//------------------------------// // Chapter One // Story: To The Moon and Back // by Caniville //------------------------------// “Sister.” Princess Celestia looked up from her work. “Yes, Luna?” She sighed, looking meaningfully at the forms she had yet to fill out. Luna frowned, slightly perturbed by her sister’s blatancy. “I have something to tell you,” the younger princess ventured, “It’s of great significance.” “I should hope so. What is it?” Luna took a deep breath and, chin high, delivered the news. “I have taken on my most faithful student. “What?” Celestia jerked upwards, staring with disbelief at her sister. “Who?” Upon Luna’s command, Trixie entered the room. Celest made a hacking sound and cast the mare out of the tower. Upset, Luna began to involuntarily speak in her royal tone. “Thou shan’t be of such crudeness to thon sibling’s second of hoof.” “Luna, don’t you know that she’s evil?” “Thou art not evil, thon be in need of guidance, and thy shalt provide.” When Celestia still looked disapproving, Luna continued. “Thou apprentice require thon guidance, say? Yes, and thy's needs just so.” “But she’s weak and evil, she’ll end up like Sunset Shimmer!” “So thou maketh a prat’s blunder and thy pays for thon by being banished from thy’s own choice of apprentice? Sidesay, thy shalt pay proper to thyn apprentice. Tis naysay that thon assign proper duties to thy, for thy art too young for thon needs. Thon only needs thy to adjust thon lunar phase.” Luna was speaking so fast and strangely by then that Celestia had trouble understanding her. “Slow down Luna, your royal tone is acting up and I don’t know what you’re saying,” “Thou art not--” Luna clapped a hoof to her mouth and paused for a while, trying to get rid of her tone. Celestia took the opportunity to try and placate her. “Listen, I just didn’t want anything bad to happen. Besides, you didn’t even consult me!” Her tone mostly gone, Luna opened her mouth. “Why should I have to consult you? Thou didn’t consult me when you got your student! It is because thy is below you, isn’t it? I only raise the moon, I’m too young and inferior to do anything more!” “You were ON the moon when I got Twilight!” Angry, Celestia said something she shouldn’t have. “You wouldn’t want to go back, would you?” Luna gasped and stumbled backwards. Hot tears sprang from her eyes. Hurt, she screamed back. “At least there I wasn’t with you!” *** Twilight and Celestia were the only two on the stadium for the Summer Sun Celebration. Twilight shifted awkwardly. "If you don't mind my asking, Princess, where is Luna?" Celestia sighed. "We had a... Fallout and she's putting her feelings before the needs of the republic. I won't stand for it, though." Celestia looked to a royal guard. "Take a letter to Princess Luna. Ask if she will be attending the Summer Sun Celebration." The guard nodded and headed off. "Was it... Like the Nightmare Moon kind of fallout?" Twilight asked. Celestia closed her eyes. "Very much." She opened her eyes again and looked at Twilight. "I worry about her. She lets her feelings get the better of her and she forgives herself before anypony else does. I fear Nightmare Moon may appear a second time some day." Twilight thought for a moment about when she felt she was going insane with a lack of princess-like responsibilty. In the dark corners of her mind were thoughts of becoming Dawn Terror, her kind of Nightmare Moon. She completely understood how Luna must be feeling. "Well..." Twilight suggested hesitantly, "Have you ever considered that maybe you're partly respons--" "Message for the princess," The guard said, head down as he extended a piece of parchment with his magic. Celestia took it, scanned it quickly, and dropped it. Her face was a mixture of sadness, regret, anger, and frustration. "The Summer Sun Celebration will go on without Princess Luna," she announced, clearing her face of emotion. The guard nodded and went off with the paper. Twilight intercepted it and read it, curious. Her heart sank as she saw what was written. Princess Luna will not attend the ceremony in which ponies celebrate the lowering of her inferior moon and the raising of her sister's superior sun.