Children of the Moonprincess

by Calmsoul

2 - Confession

"Sorry, I have to go now." Breaking into a gallop, Luna darted out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Wait! Don't leave me alone!" Running after the princess she so adored, the little filly skidded to a stop just in time to prevent crashing into the door now closing right in front of her. Having been the happiest foal in Equestria just a moment ago, she now fell from the highest of mountains into the deepest abyss. Sitting on her haunches–eyes wide and a crestfallen look on her face–she stared at the closed door. Seconds later, her eyes began to water, her muzzle turning into a quiver. The wail that then rose from her throat didn't register in Luna's mind; all she could think of was getting back to the castle as fast as possible. As she left the building, Luna spread her wings and took off into the refreshingly cool night air; heading for the dark silhouette of Canterlot Castle rising from side of the towering mountain the city was built at.

How could I have forgotten them? All the time that has passed! I hope they are alright. But what shall I do? I can't tell anypony. But how am I supposed to vanish for days–or even weeks–without raising suspicion?

She decided to fly directly to the balcony of her private chambers, thus avoiding all the different ponies that roamed the palace at these hours. It had just been a few hours ago that she had been standing there, brooding over why she couldn't sleep. Now she knew. Light-hoofed Luna touched the floor of her balcony, opened the doors with a touch of magic and walked into her bedchambers. Her shopping bags stood in a corner beside the doors, but Luna ignored them for now. A part of her wanted to head straight to the dinner with her sister, but another part held her back.

I should rest for a few minutes to calm down first. Celestia knows me too well. She would immediately realize that something is bothering me. With a sigh she climbed onto her bed and folded her legs under her. A glance to the clock on her bedside table confirmed that she had a few minutes left before she had to head for dinner. Her head sank onto the soft sheets that covered her bed and her eyes closed to help her body and mind relax.

Steadying her breath, Luna contemplated her options. She needed to go check on her children somehow; preferably without telling anypony. But her absence needed to be justified somehow. Perhaps she could use the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration and the preparations she had to do for an excuse.

"Mother? Is that you? Can it be? Yes! It's you, Mother! Please, come to us. We were waiting so long for your return. We need you. We..."

With a start, Luna woke. Her eyes shot open and she shook her head, slightly disoriented. She hadn't noticed falling asleep. After having her head sufficiently cleared from the remnants of sleep, she shot a quick glance at the clock. Less than five minutes had passed since she had laid herself down on the bed. Gathering her thoughts now that everything was under control again, Luna remembered the voice in her... dream? Had it really been a dream? It hadn't felt like a dream. More like when she performed her dreamwalking, but usually she was awake when she did that. What bothered her even more was that she had recognized that voice, even though it had been more than a thousand years since she had last heard it. It was clear that one of her daughters had sought contact. But why now? And how? Suddenly Luna realized something that the voice had said: "We need you!" They needed her. Her body began to tremble. What had happened? An overwhelming urge to immediately dash back outside and fly to them took hold of her. Only a knock on the door stopped her. Her body froze, already hunched over to kick itself off the ground. A few seconds passed before she relaxed and took up her usual, regal stance again. Taking a deep breath to steady her voice Luna then turned to the door.

"Yes, please?"

"Your Highness? Princess Celestia sent me. She awaits you in the dining room." The voice of one of the maids sounded slightly muffled through the closed doors.

Sighing she postponed her plans for now. She couldn't just leave. She had to wait and make a plan.

"Tell my sister I'll be there in a minute," Luna called back while getting down from her bed. Curtly checking her appearance in a mirror, Luna then turned to her pile of shopping bags, an idea popping up in her mind. Celestia knew her all to well. If she just joined her for the meal now, her sister would see right through the thin facade she had painstakingly put up. But perhaps she could distract Celestia from her mental state with some of her shopping goods. There were some things in her bags after all, that were unusual enough that they might do the trick. Rummaging through the bags, she soon found what she was looking for. Sticking the bag under her right wing, Luna opened the door and made her way to the dining room.

A few minutes later she arrived at one of the smaller dining rooms that were usually used for meals when a more private atmosphere was wanted or needed. Opening the plain doors–more suited for a broom closet than for a royal dining room–a familiar sight greeted her. The table was on the smaller side of the scale but, nevertheless, it was one of the finest pieces of furniture you could get for bits. Only able to seat ten ponies tops, two places had already been prepared with several plates and many sets of silverware for the different courses that were to come. Around the table, on the dark wood of the floor, lay thick, colorful cushions, making comfortable seats. Several beautiful paintings showing the nature through the different seasons adorned the walls. The two longer walls arched inwards the higher they got, meeting in the center of the room. Across from the entrance a second door led to corridors that directly led to the kitchens. To her right a crackling fire blazed in an ornate fireplace.

Sitting at the far end of the table, hunched over what seemed to be one of the many reports the two sisters received over the course of a day, was Celestia absent-mindedly sipping from a glass of lemonade. On Luna's entrance she lifted her head, a smile forming on her face as she recognized her sister.

"Luna! You're finally here. It's great to see you. How was your day in the city?"

"Oh it was marvelous! The weather was great, the ponies cheerful and the Royal Purse happy to get relieved of a few bits." Luna hoped that she didn't exaggerate with her happiness to the point where it started to come across as artificial. To emphasize her point she floated the bag out from under her wing and lifted out the item it contained. Celestia's eyes bulged as she saw it.

"Luna, that..."

"Yes, sister?" Luna asked sweetly as she floated the saddle to her back and fastened it with straps around her barrel. It was made from black velvet, with pink lace adorning the rim. Equally colored, frilly ribbons flowed lightly down her flanks in a seductive way.

Celestia stared at her for several seconds as she struck several poses to show off her new acquisition. Finally she couldn't hold it in any longer. The Princess of the Sun, the ever collected and composed Celestia of Equestria burst into a splitting fit of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Luna's eyes were half-lidded in mock annoyance. Inwardly she heaved a sigh of relief for her scheme was seemingly working.

"I just imagined you hunting down a frightened stallion to club him and drag him back to your chambers. But, joke aside, do you plan to enter the courting market?" Curiosity plain in her voice, Celestia leaned forward expectantly.

Luna shrugged. "Not really. I just bought it because I had the shopping bug and thought it suited my fur."

"Oh, it certainly does. I'm happy that you had a good day. Now, I don't know how it is with you, but I'm starving." Lifting up a small silver bell with her magic, Celestia ringed for the kitchen staff, signalling that they were ready for the dinner to begin. A moment later the doors at the far end of the room opened and a waiter in a white jacket and matching hat wheeled in a serving cart using his head to push it forward. A big bowl of steaming hot soup resided on the cart. Stopping beside Celestia the blue earth pony stallion lifted the lid of the bowl and grabbed the ladle to fill the plate in front of the princess.

"Thank you, sister. You are right, we should eat. It is late enough as it is."

Her voice had distracted the waiter who looked up from his task. He better had not. The sight of his princess wearing an outfit–obviously not supposed to be worn outside a bedroom–made his head spin. He froze in place, his eyelid twitching and jaw dropping to the floor. The ladle suspended in the air above Celestia's plate.

"I think our staff approves of your purchasing, Luna," Celestia said dryly, shooting a glance to the blue statue beside her. "But, as I like my fennel soup to be hot, perhaps you should take it off now."

"Of course! I will take off all of my clothes right in front of our waiter." Hearing the sarcastic reference, the stallion snapped out of his daze as he hastened to complete his duties. With a mumbled apology he left the room a minute later.

Luna sighed and undid the strap around her belly that held the saddle tight and put it back into the bag. "I wonder what his reaction will be when he realizes I normally don't wear clothes at all." She took her seat across from Celestia while her sister chuckled at the remark.

Silence settled over the room as they began to eat. The soup was as delicious as most of the food from the Royal Kitchens, but the taste didn't register in Luna's mind. After just a few spoonfuls her movements got slower as her mind wandered once again back to her children.

"Are you alright, Luna? Something seems to be troubling you."

Buck it... Luna winced. She hadn't noticed Celestia walking up to her. Now her sister stood beside her, a worried look on her face. A spoonful of soup was hovering before her; probably for some time now if Celestia thought it necessary to come over to her. With a sigh, she let the spoon sink back onto her plate. She had let her concentration slip away. Everything she had done to distract Celestia from her agitation was for naught. Now she would have to tell her something. But at the same time she knew that she had to tell the truth. They knew each other for millennia and even the slightest lie, or holding back a detail, would be immediately discovered by the other. But what would Celestia say? Or think of her? She had ignored a direct order from her sister, as they had not ruled equally back then as opposed to today. Celestia would be mad at her for sure. Perhaps she wouldn't banish her again, but some kind of punishment was certainly awaiting her.

Luna made up her mind. It was no use fretting over the situation. She had to confess everything to her sister, or she would put everything at risk she had accomplished since her return from the moon. And she owed it to her children. Those, she so carelessly had forgotten and who now needed her help.

Luna sighed. "Some of this, you already know, but I will start at the beginning anyway so you will understand what I did. You should take a seat as this might take some time."

The blinding light faded as the magic of the Elements of Harmony winded down. Reopening her tightly-shut eyes, Luna blinked a few times to drive away the bleariness. As she could see clearly again, her look fell upon the thing lying before her on the checkerboard-patterned ground.

"We did it," Luna whispered as her muscles relaxed and her head sunk down in relief.

"Indeed we did, sister." Celestia turned her head to Luna and nudged her in the side of the head.

Luna looked up at her sister. Then they both let their gaze fall unto Discord. Turned to stone, he lay before them, frozen. Laughing his head off. Laughing at the two sisters, in the very moment he was defeated by the magic of the Elements. All over Equestria the land now slowly began to recover.

"Discord has reigned with chaos for so many years that it will take quite some time before his magic will ebb away completely," Luna mused as she watched a pair of antlers vanishing from a ladybug flying before her face.

"Yes, but Equestria will eventually return to the beauty it once held. But the ponies will need our help to cope with the situation. Discord's reign lasted for so long that none of them have known anything else. With his fooling around with their bodies and minds he managed to bring our entire race to the brink of extinction. The birth rates have dropped so much that in just a few generations we would have vanished." Despite their victory, Celestia's ire had begun to raise anew as she thought of all the awful things Discord had done to the ponies of Equestria.

Luna stepped up and in front of her sister, looking her straight in the eyes. "It's all right, Celestia. He is gone now. We saved them. And they will get over this. With our help. Now let's get going home. We need to rest before we can begin to rebuild Equestria."

Concentrating on the stone statue before her, Luna lifted the heavy thing up into the air and started to slowly trot in the direction of the distant mountains.

"Ow!" Stumbling, Luna came to a halt just a few meters from her starting point. A sharp pain had shot through her right hind leg, starting right above her hoof. The pain broke her concentration and the statue of Discord slipped from her grasp, landing with a thump on the ground.

Celestia was by her side immediately. "Luna! Is everything alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm OK, I think." Cautiously she put some weight on the leg again. The pain was still there, but not as bad as before. "Walking won't be a problem as it seems." Looking down to where her hoof touched the ground, she regarded a peculiar sight: A small, thorny tendril colored in a deep black wilted away, just as the earth under it returned to a green patch of grass.

"Discord and his strange magic... Whatever that was must have stung me."

"Well, if you aren't feeling anything strange, we should be going, there's much to do. But let me carry him, so you can rest. I will take your saddlebags as well."

"That isn't necessary, sister. Stop fussing."

"Oh no, I insist. We will need our strength as you just mentioned correctly." Celestia gave Luna a stern look.

With a grumble, Luna accepted Celestia's offer and together they headed home.

The first years after Discord's defeat had been the hardest. Disoriented, homeless and starving ponies roamed all of Equestria. Celestia and Luna had tried their hardest to help as many of them as possible. But even the two powerful alicorns couldn't be in more than one place at a time. There were times where they didn't see each other for months, teaching the ponies what they needed to survive. Building houses and growing food being just the two most important things on a long list. Not every pony could adjust to the new circumstances. Many decided to leave the world entirely as they could not comprehend what had happened. Each loss pained the hearts of the two alicorns deeply.

One other duty that became necessary for them to fulfill, was to take control of the cycle of the celestial bodies. During Discord's reign, he had randomly switched between night and day; sometimes the sun and moon even stood in the sky at the same time. Before his reign, a large group of powerful unicorns known as the Celestial Order had controlled night and day in a combined effort of their powers. It was a taxing duty for them that could not be fulfilled for a long time without serious side effects to their bodies. Consequently, they only stayed active members of the Order for a few years before retiring to less arduous tasks. They were all well respected and cared for. Sometimes, when no unicorn powerful enough to take over could be found, a member needed to keep channeling power to the group regardless of the price it took. They did it gladly for the greater good as they vowed to do when they joined the Order, but it cost them dearly. A reduced lifespan was common in these cases and sometimes they even passed away from their effort before a substitute could be found, leaving the rest of the group with even more work to be done.

In one case, during the time of the three tribes, while the windigos held the land in their freezing grip, Celestia and Luna had took over the duty for some time as there were not enough capable unicorns left to keep the cycle going. And now, after the chaos had faded, the knowledge of how to move the sun and the moon was lost to the common ponies and the two sisters had to take over the duty entirely. Fortunately, being the powerful and immortal alicorns that they were, they had no problems fulfilling the task. The only thing they had to get used to, was to remember the routine in the earlier years. As a result, some days or nights were shorter or longer than intended, but nothing caused permanent damage to the land.

Thankfully the hardest times now lay behind them. And though there was still a lot to do and rebuilt, a semblance of normalcy had finally settled in. Fortunately, a few of cities that had been built before Discord coming to power had survived the times of his chaos. Albeit being in a desolate state, they at least provided shelter to many of the homeless ponies. Even Neightington, the old capital of Equestria that held the palace of the old government, had survived. Once the ponies of Equestria came to terms with the new situation they realized what Celestia and Luna had done for them. And in their gratefulness they declared the two alicorns to be Princesses of Equestria; to rule over them and lead them into the future. The two accepted the offer and made the old palace their new home. There were even some ponies who volunteered to guard them from any danger that might arise. And though the two knew they didn't need any protection, for any danger that could do harm to them would not have taken a second look to a simple pony, they appreciated the spirit of the offer and accepted.

Many foals had lost their parents in one way or another and were now considered orphans. Not all of them could be put into orphanages, as there were far too many of them. As much as the sisters tried, they could not prevent that some of the foals even ended homeless and had to sleep in the streets and fend for themselves. And because Celestia and Luna both couldn't stand to see those most helpless of their little ponies suffer, they were often seen down in the streets, trying to help as best as they could.

At one of those times, Luna walked down the streets of Neightington, in one of the many districts that yet had to be repaired. The houses were in different states of decay. Some were even marked as uninhabitable as it was possible for them to completely fall apart and bury any pony living inside. Wherever she looked, Luna saw crumbling stone walls, broken windows and crooked shutters hanging from their hinges. She really wanted to help the homeless foals, but it was hard to see them in their poor state. Being unable to truly help them despite all her power pained her deeply.

Hearing a commotion coming from a side alley she turned and walked over to investigate the noise. What she found made her incredibly sad and a tad furious. A group of children of different ages, from barely four years old to the early teens, was approaching a single unicorn filly with taunts and obvious ill will.

There were several such groups about the town. The kids banded together to support each other, but the hard times made it necessary for them to be tough and sometimes even pushed them into a situation where they had to commit crimes to survive. Nothing violent in most cases, but thievery was quite common mostly for food and blankets. And while they were not happy with the situation, it was better than the alternatives they could provide at the time, so Celestia and Luna had unofficially ordered the guards that patrolled the city to go easy on the kids they caught in the act. If it was just one child they often took it into custody for the single purpose of letting the kid sleep in a warm and sheltered place with a warm meal offered to them.

The filly was about the age of seven and cowered on the floor clearly frightened; backing away from the group as fast as she could without letting them slip out of her sight. Luna hastened to walk up to them to dissolve whatever issue they had, but as soon as the group spotted her, they quickly ran away. She briefly considered following them, but decided that the filly needed her more. She had very light brown fur with a darker shade on her lower legs. Her muzzle and belly were cream-colored while her mane was blond and quite messy. The eyes of the trembling girl were a deep emerald as Luna could clearly see them staring fearfully up at her.

"Shhh, it's alright, little one! I want you no harm. You're safe now," Luna almost whispered while kneeling down in front of her, smiling warmly at the frightened child. Realizing she was no longer in danger, the tension left her and relief took hold of her. Her eyes started to water and a moment later she flung herself at Luna, hugging her around the neck and bawling without restraint, streams of tears soaking into her fur.

Rubbing her muzzle on the filly's back, Luna murmured reassuring words to her. For a quarter of an hour she simply held the filly and let her calm down enough to finally be able to talk again. Letting go of the princess' neck, the filly settled down between her forelegs, sniffling back some last tears.

"Are you better now?" The filly nodded. "Then I'm better, too. Would you like to tell me your name? I'm Luna."

"I know who you are. You are the Princess of the Night." The filly's voice was quiet, almost a whisper and slightly hoarse from crying. Her gaze turned to the stones of the street. "My name is Stella."

"Stella? That name seems familiar. I think I remember you telling me about her." Celestia interrupted Luna's story.

"I'm surprised, sister. All that happened almost three thousand years ago and you were not really involved in any of it, besides the things I told you about."

"I don't know why I remember either. And it is not much I remember, the name just rang a bell. What do you say? Let us finish our meal and then go somewhere more comfortable than this dining room where you can tell me the rest of your story?"

A rumbling in her stomach reminded Luna that beside all that happened she indeed was quite hungry. With a humble smile she agreed. "You're right Celestia, as always. Let's finish this and then head to my room."

The soup had gotten cold sitting unregarded on the table, so they called for the waiter to bring the next course. And while the atmosphere remained subdued, it was not oppressive and they sated their hunger in pleasant company, with Celestia telling Luna about the important things that happened during her Day Court. As they finally got up from their seats, Celestia spoke to the waiter that was clearing away the remains of their meal.

"We will be heading to Princess Luna's bedchambers. Please bring us a carafe of hot cocoa and a batch of cookies as soon as you are done here."

"Of course, Your Highness. I will bring them in a few minutes."

Thanking the waiter, Celestia walked over to Luna, who was just lifting the bag with her new saddle back up under her wing. Celestia then opened the door with her horn. "Lead the way, Luna. I will follow you."

Silently they walked side-by-side up to Luna's chambers. After setting aside the shopping bag Luna climbed onto her bed, while Celestia floated over some cushions to lay herself down on the carpet in front of the fireplace that filled the chamber with warmth on cold days. Only a small fire was lit now to keep out the chill of the night air. The heavy curtains at the windows beside the balcony doors moved slowly in the small breeze that blew through the open glass doors.

"This is a marvelous night, Luna. You did especially well tonight." Celestia craned her neck into the refreshing flow of air, closing her eyes in bliss.

"Thank you, sister. I had quite a good encouragement tonight."

"Oh, is that so. Perhaps there is someone you're courting, after all," Celestia teased her sister with a smirk on her face.

"Geez, drop it, Celestia. I just had some very excited foals surrounding me that I wanted to indulge."

Before her sister could answer however, a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Princess Celestia? Your snack is ready for you." The voice of the waiter from their dinner sounded through the doors.

"Please, come in." The waiter entered. "Just leave it on the bedside table. And please tell the guards, that we do not want to be disturbed. The Night Court will be postponed for a few hours."

"As you wish. Let me know, when you need anything else." He bowed before his rulers before turning around and leaving the room; pulling the doors shut behind him.

Turning back to each other, Celestia then floated a cup of hot cocoa to each of them, as well as a cookie to herself. "I think we will be left alone for now. Would you like to tell me more of your story?"

Shifting uneasily on her bed, Luna averted her gaze. "It is not that I like to go on, but I need to. You will probably be mad at me, but I have to do this and you will soon realize why."

Acknowledging Luna's statement with a nod of her head, Celestia then beckoned her to go on.

"Well, where was I?"

Apparently, Stella wasn't going to say anything else, so Luna took over again, trying to reassure the still upset child. "It's nice to meet you, Stella. You don't need to stare down all the time. Now look at me and tell me what happened. I want to help you."

And as Stella actually did lift her gaze up, her eyes began to water again. With a wavering voice she started to speak, but soon the words just spluttered from her mouth.

"I didn't want to upset them. I just wanted to join their group, because I have no one to help me and I'm just weak and fearful. But they sent me away and told me they had no more room for another filly. I started pleading, but they just shoved me out of their hiding place. Before they shoved me through the door, I tried to grab one of the blankets that lay nearby. It's so cold at night and I just have some cardboard boxes at my place. But as I snatched it with my teeth and turned to run, they got really angry with me and started to chase me through the streets. I ran as fast as I could, but I had to let go of the blanket because it slowed me down and I couldn't get away from them. They chased me forever and then cornered me here. I was so scared. But then you came and saved me! Thank you! Please, don't be mad at me for trying to steal from them."

After the torrent of words had eased down, she buried her head in Luna's breast fur again–quiet sobs rocking her body.

Luna sighed. "Oh, young one! Stop fretting. I won't punish you or put you into jail. As I said, I want to help you. You are right, of course, stealing is wrong and I have to ask you not to do that again. Can you promise me that?"

"But, but how am I supposed to get something to eat? I'm too frightened to beg for it. I tried, but no words will come out of my mouth. So I have to take some food when no one is around and..."

"Shhh, it's alright. I understand, but if you give me your promise, I will take you to a place where you don't need to worry about getting enough food or a blanket for the night. So I ask you again: do you promise to not steal again?"

Stella hesitated, contemplating the offer. But as she knew that the princesses always helped the ponies, she quickly came to a decision. "Yes, yes I do promise not to steal again. But... what now?"

"Now, you will be following me." Luna smiled at the filly while standing back up again. Then she turned around and started to walk out of the alley. After a few steps she stopped and looked back to Stella, who had not moved from her place. "Well, have you decided otherwise?"

"No! Of course not!" She scrambled to her hooves, hastening to catch up to Luna again.

Of course Luna would have helped the filly even if she hadn't made the promise, but Stella didn't need to know that. This situation was indeed perfect. The sole purpose for her being down in the streets was a note she had gotten earlier that day from one of her assistants. An orphanage had sent a letter, stating that they had just succeeded in giving one of their foals a new home and now had a place to offer again. So Luna had gone down into the city to find a foal in need. And now she had a perfect candidate.

Leading Stella determinedly to their goal at a brisk pace, the short legs of the filly had trouble keeping up with her. "Princess Luna! Please wait, I'm not that fast!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I got a bit carried away." Luna stopped and waited for the filly to catch up. She waited a minute for Stella to catch her breath before setting off again, albeit at a more leisurely trot.

They moved in silence for half an hour before Stella couldn't hold it in anymore. "Where are you taking me to?" she asked anxiously, but also with a hint of curiosity.

"Actually, we're right there," Luna replied while coming to a stop and turning to her right. Before them stood a building with a white front, almost sparkling in the bright sunlight. A colorful sign above the entrance doors read the name of the place: Skyfall Orphanage, the newest and most modern equipped orphanage in all of Equestria.

"Wow! This is beautiful!" Sparkling eyes stared at the building in awe.

"Indeed it is." Leaning down to the child and looking her gently in the eyes Luna added, "And it is your new home."

"My what?"

"Well, I promised you a place where you won't have to worry about food or shelter. And this is it, the Skyfall Orphanage. Come on, let's get inside so I can introduce you to the headmaster."

While Luna quickly trotted up to the entrance, Stella followed at a more laid back speed. She was cautious. It sounded really good to have a roof above your head and enough to eat to stuff yourself sick. But, aside from that, she had no clue what was in store for her and that made her apprehensive.

After leading the worried-looking filly through the brightly-lit corridors of the orphanage, Luna stopped at a simple, wooden door with a golden sign on it. Knocking at the door, she gave Stella a reassuring smile.

"Please enter!" sounded a male voice from behind the door.

Stella took a quick step to the side, hiding behind the door frame while Luna opened the door and entered the office. "Greetings, Headmaster Summerhill. I hope you have had a nice day?" Luna greeted the headmaster.

"Ah, Your Highness! It's good to see you. Indeed, it is a nice day. Everyday we can help a foal find a new home is a good day. I take it, you got my letter?"

"Yes, I did. In fact, that's the cause of my visit. I found somepony to fill the empty place."

"You did? I think that's a new record. Who is it and where can I find the kid?"

Confused, Luna lifted an eyebrow then took a look around. She had missed the fact that Stella hadn't followed her. Momentarily worried that the girl had run off, she suddenly chuckled as she saw the edge of a brown ear sticking out from behind the door frame.

"Stella? Please come in. You don't need to worry. The headmaster is a nice pony," Luna reassured her.

Cautiously Stella peeked around the edge; she then quickly rushed in and hid behind Luna, hugging her hind leg while taking a guarded look at the unfamiliar pony. Behind a sturdy desk sat a white pegasus stallion with a black mane. On his muzzle sat thick glasses. His face wore a happy smile and his eyes looked curiously at the little filly.

"Why, hello there. Your name is Stella, I take it? My name is Summerhill and I'm the headmaster of this place. It's nice to meet you."

Still not entirely sure what to make of him, Stella silently nodded. He seemed nice enough, but living on the street for a long time had taught her to be cautious.

"I found her in the streets, and she does have nopony to help her, so I thought it a great idea to give her into your expert care."

"We will gladly take her in. If you find another one, I will be happy to take him or her too."

"Oh! I didn't know you had two open places."

"Well, as I said: Each day we find a new home for a foal is a good day and today is a good day."

"You really are the right pony for this position. Congratulation to your accomplishments. Well, I need to be going. I have many other duties on my list for today. The paperwork for Stella will be sent to you as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Then he turned to Stella. "Well, lets get you settled in then. First we will talk a bit and then I will show you around, so you can see where you will be living."

Her grip around Luna's leg tightened. The princess sensed the fillies apprehension. She turned around and kneeled down. "Please believe me, you don't need to worry around here. You will be having a great time. Hot food, your own bed and many other kids to play with. The staff here are really nice. I choose them by myself and you do trust me, don't you?"

Stella slowly nodded. "I do, but I want to stay with you. Can't you just take me with you?"

"I'm sorry, little one, but I wouldn't have the time required to look after you and you would be lonely most of the time. I think that's something we both do not want, am I right?"

"Yes, you're right. But you're a princess! Couldn't you just take all of us somewhere where we do not need to worry? Somewhere else, where there are no problems?"

The filly's naivety drew a chuckle from Luna. Then she sighed wistfully. "I wish it was that easy." Nuzzling the girl on the side of her face she then stood back up again. "You will be fine here. Trust me. I will be visiting you as often as I can, OK?"

"OK." Stella finally gave in, not entirely happy yet.

With a last farewell and a nuzzle Luna left and made her way back to the castle.

That night Luna sat over a big stack of papers. Reports on different topics that needed her attention. A much smaller stack sat beside the first. Her progress was slow as her mind constantly drifted back to the little filly she had met earlier and put into proper care. Something Stella had said didn't let go of her. Couldn't you just take all of us somewhere where we do not need to worry? Somewhere else, where there are no problems? She had denied the request, obviously, but she couldn't stop thinking about the idea.

Sighing, she rose and left her study. It was no use to try to keep working. She went to the kitchens to get a snack and then went to bed for the day. Quickly she fell asleep...

...only to wake with a start just a few hours later; the beginning of a plan clearly in her mind. It had been like a dream. An unknown form, not more than a dark fog, had been there and together they had made the plan. She had to tell her sister immediately.

Jumping out of her bed, Luna stormed out of her room to her sister's, not even bothering to put on any of the regalia the thankful ponies had crafted for their two princesses.

Celestia nearly jumped out of her fur as the door to her room burst open with a loud bang. Bolting upright she tried to get the bleariness out of her eyes.

"Sister, I have an idea. We need to talk."

"Luna, it's the middle of the night. Let me sleep, for ponie's sake. We can talk about your idea tomorrow."

"You know we have much too many homeless foals roaming the streets and not enough places we can put them to take care of them." Luna paced back and forth before Celestia's bed, oblivious to her sister's comment and mood.

"Luna..."

"And we don't know if something like Discord will happen again in the future..."

"Sister, listen..."

"So I got this great idea in my dream..."

"In your..."

"We need to found a new colony of ponies, far away from here, where no one can find them and where they are safe from any danger!"

"LUNA! That's enough!"

Celestia's outburst stopped her rambling. "What are you so angry at, sister?" Luna asked cluelessly.

Sighing heavily, Celestia tried to reason with her sister, "Luna, it's the middle of the night. We can talk about your idea tomorrow. I've had a hard day and we both ought to be asleep. Now go back to bed and rest."

"I'm not a foal who can be sent to bed, you know." Luna's tail swished in agitation.

"Sister, please..."

"Alright, I'll go. We will talk about this later, just as you wish." With that she turned around and left, head held low, grumbling to herself.

Puzzled, Celestia watched her sister go. What was that all about? Shrugging, she put it down to stress and sleep deprivation and went back to sleep.

"...and then Stella asked why I couldn't bring them all to a nicer place. I couldn't get it out of my mind and then dreamed my idea more or less up while being asleep."

The next morning, after breakfast, the two sisters had withdrawn from the bustling of the palace to discuss Luna's idea. After she had retold it, Celestia had asked Luna where she got it. So Luna had told her about how she had met Stella and what else had happened with her.

"You dreamed this up?" Celestia was speechless. "But how do you think this should work?"

"What do you mean?"

What is it with her today? It's obvious what's wrong with that plan of hers. "For starters, there simply is no place with the attributes your plan requires."

"We're alicorns, we can create such a place."

"And then what? Just dump the foals there and let them live on their own there? We don't have enough ponies to look after them here, and you want to deport them to some remote location where there will be nothing but wilderness? You can't be serious!"

"Celestia, please! It is just a first sketch. I know it isn't perfect, I just want you to think about it and perhaps develop it with me. Together we can help our ponies."

"They would grow up far away from their home; they would probably develop a society much different from ours. And if they grow, they at some point they will find Equestria and their relatives and they wouldn't understand one another. It would be like the time of the three tribes. I don't think any of us want that time to return."

"Oh, come on! It won't be that..."

The Princess of the Sun cut her short. "No! We won't do this. And this is my final word on the matter." And in a gentler tone she added, "Lulu, dear sister, please trust me on this."

Heaving a heavy sigh Luna's head dropped. "Fine. If I can't convince you, I won't bother you with it anymore." But that doesn't mean I can't work on it by myself...

"Thank you, Luna. And now, let's get back to work...."

Grudgingly, Luna followed her sister out of the room.

Silence settled over the two alicorns in Luna's bedchamber. Apparently Luna had said what she wanted or perhaps she just needed a break. What little remained of the cocoa had gotten cold by now and from the cookies only a few morsels remained.

Celestia had been silent the entire time Luna had been recounting the events from a time long ago. Only the occasional shift in her posture and lifting of an eyebrow had indicated a reaction. Otherwise, she restrained herself to listening quietly. When it was obvious to her, that Luna wasn't going to say anything else, Celestia thought it to be time to break the silence.

"Yes, the memories are coming back. I remember that talk and those days. You seemed rather restless for some time after that."

Luna snorted, "You could say that."

"But all that doesn't explain what has you so worked up, sister. You know that you can confide in me."

"Don't you see? I did exactly what you said. I didn't bother you with it anymore."

"Pardon?"

"I did it all by myself."

"What did you do?"

"I established a new colony without your help." Luna's eyes closed tightly as she spat out the revelation, tears forming in their corners.

"You can not be serious, Luna! Why? And how?"

"Because I couldn't stand it anymore! I couldn't just stand by while our subjects suffered so terribly. I had to do something. So I took a bunch of orphaned foals and moved them to a far away place. A place where they should have lived in peace." Reopening her eyes she looked at her sister. "Oh, Tia! What have I done?"

"You took foals and put them in an unfamiliar and undeveloped place? Luna, what were you thinking? We talked about it; I gave you enough reasons against your plan. And you tell me now, that you did it anyways? You doomed those children!" Celestia had stood up, a fury building within her. It didn't matter that all that lay several millenia in the past. Her sister had made an enormous mistake. But what could she do about it? Banishing her again was out of the question, but something had to be done. Then another thought came to her mind. Something about this was off.

"There is more, sister. You haven't told me everything yet. If it was just a memory coming back again, you wouldn't be this distraught. Tell me."

"Do you really think I would just leave them on their own after bringing them there? The whole plan was to get them away from that life! I took... measures... to make sure they were save. But what's more important, and what has got me so worked up, is that they are still out there! And I have to get to them immediately. They need my help!"

"I don't understand–why are you so restless, sister? Even if they are still there, do you think they will remember you? So many generations have passed!"

"No, they haven't."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I put a spell on the colony."

"What kind of spell?" Celestia asked cautiously. She didn't like the direction had taken.

"A spell, that slowed the time itself within the boundaries of the colony." Luna turned her head away from the stunned look on Celestia's face. "I could not anticipate how often I would be able visit them and they were just foals. It would have been irresponsible if I had left them all on their own the entire time. Several years passed between each of my visits. But to them it was less than a week."

"So, even after all this time..."

"...they should be in their early teens, at the most." Luna finished the sentence. "Do you understand now, why it is so important, that I depart as soon as possible? They could be suffering terribly, just because of my foolishness!"

"I understand, Luna. And while we have to talk about what has happened we will be on our way in a few days time."

"We? Days? Didn't you hear what I just told you?"

"I did, but we can not depart from one minute to another just like that. We have to prepare for several things. And I will accompany you."

Luna hung her head low. "You don't trust me anymore. I understand."

"Of course I trust you, Luna. A few moments ago you confirmed my trust in you once again in telling me the whole truth. But I'm your sister and this is a serious matter. To you as well as to those ponies and probably to all of Equestria. You don't need to face this alone. I will help you."

Luna sighed and closed her eyes. "Thank you, sister. I'm just so terribly worried."

"And because of that, I will write a letter to Twilight now for her to immediately come to Canterlot. She will take over our royal duties until we return."

Luna's eyes widened. "Twilight? Are you sure about that? It will demand a lot of her. I don't know if she is ready for this responsibility. Shouldn't we better call for Cadance or Shining Armor instead?"

"Yes, it will be difficult. But she is a Princess of Equestria and as such it is her duty to rule." Celestia's gaze was determined as she floated over some parchment, a quill and a bottle of ink.

"You are right, sister." And with a smirk on her face she added, "That happens quite too often, you know. Sometimes it's a real pain in the flank."

"If your hip is hurting, you should go see a doctor. Or do more sports to keep fit." Out of the corner of her eye, Celestia could see Luna's face turning into a flabbergasted expression.

"Fit? Do you want to say that Our body is not shaped as divinely as it has been the last aeons?"

"Oh, Lulu, you are so cute when you use the royal 'We'!"

"Enough!" And with a cry, Luna launched herself off from the place she had been standing. A second later she crashed into Celestia's side, before wrestling her down and then throwing her across the room. Luckily, she landed right on Luna's bed.

"Equestria's most famous dessert-destroyer is accusing me of being fat? I cannot let that go unpunished!" A menacing smirk appeared on her face as her eyes turned to slits and her horn started to glow in a dark blue aura.

A sense of dread and foreboding crept into Celestia. "Luna, what are you doing? Please, I didn't mea... GAH!" Celestia's sentence was cut short as the most develish of tortures engulfed her whole body which now glowed in the same color as Luna's horn. At first she tried to withstand the onslaught, wiggling her body frantically in a futile attempt to flee from her fate. But it was useless. A few seconds later she broke.

"Hahahahaha! Stop! Hahaha! Stop it... haha.. Luna... hahahaha!" shrieking hysterically under Luna's tickling-magic, she tried to get away from her sister. But, in her hurry, Celestia forgot that she was lying on a bed and with a thud landed heavily on the ground, legs sprawled in all directions. Still laughing, she tried to stand up but her legs gave way under her each time. Next she tried crawling to the door. Inch by inch she closed the distance between herself and the relief that the two heavy doors promised; every few seconds interrupted by a new fit of laughter.

Just a few inches before Celestia reached the doors, Luna took pity in her sister and released her from her grip. With relief, Celestia relaxed and sank to the ground; her body heaving as she tried to catch her breath and get rid of the last weak chuckles.

"That... was totally... uncalled for, Luna," Celestia said with slight reproach, but a small smile on her face.

"Hmph, serves you right for insulting me, Cookiebutt!" Luna sneered.

A groan escaped Celestia as she thought back to the day almost twenty-four hundred years ago. Just a few years after Project "Canterlot" had been finished: the construction of a new capital at the sides of Mount Canterhorn. Neightington, that lay at the mountain's feet, was integrated into the new city while the old castle was being knocked down to make room for new residences.

Celestia woke from an exhausted sleep. She had been writing down new laws that needed to be passed the whole night. It was still a few hours till dawn and she would have been sleeping for much longer if there wasn't this insistent shaking by her hips. Forcing her heavy eyelids to open at least a small slit, she regarded a midnight-blue blurry blob sitting at the end of her bed. The tiredness blew from her as if a pegasus had sent a tornado through her chambers and her eyes shot wide open... Only to find Luna sitting on her haunches, tapping at her cutie mark with a hoof as fast as she could.

"Luna! What are you doing for ponie's sake? I had a long night and need to sleep." Exasperation plain in her voice.

Luna brought her other forehoof to her mouth to stifle a chuckle. "I invented a new game. I call it Cookie Poker."

Blinking, Celestia let her gaze wander to the cutie mark on her flank. The round shape of her sun had been dyed in different shades of brown. It now perfectly resembled a home-made chocolate chip cookie while the wavering sunbeams it normally emanated had been turned into some sort of wriggling worms.

The world around Celestia turned red as she lost control over her temper completely. A beam from her horn, almost as bright as the sun itself, sent Luna tumbling through the open doors that led to the balcony. A splitting laughter filling the early morning air over Canterlot.

"Don't remind me!" The whole week Luna had broken down on the floor laughing whenever their ways had crossed. In the following days, the nobles had started dyeing their cutie marks, too. A few weeks later it had been the biggest trend in all of Canterlot.

Chuckling, Luna trotted up to Celestia, nuzzling her gently on the cheek. "Thank you, sister. I needed that."

"That's what siblings are there for." Smiling, she nuzzled Luna back. "And now let me write this letter while you go and get some rest."

Turning serious again, Luna declined. "Not yet. There is something I need to do first." With that she left the room, heading for the meeting she had Honeycomb organize for tonight.

Before she closed the door, Celestia heard a muttered "Cookiebutt" followed by a suppressed giggle. But the pillow she launched from Luna's bed just hit the closed door.