouted at her.

“I don’t recall you ever visiting me, while I was here.” Luna made a show of looking around the lunar landscape, smiling in a fond way. “Maybe we could find one of my sand castles if we looked hard enough. Not a lot of wind around here.” She chuckled, closing her wings and seating herself to look up at Equestria. Well, up is a relative term, but it was in the sky from the moon’s perspective.

Celestia wasn’t sure of what to do. Should she strangle her sister’s little neck for sending her to the moon? Should she… no, violence begat violence, and that was not who she was. Luna looked over her shoulder at her elder sibling and smiled a little wider. “What?” said Celestia with a contained amount of terseness.

“It seems my drugs have worn off. Thank goodness too, you were turning into a real monster thanks to me.” Luna said offhandedly, returning to her sky-gazing. “I always loved to look at Equestria, even after a thousand years it never got old…” she said vaguely, a certain fondness in her eyes.

“Drugs? What drugs?” Celestia said, eyes widening in shock.

“I left you here for a week to make sure they all worked themselves out of your system. I’m sorry, Tia.” Luna said genuinely. “I couldn’t visit you until I knew you were back to your old self again.”

“My old self?” Celestia looked down at her hooves as though they held the answer. Her mane was still pink, her eyes still purple, and the litheness that she’d earned through Luna’s training had not gone anywhere. “Please, tell me what’s happened.” She said. “If I’m to be here for a thousand years, at least tell me what it all meant.” She begged her sister, opening her wings to pull her close.

Luna shouldered up to her with a rather bitter smile. “I drugged you with moon dust, Tia.” She finally admitted. “Potent moon dust. It took away all of your inhibitions and made you into a selfish, self-centered ruler that everypony hated.” Celestia went a little pale. An alicorn with no sense of inhibition? Nothing short of madness! They were like gods! A god with no sense but selfishness was like a ticking time bomb of chaos!

“…why, sister?” Celestia said carefully, after her moment of shock had passed.

Luna looked up at her with a rather bitter expression. “Because you asked me to. You wanted to be stronger, so that you would never look weak in front of your subjects again.”

“I didn’t ask to be turned into a monster!” Celestia said, grabbing Luna’s shoulders. “Luna how could you?!”

“Call it tough love, Tia.” Luna said, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. Celestia stared at her. She watched her sister’s usually regal expression begin to break down. Was she getting ready t-? “I… I… I couldn’t do it!” she suddenly thrust herself upon her sister’s breast and began to bawl. “I couldn’t even go through with it all! I took the moon dust myself so that I could hurt you! I hurt you so bad!” she threw her arms around her sister, crying explosively into her chest. “H’oh Tia! I couldn’t even finish what I started! I dosed myself with my own poison to finish the final lesson!” Luna had, while concocting the moon dust meant for Celestia, inhaled more than she’d ever given her sister. It had taken gobs and gobs to release her iron-like will—to make her act on the little bit of resentment she still had for Celestia. To make her act on the silly little fantasy of sending her older sister to the moon in vengeance for her own imprisonment. “If I didn’t really want it, I would’ve held back! It wouldn’t have worked, I would’ve held back!”

“Tell me more.” Celestia unfurled her wings, and wrapped them softly around her sister. Luna told her everything. From the moment they’d had their first aromatherapy session, her sister had been poisoning her with a magical relaxant that had impaired her royal judgment. It kept her from checking all three corners of her mind-- the ego, the superego and the id, for her actions. It let her pursue her every desire like that’s all there ever was in the world, without ever worry about the consequences. “And you thought this would teach me something?” Celestia said after the long and complex explanation of everything that had happened, from Luna’s perspective. “What were you trying to get across?”

“You wanted to be stronger, sister, I granted you wish.” Luna said, her cheek pressed to her sister’s breast. “If only to show you, you can’t have it that way.” She didn’t dare look up at Celestia, for fear of being punched in the head again. “Equestria was never about having a stronger ruler, physically or magically. It was about this.” She pawed vaguely at Celestia’s heart. “You taught me that when you sent me here.” Celestia sagged forward a little, feeling just a little bit foolish. Of course. “You got struck down in front of all your subjects… but you’ve got lots of subjects.” Luna tried to explain without sounding like a foal. “They would not just abandon you if you fell before a mightier opponent. Quite the opposite, they would fight for you.” She said quietly.

“I… I know…” Celestia said softly. “But I thought if they saw me fall, they would lose faith in me as a ruler.” It was all coming out now, all of it becoming clear.

“No no, sister, just the opposite… they close ranks around you when you fall—because they love you.” Luna was stroking her sister’s chest from where she lay buried in it. “They’ve always loved you.” She whispered, a twinge of jealousy in her voice. “And when I bring you back and explain everything, they’ll love you all the more, Tia.” She finally looked up at Celestia, tears going down either side of her face.

Celestia blinked a little. “Bring me back? When? A thousand years from now?”

“I was thinking now, actually, sister.” Luna cleared her throat a little, given her a smile quivering smile. “The drugs have dissipated, you are back to normal. Just… pink.” She gestured vaguely at her mane. Celestia stifled a short laugh. Pink. Was it really that distracting? Leaning down and igniting her horn, Luna made the ghostly chains wrapped around Celestia appear solid. Working carefully at the seal with lunar magicks, she undid them. The great and heavy things fell slowly to the lunar surface, unburdening Celestia completely. The solar alicorn looked at her sister carefully. Could it be a trick? Some terrible thing to make her more miserable at the end of the day, at the end of it all? She opened her wings, launching herself skyward, passed the one hundred foot mark, and wasn’t stopped. She swooped about, using her magic to steer herself in the windless outer space. She cocked her head and looked down. Luna was sitting on her haunches, quietly, smiling up at her with softened eyes. She came down when she was sure she was free, landing in front of her sister.

“Why, Luna?” Celestia whispered. “Why all this song and dance? Why did you not just tell me all this, and encourage me back to good standing?”

“Goddess-sized problems need goddess-sized solutions. But, part of it was my pettiness.” Luna admitted quietly, looking at her hooves. “I wanted to watch you suffer, at least a little bit. Ever the jealous little sister of the night, yes?” her wings wilted down to either side of her. “Equestria only really needs one ruler, sister. That’s you. I wanted revenge for how you locked me on the moon for my attempt at nighttime eternal.” Celestia was shocked at how very blatant her sister was being. “I wanted you to feel, even for a week, how I did.” She looked around at the lunar surface. “But, I couldn’t do it alone. I had to dose myself with that wretched poison to make sure I would go through with it. Turn all your subjects against you. Let you run wild on your own subjects until it all came to a head.” She shuddered a little. “But now, the lesson is all over, and you can return to your rightful place as… well, Empress, I suppose.” She said.

“What about you?” Celestia whispered, looking troubled already by her sister’s resigned expression. “Equestria needs its night time princess too.”

“Equestria doesn’t need me, sister. Only you. You took care of the sun, the moon, and the entire country all by yourself for centuries. The result? An era of utopia, peace, and prosperity that I had never even dreamed of.” She spread her wings, heaving a shuddering sigh. Celestia opened her mouth to disagree, but Luna would let her. “Now come, we must return. And I must explain myself to everypony before I set you back on your pedestal.” She smiled in a bitter way. Celestia opened her mouth to object such a notion, but Luna snapped her wings open. “Besides, Twilight Sparkle is still bedridden from the terrible beating I forced the both of you into.” She said, smiling wryly. “I’m sure she’ll want her mentor back as soon as possible.” With that, she launched herself off the moon and back towards Equestria. Celestia followed, suddenly somber.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=

Luna told everypony what had happened. She delivered speeches to all who would listen. She went to the grand balcony of the palace and trumpeted her sins to a massive crowd of gathered citizens. She told the Lunar Stallions. She told the solar guard. She sent detailed messages to the four corners of Equestria, so all would know what she had done.

They hated her for it. They despised and spat upon her name for her sick, evil trickery. It took not one full day to put Celestia back on the throne, and for petitions to start for Luna to be banished to the moon again. They called for her blood, angrily stomping and shouting at the palace gates in massive mobs. Luna bore their verbal slings and arrows, stoically never firing back upon them. She saw the frightened foals approach her sister again. She saw the palace staff come to wish her sister good health. She saw Bubble Bath and his crew return after a time, though the stallion himself could only bow and then receive affectionate nuzzles from the solar princess. Life began to breathe itself back into the palace, and Canterlot let out its long-held fearful breath. All looked upon Luna with revulsion, even her own Lunar Stallions, who abandoned her outright. She could only sit upon her haunches on a high balcony, smiling quietly to herself.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=

Twilight Sparkle awoke in a bed far too large for herself. It was a round, plush thing with dozens of throw pillows and a silken curtain that wrapped most of the way around it. She lifted her head with a quiet moan, but a large hoof pushed her down again. “Easy now, my faithful student. You must rest.” Celestia’s quiet and soothing voice massaged her ears. The purple mare gave a start, her mane beginning to stand on end and grow hot. “Now now, shh-sh-shhh… it’s alright. Everything is alright now.” She leaned, crooning, over her most beloved subject. “It’s all over.” Twilight looked up into her mentor’s eyes. They were soothing and purple, like they were supposed to be. Not the sickly, smoking green they had been when last she’d seen her. Twilight relaxed down again, looking up at her quietly.

“I’m not… dead, am I?” Twilight Sparkle whispered tiredly. “I feel so heavy…”

“Far from it. You’ve been asleep for over a week now.” Celestia said gently. “I’ve been watching over you, as has my palace staff, while you rested and recovered. It’s not every day my most faithful student reaches into her own endless well of solar magic and tries to murder me.” She said, smiling bemusedly. There was that look. Twilight knew it well. It was the look Celestia got when she was being motherly and caring. That reassuring and stoic look she got that always assured Twilight Sparkle that everything would be okay.

“I… I…” Twilight blushed and looked away, wilting her ears down.

“Don’t feel guilty Twilight.” Celestia said, leaning and nuzzling her in a motherly way. Crawling across the bed, the white alicorn settled while pressed up against the purple mare. Extending her wing to blot out the world for her, she continued to nuzzle her comfortingly. Twilight held her face in her tiny hooves like she often had as a foal, curling up and towards her for comfort. “So few of us were in control of ourselves lately, it’s quite hard to sort it all out. I don’t blame you for being angry with me at the time.”

“Luna said you sealed up my powers when I was a foal, why?” Twilight whispered. “Why, Princess?”

“Oh Twilight.” Celestia smiled gently. “If a foal had enough power to heft the sun or moon across the sky, would you feel safe going to sleep at night?” Twilight blushed at her words. “There is much we must discuss in the near future in regards to your awesome powers. Now that the seal on you has been broken, I don’t think I could reseal you again. You’ve grown powerful enough to resist it.” She smiled in a way that betrayed pride. “We shall have to work closely together so that you can learn to control all of your powers. It’s sooner than I would have liked, but… you always were a quick study.” She kissed Twilight’s forehead with affection, and the mare blushed.

“Wait, what happened to Luna?” Twilight perked up again.

“That’s a bit of a long story, but you’ve been asleep for a week so I’ll tell you everything from the beginning.” Celestia smiled and nodded when a servant appeared with a tea tray. Sitting upright on her haunches, the Princess waited quietly while the two of them were served tea and buttered biscuits. “Thank you, Home Brew.” She nodded to the serving mare. The grey earth pony bowed, smiling contentedly. When she was gone and they were once again alone, Celestia began to relate everything that had happened.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=

No one had seen Princess Luna for a long time. The shouting crowds and torches and pitchforks had gone away eventually. None of the palace staff had seen her return to her room, or move about the palace at all. Rumors started up rather easily. Had she gone back to the moon willingly, for another thousand years? Was she hiding in the Everfree Forest, waiting to strike again? Had she been assassinated? Was she rotting in the deepest, darkest dungeon that the palace had to offer? Nopony knew. Well, one knew, but she wasn’t telling.

Princess Celestia wandered by the royal kitchens, casting an invisibility spell over herself. If she was careful not to bump into anypony, she could check on things without being noticed. Moving carefully into the great room, she saw ponies rushing back and forth to prepare dinner for everypony that needed it. The Lunar Stallions were all still in the hospital. Princess Celestia had asked for a light meal of special sandwiches and red wine. The nobles that had the privilege to live in the palace had very specific appetites. So, as per usual, the place was a beehive of activity and culinary artwork.

The alicorn walked among them, idling at this table and that. At the drink station, however, she came across a little gathering of mares that were learning from the new girl. The grey earth pony with a potion flask on her flank expertly mixed a pair of juices together, shake-a-shaked them, then turned and poured them with flail. The mix spilled out over the ice, making the pieces break in specific patterns until it looked like a starry sunset drink. “I call this one the Sunrise Sparkle.” She chuckled, pushing it towards her audience. They fought briefly over who got to taste it first, but they all agreed it was divine.

“What’s in it?! This is amazing! I’ve gotta know the recipe!” One of them said.

“And this is just your first day, you’re gonna make a splash at the next gala! I’m super-glad you got hired here at the palace!” said another.

The grey mare smiled mysteriously, but then locked eyes with the invisible Princess Celestia. Her eyes flickered from grey to night-sky blue for just a moment. She could definitely see her. Celestia cocked her head in silent question. A drink-mixer? Really? That was what she wanted to be now? Alchemy was one of her sister’s talents, but… really? She could make a better living brewing potions or cures for ponies everywhere. But no, that might give her away. Nopony would suspect a humble palace servant. Home Brew smiled, shrugging at nopony at all and looking back to her new gaggle of friends. They giggled and chattered wildly while the grey mare reached to make another interesting concoction. The great thing about being centuries and centuries old was ponies tended to forget certain drinks, and bringing them back one by one made it look like invention.

Celestia shook her head. Her sister was ever the deceptive little thing, sometimes. She loved her so. At least her sister would be nearby, even if she didn’t want to be a Princess. The white alicorn sighed a little, cocking her head silently to pose another question. Home Brew cast her eyes aside, frowning a little and giving her head a slight shake of no. She didn’t intend to come back, not for a long… long time.

Chef Ram Sea, a goat and head of the palace cooking staff, suddenly swept over in front of the group. He snatched the glass off the table and tasted Lun—Home Brew’s Sunrise Sparkle drink. He washed it about in his mouth a bit, very thoughtful. “More of this.” He said shortly. “Outta all the staff, I only have ONE mixer that gives a damn about her job! Astounding!” he scolded the gaggle of mares away, who scattered like frightened fruit flies into the crowd of busy chefs and servants. Home Brew smiled, quietly going back to her alchemy table. Well, drink table.

Celestia smiled bemusedly, folding her wings down. She leaned, kissing Home Brew on the forehead, before turning and leaving her to her work. She could’ve punished her. Could’ve sent her to the moon again for all the pain and misery she’d caused. But what was the point? She’d come out in front of the entire nation and confessed. She’d dragged her name through the mud and cleared Celestia’s, leaving her more beloved and powerful than ever before. It had all been a part of her dark, intricate plans. Luna’s people hated her, and she’d gone into hiding to live a simpler life because she was sure Equestria didn’t need two Princesses. Merely one level-headed one. It was always going to be Celestia, Luna had insisted. Was she right? Celestia wasn’t sure. She’d not been so selfish, without the aid of drugs, to ever ask herself such a thing. Well… as long as Luna was happy, she could be happy for her.

Dinner was in a few hours. Celestia hoped she got to try the Sunrise Sparkle, too.

The (Original) End