//------------------------------// // Chapter 46: Fear // Story: Green // by Steel Resolve //------------------------------// “I think they’re arguing about something,” Sweetie Belle reported back as she peeked through the window. “That’s weird, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Fluttershy yell before...” “We have,” Luna replied, wincing. She had had every intention of marching indoors to beg forgiveness for her actions, but the voices coming from inside had given her pause, and she’d asked Sweetie Belle to scout out the situation first. “Well, I remember she scolded a cockatrice, once. And my sister said she yelled at a dragon,” Sweetie replied after she considered for a moment. “But they were trying to hurt ponies she liked.” “‘Tis wonderful to know we rank with dangerous beasts,” Luna muttered under her breath. So it was as she had supposed—Fluttershy and Rarity were arguing about her. Not only had she put Rarity in mortal peril, now she was causing strife in their relationship. It really wasn’t fair! She had meant well. Why had it all gone wrong? Perhaps the better questions are: How can we make it right, and how can we avoid doing such things to future friends? Well, how she could make it right was to apologize, and then remove herself from their lives. The second one was harder. She supposed she would have to take others’ needs into consideration before acting, though she misliked the idea. She had always been a pony of action, for better or worse, but her actions were well meaning, if sometimes ill-advised. She wasn’t sure how she could change her fundamental nature, and furthermore, attempting to do so struck her as being untrue to herself. “I think they made up. They’re hugging.” Sweetie Belle chirped happily. “That’s so sweet!” Luna breathed a sigh of relief, steeling herself to throw herself to the mercy of her new friends, and hoping that they would remain her friends despite the trouble she had caused. “Very well. The time has come for us to face the consequences of our actions.” Luna turned to Sweetie, laying a hoof on her shoulder. “We thank thee, little one. We were badly in need of a confidant, and thou served admirably in the role.” “Oh, no problem!” Sweetie said with surprise. She hesitated, then added: “Uh... if you want friends... I mean, I know my sister might be mad at you, but... I could be your friend? I know how hard it is not to have anypony... Would that be okay?” Luna at a complete loss for words. The gesture was so simple, yet so meaningful that her heart, which she had been armoring for the blows to come, warmed to the point of cracking the ice she had intended to shield it. She said nothing, only gathering the filly to herself in a hug. When at last she found her voice, she whispered her answer. “Of course, Sweetie Belle. We shall endeavour to be a good friend to you, for as long as you live.” They remained embraced for a moment, before Luna reluctantly released the filly. Sweetie gave the princess a little smile. ‘It’s going to be okay, Luna! You’ll see!” “I... am not so certain, but I have some measure of hope, now.” Luna replied. The filly frowned, looking worriedly at the princess. “I... I promised my friends I would go help them, but I could stay here for you, if you—” “Neigh, little one.” Luna said firmly. “What must be said is between myself and Fluttershy and Rarity. Much as I appreciate the offer of support, I must face their wrath alone. Go, be with your friends.” She waved her hoof in dismissal, putting on a smile she did not feel for her new friend. “I will remember this day, Sweetie Belle. Thank you.” Biting her bottom lip, Sweetie nodded, giving Luna another hug. She trotted towards the front gate, casting one final glance at the princess as she left. Luna watched her go, waiting until the filly had passed from sight before turning her gaze back to the door to the cottage. She took a deep breath, walked up to it boldly, and knocked. “One moment!” Rarity’s voice called from inside. She opened the door, her face brightening. “Ah, just the pony we needed to talk to, Luna. Or is it still Princess Luna?” The princess winced. “Forgive me that, please. Our... my mood was most foul when I asked that of you.” “We all have bad days, darling.” Rarity flashed Luna a smile to show she’d only been teasing. “Well, come in, then!” She ushered Luna in, looking past her for her sister. “Sweetie?” “She... went to help her friends with their chores. We bade her farewell a moment ago.” Luna said quickly. “We hope that was not too presumptuous of us.” Rarity shook her head, looking just a little upset. “No, it’s fine. I’ll see her later, I’m certain. I just wanted to give her a hug before she left.” Luna allowed herself to be lead inside, avoiding direct eye contact with Fluttershy. She wasn’t certain she was ready to see the other mare’s expression. She sat in a small armchair, waiting for Rarity to take her own seat next to Fluttershy on the loveseat. Clearing her throat, she addressed them both. “My friends, I wish to start by begging your forgiveness for my trespass. I should never have been so forward in my advances, and I assure you, I will make no romantic overtures, either now, nor in the future. I am deeply saddened by the utter mess I have made of your lives, and wish only to absent myself in the hopes that we might reconcile as friends at some point in the future.” Only when she had finished what she had come to say did she dare look at Fluttershy, whose eyes were guarded, and cold. Luna’s heart sank. “Nevermind. I am asking far too much even now. I should go.” She stood, intending to bid them both goodbye, but whatever she might have said was lost when a pink dervish burst into the room, picked Rarity up from her seat, and proceeded to dance around with the confused unicorn babbling something that Luna could barely make out as speech. “Pinkie! Did you even knock?” Twilight’s voice demanded from just outside. Surprised, Pinkie’s head whipped back to the door, standing ajar with the door latch hanging loosely from a shard of doorframe which had formerly been attached to Fluttershy’s wall. “Oopsie,” she said, looking chagrined and contrite. “I’ll fix it, Pinkie Promise!” “That’s... all right.” Fluttershy said with a sigh.   Twilight entered, looking around the room at her friends. “Um... did we interrupt—” “Nothing important, we assure thee.” Luna said firmly. “All that needed to be said has been said. We assume our sister has found a solution to our blunder?” “Uh... well yes. Celestia’s preparing the rune circle, waiting for us to come back,” Twilight replied. “We’ll need you and Rarity, of course, but it doesn’t have to be right away—” “The sooner the better.” Luna’s eyes flicked back to Fluttershy. “Fear not, dear Fluttershy. Soon it will be put aright, and your life will continue as it should. Perhaps...” She paused, her heart caught in her throat, then forged ahead quickly. “If it’s not too much, I could be invited to the wedding, at least?” “Of course!” Rarity chimed in. “But we really should talk—” “Neigh. Enough has been said for now.” Luna replied. She had foolishly hoped a response would be forthcoming from Fluttershy, but once again she expected too much.  “There will be a time for talk, but that is not now.” “Luna—” Fluttershy began, before she quieted as Luna shook her head. "Worry not. You'll not have to suffer our presence for much longer. As soon as our sister and thy Twilight get rid of this infernal spell, we shall be returning to Canterlot.” Her eyes turned away from Fluttershy’s to Rarity’s. ”We shall send thy materials and patterns along. Make certain to invoice the castle for thy repairs, we will not renege on our promises." “Uh... We could just give you three some time to talk.” Twilight said, looking around at the three of them apparently having an awkward moment. “Lead on, Twilight.” Luna said, in a voice that spoke of command more than suggestion. Celestia eyed the circle critically, both visually and thaumatically, checking for anything out of place in the four-dimensional runes. With the naked eye, they looked fairly unimpressive, but in mage-sight they shimmered and twisted in the light like something alive. Which, she supposed, they were in a fashion. Each of these runes were animated by her will, imbued with her directives, and individually capable of controlling the flow of magic in the way she had dictated when she had formed them. Unfortunately, they were only as good as the caster who formed them, and Celestia was not currently at her best. Granted, she’d been in worse shape while performing complex magic, but the sheer power involved necessitated the utmost care be exercised to ensure the safety of all parties. She had drawn the magical circle in the basement of the library, surrounded by an extra layer of runes which would serve as a shield for excess energies. If all went as planned, there would be no need for those shields, but plans needed contingencies, and she was not quite exhausted enough to forget that. She downed another cup of coffee, her sixth this hour, and reached for yet another box of donuts, only to find the tower was now composed of empty boxes. Her lips pursed up in agitation, and she briefly considered messaging Spike in Canterlot to send her a few dozen from Joes. A glance at the clock made her reconsider, even if he would likely have done it. This time of evening, he was likely to be having dinner. With any luck, she could be flying back to Canterlot herself in a matter of hours. She didn’t need donuts. They would have been pleasant, to be sure, would have helped to sooth her mind and steady her hooves, but she did not need them. Still, perhaps when Pinkie got back she could be sent on a pastry run. Everything would, of course, be fine. But it would be nice to have a cake to celebrate. Topped with donuts. The runes seemed in order, though it was hard to believe such a cobbled hodgepodge of spells could function together, much less have the intended result they were aiming for. Her student had amazed her once again by using magic in ways that were never intended. It bordered on something entirely new, and that actively frightened her to think about. The ability to create new magic was one that thus far only alicorns had achieved, and then only rarely. Twilight had a rare gift for adaptation, both a blessing and a burden at times. Her mind flashed back to the chaos of Twilight’s first spell adaptation, a slight modification of the “Want It Need It” spell in which the caster went entirely unnoticed by all, to the point where a massive search for the filly had proven fruitless. That had lead to Celestia herself needing to adapt a spell for the first time in centuries, changing the fundamental nature of mage-sight to allow for the tracking of magic signatures. Though her eyes had slid right off the filly, Twilight’s magic had shown bright as the noonday sun, even with her physical eyes closed. She’d known her student was a powerful unicorn prior to that, but that incident had driven home just how powerful. And though the intended result had gotten out of hoof, it demonstrated the horrible effectiveness of Twilight’s inventive nature. And so, she had little difficulty believing the circle would work as intended. Only her fears insisted that unintended consequences would not only be possible, but highly likely. The only variable she could reasonably expect was just how severe they would be. She took another deep draught of coffee. It didn’t matter. So long as Rarity and Luna were all right, anything else could be dealt with. Celestia had been fixing the mistakes of Twilight’s magical mishaps for so long it had become second nature. The important thing was, she had every confidence that it would work. But, she still would have liked a donut. And a nap would not have gone amiss either. “Princess Celestia! I brought them back!” Twilight’s voice called from upstairs. Celestia glanced at the door as it opened, seeing Pinkie carrying another tower of donut boxes and smiling triumphantly around a fresh thermos of coffee. Pinkie was getting a statue in her honor in the near future, possibly a wing in the library. You could almost kiss her, couldn’t you? Celestia nodded stupidly for a moment before catching herself. Certainly Pinkie was a wonderful and considerate friend, but there were boundaries, even for accomplished bakers. A medal for... something or other might be more appropriate. She is very considerate, isn’t she? I just bet that extends to all areas of her life. Picking up one of the boxes, Celestia opened it to find thirteen freshly fried donuts with sprinkles, precisely what she’d been craving a moment ago. She supposed for Pinkie, that consideration might in fact extend to just about everything, after all. In friendship, to potential friends, in bed— The coffee Celestia had been sipping spewed forth from her muzzle, spraying clear across the room. “Oh, no!” Pinkie exclaimed, producing napkins from seemingly nowhere. “Was it too hot? Mr. Cake likes the coffee really hot because it keeps better for the construction workers, but sometimes I think maybe it might hurt somepony if they spilled it. But Mrs. Cake says anypony who would be silly enough not to know coffee is hot might not know air is for breathing, and I said—” “The coffee is fine!” Celestia managed to sputter out, wiping her chin with the napkins. By this time, the others were making their way down the stairs. Twilight was in the lead, followed closely by Luna, whose visage seemed darker and even more brooding than usual, and finally Fluttershy and Rarity. Celestia was a bit distracted trying to clean herself up, but even so she noted a change in the three that had left mere hours ago. At another time, she might have questioned it, but there were other, more pressing matters at hoof. Her eyes flicked regretfully to the donuts. Maybe just one... “Tia, is all in readiness?” Luna asked her as she took her place beside her sister. Celestia cried just a little inside. “Yes, Lulu.” “Good. We must correct our mistake so that we might return to Canterlot. Middy will be exhausted and in a panic by now.” Luna put a hoof up to her chin, her expression changing from gloomy to something resembling normalcy for just a moment. “We need to give him a large raise, Tia. And perhaps a bonus for his trouble this day. Tis the very least we can do.” “Well, most certainly.” Celestia replied in surprise. Truthfully she had already planned for such, but hearing Luna propose such a thing was unusual to say the least. She tended to take what she called ‘the help’ for granted. She looked at her sister suspiciously. “Lu, is everything all right?” “No.” Luna replied, not returning Celestia’s gaze. “No, everything is not. We wish to be away from this town, and back in our room. And we want iced cream. But first we must ensure we do no further harm to Rarity. We entrust that to thee, sister, and thank thee for thy patience with our folly.” “Iced cream? What—” Celestia stopped when Luna held up a hoof. “Our troubles are our own, sister.” Luna said quietly. “In any case, now is not the time.” “We can make time, Luna.” Celestia insisted. “I don’t like hearing that tone in your voice. Please talk to me?” Luna hesitated, her resolve visibly crumbling in the wake of her sister's concern. “Soon, sister. We promise thee. But we cannot... here. Not in front of them. Our face must remain brave until all is made well, then... then we will welcome thy questions, and ask for thy comfort.” Luna turned to her, and Celestia caught a glimpse of the hurt and sadness in her eyes. “We simply ask that it be in private, please.” Celestia’s lips pursed worriedly, and Luna’s pleading expression almost made her insist they postpone the magical procedure to address her sister’s emotional turmoil first. Rationally, she knew that the magical problem threatening Rarity’s life and her sister’s health took precedence. But it hurt to see Luna trying to hide her pain, reminding her uncomfortably of herself. Luna should not have to do such things. You shouldn’t have to, either. And you really don’t need to. Another moment passed, and the rational side won out. “Fine, but the very moment we get back, I want to know what has you in such a state, Luna.” Sometimes she hated the responsible part of herself. On the other side of the room, Twilight was explaining to Rarity what removing the spell would entail. Or rather, destroying it utterly, since simple removal wasn’t possible any longer. Pinkie, meanwhile, was setting up a table on the opposite side of the room. This confused Celestia at first, until Pinkie unfurled a banner with the words ‘Congratulations You Didn’t Explode!’ and began hanging it from the ceiling, producing hammer and nails from her mane to tack it up. “All right, Lu, we’re going to need you to stand inside the circle, above that symbol.” Celestia said, directing her sister’s eyes with a pointed hoof at the desired location. Luna looked at the symbol in surprise, then back to her sister. “Why would you need me in the circle?” “It would take too long to explain, Lu.” Celestia replied. Luna opened her mouth to protest, then closed it after a moment’s consideration. “Fine.” Rarity, meanwhile, was being directed to stand on a symbol directly opposite of Luna. She looked all around the circle at the various runes, utterly fascinated by them. “Are you ready, Princess?” Twilight asked from beside her. No. “Of course, Twilight.” Celestia replied smoothly, with a confidence she did not feel. It was time. Celestia glanced down at the utterly confident face of her student, trying to project the same confidence in her own expression. From the pleased look on Twilight’s face, she had succeeded, and she offered up a silent prayer of thanks for that small victory. Twilight was in her element, quite literally. Her horn lit up, activating the various latent enchantments waiting for a little touch of magic to come to a life of their own. The circle around Rarity and Luna began to ebb and pulse, ready to collect, dampen, and redirect the titanic energies about to be unleashed upon the pair. Her student held up a hoof, and Celestia hesitated. Physical contact was unnecessary for dual-casting, though it did provide a focus for the uninitiated. Celestia herself had, of course, never needed to dual-cast before, but this was a rare situation in which she had to overpower her sister’s own magic. She was familiar with the mechanics of it, and had taught others in the past, but this would be a first for her, actually performing it. Truthfully, the prospect made her nervous. She had been told that the experience was very intimate, performed only by colleagues whom trusted each other implicitly, and the most daring of lovers. Over the years there had even been rumors that a large percentage of the former tended to become the latter.   Oh? Don’t you trust your student? Or perhaps it’s yourself you don’t trust. That thought galvanized her will. She could do this. She refused to deny Twilight what intimacy she could offer as a friend. It was unkind, and selfish of her to hesitate simply because it made her uncomfortable. She held out a hoof, touching it to Twilight’s own, and gently touched her horn tip to her student’s own. The effect was immediate, and breathtaking. Twilight’s eyes lit up with white fire, her mane moving in a wind that wasn’t present anywhere but on the sun’s surface. “Is this—” Twilight gasped aloud, her eyes widening in surprise. Celestia was experiencing a surprise of her own. She had expected to feel something when they had merged their magic, but not... that. Twilight was powerful, she had known that ever since her student had gotten her cutie mark. Being aware of that power was one thing, but it paled when compared to coming into direct contact with it. She felt as if she was being bathed in liquid fire; the entirety of her usual reserved demeanor burned away as though it had never existed. She was left with no mask, just an expression of sheer shock and wonder. In the next instant, she was left standing stupidly as her student collapsed on the floor, gasping for air. “Is everything all right?” Rarity asked in concern. Twilight shook her head, groaning as she struggled to right herself. “I’m... I’m okay! I just... Wow. That was intense.” She grinned sheepishly up at her mentor. “Sorry, Princess. Just... I wasn’t expecting that. Give me a minute, I’ll get it this time.” “Do not push yourself, Twilight.” Celestia said with a calm she did not feel. It had taken every bit of will to steady her own knees after the contact was broken. Twilight was... amazing. Granted, she’d never directly experienced the touch of another pony’s magic before, but it was difficult to imagine anypony short of Starswirl or an alicorn who would have had that much raw power inside of them. She’ll ascend, and sooner than you’d thought. Twilight got back on all four hooves, taking a moment to dust off her coat, and muttering about missing Spike before getting into a ready stance once again. The hoof was extended once more, and Celestia took it with the same hesitation, albeit for different reasons.   Even with a knowledge of what was to come, the sensations still overwhelmed her when Twilight lit up her horn once more. She tried to focus her attentions outward, looking at her sister and Rarity in turn to see what the spell was doing to them, but each time, her mind was pulled back to the connection she shared with Twilight. The initial barrage of sensations slowed somewhat, but, like a pool of water returning to stillness after the pebble had sunk to the bottom, she could see things that shocked her even more. Things that she knew she shouldn’t be. Behind a layer called ‘self’ were Twilight’s... well... Twilight’s everything. Celestia was blind and deaf to the outside world while observing— no, feeling everything Twilight had ever felt. Her hopes and dreams whizzed by, and her joys made Celestia want to holler and laugh. The other side of the coin made her want to curl up and die. Beneath the surface feelings was a lake of pain, anxiety, and fear. Celestia dimly recalled being impressed by Twilight’s magical powers, but they were a mere speck compared to the courage it must take to feel all of that fear and still get up each morning. The longer the connection lasted, the easier it became to focus on individual memories, thoughts, and emotions. Her first ‘B Minus’ report card had hurt a little. Leaving home to study at the castle had hurt a little less, but rejection... her rejection, had hurt most of all. From there it unfolded like a pattern in a tapestry; a pattern with a jagged snag in the middle. She had never understood why Twilight committed herself fully to anything and everything but social interaction, but here the answer was plain as day. Celestia herself had caused such a wound on Twilight’s soul that she was frightened of ever exposing herself to the possibility of such a rejection again. She felt wretched. She’d known this objectively from witnessing Twilight’s dream. It was quite another thing to feel it. Twilight’s eyes blazed with white hot energy. Her mane flowed from her shoulders, and when she spoke, her words thundered forth in the Voice. “I...” She stopped in surprise, blinking rapidly as she realized what was happening. “You need to control the flow of magic, Twilight!” Celestia gasped out. “Don’t try to talk, just focus!” Twilight opened her mouth, then closed it once more, nodding. They had debated between them which of them should direct the link, and eventually, Celestia had insisted that it be Twilight. While she had far more experience with magic in general, Twilight was the one that knew how the spells worked in conjunction. The entire plan hinged on Twilight being able to precisely utilize the forces in just the right amount of pressure to destroy the enchantment without harming either Luna or Rarity in the process. Twilight’s horn blazed against her own, and energy blasted into Rarity in a rush. For a single, heart stopping moment, Celestia was convinced that they had failed, as Rarity’s own eyes widened in surprise. But then she could see the backflow of energy making its way through the link into her sister. The magic was too much to absorb, and had to go somewhere, as Twilight had said. The horn blazed anew, and the pressure of Twilight’s magic increased tenfold. Now that she could see her theory was correct, she did not hold anything back. The runes in the circle glowed bright red, indicating they were strained to their maximum capacity. If they failed, this much magic could well destroy the basement and a large amount of real estate around it, as the leylines overcharged to the point of causing an earthquake. A third overlay covered her student’s horn, and at that point the runes did fail partially, exploding in a shower of excess energy, blinding everypony present in a brief flash of light. Twilight found herself on the floor, no longer linked with Celestia. The room was filled with dust that had been kicked up in the explosion, making her cough as she tried to stand. For a moment, she feared she had lost her sight, until she realized the lights in the basement had all burst in the sudden surge of power. “Twilight?” Celestia’s hoarse voice called out from somewhere to her right. “I’m here, Princess!” she called back. Her head ached, and her first feeble attempts to call light from her horn only resulted in sparks. After a third attempt, the spell sputtered to life, and she was finally able to make out hazy shapes in the darkness. The closest was obviously Princess Celestia. And while she still could not make out very much in the dim light, the second shape to move was the largest of them all, making it obvious who it was. “Tia?” Twilight sagged in relief. Princess Luna was okay too. “I’m here, Luna.” Celestia replied, letting out a loud cough afterwards. Luna rose to her full height, her horn lighting up brightly. In a moment, all of the dust was swept from the room in a rush, and light flooded in place of retreating darkness. At last Twilight was able to make out the rest of the room, and she scanned it quickly for damage. On the other side of the basement, Pinkie and Fluttershy were peeking over the table they had taken shelter behind. Twilight mentally patted herself on the back. The secondary wards had done their job. Princess Celestia sounded all right as well. Which left... Rarity was prone on the floor, unmoving. “No.” Twilight breathed out. “Nononono!” She scrambled to her hooves, rushing forward, but was not quick enough to outpace the yellow blur that had darted out from the table. But Luna, being mere inches from Rarity, was quicker still. A quick glance backwards was all it took for her to immobilize Fluttershy in midair, after which she turned back to Rarity, inspecting her thoroughly. “Let. Me. Go.” Fluttershy said through gritted teeth. Every part of her strained against Luna’s magic, struggling to get to Rarity. Twilight held her breath as Luna looked Rarity over. Unwanted thoughts of who she needed to contact to arrange a burial went through her mind. But with it came the assurance that Rarity would want to be buried in Canterlot, and would surely qualify for a hero’s funeral. “Peace, Fluttershy. She is fine.” Luna replied as she turned away. “Tis mere exhaustion.” Rarity, confirming Luna’s pronouncement, chose that moment to let out a loud, unladylike snore. After Fluttershy was lowered to the ground, she immediately went to Rarity, unable to believe until she felt Rarity’s heartbeat with her own hooves. Twilight let out a long held breath, finally relaxing for the first time since she’d begun this ritual. Her head still ached, and her whole body tingled. Still, everypony seemed no worse for wear. Even Luna— “Hey!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Luna got big again!” Twilight’s head whipped around in surprise to confirm that Luna had indeed returned to her former glory, long flowing mane and all. “Wow, I kind of hoped that might happen, but I wasn’t sure. We did it, Princess!” Her cheery expression fell as she finally laid eyes on her mentor. “Princess?” Celestia lifted her head tiredly. Her long pink mane hung from her head in damp strands. “I’ll be fine, Twilight.” She stood shakily, and it became apparent why Luna had seemed like the biggest pony in the room. “Princess...” Twilight breathed, not sure what to do. “I... I can fix this! We just need—” “Omigosh it’s pink!” Pinkie dashed forward, examining Celestia from all angles. “It’s sooo cute! Do you want to try it poofy like mine! We could be hairdo buddies!” She lifted the limp strands of hair, trying to draw them up onto Celestia’s head. “Hmmmm. I have that problem too. You need something to make you happy... Oooo! I have cake over here!” While it did not cause her hair to curl, the mention of cake did seem to make the princess perk up a little. “That... sounds nice. And maybe some donuts.” “Sure! Let’s go!” Pinkie bounded over to the table, with Celestia trailing behind. Twilight just watched her go, unsure how to respond. “Twilight Sparkle! What devilry hast thou performed?!” Twilight’s ears laid back as she was verbally accosted by an irate Princess Luna. “I—” “We trusted thee! Thou wast to remove the spell from fair Rarity, not lay our sister low whilst restoring us!” “I didn’t know it would take that much energy!” Twilight protested. “Once I started trying to overpower it I couldn’t just stop! It might have killed Rarity!” “Clearly thou knew something was to occur!” Luna shouted back. “We could feel the magic pouring itself into us, thou cannot possibly claim that thou did not know that would happen!” “I... I knew in theory it would happen, at least with some of the magic. I had to do something with all of the energy and you were the safest recipient, since you were so power-starved to begin with. I didn’t intend for it to take so much from the princess, honest!” “Luna.” Celestia said quietly. “Please sister, we are busy yelling at thine incompetent student! This is intolerable!” “How dare you.” a voice from behind the princess said. Luna rounded on Fluttershy with a scowl. “Excuse me?” Fluttershy scowled in turn. “You heard me.” “And what wrong have we done thee this time?” Luna demanded. “Tis only our sister who was wronged, we have every right to be upset!” “Wrong. Twilight and Princess Celestia stayed up all night trying to figure out a way to fix the mistake you made. All because you wanted us to go to some fancy party with you! And instead of being grateful that Twilight found a way to undo what you did to Rarity, you’re yelling at her for not knowing exactly what would happen?!” Fluttershy shuddered with barely contained rage. “That’s just so... selfish!” Luna simply stared at Fluttershy, opening and closing her mouth several times, biting back protests and insults alike. Eventually, she dropped her eyes from Fluttershy’s steady gaze. “Fine, best of intentions aside, we did cause this. But our sister should not be made to suffer for our mistakes!” She turned from Fluttershy, walking towards Celestia. “Come, sister. We shall give thee the bulk of our magic. That should restore thee. Then we can go home.” “No, Luna.” Celestia said, stepping back from her sister. “No?” Luna stopped, looking at Celestia as if she’d just declared she intended to make an eternal lunchtime. “What do you mean?” Celestia took another step back. “I mean ‘no’.” Princess Luna looked first at her sister, then Twilight, then Fluttershy, and finally back to her sister. “Has everypony but ourselves gone mad? We appreciate what thou hast performed this day, but it was never our intent to come away whole and unscathed while thou art lessened from it! What will our citizens think if they see thee thus? The cries of outrage will assuredly be loud from all!” “And if you give me too much?” Celestia replied, holding her sister’s incredulous gaze with her own calm one. “I won’t have you risking yourself all over again.” “We can control it, sister! It is merely a matter of discipline and concentration—” “Discipline.” Celestia repeated, with a look of disappointment on her face. “Sister, you are so agitated right now you cannot even correct your own speech, much less control something more delicate.” “Are we really going to nitpick our words?!” Luna shouted back. “Tis our citizens we are concerned for, not ourselves! If we give thee too much, we shall recover, just as before! But Tia, this must not stand!” There was a long, tense silence between them before Celestia responded. “Luna...” She began, trailing off for a moment before continuing with a very different expression. “Lu, if you mean that, if you really mean that... Then you will absolutely not do what you’re suggesting.” “Of course we mean that.” Luna replied, less angry than confused at the sudden shift in tone. “We need to talk.” Celestia said, lowering her voice. “We... are talking.” Luna replied, even more confused. “I mean we need to talk privately. I’ve been worried about something for a while, and... this situation might be a blessing in disguise.” Luna regarded her sister for a long moment. “Very well. We shall talk. We did promise thee we would tell thee of our own troubles. T'would be only fair for thee to do so in kind.” “Thank you, Lu. Now, Pinkie has cake over here, and I really really would like to have some.” Celestia looked at her sister with a pair of deep, soulful eyes. “Could we please get to the part where we celebrate the fact that nopony died? Pretty please?” Some time later, after they had excused themselves from the party, Celestia and Luna had borrowed Twilight’s room to have a talk. At Celestia’s insistence, Luna had thoroughly shielded the room from all methods of espionage. “There.” Luna said, wiping her brow. “I finished the soundproofing spells. Our words are private.” “Thank you, Lu.” Luna sat back down next to her sister on Twilight’s bed. “‘Tis a trifle. I am not entirely certain how one functions without magic. I lacked it for a mere day and felt horribly helpless. Most disconcerting.” She looked at Celestia expectantly. “Well, sister, here we are. Would you care to explain why you did not wish me to give back the energy you lost in this brute force cure your student utilized?” “In due time, Lu.” Celestia replied. “First, I want to know how you are doing.” The question surprised Luna, and she favored her sister with a look of pure confusion. “I... I am well. Truthfully I feel... better than I have ever felt.” Now it was Celestia’s turn to look confused. “Ah, you mean physically. Well, I would imagine you would feel better after having so much energy funneled back into you. But no, Lu. I mean what was bothering you? You looked like you wanted to hide under the covers and never come out again.” “‘Tis... not important, Tia.” Luna said evasively. “I was merely... feeling sorry for myself. It is as dear Fluttershy said. I am being selfish.” Celestia remained silent, simply looking at her sister expectantly. “Really! It’s all fine!” Luna insisted, growing nervous due to the lack of response. “Lu, you did promise you would tell me. Out with it.” Her sister replied patiently. “Tia... I...” Luna’s shoulders slumped as she felt the impassive gaze of her sister upon her. “I... misjudged. As it turns out, Fluttershy is quite possessive, and took umbrage with me because she felt I wished to spirit Rarity away.” A single eyebrow was all it took to express Celestia’s surprise. “I see. I am... sorry, Lu.” “No need.” Luna said quickly. “It was foolish of me. Not all couples welcome outside involvement, even for a princess.” The eyebrow remained raised. “You thought that your status as a princess would make you welcome?” “No?” Luna replied, her face flushed. “I mean... perhaps. I... I have been told I am beautiful before...” Celestia sighed softly. “You are, Lu. But your being attractive doesn’t mean very much to a couple fresh in the throes of passion. I’m surprised they did not reject you outright.” “Well, when I first told them of my intent, I very nearly was.” Luna said, looking away from her sister and down at the bed beneath her. “Rarity talked to Fluttershy and... it seemed all was well. But... I noticed a certain... reticence from Fluttershy, and I finally pushed her to tell me what was bothering her.” “And... what were your intentions?” Celestia probed gently. “I merely wished to court them, Tia. A few nights a month having dinner, partaking in their company, nothing untoward. I had hoped that all else would come with time and familiarity. And... even if nothing had developed, I would have enjoyed spending time with them.” A single tear hit the bed, and she wiped it away quickly. “Tis no matter. I... I just wish I had done things differently. Perhaps, had I not mentioned I found them comely, it would have gone better.” “Lu—” “Enough, Tia. We no longer wish to dwell on it. We... I just want to go home, please. Middy will be frantic. I promised him I would bring you back.” Luna lifted her head, doing her best to not look quite as miserable as she felt. “I don’t want him to have to suffer those idiots. Tis’ unfair.” When she felt she had composed herself, she turned her own expectant look on her sister. “So, I have told you of my failings. Would you care to explain why you did not wish me to return your magic?” Celestia didn’t answer for a time, making Luna even more concerned. “Come now, sister. You—” “I... I don’t want you putting yourself in harms way again. That spell is dangerous and should never have been used in the first place. My magic will recover on its own.” Celestia said, finally. Luna looked at her for a moment, then slowly draped a wing over her sister’s back. “You know full well that I can take care of myself. I would have found some way out of my predicament eventually.” Celestia sighed. “I know. Though if Rarity would have still been alive by the end of it is a different matter—” “Even so,” Luna cut her off. “There is no need for you to worry about such things between the two of us, so what are you really worried about?” “It’s...” Celestia chuckled. “It’s nothing, Lu. Forget I said anything of the sort.” Luna groaned and nudged her sister with a hoof. “Stop deflecting! I know something is bothering you. I can see it clear as any nightmare in my realm.” Celestia was silent for a long time after that, and when she finally did speak, her voice was little more than a whisper. “Luna... I fear I may be going mad.” “Mad?” Luna couldn’t help but laugh. “You are the most levelheaded pony in all of existence, sister. Not even three hundred badly taught minotaurs singing the Equestrian anthem off-key caused more than a raised eyebrow.” When Celestia remained silent, Luna reined in her amusement, and took a more careful look at her sister. Celestia looked much younger without her flowing mane, though part of it was obviously a dip in her magical reserves. She also looked... perturbed? No, scared. Celestia, her older sister, who could shoulder the weight of the world and fight living nightmares, looked frightened. “Why?” was all Luna could think to ask. “Why what?” Celestia replied somberly. “Why are you afraid that you’re going mad? This isn’t just due to your actions in the last few days, is it? You’ve lost your temper before. Surely that doesn’t worry you.” One cracked floorboard does not a mad-pony make, Luna thought to herself. She was just upset, and understandably so. Another long silence. “I...” Celestia took a deep breath. “I’ve been hearing this... this voice in my head. It’s like mine, and yet... it isn’t.” she grimaced. “It’s made me... more irritable. I feel like it’s mocking me.” Luna gasped and immediately stifled it, but the damage had been done. Celestia looked at her curiously, and a raised eyebrow was all that was need to get Luna talking again. “Is it only mocking? Or does it seem... sympathetic? Even kind, at times?” Celestia’s eyes grew wider. “Yes,” she whispered. “Does it encourage you to act in ways you normally would not? Do things that you normally would not?” “Yes.” Luna nodded. “And what have you done about it?” A helpless shrug lifted the wing resting across her sister’s back slightly. “Nothing. I haven’t known what to do.” Luna said nothing for a time, not sure if she wished to do more than dismiss her sister’s fears as being baseless, or products of stress. She wished she could ignore what her sister was telling her, ignore her own fears and go on believing that everything was fine, but she knew. She knew that it was important that Celestia understood exactly what it was that she was dealing with. “Sister? When I... returned, you said we would not speak of what happened all those years ago.” Celestia swallowed with difficulty. “Yes.” Luna braced herself, afraid to say what she was about to say, and yet afraid of what would happen if she didn’t. “‘Tia, I... I know that voice. Whenever I heard it, I retreated to my chambers to brood. Eventually... I couldn’t tell it from my own thoughts.” “I... see.” Celestia’s words were slow, and her tone was steady, but Luna would have been a terrible sister had she not been able to see the cracks in the mask of bravery that Celestia had donned. Please, Luna begged any power she could think of. Not that. Don’t let it happen again. I need her! “Lu?” “Yes?” “I’m scared.”