"Who," the owl hollered over towards its left.

"Oh, just... be quiet already..." Celestia muttered. She leaned her body a little bit closer to the trunk. She then brushed some of the maple's branches off of her mane.

"Who," another owl called out from several feet under her.

Celestia leaned a little bit backward as if she was about to belt out a sarcastic remark. She stopped halfway. She then nudged herself down and stared at the little forest clearing yards and yards in front of her.

"Perfect!" Luna yelled, and she twirled about in place. Celestia's eyes followed her up the distant gravel road. Luna sat upon the familiar grassy blotch right besides the great big stump. Celestia watched as Luna cocked her head over and as Luna fell-- in totally phony, over-dramatic fashion-- down on her back atop Strawberry's lap.

The unicorn made his typical goofy smile. Celestia focused her eyes right on Strawberry's lips. He leaned over, and then he brought his face down upon Luna's face. They made out for quite a while. Like always, Luna seemed to just totally melt in his arms. She wagged her head side to side effortlessly-- trying to taste every last inch of his mouth and get every last possible sensation she could out of him. He wandered his front hooves all across Luna's chest, neck, and face.

Luna's mane curled along the side of Strawberry's head-- bringing him ever closer and closer. They didn't even seem to be two distinct ponies anymore. The frizzy edges of his mane flowed in and out of every bit of her sparkly, smooth mane. Blue and pink blended totally together into a fluffy lavender. Luna just seemed to radiate energy, and she clearly felt it in between her bottom hooves. Celestia focused right on her little sister's flank. Luna wiggled to the side, and then...

"WHO!" an owl screamed behind Celestia. She waved her front hooves around. She nearly fell right off of the branch.

"Are you all asking for a THOUSAND YEARS on the MOON!" Celestia hollered at the crowd of owls around her. She stood up on her hind hooves. "Because, I THINK that's what you all clearly WANT!"

The crowd of birds burst into a feathery blob. Owl after owl flapped away in different directions. Celestia sighed, and then she looked striaght up at the night. Luna's glorious night... It's so beautiful. It's always so beautiful. The Orion constellation seemed to shine right upon the clearing where the two lovebirds met.

Celestia sat back down at her post. She was alone this time. She felt something hard and absolutely soaking wet underneath her. She then shifted awkwardly on the branch. The white alicorn had subconsiouly pressed it deeply into her flank in such a... perverted fashion. Come on, now... Don't lose it. Think about Lulu.

Celestia brought her gaze back at the unicorn and the alicorn in front of her. They still made out with each other. He's so caring at every touch. So... so passionate... She looked down at the familar satchel that the unicorn carried. She moved her eyes up, and she saw Luna finally pull off of her 'prince'. Luna leaned down and silently met eyes with Strawberry. Luna then curled herself down and rested back on his lap-- leaving a little trail of soft kisses along his chest.

The white alicorn felt a set of kisses moving down her side as well. She could smell the chocolate dripping off of her skin with every kiss. She sensed those determined draconequus paws pressed against the end of her hooves. Those fingers had buried against them time after time.

So powerful, so deep, and so strong... He knew what he wanted. He wanted to make an imprint. He wanted to become a piece of my heart. He wanted to be a piece that would never go away. Celestia suddenly tried not to cry. She felt that touch upon her just as strongly as if Discord stood right there upon the branch besides her. The dark chocolate aroma seemed to burn her senses.

"Oh, Lulu," Celestia softly called out. The voice shifted across the beautiful treetops. Leaves bobbed up and down in the strong moonlight. "Lulu... Do you know what it's going to feel like when he's gone? Do you know what it's going to feel like when you're all... all..." She decided to stop fighting it, and her tears dripped one after the other down onto the trees below. "Alone."

Celestia gazed out with her teary eyes as Strawberry pulled out his guitar for the umpteenth time. Luna let out a girly coo, and she clapped her hooves. The white alicorn's eyes ran up her sisters body. Oh, Lulu... Lulu... Celestia gazed at the soft strawberry kiss on Luna's side, the soft strawberry kiss on Luna's neck, and then the soft strawberry kiss right on Luna's cheek.

The sun goddess smelled that wonderful sugary scent from her own chocolate kisses. For years upon years-- time that stretched like little eternities-- she had felt them going across herself. At the moment on the maple tree, centuries later, the memories of those kisses just seemed to hurt-- like thousands of little scars. Celestia nudged along the branch towards the batch of leaves at its edge.

A happy strumming burst out from the clearing. "No matter what-- you-- areeeeeee..." Strawberry began to sang. Celestia instinctively bounced along the branch to the beat. "I will always be with-- you!" He hammered down the riff.

Luna clapped and let out some happy 'ooohs' to the melody. Celestia smiled. The tears flowed, but she couldn't help singing along as well.

"Doesn't matter-- what you doooooo, girl!" Strawberry sang, and he swung to the side. Luna tapped his legs. "Oooooh... girl! With you!"

The unicorn and the alicorn locked eyes once again. Celestia bounced a bit higher at each riff. Luna just seemed to beam as well.

"No matter what-- you-- doooooo," Strawberry sang, "I will ALWAYS be AROUND!" He tapped the guitar's sides and wiggled it around. "Won't you tell me, what you FOUND-- GIRL-- ooooooh..." He cocked his head from side to side. "Girl! Won't you?"

Luna stepped up, and she kissed Strawberry once again. The guitar plopped right out of his hooves. They went at each other for a few seconds, and then she pulled away. She leaned forward and whispered something into his ear.

You're telling him that 'you found' your 'prince', Lulu. I can read you like a... a diary. "No matter what," Celestia repeated. She snorted-- the tears going down without stop. No matter what... And it matters what. She looked at Strawberry and Luna's warm embrace, and then she closed her eyes shut. "No matter.. what..."

It matters. Since he won't always be around. It might be that Lulu changes her mind. Or Strawberry changes his mind. But either way, it wouldn't matter. Because he won't be around. So, even if we manage to keep the royalty going even after turning half of Equestria against us with the marriage... Even if it all magically works... Even if you stay in love, Lulu... Celestia flew up, eyes still closed. She sailed yard after yard into the might sky.

Celestia popped her eyes open, and she faced up right at the shimmering moon. Even if it all works... He still won't always be around. The jagged, curved sillauoutte of a particular lunar mountain reminded her of that special draconequus. She held up her hooves, and then she sobbed into them.

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

Celestia held up the fork, and then it dangled in the air in front of her. She stared straight ahead of her. Luna shoved another plate full of sweets into her mouth-- barely showing even the basic manners. Luna stopped. The dark alicorn then forced herself to pick up a napkin and dabble it across the sides of her face.

"Rather... hungry, are we?" Celestia asked. She nestled herself a little bit farther away from the table. Although the sisters sat just about twenty feet from each other-- the sun goddess couldn't stand those comically huge dining set-ups unless absoutely needed for protocol-- they might as well have been on different planets.

"Hmmm," Luna muttered. She tried and succeed from keeping herself from sucking up the last little bits on the plate.

"Right," Celestia said.Is this... Is this it? A few little chattering conversations here and there has been the most that I've gotten out of you for weeks. WEEKS. Is she just going to... Well, I can't think Strawberry is 'taking my place' in your mind and your heart. That would be BEYOND SILLY. "So, what plans do you have for tomorrow?" Although... it sure feels like that...

"Besides the regular schedule, you mean?" Luna asked. Her mind seemed miles and miles away from the dinner table. She squealed as the waiter brought in yet another plate.

"Yes, besides the regular events, of course," Celestia replied. She surprised herself with the venom that she added to those two last words.

"It's... It's okay... There's plenty of places that are wide open," Luna said. Celestia's mood brightened.

"Oh, that's very nice. Very nice to hear, indeed," Celestia said. She took a little sip of the dark tea. Strawberry's special drink... Isn't it? "So..." She popped her front hooves against the table. "I know that Octavia's concert had two royal spots in the balcony. Blueblood has been just dying to get an excuse to get out of it, and I'm sure everypony would be so happy to see you show up." She smiled.

"Oh my gosh!" Luna suddenly called out. She motioned for the waiter to take her meal, and she popped out of the shiny golden seat. "I forgot that I... My dearest apologies, Tia." She stepped twoards the conservatory door. "I will be back very, very soon. I promise."

Celestia then found herself alone. Again... She magically picked up the fork, and then she stabbed it upon the mound of apple crisps. She stared as it fluttered about like a flag on a mountain.

(To Be Continued)