"Lips!" Luna called out. Her reflection yelled back at her with the same sing-song voice. She then nudged her right side over closer to the mirror.

A little metal case magically lifted up besides her head. She pointed over with her eyes. The case cracked open to reveal a mysterious black vial, which she then moved right over in front of her lips. She focused to screw the edges off. The darkish goop rubbed up against her skin.

"Ooooh... c-c-cold..." whispered the princess. But that's the point, isn't it? She giggled. After giving herself a liberal dose, she leaned back and screwed the cap back on. She pursed her lips together and then made a huge smile.

'Twilight Sparkles' she called them. At my insistence, of course, that poor purple unicorn is just-- SO-- blasted modest. Sheesh! Luna eyed her reflection-- pressing forward even deeper. Her gaze danced around the thousands of shiny little magical crystals appearing around her lips. She couldn't help giggling again at the torrent of soft tickles.

"A nice little substitute for those bites... staying for weeks and weeks," Luna whispered, and then she cocked her head back. She angled her eyes and made a seductive gaze. She knew that she radiated beauty from every inch-- and now a soft minty coldness from her lips as well. Moon may have been a wildcat, but he should know that I can give her a run for her money.

"Hair!" Luna called out. She magically lifted up a brush, then another, and then another after that. She worked through her feral looking mane for a while, and she tensed. Almost... almost done... She made one last triumphal brush, and then she let out a satisfied coo.

Luna smacked her lips together. Oh, I can't imagine the look on his face when he sees that bluish mark still there tomorrow morning. And still there the morning after that. She made a devious smile. Still sparking on that pretty white neck of his... Still tickling him with my own cold, minty touch... Still reminding him about me every second... Marked!

"Miiiiiiine," Luna whispered, and she went eye to eye to her reflection. Her heart beat furiously at the very thought of seeing him again-- let alone a long moonlight stroll. Mine. Nobody but me. Mine.

Luna froze as the door opened behind her. She glanced up at the mirror's reflection of Celestia. The sun goddess stepped through the bedroom door and then dropped herself upon the gigantic couch with a frustrated sigh.

"What have you been doing, Tia?" Luna asked, putting back on that friendly sing-song tone. Awww... She needs to cheer up for once!

"Official quarterly performance evaluations," Celestia declared, waving her hoofs around in mock elegance with every word. She leaned back deeper into the couch, and then she swung her bottom hooves around the sides. "Oh, for..." She nudged her horn upon the soft silk cushion behind her. "It's simply unbelievable. Half of the stallions just tense up at my very sight. I suppose they think that they'll spend a decade in Everfree Forest just for breaking a single plate... Goodness."

"That's..." Luna began. She strained to pay attention, but she really couldn't. "That's so... odd of them, Tia." She made a last minute adjustment to her hair with her hooves.

"I've been looking forward to getting out of it for a while now," Celestia went on, "When we could finally spend some time today... together..." Celestia ran her eyes across Luna's back. "I kept thinking about our little game with Prince Blueblood, Princess Cadence, and the rest of the visitors."

"Game..." Luna repeated, the words bouncing off of her head. She rubbed a fluffy white puffball along her neck and shoulders for a second. Celestia trailed a pinch of the sugary sweet smelling powder as it ran down Luna's shoulders and along her side.

"Game," Celestia said as well, "Our croquet competition..." She lowered her tone for a moment. "For the next two hours." The sun goddess shifted around atop the couch.

Luna finally put everything back in the right drawer, and she gazed at herself. "Better than mortal ponies could ever ask for," she whispered. She wiggled herself from side to side. She then paused.

Where did I hear that little poetic phrase before? It had to be some book or... something. Her smile melted. "Mortal ponies..." Mortal... Meaning... Meaning that someday, he won't be... She shut her eyes tight. No. No. No. NO. Don't THINK like THAT!

Celestia gently stepped over off of the couch to her sister's side. She held out a sympathetic hoof across her back. "Lulu," Celestia muttered, "What's the matter? Is it another one of those headaches? Dear, you should see a doctor... Or is it something else?" She paused. "Please, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Luna said, although she fought back quite a few tears, "Nothing at all. In fact..." She leaned her head back and smiled again. "I'm feeling just... GREAT."

"Did you want to go first?" Celestia asked.

"First, in our..." Luna responded, and she lost herself in thought. "Oh, yeah, our... Game..." No, I had told her already I couldn't come! Didn't I? That was this morning! Or... or... I can't remember. "I... I can't come..."

Celestia's kind, motherly gaze folded into that now familiar scowl. She stepped off towards the bedroom door. The princess leaned her head down, and she took a deep breath. Luna followed a few yards behind.

"I'm... I'm very sorry Tia," Luna said.

"What are you going to say this time..." Celestia half-said to herself. She didn't even look back at her sister.

"It's the special guards' training event. You know," Luna said, and she tried to put on a cheerful tone, "It's been postponed once already, and I need to just knock through it tonight." It was only a half-lie. She did need to speak to the guards, although she'd have plenty of time to spend with Strawberry before trotting to the courtyard besides the armory. "Don't worry, I'll just miss the first round." She nudged herself over and leaned up against her older sister. "That's all. I'll be there before it ends. Promise."

"You certainly look..." Celestia began, "Nice... for that guard's event..."

"They need a proper motivational speech, don't they? What better motivation than a princess at her best?"

Celestia locked eyes with her younger sister. Luna made a very fake, nervous smile. The sun goddess pursed the sides of her face in a 'don't think I don't know' expression. She then magically opened the door and stepped through. Luna-- no idea what to do-- instinctively gave her a friendly wave as she left.

"Oh... Tia..."

(To Be Continued)