> Struggles > by Monochromepony > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Pushin' It > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "As princesses of Equestria, we will guide and protect all the ponies in our land." … “Do you understand, sister?" The moon princess rolled her eyes at Celestia, giving her a frustrated nod. "Tia, will you stop giving me these speeches already? I understand." Luna stood and quickly began to rush down the hallway, praying in her mind her sister would just stop raving about her rules and regulations. "Luna, what you did was serious business. Do you know what could have happened if that sleeping dragon awoke?" Celestia stared intently at her as Luna stopped in her path and looked over her shoulder to returned the glare with great hatred. "Yeah. Can you leave me alone now?" "Luna..." Celestia said, shaking her head and letting out a tired sigh. "Yes, your highness?" Luna said in a taunting voice as she gave her sister another heated glare and trotted to her resting chambers before slamming the door behind her with her glowing horn. She collapsed in her bed and took off her crown right before grabbing her hoodie. Celestia sighed and turned away, going to her own bedroom to think things through. "Beloved sister... What am I going to do with you?" _____________________________________________ Luna slowly walked through the Canterlot garden with her hoodie on, looking up at her beautiful moon as her eyes sparkled with it's reflection. She stopped and sat by a small pond to look at her own reflection in the softly rippling water. Lulu was waiting for a friend to arrive, one her sister did not very much approve of . She knew him as Discord, a mysterious yet friendly creature they found a few months ago in the Everfree forest. They would often play pranks on Tia and giggle like little fillies when she said the word "duty". She grinned with delight as soon as she heard the familiar poof sound, she immediately turned around to glomp him. They laughed and talked until Luna finally made the subject a bit more serious… of course Discord didn’t really act any different. "Discord, do you ever feel that sometimes nopony respects your work, no matter how hard you try?" Discord chuckled and put a paw on her shoulder, pulling her uncomfortably close. "Oh, duh! Everypony should, but seems ol' StarSwirl really doesn't really approve of having his library turned to gingerbread, I mean, Who's nutty enough to not like that!” He said while he offered her a plate of gingerbread cookies, as well as a glass of milk, ”And you have no idea how much of my day that took, I barely had time to arrive for our nightly picnic!" The princess laughed and nodded, stuffing her mouth with the soft cookies. She chugged down the milk and gave him a muffled "Thank you" for the food before a huge “Gulp!”. "Didn't really have much dinner tonight... Tia told me it was best that I 'Go and think about what I did'..." "Well, then that makes two of us." Discord said as he raised a couple of talons and thought to himself, She really despises her sister... this could come in handy~ Luna sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. “How am I going to survive with that pony....” “You know… You could tell her to back off, to show you do have powers before her’s. Who else can be talented enough to make sure all the stars are all aligned in perfect order every single night?” Discord said as he looked down at her. “I know… I know I should.” Luna sighed and looked back into the water. “Then why don’t you tell your sister to get outta your spotlight? Why don't you just tell her how you truly feel? Maybe it would be nice to have you in charge for a change.” Lulu looked up at him with big thoughtful eyes. “I don’t know...I do really, really, really dislike her, but she still is my beloved sister… And even if I tried, I-I don’t know if I would be strong enough alone against her...” “Beloved sister? Ha, since when has she treated you like a sister? If you ask me, she treats you like she's a drill sergeant. By the way, I’m sure I could help if you would just let me~” Luna stood and looked into his eyes. “Look, this is a lot to take in…It’s turning morning soon. Goodnight, Discord.” She kissed his cheek, and flew back up to the balcony connected to her room. Discord grinned wickedly and watched as she disappeared into her bedroom. “Princess Luna…” He uttered under his breath, “You're just like your bratty sister...” He turned and flew off back into the Everfree forest, muttering to himself. "Next times, Discord, next time.” Luna laid down and grabbed her sketch pad, knowing it was only a couple hours till Tia but burst in and remind her of her royal morning duties. Lulu let out a sigh and looked through her balcony windows where she watched her friend disappear into the woods. She had always been curious about where he goes when he’s not in Canterlot, but her mind quickly moved on to other things and then back to her paper. She laid there for about an hour, drawing different types of nocturnal animals. After she finally stopped with an adorable looking sugar glider, she laid her quill and paper down on her nightstand, and snuggled up in bed. Maybe for once… we could just skip our morning duties… and bask in my beautiful night… Yet Neither one of them knew Celestia was watching the whole time, perched on her balcony. She felt betrayed. She was being plotted against by her own sister. She wouldn’t, couldn’t, stand for this. She would deal with Luna in the morning. > Weakening > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning, Celestia paced back and forth in her throne room, sipping coffee out of her “1# Princess” mug. She wasn’t sure what to say or even think about what she saw last night. She still couldn’t believe that after all they've been through Discord had the nerve to do that to her sister. He was going to pay. ________________________________________ Luna waited, surprised her sister hadn't bothered her yet. It had been about half an hour since six o’clock. Finally, she got and slowly opened her door, for some reason thinking her sister would be right there in her face. She let out a sigh of relief to see empty space in front of her, and trotted to the royal kitchen, where a fancily dressed unicorn stallion with a grey coat and black mane was eating a bran muffin. She caught sight of him and tilted her head, wondering what a “peasant” was doing on the the east wing of the castle, which was where her and Tia slept, ate, and of course, argued. Who is this? She used her magic to levitate a broom nice and high, read to swat him on the back of the head. “Just who are you?” Said the overreacting alicorn, ready to attack him with her broom. As soon as the the broom was about to hit him right in the head, he ducked, dodging the wooden stick by an inch. “Woah!” He backed up, “Calm down, I’m just… Eh... Celestia’s assistant!” He used his own blue tinted magic to keep the broom from hitting him again as she dropped it. “Celestia’s… assistant?” Luna stared at him, dumbfounded. “I didn't know she had an assistant…” She said in a tiny voice. “Well… she does.” He placed the broom down, resting it on the wall beside him. “So, Luna, I've heard you and Celestia have been in quite a fight lately.” Luna sat down and scratched her head as the stallion began pouring batter into a pan. “... H-how do you…” “Oh, It’s everywhere, ya know! Celestia complains about it all the time to me, it’s quite annoying, really.” He said, pouring milk from a glass pitcher into a glass cup for her. “Everypony is talking about how you treat her like rubbish and how much more amazing she is than you..” Luna looked shocked. “She… did?” “Eeyup… Sorry to tell ya....” He said as he took a pan off the stove, that somehow, within a minute, filled with about six pancakes that came out of nowhere. He put three of them on a plate and offer it to her as well as the glass of milk. The princesses eyes began filling with tears. She levitated her breakfast with her magic and slowly went to her room with it. The Stallion grinned widely as she did so and with the glow of his horn, he was gone. _________________________________________ S...sister… you love me… don’t you? Luna sobbed into a pillow, feeling her sorrow overwhelm her. “Tia… You wouldn't…” She looked over to her nightstand where a framed picture of the two sisters as fillies rested. she used her magic to bring it over and held it in her hooves. Maybe Discord was right… __________________________________________ An hour and a half later, Luna heard a knock on the door. She groaned and glanced up at the entrance. Celestia. “Sister? May I come in?” “No.” Luna growled, pulling her covers over her head. Celestia sighed and looked to the floor. “Look, I’m sorry if I upset you last night, I guess I did kinda not really treat you like a sister… but you must lower the moon.” “Go away,” Luna muttered, trying her best to ignore her sister. “Your ‘royal assistant’ told me everything.” “... Assistant?” Celestia rose her head with a concerned look. “I… don’t have an assistant.” “Sure you don’t.” Luna mumbled under her breath. “Just as true as what I thought was sisterly love…” Celestia stood there at her sisters door for a moment, thinking who she could be thinking of. Having a very faint idea, she galloped back to the throne room to see an old and well known foe sitting there on her throne. “Well, well~” The draconequus said, looking up at the sky through a large window in the ceiling. it was eight in the morning and the moon still wasn’t lowered. “Discord! What have you done to my sister!” Celestia said furiously, stomping a hoof to emphasize her seriousness. “Oh, just gave her a little encouragement. Seems we have much in common… Oh my… that sentence... déjà vu much?” He put a talon to her chin and moved away before Celestia’s hoof could swat him. Celestia grimaced, and arched her back as if she was ready to pounce on him. “S... shut up!” “Oh dear! That doesn’t sound like the appropriate language for a royal princess~” Discord said, crossing his legs and laying back in the cushions of the royal seat. At first anger was the only emotion in the princess’ eyes. The draconequus was staring back, a wicked stare with an evil grin, but soon his grin slowly faded when he heard the mare softly sobbing as she collapsed to the floor. He craned his neck and watched her, surprised. “...Tia?” The monster you took me for was the monster I became.... __________________________________________ “Luna, you must lower the moon! It is your duty!” “Ah!” Luna woke up in a cold sweat. She had the most horrible dream… but that’s not what bothered her. The only thing she could think about was her hatred for Celestia. She looked up at the sky through her window. The sun was up. I suppose Celestia did this...