"Princess Luna?"
"Nnnngh..."
The alicorn wrenched her eyes around to see a lavender unicorn in the signature dark grey armor of her night guard.
"Ah, good evening, Bastion."
Her captain grimaced, "My apologies, Mistress, but it is morning."
"Yet the sky is still dark?"
She saw him wince and sat upright in alarm, "There is an emergency?"
"No, Princess... You must raise the sun."
"I..."
Her eyes widened as her drowsy mind recalled the events of the previous night. Instantly she lowered her head and focused on the distant connection to her sister's life force, and a faint cry escaped her muzzle as she felt how weak and tremulous it had become.
The guard laid a hoof on her fetlock, quailing at her fearful glance, "Princess Luna, what is wrong?"
"My sister... so weak..."
"She didn't heal any further?"
"Or was injured anew as I slept... something must be preventing her return just as it did Twilight!"
Bastion looked at her firmly and said, "Mistress, I think she would not return even if she could, not until she has found Princess Twilight."
Luna bit her lip, wishing she could argue, then she let out a long sigh. "Alas, I cannot deny your words, but oh Bastion, if she were lost to me... I am so frightened."
His expression softened as she looked up at him again. "As am I, but I am here for you, my Princess," then he hastily added, "T-That is, we are all here for you. Silver Spear and I made sure all the castle staff understand."
"Thank you, dear friend. Silver was the first pony I spoke to upon my return last night, and I am glad to know he did not waste the night."
She caught the slight tension in Bastion's brow and clicked her tongue in disapproval.
"Discard such jealous thoughts, my Bastion, for you know better. I was simply uncertain whether he would react appropriately. Never have I felt such doubt for you."
His muzzle colored slightly as he stammered out, "I... of course. T-Thank you, Mistress."
Even distressed as she was, she couldn't help but smile when he became flustered like that.
"Now, I assume Silver Spear is ready for me?"
"Yes, in fact he is waiting in the hall. Serenity is also expecting you at your earliest convenience."
Luna resisted the urge to grimace and nodded somberly. Obviously her night staff could not remain with her throughout the day as well. She would have to rely on Celestia's staff to help her while her own rested. But then... when was she expected to rest?
Ever perceptive to her worries, Bastion quietly added, "Nopony is expecting you to do everything single-hoofedly, Princess. The day staff only await your presence to begin reducing and reorganizing responsibilities normally shared between you both as much as possible."
She smiled sadly and gently cupped his cheek with a tendril of magic, saying, "You know me so well. I will miss having you by my side today, Bastion."
He returned her smile, then politely backed away as usual when she became too friendly with him. She did respect his attempts to keep their relationship formal, but she also yearned for somepony she could confide in and seek comfort from other than her sister, and Bastion was one of the few ponies she felt truly comfortable with. Perhaps one day she would find out just how far his loyalty would go.
"Thank you, Princess," Bastion said formally, interrupting her thoughts, "But I am confident Silver Spear and Serenity will be of more use to you than me, as I am completely ignorant of the daytime routine."
Luna nodded and adopted his more formal tone, "Very well. You may retire to your quarters, Captain. Please tell Silver Spear to remain outside for now."
"Yes, Mistress."
The stallion saluted and Luna watched as he exited in a smart trot. She slid from her bed and stretched her forelegs out before her, wings slowly spreading to their full extend, then she relaxed with a little wiggle to help loosen the joints.
Finally, she turned reluctantly toward the window.
"My dear sister... I pray this privilege shall never again be required of me."
Her eyes closed, her horn glowed, and her mane and tail billowed in a fresh gust of ethereal wind as her magic expanded out into the sky. The moon immediately greeted her with its subtle embrace and she was happy to respond in kind. There was a hint of concern among the vague sensations that represented its glacial emotions, but Luna reassured it that all was well as she laid the silvery sphere to rest.
She then cast her magic around the horizon until she encountered the sun and formally requested it to rise.
Celestia did not talk of the sun very often, possibly thinking it to be a sore subject, but Luna did recall she once mentioned that the sun was more willful than the moon and could even be a bit forward at times, so she was prepared for a bit of stubbornness or animosity. However, the moment the sun realized she was not Celestia, she was startled by an intense wave of contempt followed quickly by greed and hunger. Almost immediately, she felt a terrible wrath ignite within her chest and her mane began to spark with the first hints of flame.
Princess Luna merely rolled her eyes.
Then from her flowed a deluge of arcane power which exploded into the sky as she focused the full force of her might upon the petulant orb, seizing it like a mewling kitten caught by the scruff of its neck. She was the wielder of the ancient power of the sun bestowed upon Equestria in eons past, and she made it eminently clear which of them was the master and which was the tool. Her will poured forth in an irresistible torrent of almighty authority, and the sun, cowed into submission, rose obediently into the sky. Not until it reached its peak did she release the spell and turn stiffly away from the window.
Then she let out a long sigh of disappointment. That meant the sun would likely never be the peaceful companion she had found in the moon. Was that why Celestia always doted on that insufferable pigeon, Philomena?
Luna grimaced at herself.
It seemed that fiery wrath still lingered within her, despite her instant and overwhelming response to the sun's attack. It was true there were countless ponies awaiting her presence, but if she appeared before them in this short tempered state, it would surely do more harm than good.
Thus, she decided to take a moment to calm down, and nothing helped her relax like a good preening, so she hopped up onto her bed again, curled up on one side, and began methodically nuzzling her wing. It had only been a couple days since her last preen, but her strenuous flight through the treetops the night before had been quite unusual for her, and her wings had become noticeably ruffled. Yet even if they had already been immaculate, she still would have gone through the motions for the sake of her sanity.
The faint echo of Celestia's once tremulous life force still needled at the back of her mind. She dared not release the connection, but she tried not to think about it as she gently stroked her coverts and felt the tension leave her withers.
As she moved along the edge of her wing, she began to reminisce about her ascension and the first time she had felt her glorious wings. Her sister had been born a pegasus and almost seemed to take them for granted, but Luna had not felt the joy of flight until she was a mare and, even centuries later, still delighted in the experience.
A twist of her neck brought one of her secondaries back into line, and Luna wondered if perhaps she took her magic for granted just as Celestia did her wings. Certainly she never neglected her studies--indeed, she generally considered herself to be the superior spellcaster, with the exception of healing magic, for which Tia had a natural talent.
She stretched her neck to give her primaries a few delicate licks, then she carefully folded the wing and rolled around to her other side, starting the whole process again.
Luna decided that no, her sister likely respected and enjoyed her wings just as much as she did, but Celestia had so much more responsibility she simply didn't have as much time for pegasi practice. Besides, it wasn't as if she could see all the times Tia preened her own wings in the privacy of her bedroom, just as she herself was doing even now. Tia's feathers were always clean, her flight was even and steady, and her air control smooth and efficient.
Luna was still the better spellcaster though. Slightly better. Mostly.
With a final tender caress of her muzzle Luna spread both wings to inspect her work. Satisfied, she gave a powerful downward stroke and reveled in the precision with which she lifted her body. Hovering sideways off the bed, she dropped onto her hooves and casually donned her regalia, then finally exited her bedroom door.