Role Reversal

by JaketheGinger


Sometimes, all you need is a Friend

Her mind was in more of a blur than herself when she raced back to her cloud home. Rainbow Dash paced back and forth repeatedly atop her fluffy home’s flooring in an attempt to vent out all her frustration and confusion.

She didn’t know how to react at Spike’s revelation. It was all too much. As such, the only way she could react was with rage. A side effect of her anger was that it clouded her mind. Currently, it told her that the wish had made her past life forfeit. Truth was, she didn’t really know what it meant.

The perhaps more troublesome fact was that she didn’t know whether she’d apologise to Spike or not. First of all, he had lied to them; he should’ve put more faith in his friends. Secondly, wishing to swap your lives with somepony else seemed...cowardly.

Rainbow shook her head rapidly. The rage was screwing with her thought process. She needed to let it out.

Trotting over to her bed, she dived upon it and buried her face within the cushion. She took a deep breath and let out a loud but muffled scream. She kept going until all the air left her lungs and she had to breathe in again.

Yeah...that felt a bit better.

She shouted again, using all the energy her throat could muster. Once she had finished this, she turned over onto her back and stared at the ceiling for a while.

She didn’t think much. Relaxation was needed, not thinking. She almost fell asleep but slapped herself lightly whenever she dozed off. After a couple of minutes, she sat up, coughing. Evidently the shouting had tired out her throat. Slipping out of bed, she headed to her kitchen.

The good thing about cloud homes was that the home itself was a supply of water. Everything from the tap came from the house structure itself. However, restraints were put in place that stopped the tap if it drained too much from the cloud.

Rainbow’s home was a marvel of pegasus, unicorn and earth pony ingenuity. The pegasi shaped the clouds, the earth ponies built the tiles and other domestic appliances and the unicorns held them together by magic that never waned. These types of houses were around since the three pony tribes were united but back then, they were very simple.

Heading to the sink, Rainbow grabbed a glass cup from a cupboard and filled it up with cold, fresh water from the tap. Without any hesitation, she drank the glass’ contents in one hearty swig. Once the glass was empty, she put it next to the sink. It didn’t need to be washed right now anyway.

Sporadically, she flew out of the front door and into the open air. She needed something to do. Something fun. Something that made her feel unique.

May as well see the squirt.

She flew downward until she was at a height where she could indentify the ponies below in Ponyville with ease. It didn’t take her long to find her target.

In all of the serenity, a single dust trail made its way through the town. Its creator was a certain, spunky filly riding her trusty scooter.

Rainbow decided to fly above and make her entrance when the orange pegasus decided to stop, if she did. Admittedly, she was rather surprised at the filly’s speed and found herself increasing her own to keep up.

By now, they were on the outskirts of Ponyville and the rider showed no signs of stopping. Rainbow had waited enough. Sighing, she flew by the filly’s side.

“Hey, Scootaloo!” she yelled.

In response, Scootaloo instinctively stopped flapping her wings and turned sharply, putting a hoof on the ground. The scooter slowly skidded to a stop, kicking up dust and gravel from the path. After she had stopped, Rainbow landed in front of her.

“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo exclaimed, like she always did when she saw her hero.

“Who else?” Rainbow replied smugly.

“Good to see you.” Scootaloo smiled, “...but what are you doing here?”

“Bored.” Rainbow mumbled. “Wanna hang out?”

Scootaloo’s jaw went agape slightly and her eyes widened. “Sure! Yeah! Let’s do that!” She said ecstatically.

Rainbow examined Scootaloo’s vehicle, before saying: “You get a nice speed on that, y’know.”

“Really?!” Scootaloo then coughed. “Well yeah, ‘course I do.”

“Ever done many tricks on it?” Rainbow asked.

“Sure I have!” Scootaloo answered, as if it was a no brainer.

“Show me then.” Rainbow smirked.

“Later...was just racing on this thing so I’m not at my full strength now.” Scootaloo said, avoiding Rainbow’s gaze for a moment.

The blue pegasus snickered at the filly’s response. “Sure kid, sure.” She looked about with an uninterested look on her face, “Wanna just hang on a cloud and...talk?”

“And talk?” Scootaloo tilted her head slightly, “Don’t you want to do something more exciting?”

“Not in the mood.” Rainbow blurted in out. She then blinked and continued. “For now anyway.”

“Um...sure then.” Scootaloo said, a little unsure of Rainbow’s actions.

With Scootaloo’s acceptance of the idea, Rainbow immediately sped towards the closest, lone cloud and reclined on it. After a few moments though, the filly hadn’t arrived.

“Come on then slowpoke!” Rainbow shouted from the cloud, looking down at Scootaloo.

Scootaloo racked her brain for a decent excuse. “My wings are tired! From using my scooter!” she replied.

Rainbow frowned slightly. “Can’t be that tired!”

Scootaloo bit her lip. The truth was that despite the fact she was Rainbow’s number one fan, her hero didn’t know that she couldn’t fly yet. It was her biggest weakness and the source of constant humiliation. It was like revering Starswirl the Bearded and not even being able to cast a simple levitation spell.

“Well I am! You wouldn’t know since you don’t ride a scooter!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

Sighing, Rainbow returned the ground next to Scootaloo. “Climb aboard then.” She said dryly. Scootaloo eagerly complied.
Once again, Rainbow took off into the sky. Scootaloo clung onto her tightly, feeling the wind batter her form and mess her mane. And she loved every moment of it. She couldn’t enjoy the sensation for long though, as mere seconds later, Rainbow had landed back on the cloud.

Scootaloo carefully got off Rainbow and stood on the cloud. She poked at it curiously a couple of times. Rainbow lay down on the cloud and watched Scootaloo’s movements.

“You gonna poke the cloud all day?” Rainbow asked.

Scootaloo froze for a second and then quickly sat down next to her hero.

“You’re acting kind of weird.” Rainbow commented.

“Weird? How?” Scootaloo pondered.

Rainbow stared at the filly for a short while, before answering. “Never mind.”

There was a moment of awkward silent that the pair both felt. Scootaloo looked down at the cloud, fiddling with it slightly. “Must be pretty awesome.” She said.

“Need to be more specific, kid.” Rainbow replied.

“Well...being you.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Of course it is! I’ve performed the Sonic Rainboom something like...three times now.” She smiled proudly.
“One day, I want to be just like you!” Scootaloo chirped. “But...you probably already know that.” She continued, smiling sheepishly.

“How couldn’t I? You’re my number one fan after all.” Rainbow stated.

“You’re just...” Scootaloo took a moment to think of an apt word. “Amazing.”

“Heh, thanks kid.” Rainbow smiled softly. At the end of the day, she’d still have her fans and her friends. What else mattered? “You’re not bad yourself.”

Scootaloo’s wings buzzed rapidly as she heard those words. This was something that didn’t escape Rainbow’s attention.
“I thought you were tired?” She inquired, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Uh...well I was.” The filly looked down again, her ears drooping and her wings becoming still again.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“No!” Scootaloo exclaimed hastily. “No. Nothing.”

“You’re a terrible liar.” Rainbow smirked. “Go on, tell me. I’m great at giving advice!” She nodded firmly.

Scootaloo looked off into the distance. She could see a few pegasi fly above Ponyville. They weren’t doing anything fancy but nonetheless, it still looked wonderful.

“I’ve um...never been on a cloud before.” She admitted.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah...”

Rainbow could see the upset beginning to form in the filly’s eyes, so she changed her attitude. “Well, that doesn’t really matter. Clouds are just that: clouds.”

“It’s a bit more than that.”

Rainbow went silent, allowing the filly to continue if she wanted to.

“I can’t really fly yet.”

Rainbow made her best attempt to feign her shock at the revelation. It left her speechless. She was always under the impression that the feisty filly could fly. It was a bit shameful really; she should have really learnt more about her fan. Still, this presented an opportunity to make up for that.

“Well...” she said, thinking carefully of what to say. “Let me tell you a story.”

“A story?” Scootaloo asked, sounding unamused.

“Yeah.” Rainbow cleared her throat and began to tell her tale. “You know Fluttershy, right?” Scootaloo nodded. “Well, as a filly, she was a very bad flier. I’m being honest here. She was terrible.”

Scootaloo listened intently, but looked at the horizon rather than her idol.

“Well, one day she was being bullied by a group-“

“I’ve heard this story before. You told me it when I asked how you got your cutie mark.” Scootaloo interrupted.

Rainbow paused. She rubbed her head, thinking. Despite what Spike had admitted, clearly her past actions had some effect on the present. Whether she actually did them or not didn’t wasn’t a concern anymore. The fact of the matter was that she had impacted some ponies’ lives. She was living in the here and now and that meant no time for moaning about what was. She smiled to herself.

“Well, at the time, Fluttershy was older than you.” Rainbow said. “Fact is: you’ll get there one day. I could even help you along the way if you want.”

“Really? You’d do that?!” A small grin made its way across the filly’s face.

“Yep, I will.” Rainbow couldn’t help but smirk at Scootaloo’s reaction. The filly had given a lot of respect and admiration, so it was only fair that Rainbow would pay her back. And it felt good, too.

~~~

Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had just left Sugarcube corner and were making their way through Ponyville. Cupcakes had filled their stomachs and happiness had returned to their hearts so now the time to share that joy with the others was at hand.

“Oh I hope we find Twilight soon...” Fluttershy sighed.

“Don’t ya worry Fluttershy. We’ll find her.” Applejack responded, leading the way for the other two. Fluttershy nodded at the farmyard mare, drawing strength from her. Pinkie meanwhile, hummed a merry tune, seemingly entranced in her own world.

Luckily, they soon found Twilight. She was wandering through the town in no particular direction, as if all motivation had left her. Her head was lowered, close to the ground and her mane partially hid her features.

Instinctively, Fluttershy was the first to approach her and gently wrapped a wing around the filly’s form. Twilight suddenly stopped but didn’t show signs of panic. Instead, she returned the embrace.

“Hi Fluttershy.” Twilight said quietly.

“Hi Twilight. What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked. Her voice sounded soft and motherly.

“You don’t hate Spike for what he did, right?” Twilight looked up into Fluttershy’s eyes.

Fluttershy smiled lightly, shaking her head. “I couldn’t ever hate Spike.”

“Me neither!” Pinkie chirped. Twilight blinked, looking at Pinkie in surprise.

“Count me in too.” Applejack added. Twilight gave her and Pinkie a small wave.

“Now go on, give us a smile!” Pinkie said, a massive grin appearing on her face. It was impossible for Twilight to resist this; a gentle smile made its way on her features.

“There we go.” Fluttershy said. “Now, what happened?”

“Well...I talked to Rainbow about...y’know.”

Applejack sighed quietly. She knew where this was going. “Listen sugarcube. Rainbow Dash will just need time to cool down by herself. She’ll be better later.” Applejack nodded. Sometimes the best way to help somepony was in fact, not to help – even if you really wanted to, which Applejack did – at least, only for a little time. She’d have to talk with Rainbow later.

“You could say that sometimes, Rainbow Dash acts rash!” Pinkie giggled at her rhyme.

“That’s one way of puttin’ it.” Applejack commented.

“Can we find Spike, please? I want to know if he’s alright.” Twilight asked, looking at the three.

“Sure we can.” Fluttershy answered. Applejack nodded and began to lead the way, deciding to go the way they came.

Twilight walked alongside Fluttershy, whilst Pinkie Pie was to the other side of the filly. In this formation, she felt secure. She could barely see anypony else.

The unicorn stared at Pinkie. The party pony was smiling merrily, humming once more.

Is she always this happy?

She barely knew the pink mare, yet she confused her so much. She had seen her a couple of times with Spike, popping out of objects she couldn’t possibly fit in to begin with. Did she live just to defy the laws of physics? No, it was more than that. Twilight looked carefully at Pinkie’s joyous face, then at her cutie mark.

She just wants to make ponies happy.

Twilight smiled. Her random nature may deter some ponies but all Pinkie wanted was to make ponies smile and feel good. No wonder Spike was friends with her. Therefore, it only made sense that she should too.

“So...you all okay?” Twilight asked, trying to start a conversation.

“I’m fine.” Fluttershy answered.

“I’m just dandy!” Applejack said.

“I’m Pinkie!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Uh...I know you’re Pinkie.” Twilight said.

Applejack chuckled. “No no Twilight. Pinkie just says that instead of perky.”

“Yeah! Because I’m usually always perky and I’m always Pinkie so I thought: “Why not make it simpler?” So I just use Pinkie!” Pinkie replied, speaking rapidly.

“Um...okay.” Twilight said, a little bemused.

As the group travelled, they made general chit-chat. Twilight continued to be confused by Pinkie but she was already learning to adapt to the craziness. She was worried that she’d be overwhelmed by it all but instead, she was baffled. Perhaps after talking to Pinkie, she could interact with almost any other pony...

Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that they were no closer to finding Spike. Applejack decided to trot ahead and ask somepony. She approached the first pony she could find, which in this case was Berry Punch. She was simply walking along, minding her own business.

There were rumours that Berry was a drunk but so far, those rumours had gone unfounded. She seemed sensible enough though and all her friends campaigned against the so called lies. Applejack didn’t care if she was a drunk or not; as long as she didn't hurt anypony, Applejack had nothing against her.

“Hey Berry, have you seen Spike around?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, hi Applejack.” She smiled. “I think I saw him run past here, towards the outskirts of Ponyville. That was a while ago though I think...”

“Right. Thanks Berry. See ya around!” Applejack said, giving Berry a wave before galloping back to the others.

“Bye Applejack!” Berry called out, waving in return.

“Follow me.” Applejack stated upon returning to the others. After saying this, she began to trot at a fairly brisk pace.

Before going ahead, Fluttershy knelt in front of Twilight. The filly didn’t need prompting for this, immediately climbing onto Fluttershy’s back. Fluttershy then glided gracefully just above the ground and caught up with the other two.

“Why are we going so fast? Is Spike okay?” Twilight questioned.

“He should be. But he might be gone so it’s better that we get to him fast.” Applejack answered.

Not long after they broke into the faster pace, they found themselves at a path leading out of Ponyville. Following it, they soon saw Spike sitting on a wooden bench. Next to him was a mare that they didn’t know too well: Lyra.

“Spike!” Twilight yelled just as she saw him. Both Spike and Lyra jumped in shock, and then peered at the incoming group.
Spike was speechless at their sudden entrance, staying silent as they slowed down and stopped in front of him.

Twilight hopped off Fluttershy. “I’m glad you’re okay!”

Spike looked at each of the four, examining their facial expressions. “I’m glad that you’re all okay too...I thought you would’ve hated me or something.”

“Silly Spikey! You ran off before we could say anything!” Pinkie chirped.

“She’s right you know. We would’ve worked it over. ...Ah still don’t know what to make of this whole ‘wish thing’.” Applejack flailed her hooves in the air, “But that doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, we’re all your friends Spike; we could never hate you.” Fluttershy added.

Lyra smiled at the warmth generated by the friends and slipped off the bench. “Looks like you guys need a moment. Nice talking to you Spike, see ya!” Using her magic, she levitated her lyre and walked off.

“Bye Lyra!” Spike said. Before he could say anything else, he was engulfed by a hug from Twilight. He eagerly returned the gesture.

It was starting to become odd. The more time Spike stayed here, the less that filly Twilight seemed like adult Twilight. They had the same characteristics and yet they were beginning to seem completely different. Was it the age gap? Or was his role the key factor in this? Maybe the wave of happiness that just washed over him was confusing his mind.

Either way, he was content to just take in the moment. He hugged Twilight a bit tighter; he enjoyed her presence the most of all here.

Spike looked at the other three. He felt that they all looked a little distant from the moment.

“Come on you guys, enough of me to go round for everyone.” He snickered but soon screamed in surprise at three mares leapt upon him.

They all relished in the embrace for a couple of moments before letting go of each other, each one of them beaming.

~~~

Rarity was silent, lying down on her back on her bed and staring up at the space above her. The previous sequence of events had been a lot to take in so she needed time to relax by herself and think.

She had come to the conclusion that it wasn’t the wish that upset her. No, it was more the fact that Spike had lied to her about something so big. He was her friend and she trusted him deeply. She thought that he could tell her about anything without fear. Was it something that she had done?

Don’t be silly Rarity. Stop jumping to conclusions.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking coming from the door of her room.

A muffled voice came from behind the door: “Rarity! I’m bored!”

“I’m not in the mood to play Sweetie Belle. Please, go find something to do.” Rarity grumbled.

“Oh...okay.” Sweetie Belle said. The disappointment in her voice was very apparent.

Silence once again fell over the room. Rarity needed something to do. Preferably not work; that was something to perform once she was in a good mood. If she worked on her dresses in this state, the negativity from her was sure to blight them.

She just needed to do something. Anything.

“Sweetie Belle, come back!” She yelled.

Silence.

Getting off the bed, she walked up to the door and swung it open using magic. She looked down in front of her. Her sister was standing there with a big grin on her face.

“What do you want to do then?” Rarity asked.

“Um...can we draw?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Yay!” Sweetie Belle cheered, rushing down the stairs and heading to the table where her stationery was located. Rarity followed but at a slower, more dignified pace.

By the time she caught up to Sweetie Belle, the filly was already set up. Plain sheets of paper were scattered over the table, as were an assortment of colored crayons.

“Hmmm...I’m going to draw the train that goes through Ponyville. And all of our friends will be on it!” Sweetie Belle stated, as her sister sat down beside her. The filly grabbed a brown crayon with her mouth and began to draw.

Rarity decided she’d draw her most recent happy memory: the picnic. She levitated a green crayon with her magic and started to draw the grass. She recalled that Spike had once said that drawing was a good way to express your feelings. But...did he really say that?

The green crayon began to press onto the paper a little harder.

“Are you okay Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked, watching her sister whose eyebrows were now furrowed.

Pausing, Rarity let the pencil drop to the table. “A lot of...complications have happened recently. That is all. You wouldn’t understand darling.” She sighed.

“Maybe I wouldn’t but the least I can do is make you feel better.” Sweetie Belle replied, smiling cheerily at Rarity.

“Thank you, Sweetie Belle. The gesture is much appreciated.” Rarity levitated the crayon again and began to resume drawing. She began to feel something grab her body. Looking down, she could see her sister clinging to her.

She smiled, and nuzzled Sweetie Belle affectionately before going back to drawing. No words really needed to be said for the actions spoke for themselves.

Since the Sisterhoof Social, their relationship had gotten a lot better. One wish couldn’t change that. Rarity could feel the love that emanated from her sister. That wasn’t the type of thing a wish could generate.

Life was a series of ups and downs. Spike lying to her was a down and this moment was an up. Now Rarity realised that the wish was an irrelevant factor in her life. It didn’t stop her from living her life.

“Thank you, again, Sweetie Belle.” Rarity said.

“Huh? What did I do?” Sweetie Belle had resumed drawing by now.

“You made me realise something. Something very important.”

“Um...okay then.” Sweetie Belle shrugged. “Glad to help my sister!” She chirped.

Rarity switched crayons. She levitated a blue one to draw the clear sky that day. “How is life treating you then dear?”

“It’s alright.” Sweetie Belle mumbled, crayon in her mouth. “Still no cutie mark...” she frowned, spitting out her current crayon.

“I keep telling you: be patient and it will come.”

“But when?” Sweetie Belle groaned.

“Wouldn’t you rather be surprised when your cutie mark appears than knowing exactly when it will arrive?”

“I guess...” Sweetie Belle said, picking up another crayon.

“Good things come to those who wait!” Rarity declared.

“Mhm!”

Time passed and the once blank pages became filled with color. Sweetie Belle had finished first. Her picture of the train was crude and clearly child like but it had a certain sweetness about it. All of their friends were there. Spike, the other Crusaders and Rarity’s best friends. Rarity was drawn next to Sweetie Belle, poking their heads out of a heart shaped window of one of the carriages.

“That’s very good Sweetie Belle!” Rarity praised.

“You really think so?” Sweetie Belle looked back and forth between her artwork and her sister.

Rarity nodded. “I think Mom and Dad would love it.”

“I should show them it then!” The filly picked up her drawing and ran to the exit of the Boutique. “Bye Rarity! Thanks for the good time!”

The unicorn laughed at her sister’s sudden departure. “Take care Sweetie Belle.” She returned to her own drawing, hearing the door open and slam shut. “Fillies: so excitable.”

For her own sketch, she still had a lot to go. She had finished the sky, the background and the picnic supplies. Now she needed to finish her friends.

I should really see them later. Perhaps show them this drawing.

Unlike Sweetie Belle’s sketches, Rarity’s were prim and proper. No color went outside and the lines and everything seemed to be in the correct proportion. Perhaps her magic improved her drawing ability.

She floated a yellow crayon in the air, deciding she’d draw Fluttershy first.

Oh that does remind me. Our regular spa outing is tomorrow.

Rarity always enjoyed those occasions. Fluttershy was a great listener; someone to confide in. Rarity often thought that the pegasus would make a great mother but then she remembered the amount of animals she looked after. You couldn’t raise a baby in those conditions.

Although sometimes, Fluttershy asked Rarity for advice. It was mostly on social skills to help deal with her shyness. Fluttershy was an extreme introvert and Rarity knew nothing could change that. However, she was glad to help her shy friend deal with other ponies more easily.

The dressmaker decided that tomorrow would be a good moment to share her views on this whole ‘wish’ scenario and perhaps hear Fluttershy’s views. All while getting pampered like a Princess.

It will be simply perfect.

~~~

“You needed me, Sister?”

“Yes Luna, please, come in.”

The Princess of the Moon stepped inside her sister’s room and shut the door behind her quietly. Celestia was reclining next to her fireplace. The wood inside was burning brightly, warming up the whole room. Luna always thought that her sister’s room was very cosy and even somewhat humble. It wasn’t extravagant at all, far from it. The most regal thing in the room was the fireplace. Everything else could have fitted just fine in any other pony’s house.

“I want you to read these letters for me. Just a few. Pick any one you wish.” Celestia said, as Luna sat down beside her.

Luna levitated a letter, choosing one by random, and brought it close to her face. “Ah, Spike’s letters.” She had read a few before, just after she became sane again. They felt joyous and warm, as well as certainly being informative.

And yet while the information was the same, the feeling was gone.

“You feel it too then.” Celestia uttered, watching her sister’s actions.

“Yes...they feel empty now.” She lowered the first letter and began to read a second. Again, she picked up upon the lack of feeling it had. “What could have caused this, sister?”

“There’s more. Luna, I’d like you to cast your mind back to the most recent Nightmare Night.”

“Very well.” Luna dropped the letters carefully and began to remember the holiday. It was her first public appearance outside of Canterlot and without her sister. She recalled how nervous she felt that day and how, eventually, she managed to win the trust and friendship of the citizens of Ponyville. Indeed, it was a great day.

Suddenly, a sharp pain attacked her mind. She gasped in pain and quickly stopped thinking about that day.

Celestia put a wing over Luna protectively. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, fine now...what was that?” Luna asked, rubbing her head.

“That is the same question that plagues me. But I have a feeling that it is connected to the letters.” Celestia began to stack up the letters neatly, using her magic.

“Perhaps it is related to Spike himself.” Luna wondered.

“Possibly. However, we are alicorns. I doubt that Spike could affect our minds. No, something more powerful is at play here.”

“I do not mean to sound arrogant but what could possibly be more powerful than us?” Luna looked at her sister.

“A better question would be: what could affect our minds?” Celestia sent some flames from the tip of the horn to the fire, reigniting it.

“Couldn’t possibly be Discord. So we can rule him out.”

“Indeed.” Celestia agreed.

“I do have one piece of advice though, Celestia.”

“Speak your mind Luna.” Celestia replied.

“We should keep this a secret. We do not want our subjects to worry, yes?”

“Good thinking sister. I hadn’t considered that until now but it’s a sensible course of action.” Celestia paused for a moment, “Although, I do think we should ask Spike about this. I may send him a letter about the situation.”

“I advise that we research first before letting him know.” Luna suggested.

“It is good to have you by my side again. You make many good points.” Celestia smiled affectionately at Luna, who returned the gesture.

“Thank you for the compliment but do not forget your own talents.”

“I raise the Sun everyday, how could I possibly ever forget?” Celestia snickered lightly.

Luna smirked. “Regardless, we best get started with the research, yes?”

“No. Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“I have spent the past few days worrying about this problem.” Celestia sighed deeply. “Forgive me for not telling you earlier.”
“It is fine. Do not concern yourself about something as petty as that.”

Celestia nodded and carried on. “I would rather that I relax tonight.”

“I respect your wishes. I shall begin the research then.” Luna began to stand up.

Celestia shook her head softly. “I’d rather spend my evening with you, sister.”

Luna cracked a smile at her sister and resumed sitting down. “Truth be told, I would rather do that too.”

Celestia always longed for moments like this. For too long, she had been without a sister and been burdened by a monster. It was said that each day, after raising the moon, Celestia would look at the moon and shed a tear.

As for Luna, she couldn’t remember most of her time as Nightmare Moon. Despite this, it didn’t dampen her love for her sister. She was dreadfully sorry for the pain she had caused whilst in her monstrous state. Celestia (and a few others) always told her that it wasn’t her fault; that she wasn’t completely in control of her actions. Luna dismissed these thoughts. After all, it was her own selfishness that took her to that dark place.

Celestia was also sorry too. She believed that had she acted sooner, she could have saved Luna from her fate. If she had to pick her biggest mistake, that was it. She tried to not grieve over it but she still received nightmares about it from time to time.

The sisters may have been powerful alicorns but deep down, they were just like any other pony. They had hopes and fears. They could feel sad, angry and happy. And they could love. Proof of all this was especially evident when the two were together, relishing in each other’s company.

Still, Celestia knew that she would have to go back and deal with this problem. Even if researching was a good idea, she actually doubted that they would fine anything fruitful. Although Luna was right to bring up the suggestion; they should take a look, just in case. Ultimately though, even if they did find something, she knew that she would have to confront Spike about this problem and see just how much he really knew.