Luna gazed at her sister expectantly. They now stood at the edge of the river in question, the current moving fast and strongly. Looking down at the river bank, Luna could have sworn she saw greenery poking out of the snow.
“Sister,” Celestia began. “Do you believe me to be such a simpleton? I did not fall through the ice. I crossed on the natural stepping stones over there.” Luna searched for a moment, then spotted a few sharp-edged boulders peeking above the current, several pony-lengths apart.
Celestia sighed, then continued, “How could I resist? They were just like the ones we used to skip across in the pond at the old castle. Do you remember?”
Luna knew immediately what Celestia was referencing. The pond and the surrounding landscape flashed through her mind. Luna sank down into the snow, suddenly weary. She told herself it was because she was up way past her bedtime. Luna pawed at the ground and attempted to speak, but a lump had formed in her throat. Swallowing, she replied, “Yes, too few and far too wide apart. I did not think you would remember something that is so--was so!… so long ago.” Luna winced at her stuttering. She had stopped herself from saying something that would let on to her internal dilemma. Her sister need not know how she clung to those memories of better times, to see just how pitiful she was. She immediately regretted coming on this trip.
Celestia drew nearer, frowning. She saw through her. “Luna, you do know how much I love you and how I cherished our childhood, don’t you? Not a day passes by without me remembering the little things that you and I did together. Those memories bore me through my time of grief, our time of separation. Holding on to good memories is nothing to be ashamed of, and now we can make more together. You are not alone, not anymore.” Celestia did not miss the flinch. Luna looked away. The rush of the river filled the silence. “Luna, don’t you trust me? I know that it has not been an easy adjustment for you, coming home. Do not tell me that everything is fine.”
The conversation was bordering on a dangerous topic, one that Luna was not ready to address yet. She had not realized that the cold had left her until it returned to her chest, intense and unforgiving. Memories of countless nights alone in a frozen wasteland surfaced, and thoughts of what was and what could have been began to fill her mind--No! I will not go there, not today. There will be plenty of time for self-loathing later. Luna shook her head. Celestia has suffered enough already. Today is a day for relaxation and winter fun! I must see to the plan’s fruition. Yet as Luna took stock of her situation, she felt conflicted. She grabbed a stick and began to draw circles in the snow.
Celestia stooped down and touched a wing to Luna’s back. Luna had been quiet too long. “Luna,” Celestia began to speak, concerned.
As the warmth from Celestia’s aura began to envelop her, Luna made up her mind. In one swift motion, she spread her wings and leapt to her hooves. “Let us not discuss this heavy subject now, dear sister, but instead enjoy your glorious Day. Now is the time for laughter and fun!” Luna attempted to smile; it did not reach her eyes.
Celestia’s face clouded over and her mouth opened slightly. A tense moment passed, but then her eyes softened and she acquiesced, “Okay, Luna. As you wish.” Luna relaxed.
“But first,” Celestia continued, “You must promise me that we will discuss this, and soon. Perhaps when we return to Canterlot. Scratch that, before we return. We cannot continue like this, little sister. It is too easy to go back to our old ways. And you and I both know how that ended.” Celestia gave Luna a hard look. Luna let out a humorless laugh, a faraway look in her eyes. Celestia cleared her throat. “So Luna, what say you?”
Luna snapped her attention back to Celestia. “Well… fair enough, I suppose. Though I highly doubt one afternoon will be enough to cover 1,000 years.” She smiled faintly.
Celestia returned her smile. “Of course it won’t be, Luna, but it will be a good start.” She shifted her weight. An awkward moment passed.
“Now then,” Luna broke the silence, “Let us find your other shoes. Considering that they are made out of gold, we do not want to leave them behind. It would be just our luck that a mountaineer stumbles across your gold horseshoes and makes a fortune selling them. Imagine the hay-day the papers would have with a story like that!”
Celestia shook her head with a frown. “Ugh, I can see the headlines now. They’d blow it out of proportion and make it into a huge scandal for sure, as if there’s nothing better to report on!”
“There would be protests for sure.” Luna laughed humorlessly. “At least that’s one thing that has stayed the same. No matter which century, the press will find fault with the crown.” She shook her head. “So with that in mind,” Luna continued, “Where did you last see your shoes?”
“You know, I believe I actually left them on the stepping stones. I had wanted to feel the ice with my hooves.” Celestia kicked the melting snow that was by her hooves.
“Ah-ha! So you were being a simpleton! I bet the river would still be frozen if you hadn’t touched it. Your ‘celestial aura’ has no regard for nature. Tell me truthfully, did you fall in?”
“I have wings, remember? Or did you forget?”
“Ha ha, very funny. I also have wings--,” Luna flapped her wings and rose into the air. “--And I shall retrieve them!” She flew a good distance away to the middle of the river and alighted on one of the boulders. The first thing she noted was that they were not just like the ones at the old castle. They were quite a bit larger than they had appeared from her previous vantage point, and looking back toward the bank Celestia was no larger than a mouse. Luna smirked at the comparison. She searched for the shoes, but they were not there. She immediately moved on to the next, determined to find them and get Celestia back to the clearing. The fun must continue, after all.
“Luna, do you see them?” Celestia called. Her question was almost inaudible over the sound of the river.
“Not yet!” Luna called back. She muttered to herself, “Where are they?”
She found them on the third boulder, bent and shimmied into a crevice. Luna would have overlooked them if the sun hadn’t caught them at just the right angle.
“Yes, I’ve found them!” Her celebration was cut short when she realized there were only two shoes. “Hey Celestia! There are only two here! Where is the other one?”As she was speaking, a loud growl filled the air. Luna whipped her head around just as the river erupted. Everything was a blur as the water surrounding her shot up toward the sky, then the boulder underneath her shifted and Luna fell on her side. Black scaly claws appeared from the depths, reaching for her.
“LUNA!” Celestia cried. “TELEPORT!” Before she could respond, Luna was pulled under.
The world had gone quiet for Luna, a dull ringing filling her ears. Initially she had felt shockingly cold, but now the only thing she could feel was something strong and inescapable holding her down. She struggled against it but Luna grew weaker and weaker. A muffled shout sounded from somewhere and the restraints disappeared. She opened her eyes to an incomprehensible sight. She couldn’t tell up from down.
What is going on? For a moment Luna floated there, trying to remember, then the pain registered. Her lungs screamed for air and Luna finally realized she was underwater. A simple spell aided in her escape from a watery grave and she broke through the surface, coughing violently. Her hearing returned to her. “--LEPORT NOW LUNA! GET AWAY!” Something large was coming toward her--! Luna disappeared in a bright flash.