Celestia shifted down. Treetops skipped along her hooves. Luna went on flying-- not even glancing up at her sister's moves. The sun goddess beat her wings and picked up some speed. Lulu, what... Oh, something has to be wrong-- very wrong. You're not thinking of taking me up on that 'simple procedure', are you? Without looking back, Luna curled around and then rocketed off to the left. Celestia chased back.

Oh, no, it has to something else. Celestia bobbed upwards and then hurled herself into a patch of clouds. She looked out at Luna's face. The blue alicorn grimanced and then curled down several feet. Celestia bounced in place as Luna sped right under her. No... That... That face...

Luna spun her left wing up, and then kicked at the air. Her loop-de-loop brought her right back up above Celestia's head. The sun goddess' eyes followed Luna's path right over to the gnarled piles of bark. To Everfree Forest... To Ponyville... Celestia hopped straight up-- thick mist running down along her sides. She locked eyes with Luna once again.

Luna's tears hadn't just burned against her face. Celestia saw it almost rip into her skin. No, no... I can't... I can't let this happen. Whatever it is you're going to do, don't do it! She sped ahead, moving up into the thicker clouds. Celestia took a deep breath, and then she knew that Luna couldn't see her anymore.

"Oh, Lulu," Celestia whispered, "You haven't had that look on your face since... since..." Since I sent you to the Moon... Oh, Lulu. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. She thrust her body at full force towards Ponyville. Celestia knew she had to outrun Luna; Celestia just had to stop her regardless of whatever she had planned.

The sun goddess curled over to the side. Black mist assaulted her from all directions. She kicked around with her hooves, and then she hurled herself straight down. Lightening crackled all across the ends of her tail. She popped out a thick mass of clouds. She glanced back, beating her wings in place for a moment, and saw the lightening start to pulse. The little electric streaks grew longer and thicker, and some kind of red aura leaked out of the clouds around them.

Looks like... like... red licorace lightening? Celestia twirled around, and then she gazed down at the homely set of roofs around cute little gardens. Oh, Luna, where in Ponyville are you? You can't be meeting up with Strawberry. I just... She traced along the skyline for Sugarcube Corner. I just wish I knew what you're thinking!

Her eyes then curled up. She couldn't see her own horn, but she felt it. That little magical cylinder sitting right atop her horn almost seemed to vibrate against her skin. Oh, no, I shouldn't be silly. I'd never use that again. I don't even know why I didn't put it away in the first place. She bounced down atop Mayor's house. Celestia jumped over to another roof. She nestled her hooves atop the weathervane, which spun her around a little.

What's... Ugh, I'm losing it again. Of course, I'd never put that on again. Sure, I'd find out everything Luna knows, but I... I... Her subconscious mind lifted up the device and spread it back in necklace form in front of her. Oh, no, that's just a horrible idea! I won't be able to tell where she ended and I began! She coughed. She wiggled her head, trying to get back to her senses. She blinked.

She magically put the necklace back on. She felt a little blue chill rushing across her body, and then she flapped her wings hard. She bounced off of the roof and then landed in the backyard. She splashed her hooves against a little pond. Ducks flew out everywhere-- letting off a torrent of honks.

"Luna," Celestia said as she gazed at her reflection, "You're looking absolutely radiant tonight. You seem just perfect for meeting your prince." She smiled. She then froze. Celestia smashed her head against the pond. Think! Think! What is it she's doing!

The water ran up to Celestia's eyes, and she blinked. Visions poured out from every last edge of her eyes with each blink. She could barely make out a thing. The words, the faces, the touches, the hugs, the cries, and everything else all dissolved into one big blur. Celestia took a deep breath. She hurled her head out of the water and shut her eyes tight.

Celestia made out a huge blob of mist. Then, she pictured two large tombstones in her minds eyes. She wiggled her head. Her subconscious mind felt totally assaulted. Memory after memory, fear after fear, and hope after hope crashed into it. She then hopped up-- throwing herself yards and yards into the air.

"Oh, no, Lulu!" Celestia called out. She eyed the familiar bakery off across the street. "You can't let him go!"

Celestia ran straight towards the side door. She then smashed her hooves against the ground and tore into the street. She curled over-- just missing breaking the door down-- and then battered her hooves all over it.

"Oh, uh, Strawberry, darling!" She wouldn't say 'darling'. Or would she? She's all lovely-dovey, after all. "Uh, sweetie! Strawberry, angel pie! Sweetcakes! Sugar drawers!" She kept on knocking. "Please!" She stopped at a sudden noise.

The top half of the door swung open. Celestia took a sigh of relief. Now then, don't get too close. Copy Luna's magic. Don't get too close. Copy her magic. It won't be too hard. I hope. She stuck her head in.

"Oh, Strawberry, I'm so glad--"

"All you have to do is take a CUP of FLOWER add it to the mix!" A familar squeaky voice shot out. Celestia ran her eyes all about the kitchen. Everything looked empty. "And don't use too much shortening! It's so fattening!"

"Pinkie?"

A tray of cupcakes shot up underneath her head. Celestia hopped up. She leaned back down. She eyed the long, undulating grey neck moving about. She tensed. A yellow paw reached up and then thrust a huge cloud of powered sugar into the air. Celestia coughed.

"YOU!" Celestia streamed. She glared at the spirit of chaos. He shifted himself around, and then he made a frowny face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot the frosting," he said. He learned his head over and then curled his right horn down. It poured thick globs of pinky goop atop the pile of cupcakes. "Fresh strawberry scented, just like you'd want it..." He pushed the tray over. "Luna..." The sarcasm couldn't have been thicker if he wrote the word in brick and mortar.

"What are you doing here, you," Celestia muttered, "You, you..."

"I... I..." Discord muttered back, and he waved his paws around in mocking confusion.

"What did you DO to STRAWBERRY!" Celestia hollered.

Discord popped backwards. He hummed a little melody. He leaned back and then plopped a huge chefs hat upon his head. "I put him into that side oven over there" he began, running his fingers down along the countertop. "Now just give him about thirty minutes until--" He locked eyes with Celestia, who looked ready to tear him limb from limb in seconds, and then he shrugged. The smile melted from his face. "Oh, goodness, Princess, really? You're so judgmental." He waved a paw over behind him. "He's in the can."

*Clang*

"What was that!" Celestia called out.

"I'm eighty percent sure that Strawberry just fell off the side stool and bumped the toilet tank again," Discord replied. He then leaned down and made a huge smile. "Oooh, oooh! Maybe he'll be inventing a flux-capacitor now!"

"Are you..."

"Am I real, or am I only in your imagination?" Discord flew himself up on the side of the wall. "Am I a dream?" He thrust open a cupboard and pulled out a tray of cookies. "Am I a subject of your rippling jealousy and self-hatred towards your sister?" He bounced up atop the table. "Am I real as the ground under your feet?" He shuffled his feet around-- pumping his arms to the rythmn-- and then twirled. He turned, and then he hopped out towards the window. "Am I a fake?"

"Well?"

"Beats me!" Discord replied. He shrugged.

"For crying out loud, you... you..." She almost cried.

"So..." He leaned up just inches from her face. "Cookie?" He thrust a black and brown treat into Celestia's mouth. She clenched it in her teeth. Discord swung his head around, and then he popped one into his own mouth. He then threw himself up in the air.

Discord hurled the tray down, and then smashed it below his feet. He hopped up and down on it over and over again. "NOT CHOCOLATE? RAISINS? RAISINS! RAAAAAIIIIISSSSIIIINNNNSSSSSSS!" His hands flew about in pure rage. The cookies mushed around his feet. "MRS. CAKE, YOU UGLY LITTLE WHORE! YOU SHALL PAY FOR DEFILING PERFECTLY GOOD COOKIES WITH THESE ABOMINATIONS!"

Celestia thrust her hooves against her head. It's all in my head. I can make it stop. It's all in my head. I WILL make it stop. It's all in my head. She gulped.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

"Strawberry... I... I have to tell you something. It's something very important," Luna rehearsed as she trotted around the roof. She made the twentieth circle around the chimney, and she slowed down a little. "Please, Strawberry, you need to stand up for this. No, wait, sit down for it. No, wait, you need to be looking right up at me." She tapped her head with her hoof. "No, you need to wait... Just wait... I have to tell you something important."

I can't be with you, because I love you. I love you too much to be with you. She halted, and she looked out at her reflection in one of the windows. I love you, and I can't bear to let you go. So that's why I'm letting you go now. Better now, than later. I'm sure that you'd understand if you were me. The other Luna stared definately back at her.

"What am I saying," Luna muttered, and then she keeled over. She rubbed her head against the coarse, grainy tiles. "I can't... I'm in you. You're in me. It's just too late for goodbyes. It's too late for anything." She then brought herself back up. She looked out at Sugarcube Corner off in the distance. She flapped herself up.

But... I'll have to let you go sometime. It has to be sometime. And I know I won't be strong enough then. I might be strong enough now. I can love you and then lose you. I can't bear to love you and then bury you. She sailed over. Still, I... all of that time we could have together. All of that love. I can't give it up!

"And if I..." she whispered, and then she shifted her eyes over to Fluttershy's house. She rubbed her bottom hooves against each other. "If I found a suitable pegasus and then I... I could try the spell. It could work." She's so kind, so open-minded, and so generous. If I explained everything to her, and I promised to help her forever-- she might be willing to let me cut... She smacked her head against her side. NO! What am I THINKING!

Luna hopped down to the ground. Almost everypony is sleeping. I can be a lot more brazen. I'll just walk right up to the right side door as Strawberry leaves for home. I'll look right at him, and then I'll tell him the truth. She trotted across the street.

Her eyes moved about from neatly decorated shops to pretty little gardens to the neatly trimmed layers of bushes. They then froze upon the little white patch of wood right in front of her. She held up a hoof. She nudged it about in the air-- afraid to even touch. She closed her eyes. Strawberry... I'll always love you. No matter what I've decided. No matter what I say, or what you say. Nothing will ever change that.

*Knock, knock*

The door opened. She moved in. A set of warm white hooves shot out across her neck. She nudged her head over, and then Strawberry buried his face into her soft, flowing mane. She breathed in his wonderful sweet scent. She stepped a little bit forward. Strawberry gently kissed up her neck.

He then leaned back, and he prepared to smack against her lips. She let out a sigh. He opened his eyes, and then he gazed at her. He made a phony 'sad puppy' face, and Luna smiled a little. The grin faded in a split-second. He pulled a little back and then locked eyes with her.

"Strawberry, I need to tell you something very important."

(To Be Continued)

That is: Things will be continued right after you make your decision, dear reader. You have your own choice of endings. Please note that emotional tone as well as the explicitness of content will vary widely based on your choice.

For a positive ending with graphic sexual content, please click over to the next three chapters (sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen). For the grim ending with graphic gory as well as sexual content, please see the three chapters after that (nineteen, twenty, and twenty-one). For a comedic 'random' sort of ending, please see the chapter after that (twenty-two). For a short, sugary-sweet ending, please see the chapter after that (twenty-three). For a positive ending with a bittersweet tone, please see the final two chapters (twenty-four and twenty-five).