Before them stood an ancient tree, branches as thick as a pony looming off in different directions, thick green foliage providing perfect shade for the ground underneath. Standing under it made a pony feel like the tree was as tall as the castle itself. The ancient oak tree had been one of the few trees that had not been cut down during the construction of the Canterlot Castle and was the only tree to survive.
“Why are we here again?” Luna complained. “I wanted to watch a movie!”
“The last movie we watched was ridiculous,” Celestia said. “This idea is much better.”
“What, a tree?” Luna asked disdainfully.
“Don't you remember? This isn't just any tree,” Celestia explained. “When we were fillies, we used to come here quite often. I have many memories of us at this tree. And even as we grew older, before we were Princesses and before the Castle was even built, I used to come here whenever I was upset or wanted to be alone. It was my happy place. Nowadays I can't go there without feeling swarmed by all of the other ponies from Canterlot who go on walks through the gardens, so I figured it would be nice to have it to ourselves for once.”
“When you refer to this tree as a 'happy place', it sounds like you're a psychologically disturbed pony who goes to this tree every time you're on the cusp of killing somepony else,” Luna said casually.
Celestia chose to ignore her sister's remark. “Come—I'll show you my favorite branch!”
Eagerly, Celestia flew up to a thick branch about twenty feet off of the ground. Landing was difficult—being larger than before, perching herself on the branch was a difficult task. Eventually she managed to awkwardly shuffle her legs into a position comfortable enough not to send her hooves to sleep at once. Luna copied her, sitting beside her.
“This is pleasant, isn't it?” Luna said sarcastically. “My hind legs are scraped and I can feel my hooves falling asleep.”
“So it may be more uncomfortable for grown ponies than it was for me as a child,” Celestia said. “No matter. You'll probably stop feeling it after a while, once you get used to the sensation,”
“I'll stop feeling it alright—once the circulation in my legs is entirely cut off,” Luna said bitterly. “They're numbing away already! I can feel them tingling!”
As she spoke, Celestia's legs started to tingle with numbness as well. She rearranged them hastily, only to get scraped by the rough bark of the tree. She bit back some rather un-Princess-like words. Even if Luna was the only other pony here, she did have a reputation to uphold. Celestia instead decided to distract herself by looking out towards the castle grounds.
“Look over there, Sister,” she said quietly. “To think that two thousand years ago, there were no giant towers, walls or gardens—just a peaceful meadow and a hill. It's amazing, how everything changes so fast.”
“Eew,” Luna said, squirming. “Oh, sorry sister—I got some tree sap on my hooves. Do continue what you were saying.”
“But despite all this change, it's still the same peaceful meadow,” she said. “Listen.”
For a minute or so, neither sister said a word. They watched the landscape around them slowly darken as the sunset into the mountains behind them. Celestia closed her eyes, feeling the tranquility of her surroundings envelop her. She exhaled as she slowly floated through the pitch black space of her mind, completely serene.
Luna inhaled sharply, destroying the peacefulness like a stone causing ripples in a smooth pond. “Did you hear that, Sister?” she asked urgently.
Celestia cracked open an eye to gaze at her sister. “I heard nothing,” she said, letting impatience creep into her voice. “Nothing except silence.”
“No, I'm certain I heard something,” Luna said. “It was some sort of squeaking noise.”
“I heard nothing,” Celestia repeated. “Listen, Sister—can you not just sit with me in silence? Please?”
Luna, hearing the plea in Celestia's words obeyed. She too closed her eyes and the two sat, in silence in their own worlds of darkness, hearing nothing but the soft sounds of the forest in the setting sun.
There was a muffled squeaking noise.
“This time I am positive that I heard something squeaking,” said Luna, interrupting for the second time a disgruntled Celestia. “It came from that way,” she said, pointing to the tree trunk.
“But I am positive that it was absolutely nothing,” said Celestia. “For this tree is nothing short of tranquility itself. It has survived thousands of years of weather, of beavers and woodpeckers; it was even spared during the building of the Canterlot Castle. Despite all that Equestria—and I—have lived through, it has always been there, growing slowly yet unchanging like the stars in the night sky.”
Luna muttered disagreeably.
“We've shared so many memories here,” Celestia pleaded. “For instance—Do you remember where we built our first treehouse?”
“This tree,” Luna muttered, rolling her eyes slightly.
“On which tree's branches were we perched upon when we earned our cutie marks and discovered we could command the sun and moon?”
“This tree's,” Luna said.
“And when Discord first came into power and reeked a week-long lightning storm throughout Canterlot, where did we hide?”
“It wasn't a good idea but it was under this tree,” Luna said. “Listen, Celly—I'm sorry. I now realize how much meaning this tree has for you. If it makes things any better, I do remember all of those things. It had just never occurred to me that they had all happened at the same tree—at this same tree. But now that I know that, that gives this tree—not to mention all of those memories—so much more meaning!”
Celestia flew up from her perch to hug her sister briefly. “Thank you for understanding,” she said softly, before landing back on the other side of the branch, directly next to the tree trunk.
“This really is peaceful,” Luna murmured with her eyes closed.
Just as Celestia was about to close her eyes, she heard a noise.
A skittering, squeaking noise.
She looked to her left, towards the tree trunk, saw two glossy red marbles peeking out of a whole in the ancient trunk, reflecting the light of the slowly rising moon.
“EEEEK! A RAT!” Princess Celestia, Goddess of Equestria shrieked, as she in one swift movement lept off of the branch into the air, unfolded her wings and flew away from the dreaded sight. “EW EW EW EW GROSS!!!!”
“EEEEW! WHERE?” Luna said, opening her eyes and rubbing them madly, attempting to unfold her wings that were sticky with tree sap. She glanced to her left. “EEEEK! A RAT! OH, I TOLD YOU I HEARD SOMETHING?”
“HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW IT WAS A RAT?” Celestia squealed as the vermin slowly climbed onto their branch. “OH, EW EW EW IT'S ON OUR BRANCH!”
“EW EW EW!” Luna shrieked, after a few flaps of her wings becoming airborne. “OH MY GOODNESS LOOK DOWN THERE!” she yelled, pointing with her hoof down to the bottom of the tree trunk. There she saw a huge hole, about as wide as a school filly, filled with glistening red dots and the occasional silver flashes of teeth.
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!” Celestia screamed again. “THAT'S LIKE, TWENTY RATS! EW EW EW!”
“I HATE RATS!” Luna wailed. “AND EEEEEEW THEY'RE CLIMBING THE TREE! THEY'RE ALL OVER IT! EW EW EW EW!”
“I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!” Celestia wailed. With a powerful push of her wings she dashed back toward the castle. Luna, wings flapping madly, followed close behind.
As they approached the front doors of the castle, the two sisters landed.
“That, was, disgusting,” Luna said, panting.
“You're telling me,” said Celestia. “And to think I was enjoying myself. A rat infested tree!”
“Rats are the most disgusting creatures, ever,” Luna said. The two sisters shuddered in unison.
“Well, when our Royal Vacation is over, I know the first tree I'll have the Royal Gardening Department cut down,” Celestia said. “There are memories, and then there are horrifying things that, no matter the sentimental value, are horrible abominations that should burn in a firey pit in Tartarus.”
Luna nodded vigorously. “Agreed, sister. Agreed.”