What was that expression Celestia had often heard the guards drop in situations like this? Ah…yes. She remembered now.
‘It was at this moment, she knew, she bucked up.’
“S-sister, p-please,” the sun diarch tried to defuse with a raised forehoof, regret and fear present in her voice as the enraged moon in front of her practically emitted a cold that could freeze the sun.
Luckily, that was just a metaphor. Mother and Father be praised. Although Celestia did note the ever-present temperature change… If she didn’t act now, it’ll be less metaphorical and more literal with every passing second.
“I’m just being honest with thee so that we may-” She tries to reason.
“Inept?!” Luna sharply interjects. “INEPT?!” The lunar mare exploded, eyes consumed by a white lunar light as Celestia was grateful for having the foresight to cast the Silencing Spell to conceal their conversation from others, especially Snowdrop.
“HOW DARE THEE!! I WORK JUST AS HARD AS THY GLORY-HOGGING, UNGRATEFUL WRETCH OF A SISTER!! AND YET, THOU MEANS TO SIT THERE AND SMEAR DISHONOR UPON MY NAME!!”
As Luna continued on, Celestia’s heart was repeatedly stung as she took the full force of her sister’s bombardment, pushing her into a thoughtful and remorseful trance to the point that the lunar mare’s words deafened.
Admittedly, and in any other circumstance before their most recent visit to the empire, the solar sibling would’ve bitten back with matched ferocity. But the advice she received from Amore gave her a particular revelation pertaining to her relationship with her sister.
Amore had reminded her of something fundamental. Something that Celestia once cherished- no, still cherished. And yet…she had been dismissive.
She had dismissed…her.
Celestia’s legs began to shake, and great sadness took hold of her slowly—as if it were enjoying her torment and pushing the emotional knife deeper and deeper maliciously. Fortunately, a small part of her managed to free itself from her trance as her mind caught up to her ears, and she could comprehend her sibling’s words once more.
“—SO DO ENLIGHTEN ME, SISTER, OF HOW I SHOULD AQUIESQUE TO THINE PREFERENCES!! HOW SHALL THE MOON SUBMIT AND APPEASE THE GREAT SUN, HMM?!”
The solar mare’s lips quivered as she found herself at a loss for words and dropped her head to the carriage’s floor shamefully, downcasted eyes reflecting the regret and sorrow now taking hold of her.
“Luna…please…”
“WELL?!” Luna pressed on. “TELL ME!!” Her teeth grind furiously as seconds passed, and her solar counterpart just sat there pitifully. The lunar mare breaths deeply for one final declaration.
“TELL MEEEEE!!!” Her eyes let loose a burst of white light and energy alongside the raw power of her voice, which, together, seemed to have disrupted the Silencing Spell and burst open the invisible magical bubble that once surrounded the carriage.
The phenomenon even flutters the manes of all within the carriage, disrupting every item placed on nearby shelves etched onto the walls. And amongst all of the ensuing chaos, Snowdrop shifts in place during her slumber as something in particular pokes at her unconsciousness. Something that had been festering within the vehicle ever since the sisters began their verbal exchange.
Conflict.
And that conflict seemed to resonate with the slumbering filly as her body suddenly began to glow, instantly ceasing Luna’s fury and gaining the conflicted Celestia’s interest.
“By the sun.”
“By the moon.”
The princesses muttered in unison and utter disbelief.
……….
Outside, several of the equestrian unicorns could feel a strange sensation coming from the rear as the guards were transporting the carriage beyond the protective barrier of the northern domain.
They begin to travel along a well-kept dirt road with crystalline totems positioned at every thirty hooves on either side, offering the pathway enchanted protection from the elements, which cuts through the snow-covered fields.
“H-hey, does anypony else feel something…strange?” A unicorn stallion guard asked.
“It’s probably just the princesses casting some type of fancy schmancy spell,” an earth pony mare guard answered, strapped into the breech to his left and garnering the stallion’s attention. “I’m not even a unicorn, and even I could make out that much.”
“I’m telling you, something feels…different.”
“Again, we’re escorting alicorn princesses, dude… You really shouldn’t be surprised by much of anything at this point. So, eyes forward, keep pulling and thank Celestia that the north is calm at the moment. The blizzards here typically suck, so we need to hoof it before the weather slaps us all for shits and giggles. Understand, limp dick?”
The stallion snorts as he obeys her orders. “Fine.” He subtly side-eyed the mare, “Tiny teats…”
“What was that?”
“Nothing.” He quickly answered, his side eye undetected. “Nothing at all.”
The mare narrows her eyes suspiciously and holds her gaze for a moment before looking forward, earning a relieved sigh from the stallion. Still, he couldn’t shake how strange that…feeling was.
He was well aware of the princesses’ capabilities—no need for his fellow guard to have pointed that out. But there was something else in that carriage, almost as if there was a third…power source?
He wasn’t entirely sure what to call it, but the stallion had little doubt that his fellow unicorns could feel it, too. And thanks to his fellow guard, non-unicorns at least felt a semblance of whatever had transpired within the carriage.
The stallion shook his head to clear those thoughts away for now. “Keep it together, colt.” He could always reflect on it later, he reasoned. For now, he had a job to do.
“Keep it together.”
……….
Within the carriage, both Celestia and Luna’s eyes were wide open in shock as they stared at Snowdrop’s delicate form.
“D-didst thou feel that, sister…?” Celestia asked from across the way.
“V-verily,” Luna answered, looking down upon the pegasus slumbering on the cushion beside her. She turns her head and rests her sights on her sibling, “Could that hath been the prowess of her windigo lineage?” The lunar alicorn theorized.
“It would seem so…” Celestia’s ears fold against her head, “And it’s because of us, Luna.”
Those words gained the night mare’s attention.
“It’s the disharmony between us,” Celestia answered her younger sibling’s inquisitive look. “It’s what I want to try and mend…”
Luna was about to respond but froze abruptly with an open muzzle upon noticing what strolls down Celestia’s cheeks.
“I’ve spoken with Amore to certain lengths and…I’m tired, Lulu…” The sun mare’s fur dampens as the tears travel lower and lower, leaving a path and ultimately falling like raindrops to the carriage floor. “I’m so tired of us fighting like this…” She sniffled as she brought a wing up to wipe away her tears.
The night alicorn was taken aback by this, swallowing a lump in her throat, trying to form a coherent sentence. “I… I…”
“We used to be so close,” Celestia began upon Luna’s falter as another tear escaped their former prison. “We stood side-by-side against the likes of Discord and Tirek and repelled some of the greatest monstrosities from the Everfree Forest that threatened our subjects. We performed many great deeds because we were together.
But lately…we’ve become distant. Distrustful. Argumentative. Uncooperative.” She closes her eyes, letting out another stream of sorrow, and solemnly bows her head.
“I’m so sorry for any harm I hath inflicted upon thee, my sister…”
To say that Luna was in absolute disbelief would be an understatement. She had only ever dreamed of this moment, but to see it unfold in the real world…
“I’m so, so sorry…”
“Celestia…I…” The lunar mare remained conflicted, especially as she considered her sister’s earlier comment pertaining to her performance as a princess. She breathed deeply and exhaled any last remnants of conflict and hesitation.
“...Why, sister?”
Celestia’s ears perked up as she raised her head, “What?”
“How couldst thou say that my performance is so unsatisfactory? What have I done wrong in thine eyes…?”
The solar mare pondered on a proper response as she nervously rubbed her forelimbs together. Finding a resolution, she then mentally steels herself and lets out a drawn-out sigh.
“It’s just…I’m the one who’s been shouldering a large majority of our duties. That’s my gripe with thee.”
“Thou speak as if I haven’t endeavored to do the same,” Luna retorts. “Need I remind thee, sister, that it was I who stopped the thestral uprising and integrated them into Equestria.”
“A feat that I shall never deny, sister. However, I’m the one who secures and maintains our alliances with the other nations, and when our subjects voice their concerns, I’m the one who lends them an ear.”
“That’s exactly the problem, Celestia. Our subjects blatantly go to thee for consultation, not to me.”
“That’s ridiculous, sister.”
“Is it? Is it really? Think for just one second, Celestia. Just how oft doth thou hear of mine praise from our subjects? Hath thou even noticed the poor treatment of the thestrals? Which, by the way, is another reason why our—or more so thine subjects—avoid me entirely. I am essentially a princess hated and ignored by her own people!”
“Those claims are absolutely absurd, Luna, and thestrals are not treated-”
“Yes, they are!” Luna explodes, earning a gasp from her solar sibling. “The thestrals ARE treated poorly by the masses, and I AM considered thine lesser. But, as per usual, thine head is too far up thine own flank to notice-”
A sudden yet sweet groan is let loose from the icy pegasus alongside Luna, “Wh…what’s…” Snowdrop muttered, lifting herself up and sitting on her flank as she rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn.
“P-princesses…?” The filly’s ears flickered. “Why are you two…arguing…?”
Celestia and Luna looked at the filly, then at each other, the lunar mare motioning with her lips that the solar mare easily deciphered as ‘We’ll talk about this later’ before they shifted their gaze back to Snowdrop—thankful that the filly only seemed to have caught the last fragment of their conversation.
“Forgive us, dearest daughter,” Luna quickly answered. “Thine aunt and I had a…slight disagreement. But it can wait until we return home.”
“Are you sure, mother?”
Luna chuckles, firing up her horn and levitating Snowdrop into the air via a light-blue magical grasp, setting the filly down in front of her and caressing them lovingly. “Verily, my dear.”
“Ok. If you say so,” Snowdrop responds, looking up at her mother despite her visual disability. She then flares her nostrils, picking up the unmistakable smell of an assortment of flowers and…
Is that…cake?
“H-hello again, Princess Celestia,” Snowdrop greeted meekly with a blush.
“Perish the title, dear niece,” Celestia replies, her sweet and motherly voice gracing Snowdrop’s ears. “We art family now. So, please, just Aunty will suffice.”
“Oh, ok. Thank you, Aunty Celestia.”
“It’s no problem at all, dear niece.”
The icy pegasus smiled vibrantly and gratefully while Luna nodded in approval of Celestia’s reception of the latest addition to their family. But during the moments of silence that followed, save for the motions of the carriage, an epiphany dawned on the solar diarch, and the gears of her mind turned.
‘Could that actually work…?’ She questioned internally. Maybe, just maybe, Snowdrop was the variable needed to bridge the gap between her and her sister. ‘Yes… Yes! This is perfect! Oh, Snowdrop. Thou art a true blessing in more ways than one.’ The white alicorn clasped her forehooves together and rested her chin on top, looking at the duo with great interest.
“So tell me, Snowdrop, Lulu. What exactly led to this outcome?”
Both mother and daughter perk up at that. “O-oh, well, uhm…” Snowdrop attempts. “You see- wait.” The pegasus’ eyes widened in realization. “Did you just call her ‘Lulu’?”
A smirk formed on Celestia’s muzzle, which immediately earned a crimson-faced yet furious glare from Luna.
“Yes, my dear. I sure did.”
Snowdrop covers her muzzle as she tries to contain a snicker.
“Sister,” Luna growled, highly embarrassed.
“Oh, come on, Lulu. She is part of the family now, so shouldn’t she possess knowledge of such… familial secrets?”
Luna narrows her eyes—humiliation still present on her features. “Insufferable jester.”
“Hang on… Is there a story behind that nickname?” Snowdrop asked.
“I’m delighted thou asked!”
“I’m delighted that thou don’t answer!” Luna injects. “We shall discuss this matter no further!”
“But, Lulu-”
“Cease thine tongue at once, sister,” Luna asserts.
“Oh, fine,” Celestia relents. “I suppose it would hamper the ‘cool mother’ act thou’rt going for, eh?” She inquires with a playfully raised brow.
“T-tis not an act!” The night mare protests as Celestia and Snowdrop join in shared laughter, causing the lunar princess to cross her forelimbs and look away with a loud ‘Humph.’
“Hehehe. This is nice,” Snowdrop comments after recovering, “seeing you two like this. It truly makes me happy.”
“Indeed,” Celestia said with a nod. “I much prefer this over our, well, usual interactions. Wouldn’t you agree, Luna?” She asked of her sister, a small hint of a pleading expression slipping onto her face.
Luna neutrally stares at her sister as several concerns still plague her mind. Yet, she could now see that Celestia was willingly open to discussing such matters. The lunar mare had no idea what had transpired between her sibling and Amore, but whatever it was, she could see something was different.
With all that in mind, the night alicorn sighed contently, and the edges of her muzzle curled upward as she took on a more pleasant look.
“I do, sister.” Luna finally answered as the two sisters shared a genuine smile for what felt to be the first time in a long while.
They knew there were still some issues they needed to sort out, but for now, the two alicorns resolved to enjoy this pleasant time together—all three of them, as a family.
-Mount Everhoof-
At the highest peak of Mount Everhoof, Fimbulvetr sat on the icy throne prison in deep thought, ‘eyes’ closed as silence filled the air, save for the whisperings of the cold blistering winds.
A satisfied ‘Hmm’ escapes from the windigo, “It is done,” he said before opening his haunting, light-filled, and misty ‘eyes,’ looking out to the world below.
“I thank you, Luna… And farewell, my sweet Snowdrop.”