The movement was so sudden, and for a second my brain reeled trying to take in what had just happened. Instinctively, my wings snapped out, and, for a few seconds, I just stood there and let my thoughts seep away into nothing as a wave of ecstasy overcame me. My brain started coming back to me as I crashed back into reality, and I realized that while I did love the feeling of it all, this was not what I wanted. I wanted to be with Twilight, and I didn’t want to give her any false hope.
By this point, she was trying to force her tongue into my mouth, but I clamped my lips tight and made sure she couldn’t get it in. I pushed her away with my front hooves and I stumbled backwards a few steps. “That’s one way of responding…” I said, wiping her spittle off my lips with my front hoof.
"I thought you wanted that,” she replied with a sad look on her face, “since you were heartbroken and such. I thought you needed a little love…and I might sorta like you…” She trailed off, and I stood there for a second thinking that over. This was a different way of “giving a little love” than I had seen anypony do before, and I had never expected her of all ponies to “like” me. I thought everypony hated me.
“You like me?” I asked, not certain of how far she meant that “like” to go. I had a nagging feeling that Rainbow wanted to use another word, but was to shy to.
“You know…I thought you were a pretty cool pony, and I always wanted to get to know you,” she said scratching the back of her head. “I thought it was awesome how you spoke in that funny accent that voice during Nightmare Night.”
“You’re not exactly helping your case…” I mumbled inaudibly, “…funny accent…”
“What was that Princess?” she asked, hearing a bit of my personal ramblings.
“I’m glad you want to be friends Rainbow, but I hope you realize I don’t want to be any more than that,” I responded, avoiding her question. “My heart belongs to Twilight, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon.”
“I guess I may have come on a little strong,” she blushed, avoiding eye contact with me.
“Just a bit,” I said turning back towards the door. “Well, this night has been…interesting to say the least, but I really must be going. The flight back to Canterlot takes a bit, and I don’t to miss my moonset.”
“I’m glad you stopped by, Luna,” Dash said, before turning slightly and almost mumbling, “and feel free to come back…”
She had something for me; that much I could tell. I gave her a genuine smile and said with a wink, “I just might have to.” I saw her perk up a bit before taking off, and it made me feel a little better about the night. I’ve been around long enough to know that that was no accident that she kissed me. I just hope she knows that it could never work out.
*****
I could have easily teleported myself into my room again like I did when I was at Twilights house, but it felt better to soar across the skies with the wind blowing in my face. I needed time to think, and a midnight flight always helped to get my brain pumping. Right now there were questions going through my mind, from “Is Twilight with the Doctor now?” to “What can I do to show that Twilight’s relationship will only end in heartbreak?”
After coming up with thousands of unanswerable questions, I felt no more satisfied than when Twilight had left me at Sugarcube Corner. Seeing the castle come into view, I pushed those questions out of my head as I landed onto my bedroom balcony. I needed to clear my mind to get ready for moonset and sunrise. The flight between Canterlot and Ponyville took a few hours, and I imagined that it was about time to start the new day. I walked into room, and went over to my abacus and picked it up with the intention of doing some simple math problems. Before I could start anything, though, I noticed a message lying on my bed. Putting my abacus back on its shelf, I picked up the note and started reading it.
Luna. Meet me in the main hall directly after sunrise. The Wonderbolts are meeting us to discuss their routine for next month’s Grand Galloping Gala. You need to attend this. These are royal matters and it is required for you to be there, whether you want to or not. And don’t pull the Cutie Pox disease excuse again. I’m well aware that it died out hundreds of years ago.
-Celestia
“Why does it have to always be sunrise and sunset?” I asked the empty room. “Did moonrise and moonset never catch on? And how was I supposed to know the cutie pox died out years ago? Still, that was an interesting financial meeting…”
“Luna,” I heard my sister’s voice come from the other side of my door once again, “are you in there?”
“Yes sister,” I replied, putting the letter back down on my bed as Celestia walked into my room. “Are you ready to raise the sun for another day?”
“I’m always ready for that little sis,” she calmly replied. “I can’t tell you how much I missed doing this with you when you were gone from me.”
I smiled as I remembered our mother teaching us how to help all the other unicorns raise and lower the sun and moon. Those days in the fields were some of the best in my life. It was just me, Tia, and Mom showing us how to imagine the sun and moon as giant balls that we would pick up and hold with our magic. I had never imagined that someday I would be the one raising the moon alone.
I lowered my moon so it barley peaked the horizon, and in perfect synch, Celestia raised the sun to mark the start of another beautiful day. The glowing in my horn stopped as I let Tia take her sun and wake up all the creatures and ponies for another day. Usually, this would be when I retired off to bed, but Celestia’s note said that there was an important meeting that I needed to attend before I was allowed to rest.
I stood for a few more seconds while Celestia aligned her sun in the sky. Then she opened her eyes and turned around, starting to walk back into my room. I followed after her and she spoke up, turning her head so she could see my properly, “I take it you got my note? We need to get to this meeting.”
“Of course sister,” I replied, and before she could say anything else I added, “and I don’t have anything planned for today.”
“Good,” she chuckled, turning left into the hallway that led to the main hall. “I think those two apple cider venders aren’t going to return any time soon after last month’s debacle.”
I blushed and didn’t say anything as I followed her through the giant double doors into the meeting hall. She sat in one of the four chairs at the round table set up near the doors, and I sat down beside her as the Wonderbolts introduced themselves.
“Hello there Princesses Celestia and Luna,” an orange-maned pegasus said as another white-maned pegasus sat down in a seat opposite us. “I’m Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts, and this is Fleetfoot. She was in charge of organizing the show this year.” The white-maned pegasus gave a wave as Spitfire continued, “I’ll get right down to business. This year we’re planning on starting out the show with a grand aerial dive from our top six…”
I lost interest quickly and didn’t bother to listen any longer. I knew that the only reason I was here was to help represent the royal family. I watched as Spitfire’s mouth moved and as Fleetfoot got up to demonstrate a few of their moves in the open hall. I was getting bored of waiting and I could feel my eyes starting to droop. It was as if I was taking classes in magic high school again.
My eyes sprung open as a voice came in through my thoughts of sleep. “So, how did it go last night?” the voice in my head asked. It took me a few seconds to realize that Celestia was talking to me via telepathy. It was an old trick we learned as fillies so we could talk after Mom had put us to bed.
“Shouldn’t you be paying attention to this presentation, Tia?” I harshly transmitted back, not believing that she of all ponies would be talking during a presentation.
“They do the same thing every year, except for a few moves that they usually add here and there,” she responded quickly. “Besides, they’re experts at this type of thing. I’m just here to make sure they don’t try anything too dangerous. Spitfire’s been pretty good about keeping their dangerous stunts to a minimum, so I trust she’ll make the right decisions.”
“Alright,” I hesitantly thought about how I would describe last night. “Last night went…subpar to say the least.”
“What happened this time?” Tia asked in a worried tone.
“Twilight ran off with somepony last night. She just left me at that restaurant….”
“Who would do that to you? Who would be a better lover than you?”
She had asked that last question sarcastically, but for some reason the thought of that “Doctor” made my blood boil, and before I realized that I wasn’t communicating telepathically I said rather audibly, “I can think of somepony!”
“Really?” Spitfire said, catching me by surprise. I didn’t mean to say that out loud, but I must have said it at the right time, because Spitfire continued on, “You know somepony we could get to replace Soarin’ and his broken wing?”
I had no idea who I could get to be a replacement, so my mind reeled for a few seconds trying to remember some pegasus to step in. Rainbow Dash’s name popped in my head and I thought that maybe I owed her one for that kiss. “Rainbow Dash could probably replace him,” I finally said after a few seconds of silence. “She won that Best Young Fliers Competition last year right?”
“Oh yeah!” Spitfire exclaimed. “She’s the one that saved my life while we were trying to rescue that unicorn. I think she deserves a go at Equestria’s best. Thanks Princess.”
“Not a problem Ms. Spitfire,” I said, glad to have averted a very awkward situation.
“Nice save,” Celestia telepathically congratulated me.
“Oh, be quiet,” I replied shortly, giving her a smirk.
“Well that should about cover it Princesses,” Spitfire said looking through her notes. “Unless you have any questions, we’ll be on our way.”
“Thank you for coming Spitfire,” Celestia thanked the orange pony. “I’m sure your show will go flawlessly at the Gala once again, and I can’t wait to see it. Have a safe trip home.”
As Celestia escorted the two pegasi outside, I got up and headed for my room, ready to get a good days rest. I opened my door and closed it behind me with my horn befor sloppily falling onto my bed. Lifting the sheets over myself I closed my eyes and snuggled into the soft material of the bed. Before I could get to sleep though I thought I heard a familiar sound. Opening my eyes, I listened as the strange sound started to get louder. It was an indescribable sound, but I had heard it all too often in my lifetime. I sat up in my bed trying to determine where the source of the sound was coming from.
Then at the foot of my bed, a small blue box I knew from years ago started to materialize.