It was a warm spring day. The sun had just come up over the horizon, bathing Canterlot with its rays of pure light. Celestia smiled as she admired her handiwork, as she always did when she rose the morning sun.
“Today will be a beautiful day,” she said to herself. “Not only do I have the honor of having my parents over for a spot of afternoon tea, but they’re bringing some friends as well.” She laughed to herself. “I wonder how they will feel when they meet-“
“CELESTIA!! SISTER, PLEASE HELP!!!”
Immediately, her guard was up. She could recognize that voice anywhere.
“Luna?” she called out. “Luna, where are you? What’s wrong?”
The form of the dark-colored alicorn soon came up over the hilltop, running at a speed that Celestia had never even seen her run before. She had a fearful look on her face, and tears were streaming down from her close eyes.
“What is it, Luna? What’s got you so scared?”
“Out there… in the forest. I saw a beast so foul and murderous, it might as well have been a demon!”
Celestia’s mind immediately flashed to the Changelings, and her face paled. “We must act quickly!” She jumped down from the balcony to the ground below.
“Art thou crazy?!” Luna called out. “That beast shall surely slay you, if you were to go near it!” Nevertheless, as Celestia flew off toward the forest, Luna followed her. She couldn’t bear to see her sister come to any harm, but if it were to happen, she didn’t want to be anywhere else but by her side, defending her… maybe to the death.
As Luna caught up to Celestia, the ruler of the day turned to her and demanded, “Tell me as we go, Luna! What did this thing look like?”
“It had a pair of wings coming out of the back of it- not like our wings, but more rounded and small. It had the look of death itself upon its face!”
“How big was it?”
“Well, not very big… but still it was monstrous!”
This spurred Celestia on even more. To have such a small creature be able to invoke such a fearful response from the princess of the night- especially when she was not so far removed from being controlled by Nightmare Moon- Celestia knew that this creature had to be fearful and foul indeed.
As they flew, Celestia continued: “Where did you see it?”
“It was in an abandoned house. I merely was curious and wanted to see what was inside it, but when I went in… I was scared nearly to death by the beast!”
Celestia’s mind was whirring a million miles a minute, and in almost no time at all she’d figured out where it was that Luna had saw the creature. “Keep up!” she ordered as she flew on at speeds unlike any that had been seen in quite awhile.
“Why are we doing this?” Luna asked loudly, to carry her voice over the wind whipping past them as they flew. “Why dost thou not just send the royal guards to dispatch the foul thing?”
“This merits personal attention,” Celestia replied. “And besides… no creature messes with my younger sister and gets away with it!”
In a few moments, they had arrived at the dilapidated old wreck of a house. Celestia and Luna landed, and walked up to the doorway of the house- not that there was a door still standing there, mind you. It had been taken down long ago.
“My sister,” Luna whispered, “there is truly no need for this. I do not want you getting hurt, and-“
Celestia raised a hoof to silence her, and Luna fell quiet in spite of her wanting to keep on voicing her misgivings. Peering into the house, she surveyed her surroundings. Just then, something flew out of a shadowy corner at them.
“That is it!” Luna cried out, skittering backwards. “That is the foul beast! It needs to be destroyed before any more lives can fall to its predation!”
Celestia looked at Luna dumbfounded, then began to laugh uproariously, falling down onto the ground and rolling around.
“What is so amusing?!” Luna demanded. “That thing almost killed me!”
Celestia had to wait until her laughter had subsided enough for her to be able to speak, and when she did so, her flanks pained her from laughing so much: “Dear sister… there is truly nothing for you to worry about. Those creatures cannot harm you.”
“Are… are you sure?” Celestia nodded, and Luna relaxed a bit.
“Come on, Luna. Let’s go back to the castle and have ourselves some calming tea.” They flew away, Celestia still laughing. Inside the house, the creatures that Luna saw still flitted about elegantly in the sunlight.
The next time that she came out there- if she did at all- Luna would hopefully have learned that there is really nothing to fear... from the common butterfly.