“I'm so glad you decided to come with me on this trip,” said Celestia. “It's been a minute since our last real alicorn reunion.”
“It has been more than a minute, sister,” replied Luna. “It has been twenty years!”
Celestia laughed gently. “It's just an ironic expression.”
“I should visit Twilight more often,” Luna said wistfully, “And Cadence and little Flurry Heart as well. But it has been difficult to make time between writing and going on book-signing tours.
“Surely that can't take up more of your time than ruling a nation,” said Celestia, arching her eyebrows.
“Honestly, after I was freed from the Nightmare, and with you by my side, it was not much trouble,” said Luna with a grin.
Celestia smiled back. “You're too kind. But as for 'little Flurry Heart,' she is not so little anymore. You will be amazed at how she has grown!”
“Oh, yes, I'm sure the little dear is growing like a weed.”
Celestia quirked an eyebrow. “Luna . . . You said it yourself: it has been twenty years.”
“Indeed. What is your point?”
“Has it been so long since you were young that you have forgotten that we alicorns grow at the same rate as ordinary ponies?”
Luna rubbed her chin with her foreleg. “Perhaps it has. Twenty years does not seem long to me at all anymore. How quickly do ponies grow?”
“Most ponies reach their full size in eighteen to twenty years. Flurry is not going to get any bigger.”
“Did we truly grow so tall in such a short amount of time when we were young?” asked Luna. “It seemed like we only came up to Star Swirl's knees for several years!”
“It only seemed so long because a year was a much larger percentage of our lives than it is now. One year felt like many years back then,” said Celestia.
“I suppose so,” said Luna, bringing her hoof to her chin. “But how can you say that little Flurry is finished growing? I am many times her age and I have not yet reached my full height.”
Celestia's expression suddenly became carefully neutral. Most ponies wouldn't have thought anything about it, but Luna was not like most ponies.
“I know that look, sister. You are thinking of something that you do not want to say out loud. Tell me what is on your mind.”
Celestia's eyes flickered, although her mouth remained a bland line. “I was only thinking that it is possible that you might grow another inch in the next few decades.”
“I hope that it is more than an inch – otherwise I will never catch up to you in height!”
Celestia maintained her poker face. “We will see.”
The two sisters fell into a pensive silence as the train chugged up the slope of Mount Canterlot.
They could have flown or teleported if they had wanted to, but Luna preferred the scenic route, and Celestia welcomed the chance to spend more time with her little sister.
When the train ground to a halt, the two alicorns lifted their saddlebags in their magic – for they were travelling light – and disembarked. The guards allowed them to cross the bridge without comment. Most ponies had learned to treat the former princesses just like any other citizen, but there were always exceptions who still fawned over them like royalty. At the moment, however, all the attention the former princesses received were a few lingering stares.
Celestia gasped softly. “I love these planters!” She trotted over to a cement planter that was the circumference of her barrel.
Luna glanced upward. “There is an observation wheel at the city entrance and you are looking at the planters?”
Celestia lifted her head and followed Luna's gaze toward the circular mechanical ride. “That was there the last time I was here. It was Pinkie Pie's idea, of course. You really should visit Canterlot more often.” She looked down and touched a yellow flower.
“I suppose I should,” said Luna, walking over to join her sister next to the planter. “But why are you impressed with these blossoms?” She bent down to sniff them. “They do not even have a scent.”
“Sunflowers and sunpatiens are cultivated for their appearance, not their fragrance,” explained Celestia.
“Of course you would prefer plants that follow the sun.” Luna rolled her eyes. “And did you make up the word sunpatiens?”
“No, it's a real impatiens hybrid,” answered Celestia.
Luna turned her head to scan the street.
“At least those awful dragon sneeze trees are gone. What was the point of them again?”
“The urban developer at the time had outdated ideas about warding off a dragon invasion.” Celestia shook her head.
“Excuse me, ma'am.” An earth stallion approached her. “Do you have the time?”
“Certainly.” Celestia's horn glowed, and a luminescent, transparent watch appeared in front of her face.
“It's ten-thirty.”
“Thank you.” The stallion hesitated, glancing from Celestia to Luna. “Are you alicorns?”
“No,” deadpanned Luna, “we are wearing false wings.”
The stallion shrugged. “Okay then. Have a nice day.” He trotted away from them.
“I was being sarcastic!” yelled Luna, but he didn't hear her.
Celestia patted her shoulder. “Perhaps you need more practice.”
A squeal pierced the city noises of hoofsteps and rolling carriage wheels.
“Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!” A pegasus mare flew toward them with a tiny foal in her forelegs. “I can't believe it's really you!” She landed on the sidewalk and bowed.
Luna smiled and raised her foreleg. “It is not necessary to genuflect anymore. We are just ponies like you.”
The mare straightened. “Well, in that case, could I ask you a favor?”
Celestia and Luna shared a glance. “What is it?” asked Celestia.
“Could you please hold my baby so I can take a picture of him with you?”
“Of course,” said Celestia.
A smile stretched across the mare's face, like mozerella cheese stretching between two slices of pizza. “Oh, thank you!” She placed her foal in Celestia's forelegs and pulled her camera out of her saddlebag. “Princess – um, I mean, Miss Luna, could you please scoot closer to Miss Celestia?”
Luna pressed against her sister and beamed, and the pegasus snapped a photo. She thanked the alicorns and picked up her foal once more.
The babe pointed his tiny hoof at Celestia. “Whuh dat?”
“That's Princess Celestia,” said the mare.
Moving his hoof to point at Luna, he repeated, “Whuh dat?”
“Princess Luna.”
The baby scrunched his face in an expression that indicated that he was either thinking deeply or preparing to make a mess in his diaper. “Baby pincess.” He repositioned his foreleg back to point at Celestia. “Mommy pincess.”
Celestia's violet eyes twinkled. “Kids say the darnedest things, as they say.” She looked at Luna, who had never mastered her poker face as well as her sister. Luna's eyebrows were lowered and her mane and tail were whipping around like flags in a hurricane.
“No, Buddy, they're not a mommy and baby. They're sisters.”
“Scissors?” he tilted his head like a dog staring a a phonograph. “Mommy scissor. Baby scissor.”
“I think you're confused, Buddy.” The mare playfully bounced him in her forelegs. “Thank you for the photo, your highnesses – um, ladies.”
Celestia waited until the mare flew away before allowing her laughter to spill out of her mouth like water over the edge of a cliff.
Luna bristled. “I am not a baby scissor!”
“No, but you'll always be my baby sister!” Celestia wrapped one of her wings around Luna.
“You are never going to let me live this down, are you.” The former princess of the night sighed.
“Not for a few decades, at least.”
“I am not even short!” ranted Luna. “I am taller than most mares!”
“Of course you are,” Celestia said in a soothing tone.
“Do not patronize me, sister.”
“Very well. Come, sister, let us fly to the castle.” The alicorn of the sun spread her wings and took off into the air.
“No, thank you.”
Celestia looked down and saw Luna walking below her. “Honestly, Luna, when was the last time you flew?”
The younger sister tapped her chin. “It was about a moon ago, at Las Pegasus.”
Celestia landed next to her sister and raised her eyebrows. “You went to Las Pegasus?”
“I had a book signing there. There is more to Las Pegasus than games and shows, you know.”
“Well, why won't you fly with me now? It's been years since we've flown together. And we could take in the scenery from above.”
Luna relented. “Oh, very well.” She stretched her wings up, and then down, and then she took off into the air.
Celestia flew alongside her. “See, isn't this lovely? I forgot how beautiful the city looks from a pegasus-eye view.”
“Indeed, sister,” panted Luna.
The elder alicorn glanced sidelong at the younger. “Are you out of breath already?”
“Perhaps I have been . . . spending too much time . . . behind a desk . . . Not that I'm . . . ready to join you . . . on your wilderness treks.”
“They're not just wilderness treks, sister. I teach survival skills to creatures so that they won't need an alicorn or some hero to rescue them if they're in danger.”
“Sounds about right,” huffed Luna. “One day . . . both of us . . . will ensure . . . our obsolescence.”
“As should be the goal of everycreature, even near-immortals. But you had better save your breath for flying.”
Luna nodded, gasping for breath, until fifteen minutes later, when they landed at the main entrance to the castle. The younger sister collapsed onto the ground, and Celestia quickly helped her to her feet.
Shaking out her wings, Luna gasped, “How big . . . is this city? It has grown . . . twofold since . . . I was here last.”
Celestia chuckled. “It's not that much bigger.”
The pair of pegasus guards guards opened the double doors for them without a word, and a familiar griffon saluted them as soon as they entered.
“At ease, Gallus.” Celestia's eyes crinkled. “We are no longer royalty.”
“The former heads of state are always owed the respect of the guards,” countered Gallus as he lowered his talons. “Besides, it's not like I'm bowing or anything,” he added with a smirk.
“Well met, Gallus,” said Luna.
“Thanks.” He glanced at the alicorn of the night. “You want me to get you a glass of water, maybe a towel?”
“Please!” blurted Luna before clearing her throat. “And sister, let me know when you have your next beginner survival lesson. I should probably sign up.”
“I think that's a good idea,” agreed Celestia.
Gallus flew down the hallway and quickly returned with a bottle of water and a towel. “Here you go, your highness. Princess Twilight is waiting for you in the rec room.”
Luna let the “your highness” slide in her curiosity (and thirst). “Rec room?” She unscrewed the bottle cap with her magic.
“I think it used to be a formal meeting room, but now it's a lot more casual. It has a juice bar, an ice box, a radio with surround sound, bean bag chairs, a book shelf because Twilight . . . It basically has anything an alicorn could want.”
“A relaxing and informal setting would suit me perfectly at the moment.” Luna gulped down half the water in the bottle and wiped her glistening forehead.
“As usual, Twilight's forethought serves her well,” said Celestia with a sparkle in her eyes.
Luna was fully refreshed by the time they arrived at the rec room, which she recognized as the setting were they had used to hold meetings with various mayors, heads of schools, and other mid-tier leaders from all over Equestria.
Through the open door, Twilight said, “Come in!”
The two sisters trotted into the room.
“Twilight!” Celestia wrapped her foreleg around her former student's shoulders. “It's so good to see you!” The alicorn of the day pulled back and surveyed the room. “I love how you've redecorated.”
Luna, however, paid no attention to her surroundings, for she could only stare up at Twilight's striking figure.
No longer was Twilight a petite, hesitant alicorn who was uncomfortable with her own wings. She had blossomed into Celestia's equal in every aspect, her statuesque form radiating elegance and confidence as her resplendent mane and tail flowed in the ethereal wind. She wore a golden crown, breastplate, and shoes which only added to her regality.
“It's good to see you too, Celestia!” Twilight gracefully turned her head to gaze at Luna. “And Luna! You haven't changed a bit.” The majestic alicorn stepped toward her and embraced her.
The hug was comforting, but Luna couldn't help feeling that life was a little unfair. It was one thing for her big sister to be, well, bigger than she was. But Twilight was barely older than forty – fifty at the oldest. Luna had difficulty keeping track of anypony's exact age anymore, even her own. No – especially her own. The point was that Twilight was still quite young for an alicorn, and already she had surpassed Luna.
“Where are Cadence and Flurry?” asked Celestia, interrupting her sister's silent rant.
“They're on their way. It'll be so great to see everypony again.”
“Yes, Luna and I were just talking about how nice it will be to see all the alicorns together.”
Luna began thinking about Cadence and Flurry. Cadence, being older than Twilight, would likely be at least as tall, but surely Flurry would still be short. At least there would be one alicorn closer to her size. A genuine smile graced Luna's face.
Twilight's ears swiveled at the sound of more hoofsteps in the corridor. “I think they're here!” she trilled.
Cadence entered the room first. Luna was not surprised that she was tall enough to be Twilight and Celestia's triplet, with a blackberry mane that twinkled and waved majestically. The majesty was undermined when she began to prance in place and chant, “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake!”
“Mo-om! Do you have to do that every time you see Aunt Twilight?”
Luna's mouth fell open at the giant who walked through the doorway. She had legs that would rival a giraffe's; long, tapered wings that faded from pale mulberry to seashell pink; and a horn like a jousting lance. Short tufts of hair framed her head like an iridescent, violet halo, and her tail was a glittery puff ball.
Celestia smirked at Luna for a split second before putting on a friendly smile. “Flurry! You must have grown a foot since I last saw you!” She gave her grand-niece a hug. “And did you get a haircut?”
“My mane got caught in a fan,” said Flurry with a sheepish grin. “I had to cut it to free myself. There's nothing for it other than to wait for it to grow back.”
“Oh my goodness!” said Celestia with a sympathetic wince. “What about your tail?”
“I just wanted it to match my mane,” said Flurry with a shrug.
“Well, I think it looks cute,” Twilight said loyally. “I might even cut my mane and tail like yours.”
“Oh, stop!” Flurry waved her lanky foreleg with an undignified snort. Then she caught Luna's eyes and grinned.
“Aunt Luna!” She caught her in a crushing embrace. “It's so good to see you after all this time!” Then she held her at arm's (or foreleg's) length. “I thought you'd be taller!” she blurted. Then, seeing Luna's expression, she said quickly, “Not that it's bad that you're short! It's a good thing!”
Luna raised a skeptical eyebrow. “It is?”
“Of course! You have no idea how hard it is to shop for clothes when you're my size. I have to have my dresses custom made, and it takes so long! Miss Rarity wants to take my measurements every time, even if it's only been a week since I last ordered a dress from her.”
“Uh-huh,” said Luna, remaining unconvinced.
“And I have to special order my shoes from yet another designer. Oh! And stallions don't want to dance with me at the Triple G.”
“Do you mean the Grand Galloping Gala?” asked Luna.
Flurry nodded.
“Nopony ever danced with me at the gala either. I suspect that has more to do with your being a princess than your size,” elaborated Luna.
“Oh. I guess that makes sense. Well, there are plenty of other tall pony problems, believe me!” she stared up at the ceiling. “I'm always stuck in the back of every group picture. And I'm too big to ride the observation wheel, and the Screeching Eagle in Las Pegasus, and every other carnival ride I've seen.” She sighed. “It's been five years since I could ride on the tilt-o-whirl.”
“Um.” Luna reached up and patted her grand-niece's shoulder “There, there. You can still fly, you know.”
“Says the pony who could barely use her wings just fifteen minutes ago,” commented Celestia.
The alicorn of the night shot her a glare. “Nopony asked you, sister.”
“No, it's different when a mechanical force is moving you around,” said Flurry. “I'm sure you understand, Aunt Luna.”
“Yes, I think I do,” said her great aunt. “But try not to dwell on the things you cannot do, niece. There are still plenty of things you can do that most other ponies can't.”
“That's true,” said Flurry, cheering. “Like everypony in this room. That's the whole point of this reunion.”
Celestia shot her sister a knowing (and self-satisfied) look before turning her gaze to her grand-niece. “You are wise beyond your years, Flurry. Well, now that we're all here, let me tell you about the little pegasus foal we met on the way to the castle.”
“Oh, I do not think that is necessary, sister,” said Luna, giving Celestia a warning look.
“Now I have to hear about it,” said Cadance.
And so Celestia told the other alicorns about her “baby scissor,” and a good time was had by all. Even Luna.
The End