//------------------------------// // 11 - You've got a friend in me // Story: One hoof at a time // by SkarinOfAtmora //------------------------------// After the Tickle Monster showed Celestia who's boss, the fiend retreated to it's chamber for some much needed rest. No matter his current situation, Orion had to admit he was getting really cozy inside the castle. Food, a warm bed and a roof over his head kinda' made Orion feel like a freeloader. Well, he technically was but he decided to change that soon. If nothing else it's to thank the sisters and prove he can carry his weight and take care of himself. The only thing that bothered him about the castle was the pest problem. "Orion." somepony poked his cheek. A certain dark alicorn pest. "Awaken." Luna poked him again but got no response from the sound asleep stallion. "Do not ignore me." still nothing. "Curses." Luna thought about her options and concluded that using the Royal Canterlot voice was not an option. She did the next best thing. "Oh my Stars. I dropped Jessica." she droned sarcastically. "Huh? Who did the what?" Orion sprung up in his bed to see Luna smiling smugly with a bowl-sized cup of coffee levitating next to her. "Luna? What do you want?" he looked at the alarm clock next to his bed. "It's two o'clock in the morning!" Orion groaned and fell back on his pillow. "Nay!" the covers were suddenly pulled off of him. "I have come to exact my revenge!" "You're going to need to be more specific. You threaten me on a daily basis." Orion pulled the covers back on but they were promptly yanked back off again. "Tis' for causing mine first coffee crash as you called it." Luna poked Orion's side and the stallion scooted away. "I was barely functional after that and a fitting punishment would be to make you experience exhaustion as I have." "Don't you have Night Court or something?" Orion groaned as the princess relentlesly poked him with her hoof. "I have left a decoy." Luna proclaimed and hoped the plush version of her would be enough to fool everypony that came looking for an audience. "Now hurry while the night is still young." "Young?" Orion sat up in his bed. "The night is almost ready for it's final sacrament." "Fine." Luna rolled her eyes. "Orion, I am bored out of my mind and would very much like for you to keep me company." Orion raised a brow. "Pwease?" Luna used the most devastating weapon pony-kind has to offer, puppy eyes and a quivering lip. "That's not going to work." Orion scoffed. Luna's look intensified but Orion wouldn't budge. "Nu-uh, not happening." suddenly an anvil appeared over Orion's guitar. "So what are we doing this fine night?" he jumped out of bed and Luna smiled victoriuosly before releasing the anvil from her magical hold. CLANG! Luna felt her heart almost stop. Orion's actually did stop. Both slowly turned their heads towards the instrument. "Oh thank the Stars." Luna sighed in relief upon seeing the guitar intact, the anvil landing a hair's width away from it. Orion's fiery gaze slowly settled back on her. "Now, where were we?" "You were saying something about keeping you company." Orion said through gritted teeth as Luna laughed nervously. Sleep eluded Celestia that night. It was quite an exciting day and the evenings final revelations was what kept the princess awake. Who was Orion really? Why and how did he end up in Equestria? Was she really getting fluffy? So far Orion has been a good friend. He treated both her and Luna as equals, something that was very refreshing to the two sisters. Orion would not hesitate to call them out on something or say what he thinks. No fake smiles and empty words from him. He did lie to them but Celestia could see he was very troubled by his past. Whatever happened to him, Orion refused to talk about it right now and it was obvious he was in some kind of denial. It was clear he wasn't an alicorn from birth and whatever caused him to change must have been traumatic. Like the doctor said, he is one hundred percent alicorn and not some cheap knock-off. Celestia didn't know of any magic that could change sompony so completely. Transformation spells were around but even they had their limits. No, this was caused by something much more powerful than Celestia could imagine. Sighing deeply the solar princess turned in her bed once again. Orion wasn't a bad pony, that much was clear, but the fact he wielded chaos magic troubled her. His musical performance could have hurt somepony and things almost went south when she and Luna confronted him earlier. Orion would need to learn to control his magic quickly lest he hurts somepony on accident. She just hoped Discord would prove a good teacher. "Horsefeathers." Celestia sat upright in her bed and blew away the stray strands of her pinkish mane which now lacked the colorful ethereal glow. Getting up from her bed she went out on the balcony to get some fresh air. Maybe it will clear her mind and help her sleep. "LUNAAAAAAAA!" a gray blur plummeted down right in front of her, quickly followed by a dark blue one. "I'M SORRY!" A couple of minutes earlier... "You sure this is a good idea?" Orion gulpled and looked down into the abyss. "Of course. That's how Tia and I learned to fly." Luna said reassuringly as Orion's eyes went wide. "No thank you." Orion slowly backed away from the edge of the tallest tower. "You said you would keep me company." Luna said with the cutest pout possible. "I didn't agree to learn how to fly!" Orion shot back. "I just learned how to walk properly." he was getting close to the door that lead inside the castle and back to safety. "I'm not doing this." "I understand." Luna sniffled and Orion froze. Did he just make a girl cry? "It's just, I really like to fly and ever since my return Tia was always too busy to come fly with me like we used to and I just wanted somepony to fly with me but everypony was too afraid of me and, and, and-" yeap, she was on the verge of breaking down completely. "Fine I'll do it!" Orion quickly hugged the sobbing princess. He couldn't stand to see a girl cry. "Excellent!" Luna did a one-eighty which made Orion frown. "Why you little-" "Flying is easy! Come!" Luna trotted happily to the edge and spread her wings. "We'll do this together. Just do as I do." "Maybe we should try it from a table first?" Orion asked sheepishly as he once again stared into the abyss and it stared back hard. "Nonsense! I have full faith in thee!" Luna smacked Orion's back a little too hard and sent him falling over the edge. "Uh-oh." Celestia wasted no time and dived right after Luna and Orion. "HEEEEEEELP!" Orion screamed as his wings flapped about helplessly. Celestia's horn glowed and Orion felt himself slowing down. His hooves gently touched the grass and Orion fell down to his knees. "Oh sweet, sweet land!" Orion furiously kissed the solid ground which he almost decorated as a pancake. "Orion!" Luna touched down between him and Celestia. "Art thee unharmed? We swear-" "LUNA!" Celestia's voiced caused the younger alicorn's ears to drop in fear as she turned towards her sister. "What in the hay were you thinking?" Celestia was fuming. This little stunt could have cost Orion his life! "We were-" "No! You clearly weren't thinking!" Celestia stomped towards Luna and the midnight alicorn suddenly felt very small. "Teaching him to fly? In his condition? What is the matter with you?" "Tia, please-" "Don't you Tia please me! You could have killed him!" Luna backed away and tried to make herself as small as possible. Then Orion stepped between her and Celestia in an almost protective manner. "Celestia, if I may-" "You may not. This is between my sister and I." Celestia said sternly but Orion didn't budge. "But I will anyway." his words surprised Luna, her heart beating just a bit faster. To be so bold as to defy Celestia face to face. "When was the last time you went flying with Luna?" the question took Celestia by surprise. "What does that have to do with almost getting you killed?" "Well, I didn't want to do it at first, sure, but it's what friends do." Celestia watched curiously. "Luna told me how you're always too busy to spend time with her so I stepped in." now Celestia's ears dropped as she recoiled slightly. "I-" "She also told me how ponies avoided her ever since she returned." "That's-" "And how lonely she was." Orion looked down at Luna who was looking at him in awe. "She just wanted somepony to come fly with her like you used to and I volunteered as tribute." Orion looked back at Luna. "You suck as a teacher, by the way." a small laugh escaped Luna. "Luna." Celestia looked at her sister who slowly stood up, but still slightly hid behind Orion. "Why didn't you say anything?" "I did." Luna responded, a slight hitch in her voice. This pierced Celestia's heart more than anything in the last hundreds of years. "But you never listened." Luna moved forward. "I understand you are busy but... I just want my sister to spend some time with me." Luna choked up as did Celestia. "I miss our flights. I miss us brushing our manes before sleep. I miss my big sister." Luna nuzzled Celestia who was crying by now. "I am so sorry, Lulu." Celestia nuzzled her back. "I thought you wanted some space to slowly readjust. Now I realize I was clearly wrong and I should have been there for you like a big sister is supposed to. I promise I will never make that mistake again." Celestia pulled back and looked at Orion who was smiling at the touching scene in front of him. "Thank you. For being a friend to Luna." "Awww shucks! Don't mention it." Orion waved his hoof before wiping away an imaginary tear. "I'm also your friend in case you didn't know." Celestia smiled at those words. "So anytime you need somepony to share a cake with, you can count on me!" "You know I don't share cake." Celestia chuckled and approached Orion. "You truly are a good friend." then she nuzzled his cheek affectionately. "Indeed." Luna soon joined in and nuzzled his other cheek. "Uhhh, thanks." Orion blushed a little before quickly pulling back. "Now off you go!" he shooed them off with his hooves. "You're long overdue for a flight across the sky." Luna looked to Celestia and smirked. "Last one to Ponyville is a rotten egg!" and Luna shot off into the sky. "Oh it's on!" Celestia followed quickly after, leaving Orion behind. He felt pride in himself as he watched one white and one blue streak making their way across the sky. Orion did a good thing and smiled in satisfaction. "How the fuck do I get back to my room?"