Celestia’s sun now rested high in the afternoon sky and Luna was running late for her daily duties. She had to be in the royal court to hear the surplus of grievances her subjects had. She had spent the last hour getting ready, so her time was cut even shorter. She jubilantly skipped over to the sleeping Pegasus, kissed on her on the forehead, and then proceeded to rush out of the room to meet Celestia.
Luna burst through the huge double doors into the throne room. She saw her sister sitting in one of the two large chairs at the back room, with a tiresome look on her face. Luna bounced over and sat in the other chair. “Good morning, Celestia.”
Celestia almost instantly grinned as she saw her sister approach. “Ahh, hello Lulu... I suspect you had a good time last night? Or should I say...this morning?”
Luna turned a deep shade of red, and turned away from her sister. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“You know...you weren’t the only one who ran a little late this morning. I decided to sleep in after last night’s Celebration...and our rooms are right next to each other. I must say, for being so shy she can su-” Luna quickly realized what her sister was going to say and began to panic.
“Tia! You heard...!?” Luna eyes fully widened. She had forgotten how thin the walls were in the castle. “I really need to get a room farther away from hers...I’ll have to see about procuring one” Luna figured if she was going to have Fluttershy over more often, she couldn’t have Celestia over-hearing every time.
Celestia chuckled and put a hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “Yes Lulu, I heard everything” Luna was infuriated by this invasion of privacy.
“Why didn’t you leave!? You listened....the whole time? You perv, Tia!”
“Aw, Lulu...it’s not my fault you and her were so...loud” Celestia blushed now as well. “It did sound like you were having fun though...and you say I’m the perv! I heard the things you suggested.” Celestia giggled into her hoof.
“Ugh, Why must you tease me so, Tia?” Luna sighed, shaking her head at Celestia.
“Oh, you know it’s all in good fun, sister. I do hope she makes you happy at least... I’d to hear that she’s just some plaything to you.” Celestia chuckled before pulling Luna into a tight hug.
“Umm...yeah. Very happy...err -- Why are you hugging me Celestia?” While the two sisters were close, it was still unusual for Celestia to be hugging her like this.
“Oh.... Sorry, I’m happy for you, Lulu. Why don’t you take the day off, go be with her.” Celestia released Luna from the embrace.
“But don’t you need me here?” Luna felt astonished; Celestia had never once offered her a day off.
“Oh please, I handled it by myself for a 1000 years, remember?” Celestia chuckled, but Luna just frowned. She regretted those years and preferred to just forget them.
“Right...I’ll be in my room then...if you need me.” Luna trudged out of the room, leaving behind a very confused Princess.
“She always has to bring that up...” Luna mumbled to herself. “At least I get to spend the day with Fluttershy. Maybe I can take her out on a date! Ooh that would be most pleasant!” One of the guards aimed a strange look at her as she continued to talk to herself.
“I wonder if there are any nice restaurants around here...maybe Fluttershy knows a bit about Canterlot! Ohhh...I knew I should have gotten to know the city better...” She examined each door as she roamed the hallway. “Maybe I should know my own castle better...I can’t believe she listened!”
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Fluttershy woke up to an empty bed. It didn't bother her to much though, she knew the Princess had her own royal duties to attend to. She sat up in bed, brushing her tangled mess of a mane out of her eyes. "What time is it?" She yawned, looking for any sign of a clock nearby. She finally spotted one on the table by the door. "12-12:30!? Oh no! My poor animals! They haven't eaten since I attended them since yesterday afternoon! Oh no oh no oh no! I hate to do this to Luna but I really have to go before the animals die of thirst!" She scrambled to her hooves, gathering what few possessions she actually brought with her. She considered leaving a note, but she couldn't find any writing materials nearby. She would just have to write when she got back to Ponyville. She dashed down the hallway, opposite of the direction Luna was coming from. If Fluttershy had waited just a few more minutes she would have ran into Luna in the hall...
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Luna entered her room fully expecting to see her new found love snuggled in blankets awaiting her return. "Good morning Fluttershy! I'm back! Oh, and listen...I have this wonderful idea! We co-..." she stopped in her tracks when she didn't see the little Pegasus in bed. "...G-guards...can you come in here?" She just knew the guard would have something for her, Fluttershy would never leave without saying goodbye.
One of the guards stationed outside quietly walked in the room. "Yes, your highness?"
"Did you see a little Pegasus leave this room? Did she leave a note...did she even say anything?" Luna eyes were glistening. She was hoping for the best, she was praying that Fluttershy just had somewhere to be. Surely she would leave a note, at least tell a guard where she was going.
"No Ma'm, she just left. Actually she kind of ran out. Had all of her stuff with her to. Can I ask who she was my lady?"
Luna's face distorted. She had come to love the adorable little Pegasus, and she just ran off. No note, no reason. A part of her still wanted to believe that she was in an extreme rush, but there was a small, nagging voice that just wouldn't have that. Luna was heart broken, again. Everyone she got close to always ended up hurting her. Even her beloved sister had hurt her before...
"M'am...are you okay?" The stallion wanted to be more comforting, but as a royal guard it was his duty to remain vigilant, and unwavering. The royal guard never showed emotion.
"Y-yeah...I'm fine, just leave me be." She waved the guard off and laid down in bed, staying at the galaxy based roof. It was normally comforting to stare up at a replica of her most prized creation. All it was doing now was reminding her of last night, of Fluttershy. She rolled over and began to sob. Her weak mental state finally cracking under pressure.
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Fluttershy had waved down a cab and was now on her way back to Ponyville. She felt really bad for leaving Luna like that, but she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her poor little animal friends alone for any longer. She would write Luna as soon as she finished feeding the animals. “Oh my friends are go-” The entire time she had never once though of her friends. She felt her heart pick up pace in her chest. How would they think of her once they hear that she’s a filly fooler?
Fluttershy began to pace the cabin, mentally picturing what her friends might say when they would learn of their...relationship.
“Oh my Fluttershy...that’s simply atrocious! You and...another mare?”
“Jeez Fluttershy, we didn’t think you were like... that!”
“Ah can’t believe this! Ah’m not sure ah want ya to be around Apple Bloom anymore...”
“OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH, THAT’S SO GROSS!!!”
“Oh well...um... I can’t say I approve, but it IS your life...”
Fluttershy has never been the strongest pony, so it took everything she had to not break down and cry right there in the cabin. She continued to walk mindlessly around the cabin, trying to push her thoughts to those of a more gentle nature.
“Umm...excuse me miss, are you alright back there?” The Pegasus flying the cart became worried as he noticed Fluttershy’s obvious distress.
“Oh..yes, I’m fine. Thank you for asking...” The Pegasus eyes her curiously, but was in no position to question her.
“Alright...we should be landing in about 5 minutes, please have a seat and be ready.” Fluttershy smiled cheerfully at her driver and followed his instructions. She took a seat, clutching her bags. The only thing she didn’t enjoy about flying were the landings. They were to rough for her taste.
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It was now late in the day and Fluttershy had finally finished feeding all the little animals. She sighed as she looked at the clock. “4:30... what is wrong with me, it’s never taken me this long before...I’m so frustrated I could just...just...eeeep!” She reared back her hooves and kicked a bucket, resulting in nothing more than a slight wobble.
Angel Bunny, who was nearby munching on a carrot, laughed hysterically as he watched Fluttershy buck the water filled container. Fluttershy felt bad immediately as she heard the quiet laughter of the mischievous Angel. She didn’t want to Angel Bunny to ‘see such things.’
“Oh Angel Bunny, I’m so sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me...” Angel Bunny gave her a look that said “Seriously?” before hopping off to join his other bunny friends.
Fluttershy grinned as she watched the little hare bounce away. “Aww! He’s such a cute little bunny... I’ll be sure to give him EXTRA treats tomorrow for being so good while I was gone.”
She continued to stare off in no particular direction until the growling of her stomach brought the time into perspective. “Oh my! I really should pay more attention, I haven’t eaten all day...I’ll go right in, cook up a nice meal, and write Luna that letter!” Fluttershy happily skipped towards her small cottage, feeling as if nothing was wrong in the world.
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Luna stamped around the room, kicking a few things as she went. “How could she? She didn’t even say goodbye! UGHH!” Luna spent the last 1000 years on the moon, so her understanding of relationships was far from adequate. She couldn’t even begin to grasp the concept of why Fluttershy would get up and just leave after the magic they had shared not moments before.
After several minutes of kicking her body finally gave out and she crashed onto her bed. With her energy gone all she could do now was sob. She grabbed a pillow with her mouth and pulled it close to her. She quickly regretted this once she realized what pillow it was. It smelled just like her, like Fluttershy. She hugged it tightly, not caring if her tears soaked the case. To her it was a memento of possibly the greatest love she had ever known.
“Get a hold of yourself Luna, you only shared one night with her. Besides, I’m sure she just really had to be home...” she tried to comfort and reassure herself about Fluttershy, but a little voice in the back of her head didn’t agree.
“Yeah, it was one night, but you saw how she opened up to you. You even did the same, you can’t tell me you don’t love her. Then she went and broke your heart, the animals would have been fine without her for the day. She didn’t even say goodbye!”
“Well yeah... we did have a connection, but that doesn’t mean she loves me back! Maybe I’m just being foalish...”
“Of course she doesn’t love you! I bet that story wasn’t even true, she probably just wanted you to feel bad for her! You don’t even realise it, but you’ve been used!”
Luna frowned. The more she listened to the voice, the more it made sense to her. She had been played by the Pegasus.
“What do I do then? Just move on? She has my heart now...I can’t just move on...”
“You take it back! You can’t just let her hurt you -- us -- like that! Let ME help you. I can fix our heart, we can be whole again. Just let me handle this...you don’t need her, you only need me...”
Luna lowered her head, letting a single tear fall off of her cheek. “...Go ahead. Do it...” She closed her eyes, preparing for the now inevitable.
Her body began to glow a bright white as the voice in her head cackled victoriously. Slowly the laughter formed into real life through Luna’s own mouth. After a bright explosion of light, there stood the regal form of the infamous Nightmare Moon. They two were very alike, though Nightmare had a much darker coat. She examined her hooves, as if she herself didn’t believe this was real.
“Th-...that actually worked? After all the years of my entrapment, I was able to get free due to such a pitiful thing as...heart break! ahahahaha!” Nightmare Moon’s laugh boomed all through out the castle, startling all the guards stationed anywhere near her room. They quickly gathered their forces and advanced to Luna’s room, fearing that she had been attacked while she took her afternoon nap.
The captain of the guard force waved a hoof at a small force, ordering them to get on either side of the door. Once the platoon was positioned he gave a strong buck, causing the door to fly open. What they saw caused them all to fall silent in fear. Even without her armor, Nightmare Moon was still extremely intimidating.
“There you are, minions. I have been waiting for you...We have business to discuss.” Nightmare grinned devilishly as she slowly trudged towards them. They all backed up, ramming into each other causing the lot of them to fall flat on their flanks.
“Where are you going? I just wish to speak with you...” The guard continued to cower in the corner, but eventually the captain gathered enough courage to speak up.
“H-how are you back so soon? Nopony in your old royal guard thought we would ever live to see you again...” The guard fumbled with hooves, trying to make himself seem as small as possible.
“Do not cower, you have no reason to fear me. Tell me, the other guards...Celestia’s, are they aware of my presence yet?” The guard shook his head. “Good, good. I’m off to Ponyville then, there are some things I have to take of her.”
The guard was baffled as to why Nightmare Moon would want to go to such a small town. “Wh-why...?”
“None of your business, whelp!” snapped Nightmare Moon, causing the captain to flinch. “Now, I’m off. I’d like to make it by midnight...Make sure nopony comes in here, my plans shall not be ruined by your incompetence!”
Nightmare showed off her signature grin, and leaped out of the window diving towards the ground. She was going to release her wings as close to the ground as she could, to avoid being seen. The last thing she needs is Celestia getting involved. All she had to do was fly low, and she would be home free. Soon that annoying little Pegasus would get what’s coming to her!