//------------------------------//
// 2 Misreporting and Misunderstanding 
// Story: A Hearth's Warming to Remember 
// by Bronyxy 
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Early the next morning during their regular handover meeting, Celestia pried as to how well the much awaited evening had gone, a mischievous glint in her eye.
“It was a good concert, thank you Sister” began Luna, “The colts and fillies all sang beautifully …”
“That isn’t what I meant, Luna” interrupted Celestia resting her forehooves on the table, propping her chin atop the pinnacle of the triangle they formed and fixing her with her lilac stare, “… and I think you know it.”
Luna was definitely blushing now; not that the redness was obvious under her fur, but her mannerisms had become self-consciously inarticulate and her gaze unable to fix on her inquisitor quite as it should have.

“I have to say you made a stir” continued Celestia, sliding a copy of the Canterlot Chronicle over the table “Front page news, no less.”
Luna’s heart skipped a beat. What had they reported?
She picked it up in her magic, grateful that she didn’t have to use her hooves which would have doubtless shaken so much as to make the pages rustle with her nerves.

The large picture staring back out at her showed Luna doing a good job of looking regal, while Rarity pouted as she flashed a disproportionate amount of leg and Sweetie Belle stood proudly, showing off her widest smile and appearing larger from the camera’s angle than the midnight blue Princess she appeared to be overshadowing. This was not what she had been hoping for.

Under the simply worded headline of “Princess Eclipsed”, the article used the photograph as the basis of a story, in not so many words questioning Luna’s judgement in choosing to become involved with two sisters who appeared to be in competition with each other to claim her limelight. 

Unfortunately, the picture did lend itself to that particular interpretation, given Rarity appearing to coquettishly show off he perfectly formed foreleg from under her dress and Sweetie Belle’s triumphant beaming with her forehooves resting on the side of the Royal chariot as if she was the star of the show.

“I had embarrassing incidents with past partners too” reflected Celestia wistfully, “But over time, I made sure that any records of those events disappeared from the libraries all over Equestria, and now it is beyond the scope of even the most diligent researcher to find any trace of such events.”
“Yes, Sister, but that was before the invention of cameras. That changes everything!”
“Not really, Luna. You see, they’re just records printed onto paper and will degrade or become lost over time. I think the more important issue here, is do you still want Rarity to spend her life with you?”
Luna blanched, “Yes, yes of course I do.” 
“Then ride out the storm. Actually it’s barely more than a slight breeze if we’re honest” said Celestia supportively, then shot her sister a conspiratorial glance before adding “Did I ever tell you about the time with the delegation from Saddle Arabia, when I …”

The beginnings of a bawdy story she had heard before were cut short by the clip clop of hooves entering the room. Rarity knew about the importance of allowing the two Royal sisters their time together to discuss matters of a confidential nature before meeting with her true love.
“Princess Celestia, how delightful to see you this morning” she greeted, flashing her stunning deep blue eyes, “You’re looking particularly well.”
Then she advanced behind the seated Princess of the Night and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek before pulling back a fraction and whispering, “Good morning, my love.”
The show of affection was designed to show her fondness without becoming an overtly sickly spectacle, and she struck the tone with finely balanced precision.

“Good morning to you too, Rarity” replied Celestia, “If you will forgive me, I have fallen a little behind and have affairs to which I must attend, but I must say how much I admire your plans for sprucing up the main hall with new décor; we must discuss it in more detail when you have time.”
Then she rose and dabbed her lips with a serviette before politely saying her goodbyes and walking out to face her day.
“Hello Rarity” said Luna, pouring out a fresh cup of tea for her marefriend, who was still swooning over the compliment paid to her by Celestia.
She sat, picking up the finest china cup in her magic and closed her eyes momentarily to take in its subtle infusion before turning to her companion.
“Well?” she enquired eagerly, “Did we make the society pages?”

Luna levitated the Canterlot Chronicle and placed it on the table in front of her partner.
“Now, let me see ..” chimed Rarity as she opened it fully, saw the picture and then the headline. Then she looked back at the picture again and just stared, horrorstruck.
“I’m so, so sorry …” she wailed, “I didn’t know … I didn’t mean to …. Oh, that Sweetie Belle …”

“Well” she stammered, fighting to pull herself together, “I rarely wear a dress, so seeing my legs is nothing shocking, it’s just a little unfortunate that picture captures the moment when I just happened to be climbing up into the chariot wearing a full length dress. And Sweetie Belle …”
“… was the star of the concert” completed Luna, “Would you not say?”
“Yes, but … still it’s simply no way to behave …”

Luna drew Rarity close for a hug, a gentle smile on her face, “I have weathered far worse. Let it not distract us from what really matters.”
Rarity was dumbstruck with Luna’s kind words and actions. In her own mind she could have pictured herself being thrown out of Canterlot for what had happened.
“And I thought I was the Bearer of the Element of Generosity, not you …”
She nuzzled in close, feeling the warmth of Luna’s fur and that oh so intoxicating alicorn scent.
“I will be retiring to our chambers” said Luna, “It would be nice to have my fur brushed before I turn in for the day, unless there is anything else you would rather do …”
Grateful for the reprieve, Rarity sighed happily and accompanied Luna to their bedroom where she proceeded to ensure that her marefriend went to bed with a happy smile on her face.


***


“Rarity! Rarity!” panted the white unicorn filly as she burst in to her sister’s workshop, hooves scrabbling for purchase on the stone floor.
The seamstress peered over her trademark red glasses and simply observed the ungainly entrance.
“I’m on the front page of the newspapers!” she squeaked excitedly.
“Indeed you are” replied her sister in a measured voice.
“And after you tried to tell me off too! You see, I knew it would work out alright!”
“And did you stop to read the article that went with it?”
“I didn’t need to. It’s a great picture of me, and you’re there as well!”
“What about Princess Luna?”
“Yes, she’s in there too!”

“Sweetie Belle, dear” Rarity addressed with unusually starched formality, “Do take a seat, and I will read the article to you.”
Once she had her sister’s attention, she read the piece out to her, maximising a rather severe eye contact while she did it. The young unicorn’s brash self-confidence dropped as Rarity read the story through for her benefit, and by the end she was looking distinctly awkward.
“Does this mean we’re still friends with Princess Luna?” she asked awkwardly.
“Would you blame her if we weren’t?”
“I guess not” replied Sweetie Belle, adding defensively, “But it wasn’t like the paper says it was.”
“I know that darling, but the public at large doesn’t. You see we have rather unintentionally put Princess Luna in a very difficult position. Do you see now why I tried to stop you?”
“Yes, Rarity” she said, looking up with her big green eyes, “I’m sorry.”
“I think we can both behave a little more thoughtfully around her in future” agreed Rarity, then adding as an afterthought “If she forgives us.”

She knew of course that Luna had already forgiven them, but didn’t want the point to be lost on her little sister.
“Can you … you know, talk to her ...” enquired they young unicorn.
“I think it would be better coming from you” affirmed Rarity, “But I will try and stop her if she wants to send you to the moon for a thousand years.”
“Oh Rarity” she pleaded, “Don’t let her do that, please!”
“Well, if I were you, I should come to meet Princess Luna and tell her in person how sorry you are, and maybe she’ll be generous, just this once.”
“Yes, Rarity.”

Sweetie Belle started to cry bitter tears of regret at her thoughtlessness and looked up again to her sister, who although being torn apart on the inside by the pitiful sight in front of her, kept her stern face in place.
“She won’t be ready to receive you until tonight, Sweetie Belle; remember she sleeps during the day.”
“So I’ve got to wait all day before I can say sorry?”
“I’m afraid so” confirmed Rarity, “There’s nothing else for it. Be sure to meet me in here no later than 5 pm, and maybe bring along a little peace offering of some kind too.”
The sad little unicorn filly walked out of her sister’s workshop, head hung down as she contemplated the awful wait of the next few hours.

As soon as she had left, Rarity took her glasses off and placed them carefully on her work table before leaning forward and sobbing into her forehooves, her firm resolve finally breaking.
After a few minutes, she became aware of a foreleg around her, hugging her gently. She didn’t want to face anypony at the moment, especially as her eyes would be bloodshot and her mascara would be in black streaks down her face, her polished sophistication in ruins, but she cracked one tear soaked eye open to see strands of a pink and purple mane.

“Sweetie Belle” she choked out between sobs, why ever did you come back?”
“I didn’t know what kind of peace offering to take to her” she replied simply.
“Oh, Sweetie Belle, I love you” she said, wrapping a foreleg around her sister too.
“And you love her lots too, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes I do” she admitted, “More than anypony else, ever.”
“Well, let’s see if we can’t make it up to her then.”