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// 89. My Little Dashie? You're kidding. You're kidding, right? 
// Story: Short Shorts 
// by Coranth 
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"So, let me get this straight, Princess. You sent one of your Little Ponies to me here at the Weyr - in the hopes that I might raise her - so that you could... what? Keep ruling Equestria? Eat cake all day? Why would you send her here?"

Standing there holding little Luna in my arms, I waited for Princess Celestia to reply, watching as she paled, shuffled nervously from hoof-to-hoof, and hemmed and hawed.

A sigh escaping me, I raised a hand for silence, before continuing, "You can't answer me, can you? You can't answer me, because you know that this entire thing - sending little fillies and colts away from Equestria to be raised by humans - is really foolish. Take your sister Luna, for example. My Weyr rarely, if ever, lands on planets; it doesn't need to, as it's completely self-sufficient. This means that your sister will only be able to go 'outside' via the Psiodeck. She'll never see the sun. She'll never feel real grass beneath her hooves. And if you're giving me to her... Oh, I'll take care of her, sure. But she'll be raised as a Templar and Citizen of Aiur. When she comes back to Equestria - if she even chooses to come back - she won't allow you to wipe my memories, or hers. I'll be sure to teach her that direct tampering with a mind like that - unless done for medical purposes - is a very serious crime... for which one can face execution!"

Celestia was grey, now; she trembled as I continued, "Oh, and I'll be sure to give her everything that I - and the Weyr - can give her. She'll become a full citizen of Aiur, well versed in Protoss history, culture, and politics; oh and I'll teach her about Earth as well. Don't be surprised if - if Luna chooses to return to Equestria - she'll want to change your culture to be a little more Protoss-like. You know, the three Castes? Judicator, Templar, and Khalai? Yeah, I can see her doing that... along with advancing your tech and getting rid of the stagnation thing you've got going. That's the thing, sweetie: the Zerg don't believe in friendship and harmony; your Magic of Friendship really won't work when there's a numberless swarm of Zerg rushing towards the rubbish guards of your poorly defended Castle.

Of course, Luna might come back because, well, sisters, you know? But then again, she might not. After all... I don't know much about you, or your relationship with her; how deep it goes. But I do know that you subjected her to the cruel and unusual punishment of sending her to the moon for a thousand years. Now, let me tell you what you actually did. You subjected her to the loneliness of her own thoughts and that of the nightmare, which probably didn't help her sanity one bit, and you also subjected her to sensory deprivation; that also doesn't help. Then, when she comes back after 1000 years of this - displaying very clear symptoms of the effects of this 1000 years of shit you put her through - you have those six nitwits of yours just... just... burn it all away with your cushy rainbow of light, leaving not only this thing between you and her unresolved but also Adun-knows-what kind of mental and physical scarring to her brain. I'm going to have to try to repair all that before I can even begin to raise her as you want. But you know what? I'm going to do it. I'll raise her. Now, get outta here!"

Eyes misting with tears, Princess Celestia did so. Once she was gone, I gently carried little Luna over to the Weyrhome lounge and sat down with her, rocking her gently in my arms. Instinctively, the poor filly cuddled closer to me, looking up at me with glassy, sightless eyes as she drooled on my robe. She was sightless... because the shining light of the Elements had rendered her blind. She drooled and barely responded to me... because when the Elements of Harmony had excised the Nightmare from her... poor little Luna had suffered a debilitating stroke, the mental and physical scarring having proved too much for her to handle. I had told Celestia that I would raise her...

But...

I hadn't told her that I would raise Luna wholly as my own daughter...

I hadn't told her that I would teach Luna everything I knew, of the Xel'Naga, Earth, Aiur, Humanity, and the Protoss...

I hadn't told her that I would teach Luna of the physical and psionic arts...

I hadn't told her that I would teach Luna of the Dragon Weyr and its mysteries...

I hadn't told her that I would teach Luna of the Dae'Uhl; the Great Stewardship. 

I hadn't told her that I would teach Luna to fear Celestia as a monster and a tyrant; as the one who'd authorized the terrible damage done to her...

I hadn't told Celestia that - after I was done raising her - Luna might never want to set hoof upon the world of Equus again...