//------------------------------// // Chapter two: Hide and seek with chaos // Story: Moon and Stars // by keam //------------------------------// I just looked dumbfounded at the position where Princess Luna just stood seconds ago. Was this really her? There wasn't a logical explanation for it, except… The scream in my dream! Luna had seen everything, and I was even so stupid to have pushed her with this situation. I felt guilt clenching my heart. This wasn’t how I wanted the Princess to know about everything. And now I probably won’t even get the chance to talk to her. In my mind I was going through every possibility, but something was wrong. Did she set up the whole stargazing position on the tower? At least it was her telescope and it was on her tower. "No, this is ridiculous, why should she do this?” I spoke to myself, but my voice was filled with doubts, “This doesn’t makes sense at all…” “Ohh, what fun is there in making sense?” a voice sent shivers through my back. “You’re the last one I need right now, Discord!” I said, looking into the direction of the voice. My eyes landed on a small plant in the corner, seemly familiar to the vines that invaded Ponyville some time ago. With a poof and a red cloud, the plant was gone and in its place stood Discord, a maddening grin on his face. “Ohh, Princess Twilight, there is no need to be so… Unkind to me. All I want to do is help you. Why don’t you truuust me?” he said, the word trust simply in overlength. “How about your seeds attacking the town, my friends, the princesses and the tree of harmony?” I shot back. “Oh, bu-huh still going after things such long time ago? As I said, I want to help you,” his grin spread wider, “But I will do it my way” His way? Oh no, no, just no! “No Discord! Your way only causes chaos, and it is the last thing I want to care about right now,” I replied while shaking my head. He let out a chuckle and with a flash he got a painting of Princess Luna in his prank. “Ohh, poor Twilight. So you don’t want to find your special Princess? What a loss for such a smart pony like you,” he rolled the scroll up and just threw it over his shoulder casually. With a gasp I sent out my magic to quickly hold the painting before it could be ruined, and to my surprise, it was what Discord expected. As soon the picture got in my grip, it transformed into one of Discord smiling at me. “You’re as easy to read as one of those books you love so much, Twilight. You clearly have no interest in Princess Luna. And of course you never dream or fantasize about her, that would just be ridiculous, right?” he said with a sarcastic drawl that somehow managed to be maddeningly sad at the same time. Here comes the drama queen… wait what?! “How did you know about my dreams? Or that I’m thinking about her?” I asked, my voice betraying a hint of my irritation now. That made him chuckle, “Ohh Princess, I’m the master of chaos! I have my informants of course.” “You spied and eavesdropped on me the whole time?? And you call yourself a friend?” Discord smirked. "But of course. Friends keep an eye on each other, don't they? Or in that case, an ear." I had no answer for this, so I settled for glaring at him. Maybe, for only one time, he was directly honest, not trying to do his funny stuff. “Alright Discord. What do you have in mind?” I sighted, eager to get over this. "I maaaay just know where to find your precious little moon butt..." “Don’t talk about her like that, Discord,” I muttered, my cheeks burning. “But it is really fun to help you, Princess Sparkleees,” came the coy reply. Okay, enough Pouting, I turned around and left to try and find Luna my own way. There were a few spots in my mind where she could hide, one of these locations was sadly not an option for me. I wish I could go to the moon with her. I’m sure it would be beautiful My mind still trembling, I made my way to her royal chambers, inspecting the slightly glowing door. New Shields around the doors, this will be interesting. If I guess right, they are personal ones. Oh, she will be surprised. Lighting up my horn and thinking of Luna, my heart started to pump faster and heavier, my feelings filled with pure love for the Princess of the Night. I touched the door slightly, the shield instantly blurring away and proving my hypothesis. As the door swung open, a quite shocked Luna was staring at me while sitting on her bed, stained tears visible on her muzzle. Luna blinked several times, trying to get the tears out of her eyes so she could see clearly. "T-twilight?" She got up on her hooves backing away from me until she stood pressed against the opposite wall of her chambers, next to the door to the balcony. She stood there for a few seconds, contemplating what to do, before opening the doors and galloping out on the balcony. “Wait!” I tried to follow her, but suddenly a colorful bunch of smoke appeared in front of me, leaving me to run straight into Discord with my muzzle. “Oopsie Daisy, seems like I ruined your chance. I’m so sorry Princess, but I could make this up to you if you would accept my help!” he played serious now, a mustache appearing on his face after a flash, which he proceeded to stroke with his clawed hand as if in deep thought. I tried to ignore him and looked to the balcony, just to find it empty. Luna had fled. "It's your fault! All your fault! Now I'll never get the chance to tell her!" I screamed in anger, but as I turned around I was met with an empty room; no Discord to be found. Great, I’m at the same point as I was before. Maybe asking Princess Celestia? I quickly abandoned the idea, pretty sure that the Princess wouldn’t help me chase after her sister. Slowly, I made my way up to the balcony to hopefully catch a small hint where Luna flew off to, but there was nothing to be seen. After searching the room for evidence, I made my way towards my old room in Celestia’s tower. It was nearly the same room I stayed at during my studies in Canterlot, but at the same time it had been renovated. The bed was a minimum of five times bigger than the old ones, and everywhere in the room hung my banner as a Princess. Maybe some reading will relax my mind. Reaching my room, I used a spell that teleported a random book to me, but the book that appeared wasn’t what I had in mind. In front of me laid ‘Dreamwalkers’, a book that described how Alicorns could walk into the so called ‘dreamsphere’, watching and changing the dreams of everypony. I never intend to read it completely, since the book said it was impossible for everypony except especially talented alicorns to master this art. While I gazed at the cover, my mind rumbled again. First the scream in my dream and then here from Princess Luna. I knew that Luna could visit dreams, but I didn’t know if she could change them or directly appear in them. Maybe the book could answer these pressing questions for me. Grabbing it in my aura I flew to my bed with a few flaps, making myself comfortable and opened the book. Time ran by and soon the sun was appearing at the horizon. The book revealed nothing besides some interesting facts about the dreamsphere itself. Not a word about the ability to change them completely or appear in them, visible and hearable to the dreamer. I think the only one that could answer that for me would be Princess Luna… I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t even hear the door opening and Princess Celestia walking in. “Here you are, Twilight. The Delegates from Saddle Arabia will arrive in a few hours, we should prepare…” she stopped for a moment, seeming to take me in with her eyes before she walked closer, softly brushing her wing over me and snapping me out of my thoughts, “Twilight, is everything alright?” “Uhm, sorry. Yes, I mean No… Urgh I don’t know, Princess,” I answered, my mind still wandering around. “Oh Twilight,” she giggled a bit, “How many times to I have to repeat myself? We are equals now, call me Celestia. I can see that something is wrong. Would you like to talk to me about it?” “But Princ- I mean Celestia. You are thousands of years older than me and much wiser. I will never be an equal to you, and I don’t think I can talk about it,” I replied, my eyes locked onto the sheets on my bed. Celestia raised her wing under my chin, forcing me to look up into her face, a warm expression shining down on me. “Oh, my faithful student. You have done many extraordinary things that I could never have done in my entire life span, saving Equestria and me with it many, many times. While you might be no longer my student, I will still be here to lead and guide you. You can tell me everything, Twilight,” she closed with a warm smile that made me smile too. “Thank you Pr- Celestia. But I don’t know how to talk about it. It’s difficult and I-” I wasn’t coming any further, the next thing unexpected. “How could that be sooo difficult?” a voice snarled, then began to sing. Yes, sing, “Twilight has a crush on Luna, crush on Luna, crush on Luna. Twilight has a crush on Luna, drea-ming about her, all night.” It startled Celestia and myself, at the last word fireworks exploded and Discord appeared in front of us, bowing in front of an invisible, cheering audience. “Oh thank you, thank you everypony! I know I’m incredible,” he said, still bowing and smirking towards Celestia and me. As I realized what he had sung, my heart dropped several inches. Blushing, I immediately tried a long-range teleportation spell, but a wing from Celestia stopped me. She looked at me with an expression I just couldn’t define, and finally she spoke. “Is this true, Twilight?” she simply asked. “Y-yes Princess” “What was that Twilight?” Celestia asked again, “I can’t hear you” “Yes, for Ponies sake, I love your sister; Princess Luna!” I screamed before crushing my head into the pillow. Discord raised a paw into the air, “Yeeees, finally she talked about it, finally-” A strong gaze from Celestia made him shut his muzzle and disappear in a bright cloud. Then she looked at me again, the expression becoming soft and warm. “Oh Twilight. Why haven’t you told me earlier? Everything seems clear now, and this explains Luna’s behaviour. She been trying to avoid you for months,” Celestia nuzzled my cheek before smiling. I looked into her eyes, feeling tears well up in my eyes, “I’m so, so sorry Celestia! Just because of me, Luna ran away and I don’t know where to find her, and Discord only made it worse! What shall I do now?” I sobbed back into my pillow while Celestia brushed her wing over me, seemly calming me down after a while. “You mean what we shall do now?” Celestia asked with a small smirk. “Wh-what?” Now I was really confused. “I will help you, dear Twilight, but for now let us prepare everything for the delegates. After that, we can take care about my sister,” she replied. “Promise?” I asked, eyes wide upon what she just said. “Promise, Twilight,” she laughed and wrapped a wing around me, leading me out of the bed and my room. Maybe, that day wouldn’t be that bad after all.