//------------------------------// // Auntie Detention // Story: Secrets and Surprises // by Midday Shine //------------------------------// Luna sighed softly, moving away from yet another display. She’d thought that finding the perfect birthday gift for her sister (or even a gift idea) shouldn’t be a problem, considering the size of the mall and the number of stores in it. Drugstores, home décor stores, bookstores, confectionery and jewelry stands… something should have long since given her an idea of what to look for. And yet, the more displays she saw, the more confused she felt. Should she go for jewelry? Perfume? A book? A plant? No, none of those. Celestia had a lot of jewelry – especially for someone who wears it occasionally. She also had quite a choice of perfumes. A book was something she’d probably buy on her own, especially since about an hour ago, she’d gone to a bookstore “for just a little while”. As for the plants, Luna wasn’t an expert; besides, her sister had a miniature jungle in the greenhouse, anyway. “Guess it’s down to the chocolates again,” she mumbled reluctantly, plopping onto a nearby bench. “What else can you give to someone who has everything?” At times like this, she missed her childhood. Back then, she only had to make a picture and the matter of all presents was settled. However, she had to be a realist. Although those days had been wonderful, she couldn’t turn back. Actually, instead of sitting on a bench, she probably should continue her search… but a short break couldn’t possibly hurt… And she had to consider her options anyway. Many people passed her, but her attention was mostly on the children. She didn’t even try to hold back a smile whenever she saw one. In this respect, she was very much like her sister… though she didn’t express her awe as openly as Celestia did. Her pleasant mood was ruined when she spotted a young girl talking to an elderly man, a few yards away. Normally, it wouldn’t be surprising – going shopping with one’s father, grandfather or uncle wasn’t forbidden – but she looked neat while he was wearing some rags. Something was definitely wrong and had to be investigated. Approaching a bit, Luna noticed that the girl had a light skin and slightly curly hair in pastel shades of pink and purple; while the man next to her – raggedy, unshaven and with an ashen complexion – seemed at least suspicious. After a while, the woman identified the kid as one of her students – Sweetie Belle. To make matters worse, neither her parents nor her older sister were in sight. Who, for all the stars’ sake, has raised such a naive child? Luna thought with a mix of exasperation, disbelief and horror. She had to do something about it. She felt that otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to look at herself in the mirror for the rest of her life. Taking a deep breath, she made one of her strictest faces, then walked over to her student and put a hand on her shoulder. *** “And you really could arrange my sister’s band’s national tour?” Sweetie stared at her new acquaintance with hope and awe. “Sure thing, kid.” The man winked at her. “I told you I have friends in the industry. Say… how about we go over the details in a quieter place? Like mine, for example?” The girl glanced at her watch. “Hmm… I’m supposed to meet with my sister in an hour … Do you think we’ll make it?” “No problem. It’s not that far from here.” “Then let’s go.” Sweetie grinned. “Rarity will be proud when she hears about my business talent and…” She fell silent upon feeling someone grasp her shoulder. Turning around, she found herself face to face with Vice Principal Luna, whose gaze was as firm as the hand on the girl’s shoulder. That didn’t bode well… “What is the meaning of this?” the woman asked sternly. “Everyone is looking for you.” “But…” Before Sweetie could say anything more, the vice principal grabbed her wrist and began leading the way. The girl glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t you dare,” said the teacher harshly, not even looking at her, and strengthening her grip instead. For a time, they hurried ahead without a word. When they turned into one of the side alleys, the vice principal stopped and, not letting go of her student’s wrist, peeked around the corner. “Looks like we’ve lost him,” she said with relief, then glared at Sweetie. “What were you thinking? Haven’t your parents taught you not to talk to strangers?” “But… he wasn’t a stranger. He’d told me his name. Besides, he promised to help me organize a national tour for Rarity’s band. We were just about to go talk about the details…” The woman heaved a sigh, facepalming with her free hand. “I can’t believe it,” she said a moment later. “I just can’t. Listen to yourself, child. Not only did you talk to a stranger, but you also were willing to go with him off to who knows where?” “But…” “No ‘buts’! Do you have any idea what you were risking?! He could’ve been a kidnapper, a thief, a drug pusher, a murderer, a pervert, a human trafficker… or all at once! Remember once and for all: DO NOT! TRUST! STRANGERS!” Although the vice principal was well-known in the school as the stern one, Sweetie had never seen her so furious. The woman’s eyes were full of fire, her lips curled, exposing her teeth, and her cheeks flushed. Frightened by the sight, the girl felt her lips tremble – and burst into tears. “I-I’m s-so-orryyyyyyyyyy!” she sobbed. “I… I just w… wa-anted t-to help Rarity…” A warm hand lifted her chin. In the teacher’s blue eyes Sweetie saw something resembling… guilt? “Unconditionally trusting anyone who comes along has exactly opposite consequences,” Luna said in a slightly gentler tone, offering her a handkerchief. “Your sister wouldn’t be happy if something had happened to you. Your parents neither. By the way… where are they?” “Dad’s at work, Mom’s at a friend’s, and Rarity’s in a clothes store.” “Any reason why you’re not there with her?” The vice principal raised her eyebrow. “I don’t like the music they play in there.” Sweetie smiled sheepishly. The woman closed her eyes and sighed again. “Your phone,” she demanded, holding her hand out toward the girl. Though she sounded calm and collected, it was clear she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Sweetie, in turn, didn’t want to make her situation even worse – so she handed over her phone without a word. The vice principal quickly dialed a number and put the device to her ear, waiting for the call. Sweetie said nothing, lightly tapping the toe of her shoe against the floor. “Rarity?” Luna spoke at last. “Vice Pri… calm down though, child… yes, you do know me. Vice Principal Luna speaking. It’s about your sister… really, do calm down… she’s in my care for now… I’ll explain when you come to pick her up. In a quarter of an hour by the fountain…? All right, let it be half an hour. We’ll be waiting. See you.” She hung up and gave the phone back to her student. Sweetie wordlessly put it in her pocket. “Let’s go.” The vice principal took her wrist again, though not as strongly as before, and began leading the way. Soon, the girl saw the large fountain, one of the most characteristic locations of the mall. However, before they reached it, the woman turned to one of the stalls with sweets. That… was at least strange. “What would you like?” “Er…” Sweetie was unable to say anything smarter. “A waffle? A milkshake? Ice cream? My treat.” Okay. That was really strange. “Who are you and what have you done with the real Vice Principal Luna?” The blue eyes sparkled, and the lips covered with pale blue lipstick stretched in a smile. “Did you think that adults don’t like sweets?” “No, no! I know that thanks to my dad… But… you’ve just yelled at me…” “Only because I was angry. And I’m sorry if I was too harsh.” “Wh-what?” Sweetie stammered. She didn’t understand any of this anymore. That didn’t seem like the vice principal’s usual behavior. Maybe she’d gotten hit by magic, like Rarity and her band had? “Though all students are terrified of me, it doesn’t mean I’m a monster.” Luna looked amused. “Someone has to make sure that Celestia’s lenience doesn’t plunge the school into chaos… but you didn’t hear it from me,” she added quickly. Her student couldn’t help but giggle. “What’ll it be?” the boy standing behind the counter asked suddenly. “Can I really have whatever I want?” Sweetie asked, looking at the not-so-scary vice principal. “Really.” The woman nodded. The girl grinned and turned to the vendor. “Then I’d like a vanilla-mango-coconut ice cream in a white chocolate sauce and with sprinkles!” Yes, the vice principal did act like another person today, but to tell the truth, Sweetie was kind of happy with it. All things considered, it wasn’t like she got free ice cream every day, especially before dinner. It would be a shame to miss such an opportunity. “You, ma’am?” “A waffle with whipped cream, fruit and chocolate chips,” Luna replied without hesitation, which made Sweetie suspect it wasn’t the first such order in her life. After getting their sweets, the two sat on a low wall surrounding the fountain. “And now I’m all ears.” “Huh?” The girl blinked and looked at her teacher in confusion. “I hope you can give a logical explanation on why you thought that an unkempt, dirty hobo could be trusted?” The woman cocked an eyebrow. Sweetie felt her self-confidence go away like the air from a pierced balloon. “Well… he said it was just a look… and that he had connections in a couple of recording studios, because he recorded a lot with his band, and… I’m just digging myself deeper, right?” She hung her head. “I’d lie if I said otherwise.” “Are you going to tell Rarity about it?” “Yes. It’s my duty. I can only promise you that I’ll do it vaguely enough for your sister not to get a heart attack.” The girl sighed quietly. What else could she expect? Analyzing the meeting from a few minutes ago, she realized that Bouncer (as that man had introduced himself) was probably too unkempt for a famous stage artist. Who knows how it would have ended if Vice Principal Luna hadn’t intervened… Without thinking anymore, Sweetie clung to her side. “Beg pardon, what exactly are you doing?” The woman, sounding uncomfortable, froze immediately. “Weeeeeell… I just… thought it was a good thing that you found me, after all, and… and thank you.” A lean hand lightly patted her shoulder. “As I said, I’m not a monster… but could you let go of me?” “Er… heheh…” The girl felt sheepish. “Sure. Sorry.” For a time, the two sat without a word, busy with their treats. Suddenly, the teacher froze with the last piece of waffle halfway to her open mouth, and her eyes got as big as saucers. “Is something wrong, ma’am?” Luna… that is, Vice Principal Luna shushed her student with a short hiss. “Do you hear that?” “Hear what?” As soon as Sweetie said that, her ears caught something like… sobbing? “Huh? Where does it come from?” The vice principal looked around quickly and nodded towards a small, crying boy and a man in a black security guard uniform leaning over him. She watched them in silence for a while, her eyes gradually changing into two tiny slits. Finally, she put the rest of the waffle in her mouth, swallowed, and stood up. “Come on,” she said over her shoulder, hurrying toward the other two. Knowing she already was in enough trouble for one day, Sweetie followed her obediently – almost running, because the vice principal, most likely angered again, took much longer steps than usual. A few moments later they were there. Luna, most probably not even giving it a second thought, slipped in between the guard (a fairly tall, broad-bodied man with yellowish skin and dark green, short hair) and the boy who took the opportunity to immediately dive under the nearby bench. “What’s going on here?” she nearly shouted, putting her hands on her hips and giving the man a look that Sweetie identified as ‘you better think twice of what you want to say, since your every word can be used against you’… or maybe it was ‘you’re about to get detention for the rest of your life and even a complaint to the school board won’t help you’? He, however, didn’t seem impressed. “Are you the boy’s mother?” he asked calmly. The girl saw sudden confusion on her teacher’s face. An uncommon sight. “No, but…” “Then this case shouldn’t concern you. But,” the guard added, noticing Sweetie, “we’ve received a report that a guy looking like a pedophile was spotted in the mall, so you better keep an eye on your daughter.” “Student,” the woman corrected. Sweetie could have sworn she’d heard sorrow in her voice. “She could even be both. I don’t care at all.” The man shrugged. “I have another job right now, and all you do is bothering me. Just take your kid and go your own way.” Sweetie noticed that her teacher’s lips were now a thin, straight line. Oh, boy… this guy didn’t even know who he’d just messed with. The girl instinctively stepped back and swallowed. As was to be expected, the ‘kind Auntie Luna’ disappeared, leaving only the strict and firm vice principal whom all the students feared. After a while, the staring contest was over and the woman smiled somewhat haughtily. “All right then. I’ll leave as soon as I see you have the situation under control.” “I do,” said the man, clearly annoyed by now. “I can handle it. Goodbye.” He turned around. “I’d love to see that…” Luna muttered. Sweetie could swear she’d heard mockery in her voice. Puzzled, she glanced at her teacher, who added in a low voice: “Just watch.” The guard, meanwhile, looked under the bench where the boy was hiding. “Okay, kid, come outta there,” he demanded, a bit gruffly. “No!” “Don’t be silly, I won’t eat you. Come on out now.” “No!” The child squeezed into a corner. “I don’t think you’re doing too well.” Luna smiled again, this time somewhat mischievously. “Are you still here? I said I could handle it.” “Oh, I don’t think so. Children need a special approach.” “Uh-huh. And you just happen to know just the trick?” Considering the vice principal’s normal behavior (as today, she was acting kind of strange), Sweetie also had some doubts about it. Meanwhile, Luna knelt by the bench, under which the scared boy was still hiding. “Hey there, sweetheart,” she almost whispered. Sweetie jaw-dropped and looked around quickly. Vice Principal Luna, the famous Miss Detention whom the entire school feared, simply couldn’t be capable of using such an affectionate tone! Surely someone else had said it! Within a few feet radius, there was nobody, except for the security guard, slack-jawed as well – because the toddler, previously wary, crawled out of his hiding place and stared at the woman with two big gray eyes. “I’m Luna. And you?” The boy answered softly. “That’s a lovely name. Where’s your mommy?” The toddler’s lips curled into a pout. A moment later, he began crying out loud. “Shh… it’s okay.” Luna stroked his head, took a tissue out of her purse and began wiping the tears off his face. “We’ll find your mommy.” “Will?” the boy sniffled. “Yes. I promise.” The woman took out another tissue. “Can you wipe your nose yourself?” The toddler nodded, so Luna handed him the tissue, in which he blew his nose loudly. “Done,” he said after a moment, clearly proud of himself. “Way to go,” Luna said. “But you missed something, you know.” Using the tissue she still had in her hand, she wiped the area of his upper lip. The little one giggled and embraced her neck. Yup… so much for not trusting a stranger, I guess, Sweetie thought. “Okay, that’s enough,” said the guard, walking up to Luna and the boy. “Thank you for your help, and now you really can…” he paused, because the toddler hid under the bench once more. Luna gave the man an exasperated look, then peered into the boy’s hiding place. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” she said gently. “Come out, please.” “No!” replied the child’s voice. “Why?” There was silence. After a moment, Luna looked quickly at the guard, then turned her attention back to the still-hidden boy. “No need to be afraid,” she assured. “This man only looks scary.” “Weawy?” “Really. Promise.” The toddler came out from under the bench and clung to Luna once more. However, he still seemed wary about the guard. “I assume you have a way to get in contact with the information desk?” Stroking the boy’s back soothingly, the woman looked at the man. He, in turn, took a walkie-talkie off his belt. “Then please do pass word that the young Fern Leaf is waiting for his mother by the fountain.” “Um,” Sweetie dared to speak, “but that’s where we were supposed to wait for Rarity…” That kind of sounded as if she was jealous, which was pretty silly, come to think about it. “I know.” Lu… that is, Vice Principal Luna stood up and grabbed the boy’s hand, putting her other one on the girl’s shoulder. “I figured waiting for both of them at the same time would be the most practical solution.” “Well… I guess you might be onto something,” Sweetie admitted after a moment. “I’m glad you’ve decided to trust me on this.” The teacher, clearly trying not to laugh, began to lead her two unexpected charges. The girl decided against mentioning that she didn’t exactly have any other options, and focused on trying to lick the remains of ice cream and the topping off her fingers. The woman let go of her shoulder and, after rummaging in her purse, handed her a packet of wet wipes. “You could’ve just asked.” Sweetie felt her ears and cheeks burn from embarrassment. “Um… thank you…” “I knew women had separate universes in their bags…” she heard behind her back. “What’s next? A shampoo and a towel?” “Of course. Right next to the bathtub and the closet.” Judging by her smirk and voice, Luna was having a great time. Rarity would’ve given anything to get such a magical bag, Sweetie thought, barely holding back a laugh. Little Fern Leaf liked the fountain very much; so much, in fact, that as soon as he was seated on the edge, he leaned towards the water and began splashing it with his hand. Also, Luna’s quick reaction was the only thing that saved him from an unexpected bath at one point. “Keep an eye on him, Sweetie Belle.” The woman seated the toddler on the low wall once more. Then, reaching into her purse, she took out a notepad and tore out a piece of paper. “Hey, Fern,” she said warmly, which in her mouth sounded so strange that her student felt like she were watching a movie with swapped voices. “We’ll make a boat, okay?” “How?” the boy wanted to know. “Look: we take the paper and ply it here, and then…” Luna’s hand movements were well thought-out and neat, yet slow, so that the little one could see everything. That actually made sense – as a teacher, she certainly had to show students how to do things every now and then. But why did she seem more like a cool aunt at the moment? Maybe she liked young children more than teenagers? But then why would she work in high school instead of an elementary school or even a kindergarten? Sweetie had to admit to herself that she didn’t understand it at all. “Now here…” The vice principal plied the paper once again. “And done!” she announced, handing the young Fern Leaf a neat paper boat. “Thank you.” The boy immediately put his new toy onto the water. “OH!” the guard exclaimed. “I used to love making paper ships, too!” “Don’t you mean boats?” Sweetie cocked her head. “Nope. Ships,” said the man proudly. “My father taught me when I was not much older than this tot here.” There was a sound of torn paper. “I’d love to see that.” Luna gave it to the man, smiling almost mischievously. “Challenge accepted.” For a while, the woman and the girl watched the man’s quick movements; in the meantime, the boy, whom Luna held with one arm, was playing with the boat. In the end, the guard presented an expertly crafted paper ship. “Told you.” He smiled triumphantly. Turning to him for a moment, the little Fern Leaf opened his mouth. “Want!” he said, pointing at the ship. “Wow…” Sweetie’s eyes went wide. “And it will float?” “I’m not entirely sure.” Luna tilted her head. “It does seem stable, but considering the size and the material, I’m afraid it might soak up too quickly to stay afloat…” “Then how about we set it and see?” the guard asked, as confident as ever. Before they could do so, however, they heard a female voice: “Fern!” All four of them – Luna, Sweetie, the guard and the young Fern Leaf – turned as if on cue. A young, short woman with pale green skin and short, dark red hair, dressed in a brown T-shirt and denim cropped pants, was hurriedly walking up to them. Upon seeing her, the boy beamed, slid off the fountain’s edge and ran up to her with a joyful cry: “Momma!” “Wait here, Sweetie Belle. And you keep an eye on her.” Luna stood up and walked over to the child and his mother. “What’s your name?” “Rose Leaf,” the other woman replied carefully, picking up her son and snuggling him. “And you would be…?” “Auntie!” the boy declared happily, reaching towards Luna with one hand. She, in turn, giggled. Yet another thing she usually seemed unable to do. “Actually, Luna Prince, vice principal of Canterlot High School,” she said, holding out her hand. “I just wanted to make sure Fern was safe; I’ve already seen one suspicious man today.” “In that case,” Rose Leaf shook her hand, “may I invite you for a ‘thank you’ coffee?” “No, please don’t bother. Besides,” Luna nodded towards Sweetie, “my student and I are waiting for someone.” The other woman didn’t insist. “Say goodbye to ‘auntie’, sweetheart,” she told her son. “Bye, bye!” The boy waved. “Bye.” Luna replied in kind. When she returned to Sweetie and the guard, the man rose from the low wall and slightly scratched his neck. “Well… I guess I’ll be off now. And, uh… thank you for your help and… see you, I guess.” To her surprise, Sweetie noticed that the vice principal looked slightly embarrassed. A soft blush filled her cheeks, and her lips quivered as if in a timid smile. They must’ve fallen in love, the girl thought, grinning from ear to ear. And Scoot said such stories can only happen in movies! Hah! I wanna see her face when she hears about this! “You’re welcome,” Luna said finally. “But considering the size of the city, I don’t think you should get your hopes for another meeting too high up.” “Who ever said we can’t help our luck?” The woman blushed a little more. Yes! Say yes! Her student, whose own heart was pounding like mad due to excitement, crossed her fingers with hope. Please, please, please! Eventually, Luna blinked and slightly cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to break it to you, but I don’t date strangers,” she said in a tone that allowed no discussion. OH, COME ON! Sweetie groaned inwardly. The man made a disappointed face. “Alright then.” He lowered his head. “I’m not going to force you. Goodbye.” I can’t even! The girl barely resisted the urge to facepalm. What’s wrong with adults?! Why are they always complicating everything?! As the guard walked away dejected, Luna, not even trying to stop him, shrugged and sat down next to her student. After about a minute of silence to honor the vice principal’s would-have-been suitor, Sweetie decided to bring up an issue that had bothered her earlier: “So… what’s the actual deal with strangers? Can they be trusted or not?” The woman was silent for a moment; most probably, she realized the discrepancy between her words and her deeds had just been found out. “You’re a clever child,” she finally admitted, sighing softly. “Maybe a little naive, but clever. Strangers shouldn’t be trusted immediately, but most young children don’t understand it. If that boy, Fern Leaf, had met the man who’d talked to you…” She shuddered. “I hope his mother will explain to him the risks of this kind of behavior.” “Anyway… how’d you know how to handle him?” “Getting on well with children can make a teacher’s work much easier.” Luna winked at her student. “Really? I thought you’d say you’re a mom or… well, something like that…” Actually, the girl had a hard time imagining Vice Principal Luna as a mother (her sister would be more plausible), but she just couldn’t think of other options. The woman bit her lower lip, looked away, and remained silent for a while. “Not everything in life goes the way we’d like it,” she almost whispered in the end. What did she mean? Did she want to have children, but couldn’t, for whatever reason? Or maybe… she’d had one, but had lost him or her? Sweetie didn’t find the courage to question her further about it, simply clinging to her side instead. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you…” “I know.” Luna put an arm around her and gave her a quick hug. “But let’s drop this subject now, please.” “Okay.” Her student nodded, but didn’t let go. For a time, both the woman and the girl sat without a word or movement, each lost in her own thoughts. To be more precise, Sweetie tried to figure out the mystery her vice principal had just turned out to be. What would she be like for her children if she’d had them? Stern and harsh like at school or gentle and caring like towards this little boy moments ago? Which one of her faces was real and where had the other one come from? Suddenly, the girl noticed in the crowd the very familiar dark violet long hair put up in very distinctive curls. “Oh!” She perked up. “That’s Rarity! Hey, Rarity!” She waved. Her older sister, strangely enough not carrying a bunch of shopping bags, noticed her and quickened her pace. “I’m so sorry it took so long,” she said, having come close enough to avoid having to shout. “I had to… well, maybe I didn’t have to… I wanted to put all the things in place to spare the staff the unnecessary work…” “Relax, child,” Luna replied softly. “No need to explain yourself. It’s alright. Though I believe it would be best if you didn’t take your eyes off your sister until you come home. When I found her…” She trailed off, as if hesitating. Feeling a wave of heat flush over her, Sweetie nervously clasped her right hand around her left wrist. “Oh, no,” Rarity groaned. “She’s been up to mischief, right?” Sweetie’s heart was pounding as if it wanted to jump out of her chest. “That’s not it.” The vice principal shook her head. “It’s just that there was a very suspicious hobo talking to her.” Sweetie felt relieved. “Oh, my.” Rarity put her hands to her mouth. “I don’t know how to thank you… oh! Or maybe I do!” She beamed. “I have a loyalty card in almost all clothing, shoes, handbags and cosmetics shops around here! And that means… SHOPPING!” She grinned, clearly ecstatic about her idea. Luna sighed. “All those are things I usually shop for on my own…” “Oh, pfft, nonsense, darling,” Rarity snorted. Almost immediately, she made a terrified face, which most probably meant that she realized who she was talking to. “Erm, I mean…” Luna waved it off. “Besides, I have something else on my mind right now.” “Principal Celestia’s birthday?” Judging by her tone, Rarity already knew the answer. Where did she even get this idea? Sweetie looked at her sister in disbelief. Luna’s eyes went wide as she opened and closed her mouth several times before stammering out: “B-but… how do you…?” This time, it was Rarity’s turn to sigh. “Yesterday, Pinkie and Twilight have started working out a way to secretly decorate the entire school in five seconds or less.” “This will end in either a royal mess or astronomical bills for yet another renovation.” A fleeting scowl appeared on Luna’s face. “Be a dear and tell Pinkie Pie I wish to see her in my office tomorrow, before the first period.” “Of course,” Rarity replied in a calm voice, making a face as if she’d just unintentionally sentenced her friend to a terrible fate. The vice principal must have noticed it, because she added: “Don’t worry, I just want to talk to her.” “Oh.” Rarity relaxed visibly. “Then… we shan’t disturb you anymore. I hope your search for a gift will prove successful.” “If I only knew what to look for…” Luna sighed. Her students gave her puzzled glances. “But,” said Sweetie, “I’m sure you know your sister better than anyone. Shouldn’t that make things easier?” The teacher slowly shook her head. “Have you ever tried to get a gift for someone who has everything they need?” “Of course. Several times a year.” A smile crept onto Rarity’s lips. “Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays…” “Our parents’ wedding anniversary,” Sweetie chipped in. “The point is,” Rarity took the lead again, “that although everyone needs something, it’s not always an actual thing. This year, for example, as the anniversary gift, Dad takes Mom on an exotic trip, because they haven’t gone anywhere on their own for quite a long time…” “Oh! Oh!” Sweetie waved her hand. “And I made Rarity breakfast for her last birthday!” “And you’ve been hiding the recipe for liquid toasts ever since.” Her sister winked at her. The vice principal shot them a weirded out glance. Rarity slightly cleared her throat. “Anyway: I think it doesn’t matter what you give to your sister. Actually… well, I don’t know about you, but I sure see it that way… the most beautiful gifts are those coming from the heart. And now we really shan’t disturb you. Goodbye. Come on, Sweetie.” “Goodbye.” Sweetie nodded. “Just remember that I really need to speak with Pinkie Pie tomorrow.” The vice principal replied in kind. Once they were out of the woman’s sight and earshot, Sweetie asked her sister: “Rarity… what would you do if you saw that somebody liked somebody else and that they’d make a cute couple?” *** Once her two students disappeared within the crowd, Luna sat a little more comfortably, leaning back against her outstretched arms, closing her eyes and rethinking Rarity’s words. ‘Although everyone needs something, it’s not always an actual thing… The most beautiful gifts are those coming from the heart…’ What did Celestia need? She had plenty of jewelry and enough perfume to last her for the next few years, she’d long since converted one room into a library, and her plants would soon run out of space in the greenhouse. On the other hand… when was the last time she had a day just to herself, free from the principal’s usual responsibilities and crisis situations as well as from house chores? Though she tried with all her might, Luna couldn’t remember it. It seemed she’d just found the perfect gift idea… “LUNA!” she heard all of a sudden. Opening her eyes, she saw a breathless and clearly upset Celestia run towards her – and groaned inwardly. No doubt she was in for a lecture. Nevertheless, she did put on a smile, albeit a rather weak one. “Hi, Tia…” “‘Tia’? ‘TIA’?! What… what were you… thin… thinking…?” her sister gasped out, slumping onto the fountain’s edge. “I’ve… I’ve been looking for you everywhere for h… half an hour! I thought something bad happened to you!” “Oh, give me a break.” Luna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “I’m not fifteen anymore; you don’t have to mind my every step.” “Wait a moment…” Celestia narrowed her eyes and pulled a finger across her sister’s cheek. “Is this… whipped cream?” Although a wave of heat flushed over her, Luna managed to keep a straight face. Or at least she hoped so. Meanwhile, the elder sister took a handkerchief out of her purse, grabbed the younger one’s wrist, and began wiping her cheek. “I’ve told you hundreds of times that eating sweets before dinner spoils your appetite, remember?” Her voice was tinged with annoyance. This time, Luna did roll her eyes. “Yes, Mother,” she replied sarcastically. “Mind your tone, young lady,” Celestia warned, not raising her voice. “And by the way: why weren’t you waiting by the bookstore, like you were supposed to?” “Maybe because I got bored after half an hour?” “You know you could’ve come in, right?” “Accept it already, you bookworm: I’m all for a good story, but spending entire days in bookstores and libraries isn’t my thing. Also, I did do something productive while you were inhaling the smell of paper and ink.” “And that would be…?” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Long story short: I saved one of our students from a potential pedophile,” Luna didn’t even try to keep the pride out of her voice, “and then I helped a guard…” “Was he handsome?” Her sister smirked mischievously. “I know that face. Forget it. You know I don’t date strangers.” “But you would get to know each other…” “I said: forget it. And don’t interrupt me. The guy found a boy who’d lost his mother, but had no idea how to handle children…” “So you stepped in and babysat the little one until his real mother showed up?” Celestia looked as if she barely held back a giggle. “Of course. And you know very well why.” Feeling her eyes burn, Luna blinked and bit on the inside of her cheek. “I know.” Her older sister’s gaze softened as she gave her a hug. “And just between us,” she added after a few moments of silence, “I probably would’ve done the same if I were there. I’m proud of you.” “Thanks… but now stop embarrassing me in front of all those people around us, could you?” “If you promise to at least send me a text next time.” “How many times do I have to tell you I’m no longer a child?” Luna rolled her eyes, trying to break free. Her sister had no intention of loosening the grip, though. “And how many times do I have to tell you that your safety comes first to me?” Luna let out a faint, resigned sigh. Celestia was in the overprotective mode again. There was no way to get through to her with any logical arguments right now. “Okay, okay,” she said, lightly patting her older sister’s back. “Next time, I’ll let you know where I am.” “Promise?” “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” “That… sounded like Pinkie Pie promising not to roller skate around the school again.” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “When did she teach you?” “Ugh.” Luna rolled her eyes again. “A promise is a promise. Can you let go of me now?” “Of course.” The elder sister finally did as asked and smiled sweetly. Too sweetly, in fact. “After all, you’ve just made a promise that, as Pinkie Pie had assured me, you can never, ever break.” Luna grabbed her head and whimpered.