Burst Stream let out a yawn as he woke up. Instinctively, he turned on his phone the second his eyes were open. Namely because he was used to getting messages from Celestia. He powered up his phone, and saw the messages. All ten of them. "Whoa. This is going a bit extra."
As he scrolled through the messages, Burst Stream noticed a common theme among them all. Celestia was frequently asking if Nightmare Moon had done anything to him. And these messages were coming in even after Twilight had declared that Nightmare Moon had been fully reformed! "Okay. This is getting out of hand." Burst got dressed, and dialed up Celestia's number.
"Celestia? We need to talk." Burst said as he slipped his shirt on. "I got a lot of texts from you. All of them are from last night. What's your deal?"
"Oh Burst! Perfect!" Celestia said on the other side of the call. "You don't have to worry about answering my messages. I've found a solution to filling up your message box. It should be arriving at your door soon."
"What?!" Burst was completely confused at what Celestia meant until he heard a knocking at the door. He was surprised to see a squad of Royal Guards at his door. "Celestia. Why are there a bunch of royal guards on my doorstep?"
"Like I said. You won't have to report to me. Instead, they will." Celestia replied from her end of the call. "They're also in charge of your security for as long as Nightmare Moon remains your guest."
Burst Stream was starting to get the tiniest bit annoyed. "Celestia. I've stood my ground against Moon before. With one punch, I killed Night Terror. I slugged the Spirit of Chaos in the face, and nearly squashed Queen Chrysalis. I've proven I can handle myself. So I'd appreciate it if you would call of your guards and send them back to Castalot."
"Fine." Celestia said with a slight huff. "But why are you calling Nightmare Moon by only half her name? Since when did the two of you get so close?"
Burst frowned. "Since she proved that she really has changed! When Trixie showed up, Moon made it a point to take her down without using any force! And when Chrysalis kidnapped the TCC, it was Moon who rescued them! Twilight already told you this! Moon's gotten comfortable around us since we accepted her, and we're all starting to see her as a friend! So I'll call her by the name she prefers!"
". . . I'll send the guards back." Celestia said with a sigh as she hung up the phone. Sure enough, the guards received their orders, and marched back to Castalot Castle.
"Thank you, Celestia." Burst said with a sigh of relief as he threw himself onto the couch. From his new position he saw Nightmare Moon come out dressed in her usual outfit. "Didn't expect to see you dressed at this time. You headed out somewhere?"
Nightmare Moon smiled. "Indeed I am. I could use a book to read, and Twilight's in charge of the library. That's my first stop for the day. Rarity asked me about my eye shadow, so I'll be more than happy to disclose my dark beauty secrets."
"You know, you look better without the eye shadow." Burst said with a chuckle. "But I'm guessing it was Celestia and I's conversation that really disturbed your slumber." He then heard his stomach growl. "I think you'd better revise your first stop to Sugar Cube Corner. Breakfast might be delayed a-"
Just then, Burst heard knocking on his door. "Scratch that. I won't be making breakfast this morning." He went to the door, and was shocked to find Celestia right in front of him! And she didn't look too happy. "Moon? Don't wait up for me okay?" And with that, Burst left with Celestia. The two of them walked for a little bit before sitting down at one of the benches at the town square. ". . . Is this about me getting annoyed at the guards you sent?"
"Burst Stream. . . " Celestia sighed. "I find it admirable that you decided to put up with Nightmare Moon being in your house. I can respect the fact that you're willing to help with her reform. But I can't accept her as easily as you do. Let alone the fact she's under the same roof as you. Especially since she utterly crushed you during your first encounter. After what she's done, I rightfully bear animosity towards her."
Burst Stream looked at Celestia sadly. "But she's not doing any of this for you or Luna! She's doing it because she wants to accept herself! What's so wrong with me and my friends wanting to help her?! What's so wrong about me wanting to give her a place where she feels accepted?!"
"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT HER TO TAKE SOMEONE PRECIOUS TO ME AGAIN!" Celestia cried out. "I lost Luna for a thousand years because of Nightmare Moon! Did you really just expect me to forgive her the instant she expressed regret for what she's done?! Would you forgive Discord if I decided to release him from his prison to rehabilitate him?!"
Burst Stream tensed up a bit after hearing this! He took a deep breath, and stared Celestia right in the eye. "Honestly? I'd punch him in the face. But I'd forgive him in time, IF he genuinely regretted how miserable he made everyone before you and Luna first defeated him. That's why I welcomed Moon into my home. She felt actual remorse for the pain she caused you and Luna. And it's like she said, none of the three of you are blame-free."
"Burst. . . " Celestia said with a sigh. "I know that. But seeing her roaming around can't help but make unpleasant memories surface." Slowly, Celestia wrapped one of her wings around Burst. "I had no right to say what I did earlier. I just. . . I don't want to lose someone I love."
Burst grabbed onto Celestia's hand. "Celestia. I can understand why you're checking on me frequently. But you can't just keep holding onto this! Holding prejudice against Moon while she desperately wants to fix her mistake isn't going to help you, Luna, or even Moon from moving on!"
". . . I know." Celestia said sadly. "I know I've apologized, but I don't think I can do that enough." The sun goddess wrapped both her arms and wings around Burst Stream. "Just know that I could never hate you for what you're doing for Nightmare Moon. Somehow, I knew you were keeping your promise that you made all those years ago."
Burst slowly smiled as he returned the hug. "Well, I guess we just made it through our first fight. If we can survive this, I'm sure we can make it together." He then looked at Celestia. The princess of the sun smiling at him too. "Besides, I could never leave you. I'm your dragon knight, remember?"
"How could I ever forget?" Celestia said as she and Burst kissed. "From what you and Twilight have told me, it seems you two are right about Nightmare Moon. Maybe, one day, I can forgive her." Celestia stood up, and spread her wings. "I'm sorry if you ruined your morning."
Burst smiled. "Hey, I'm the Element of Power for a reason. It takes a lot to bring me down!" Burst thumped his chest for emphasis. "But if you want me to stay the night, all you had to do was call." The two smile at each other, and went their separate ways. Burst had returned home, and saw that Nightmare Moon had grabbed a donut for him. "Looks like I won't starve after all."
"Pinkie Pie noted your usual order when I asked what I should grab you." Nightmare Moon said with a small smile as she turned the page of the book she'd checked out from Twilight's library.
Burst hugged Nightmare Moon quickly before scarfing down his donut. "Thanks Moon. By the way, what kind of book did you get from Twilight anyway?"
"Oh, this?" Nightmare Moon hid her embarrassment. "Just a silly old fairytale that reminds me of you and I. A hero facing off against a dark queen who had captured a princess of light. He ends up befriending the dark queen and helps her leave the past behind."
Burst smiled. "Wow. That's almost exactly like our situation." He then chuckled at a thought. "Maybe the story ends on the hero falling in love with both the princess and the queen. That'd be something cool! Right Moon?"
"Yeah. . . " Nightmare Moon said as she concealed the slight blush on her face with her book. It's definitely not a bad idea. But honestly, how open are Celestia and me to sharing? "So. . . what was going on between you and Celestia earlier?"
Burst sighed. "We kinda had our first fight in our relationship. She was just getting a bit too protective of me since you started living in the same house as me. But in the end, it all worked out. So it really doesn't make much sense to dwell on it. And don't worry about apologizing. Things just got heated because of me and Celestia being stubborn." The two smiled at each other.
Back at the Castalot Castle, Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. She then saw Shining Dawn waiting for her. "Oh. Lord Shining Dawn. It appears I have the pleasure of another visit from you. Anymore appearances of us together, and people might think we're an item."
"Ah. But I would like for that to be true." Shining Dawn said with a charming smile. "Given the chance, I would like to challenge Burst Stream for your hand. After all, my little brother seems a bit immature, does he not?"
Celestia was surprised. "I wasn't aware the two of you were related. But as for Burst's childish qualities, I don't see anything wrong. In fact, they're a part of why I love him. At his core, he's still the same boy who made a promise to me so long ago."
Shining Dawn frowned. ". . . I see. But on the topic of our relation, I'm afraid I am not a legitimate son of our father Aether. Though I suppose being a bastard heir is better than none in my mother's eyes. I suppose I'll abandon a duel for your hand for now. But I will challenge Burst Stream later. However, should my brother ever leave you, I'd be more than happy to fulfill his role." Celestia simply waved off Shining Dawn's words, and left. However, Shining Dawn smiled as he departed. Let's see if you live up to your feats brother. Your mixed blood against that of a child born of both a god and noble blood!