"Luna, can we do something else?" Selene complained. "I don't want to do this anymore! It's too hard!"
Only 30 minutes passed while Luna had been trying to help Selene read for the first time, but it proved to be slow, difficult, and frustrating for the little filly. Naturally, for an excitable child her age, she didn't have the patience to get it right.
"Are you certain?" Luna asked. "You successfully read through a few of the first pages."
"But I'll be reading forever!" Selene moaned. "Can't you read it to me instead and I copy what you say? Then, we can read together!"
Luna shook her head. "We can take a break if you're upset, but I won't read it for you. If I do, you'll never learn to read for yourself. I know it's hard at first, but you'll---"
Luna stopped speaking when Selene knocked the book away in frustration.
"No! Let's do something else!"
"Selene, please retrieve that book," Luna requested calmly.
"No, Luna! I don't want to practice anymore!" Selene whined. "Let's play a game!"
"I said we could take a break, yes," Luna agreed, letting her voice take on a firm tone, "but first, please retrieve the book you tossed aside."
Selene did retrieve the book, but when she returned with it, she threw it down, unintentionally hitting Luna. Now was when Luna's expression became a clear one of anger, but she didn't lose her temper. For a reason she never knew, being around fillies expanded her patience beyond what it normally was. However, it wasn't so much, she let them get away with being troublesome.
"Selene, there's no need for that."
"But I got the book like you said!" Selene's own tone was raising.
"You also hit me."
"No, I didn't!"
"Perhaps not on purpose, but yes, Selene, you did. And we will not do anything further unless you apologize."
"But! But! We're supposed to be having fun!" Selene cried, stomping her little hooves.
"Yes, you're right, but you're beginning to throw a tantrum."
"No, I'm not! I am not! I am not!" She stomped her hooves with every word.
Luna bit back her sarcastic tongue. Instead, she sat quietly and waited, letting her face return to a more neutral expression. Selene calmed down quickly and stared at Luna for a few seconds.
"Luna? Can we play now?"
Luna shook her head.
"Pleeeeeease?"
Same response.
"Pleeeeeeeeeeease?"
Each time she whined, Selene was only treated with Luna's silence as a response. It was about five minutes before Selene took the hint Luna wouldn't give in. She was still upset and now a little teary-eyed as she fully realized she made Luna angry with her. She threw herself at Luna's hooves and hugged one of her legs.
"I'm sorry, Luna! See? I said it! Please stop being mad at me!"
Luna smiled a little. "What are you sorry for?"
"Throwing your book."
"And?"
"And hitting you and being mean! Now, stop being mad and be my friend again! Please!"
Luna affectionately rubbed the filly's cheek, and Selene held the hoof at that spot, still looking up at Luna with tearful eyes.
"I accept your apology. Thank you."
Selene smiled. "Do you still love me like you said in your letter?"
"Of course," Luna assured her, changing her tone back to a gentle one. "I didn't stop for a moment."
"But you were... weren't you mad at me?"
"And you were angry with me," Luna pointed out. "Do you still love me?"
"Yes!"
"Getting upset with the ones we love is normal, dear Selene," Luna explained. "We can be angry and still love them. What we can't do is hurt them. But you're calm and you apologized, so never mind it now."
"So, we can play a game now?" Selene asked excitedly.
"Yes, but if you continue having a tantrum, I must cut this visit short and return you home."
"No, I'll be nice! I promise!"
"I'm glad to hear that." She took out a tissue box and gave a tissue to Selene to dry her eyes with. "Now, what would you like to play? Or..." She grabbed a basket Selene had originally paid no attention to and placed it next to them. "...would you like to eat instead?"
Selene's instant attention to the basket and licking of her lips answered the question. Luna rolled her eyes in amusement before pulling away the basket's cover to reveal it contained several chocolate and vanilla treats. Celestia baked them as a surprise to take with her for the outing. A few pieces of fruit were also in the basket to provide a little balance to the junk food.
Selene took two of the treats, one of each flavor, while Luna chose one treat and one fruit, a pineapple, for herself. After seeing Luna's choice, Selene took an apple too, but kept both of her treats.
"7... 8... 9... 10! Ready or not, here I come!"
Selene began her search, checking the most obvious spots first. Luna wasn't up in the tree Selene counted at, or hiding behind it. She wasn't under the picnic blanket. She wasn't hiding in any of the bushes.
Selene checked the other trees, but she still didn't find Luna. She looked in a small field of flowers, up and down the pathway, and across the street. No sign of Luna. She even searched the ground for holes, thinking Luna could've hidden in one she dug herself. But it was perfectly flat.
Selene wouldn't give up on one of her favorite games, though. She got the idea to check the trees again, starting with the biggest one, the one she counted at. She inspected it a second time, circling it, until she caught something new. The tree had a small opening at the bottom. When she peered into it, she saw a familiar pair of shoes. She looked up and saw a larger hole several inches above the one at the tree's base. She tried to fly upwards, but she could only hover, so she climbed up and poked one of her hooves into it. Sure enough, her hoof was touched by something soft. Something cloudy...
"Luna! I found you!" she declared gleefully. Luna revealed her face and smiled. "You were here the whole time!"
"Yes, I was. I'm surprised you checked everywhere else before you noticed the tree had holes."
"I can find everypony!" Selene exclaimed. "It's your turn."
Selene waited until she saw Luna turn around and close her eyes. As Luna counted, she fretted to think of a hiding spot. Then, she glanced at the basket and got an idea. She grabbed it in her mouth and scurried off to find a hiding spot.
"9... 10." Luna turned around again and the first thing she noticed was the missing basket and its cover. "Now, where is that clever filly?" she thought.
Picking Luna's previously chosen hiding spot would've been too easy, but Luna checked anyway to be certain. She began searching for the basket, a search that may have taken more than a grand total of three minutes if Selene didn't look like a huge bump beneath the basket's cover. Still, Luna decided to humor her.
"I wonder where Selene hiding," Luna teased as she slowly came nearer to the filly's hiding spot. "Maybe she's... in the bushes!" Selene giggled. "No, not in the bushes. Did she crawl into the rabbit hole? No, not the rabbit hole." Even stifled, Selene's snickering could be heard. Luna finally gave up the ploy.
"Is this my basket? Did Selene move my basket?" Luna leaned her head near the cover. "Is that Selene in my basket?" She poked the "bump" and Selene shook with giggles before revealing herself. "Found you."
"You're a good seeker too, Luna!" Selene climbed on top of Luna's head. As she balanced herself, she looked down to the ground, as if it was the first time she realized how tall Luna was. She tried to fly with her wings again, flapping them as hard as she could and arching herself up, but she could only hover for a few seconds before she fell down. Luna caught her before she hit the ground and set her upright on her hooves. They brought the basket back to their picnic spot and placed the fruit and treats Selene had sprawled out to use the basket back inside.
"Luna, can you teach me how to fly?" Selene asked. "I really want to fly, but I think my wings are broken."
"Your wings are not broken," Luna assured her. "Every pegasus flies when they're ready. I was late at many things."
"Like what?"
"I did not get my cutie mark until I was an adult, to start."
"You mean some ponies don't get cutie marks until they're all grown up?" Selene asked, wide-eyed and mouth agape. "Were you really happy when you got it?"
"Indeed, and it didn't matter that I was so late. I'm positive you will feel the same when you fly for the first time."
Selene smiled. Nopony had ever told her that before.
"And if you're still worried, you can try a scooter like a certain friend of mine did when she struggled to fly."
By the time their outing came to an end, Selene had fallen fast asleep. Most ponies had also headed indoors by now, so Luna was able to return Selene to her home without attracting any unwanted attention. Rarely did Luna let herself loosen up as she did today, but with them on the outskirts, Luna felt little need to worry about it. That said, if Luna was to be honest with herself, she was unsure she really cared about a thing like "image" today. She cared more about keeping her time with Selene from being interrupted.
Luna arrived at the foster home at exactly 8:00pm, where she was greeted by Melodía waiting outside.
"How did it go?"
"It was wonderful," Luna answered as she passed Selene to Melodía. "Thank you for letting me have the chance."
"We should thank you for bringing her to us to begin with," Melodía told her.
"I've no doubt she's a delight in your home," Luna said. "Forgive me, but I must take my leave now."
"May I ask you one question before you leave? Why would you rather Selene not know you are a..." Melodía whispered the last word. "...princess? Surely, you could tell her she doesn't prevent you from anything if she worried about it."
"It is more than that," Luna answered. "At most, Selene seems to think of me as her friend or sister. I imagine it sounds odd to most, but I'd prefer ponies, especially young ones such as Selene, see me as an ordinary pony at times, not a sort of omnipotent being."
"Understood. I promise we won't tell her if you don't want us too. Have a good evening."
"You as well, Melodía. I bid you good night."
Luna flew off quickly, as if she wanted to hurry away before she had a chance to look back. Melodía carried Selene inside to put her to bed.
"We won't tell," Melodía muttered to herself, a bit amused.
Luna arrived home just in time to find Celestia and Sombra about to retire for the night. From her view, they looked so exhausted, she questioned if they may need a seeing-eye pony. Neither spotted her until she walked ahead and stood directly in front of them.
"Luna! How was your day with the filly?" Sombra asked.
"Splendid. I suppose the same can't be said for you?"
"We don't want to talk about it," Celestia moaned, which was so unusual for her, Luna knew whatever it was must've been truly awful.
"Please don't let me slow your way to your slumbers. Go on."
"Wait," Celestia said. "Sombra, you go on. I want to speak to Luna for a moment."
Sombra gave his wife a quick kiss and continued toward their bedroom.
"Yes, Sister? What do you wish to discuss?" Luna asked.
"Are you still questioning yourself about how you feel towards Selene?"
"Not at all."
"Are you positive?"
"If I were, I wouldn't have allowed time for the outing we had today. I am certain."
Celestia gave her a small smile. "Then, do what your heart says. You know it. I know it. Follow it. Don't be afraid. Should you ever need advice, I'm here. I know you better than anypony else, Luna, and you will be excellent."
For a few moments, Luna merely stood speechless. Then, a slight blush came across her face. No magic had been needed, but Celestia read her mind and she was glad.
"Thank you so much, Sister. Now, hurry to slumber before you topple."