A Week With a Lune: Chapter 1
By: Metal Squirrel Chaos
The Nobles at the Royal Breakfast had not reacted quite as she had hoped.
“You monster!” screamed Polished Silver, the head of the Silver clan. “You can’t fool us with your lies. You have finally decided to do away with our beloved princess and take over once and for all.”
The entire table erupted into chaos. The other attendance all rose up, spouting what sounded, collectively, like gibberish. But to the princess, she could hear the hateful words loud and clear.
Princess Luna, who had watched the tragedies of earthquakes, floods, and disasters both natural and unnatural, was more stunned than she had been in over fifteen hundred years. “What?” she finally managed to ask. When her mind had finished processing this, her voice, and anger, rapidly increased. “What did thou DARE accuse us of?!” she asked, the full force of her Royal Voice brought to bear.
The entire Nobility present suddenly backed away from the Midnight Maiden, eyes wide in terror and stricken silent.
Behind their princess, Morningstar and Equinox both exchanged glances, both wondering if they would need to intervene before their charge hurt someone in anger.
“You rotten, unforgiving, ungrateful maggots!” she growled, placing her hooves on the table and glaring daggers at the lot of them, standing up to appear much taller. “You dare accuse a princess of such treachery?! We shall-”
“My my my,” came a motherly voice from behind the rampaging Starlight Alicorn. The entire table turned their heads in its direction to see Celestia standing in the doorway with a wide, knowing smile. “Luna, what ever are you shouting about?”
Luna furrowed her brow and glared at her sister. Could she not make this one announcement without the older sibling having to interfere? “We thought we did instruct thou, dear sister, to stay in bed this morning, and for one week hence, since that was the agreed time. Why are thou here?”
“Oh,” Celestia somehow widened her smile, sounding very chipper. “Well I guess I’m just used to getting up early. Raising the sun and all. Don’t worry though, I still plan on taking the week off to relax.”
The Nobility, who had all remained silent till this point, began to chat amongst themselves in whispers. Polished Silver’s face had turned a deep red color, and she had shrunk deep under the table, as if trying to hide.
Luna decided, for the sake of her sister and of her throbbing temple, to ignore them for now. “So then, Celestia, where does thou find thyself going?”
The Solar Alicorn grinned again. “Oh I just plan on taking a nice relaxing flight around Equestria. I definitely want to stop by Ponyville today, however. I heard from Twilight last night that the Running of the Leaves is scheduled today, and that she’s competing. Oh I would love to see how she places. She has been studying the mechanics of racing all night.”
Luna thought about Twilight Sparkle attempting to actually run a race. The image of the unicorn running about thirty feet before collapsing on her skinny little bookworm legs was oddly amusing to the Moon Maiden. “Well I do wish her luck then, and you as well sister. Have a pleasant week off.”
“Oh don’t worry Luna,” Celestia grinned suddenly as her magic flared up. Next to her appeared a rather sizable suitcase. “I have every intention of doing just that.”
The older sibling walked her way toward one of the windows overlooking the city, and with a gentle nudge of her magic, let it fly open. She spread her wings and gave them a few test flaps. It had been a while since she had flown under her own power. With that same motherly smile she turned back to her sister and subjects. “Goodbye, my little ponies. I shall see you all in one week’s time. Till then, I have left my sister in charge, as she mentioned.”
With that, she then looked her younger sister in the eye. “Good luck, Luna. Try not to let things get out of control. I would hate for things to get...” with that, Celestia’s magic once more flared up, and in a flash, she was wearing a pair of sunglasses “...Loony.”
“YYYYEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” screamed Morningstar. This of course made the entire room turn to face him. The Royal Guard blinked and blushed deep with embarrassment. “Hehe, sorry. Not sure what that was.”
Princess Luna sighed and placed her hooves on her head to stop the headache from getting worse. She then turned toward her sister to berate her for the pun (which she had always found the lowest form of comedy) only to see that her sister had already left through the window. She muttered a few things not meant for the ears of modern ponies, then turned back to the breakfast table.
Most all of the nobility were looking toward her now, each sweating in a combination of embarrassment and shame. Polished Silver had by this time snuck away, the last sign of her presence being the slowly swinging doorway she had left through.
Luna just sighed and gritted her teeth. “If anyone else is uncomfortable eating with your princess this morning, then thou may leave at thyne will,” she hissed, to frustrated to call her Royal Voice to her.
Very quickly, the room emptied. The Nobility began to filter out, some taking a few bits of food with them, others nearly running for the door. It took ten seconds flat for all of them to filter out.
Luna sighed deeply and lay her head on the breakfast table, her appetite suddenly abandoning her. Just like her subjects had. Again. However, her ears perked up as she heard a gentle sipping sound to her left, and sat back up.
There, still seated, and sipping at a bowl of soup, was Fancy Pants.
“Thou does not fear us? Or hate us?” she asked, skeptical of his intentions.
“Not at all, my dear,” the regal colt said, his voice like pristine water, both smooth and inoffensive as possible. “Unlike my compatriots, I find your demeanor quite charming. Do not think too harshly of them. They will come around to you, eventually.”
Luna blinked at his kinds words, but remained unconvinced. “And how does thou know that?”
“Because I know them, Princess,” he said with a friendly, if coy, smile. He took another deep sip of his soup before speaking again. “You scare the elite of Canterlot quite a bit, you know. And not just because you are a princess, or because of that whole fiasco so long ago.”
“Then for what reason do they find us terrifying, if not that?” the Starlight Alicorn asked, genuinely confused.
Fancy Pants chuckled again as he finally finished his soup. “Simple, my dear. Do you remember your first dinner party here in Canterlot? The one with Blazing Heat?”
Luna growled as the memory surfaced. “We remember him, and what he did.”
“Yes,” Fancy Pants nodded, “but do you know why he did it?”
“Anger? Frustration? He was allergic to sunflowers?”
Fancy Pants just shook his head from side to side. “It was all a test, Princess. A test for you.”
***
In that same room, only a few weeks ago, the entirety of Canterlot’s nobility was present at the table as the sun set in the west, the moon’s steady rise mirroring it. Both princesses were in attendance to the Royal Dinner for the first time in over a thousand years.
Luna sat next to her sister at the head of the table. Celestia had said little besides her polite greetings, and Luna had said nothing at all. Behind them, both of their sets of personal guards stood at attention.
The Elite of Canterlot kept mostly to themselves this night. While the dinner would normally be the perfect time for idle chit chat and pleasantries, a secret plot had been formed between all that attended, and a few who had not. That plan would soon come to fruition.
“Excuse me,” Celestia said suddenly, standing up, “I must use the little pony’s room for a moment.” With that, the Solar Alicorn walked gently out of the room.
The attending Nobility nodded to each other, all eyes suddenly turning to Blazing Heat, a tall and strong built unicorn with a bright orange coat and dazzling red mane. A pony who, moments ago, had taken unusually long in ordering his favorite dish, a Flower Salad Extravagant. It was a collection of nearly every commonly grown flower in Equestria, plus some spices and other extras.
He had taken so long, that just as Celestia left, a waitress entered the room through the same doorway.
“Your dish, sir,” said the waitress, a bright smile on her face as she brought the salad to his seat at the table.
Blazing Heat’s eyes narrowed and he turned to her. “What is this?”
The waitress blinked in confusion. “Sir? What ever do you mean?”
“Incompetence!” he shouted, standing up. “You foolish mare, I ordered this salad with no sunflowers. Are you trying to kill me?”
With that, Blazing Heat raised his hoof, and stuck the waitress across the face.
The entire nobility let out a gasp, one they had practiced just for moments like this. The waitress’ eyes were filling with tears as she placed a hoof to her cheek.
And suddenly, all eyes were on Princess Luna.
In Princess Celestia’s presence, such an act would have had the perpetrator scolded harshly, had him forced to apologize, and sent him on his way for the night. A slap on the wrist. Most attending were expecting something similar. Others were expecting, or maybe hoping, that the younger sibling would do nothing at all, and allow it to happen.
No-one expected Blazing Heat to be lifted with magic from his seat and slammed harshly onto the table. Least of all Blazing Heat, judging by the look on his face.
“HOW DARE YE!” the princess echoed, the full power of her Voice echoing through the room. A wind had picked up from seemingly nowhere, causing the curtains to riffle as if in a tornado, the plates and silverware the only thing holding the tablecloth where it was. Her eyes were white, and her face was contorted in anger as she approached the object of her ire. “Ye would strike another for such a simple mistake? For a small trespass of thine person?”
“I’m sorry Princess, please forgive me!” Blazing Heat pleaded, gasping for breath as the grip around him seem to tighten.
“Stay your words and speak no more,” the Night Guardian growled. “Your shameful display will not be forgiven this night. You are banished from this Royal Dinner, and the Royal Breakfast, from hence forth. Do not return.”
And with that, Luna tossed him out a window.
The entire Nobility gasped, this time for real, and ran to the various windows to watch.
Princess Luna watched him fall as well, her face even and cool. Blazing Heat struggled with the air, screaming as he neared the ground. Just before he hit it, Luna’s magic sparked, and he found himself encased in a magical bubble.
As the bubble hit the ground, Blazing Heat exhaled the breath he was holding. "Whew."
Then he screamed, as the bubble bounced him high into the air again.
This happened several more times, much of Canterlot exiting their homes to watch Blazing Heat, the Incredible Bouncing Ball. Eventually, the bubble stopped bouncing, and with a pop, Blazing Heat found himself laying on the cold stone of Canterlot’s streets. He was alive, but not exactly well.
The Nobility still in attendance at the Royal Dinner began to whisper to one another as Princess Luna walked toward the waitress who had been struck, who was now cowering on the floor.
“He shan't hurt you again, dear citizen,” she said with a smile.
“Please don’t hurt me,” the young waitress screamed, before she ran through the doorway she had entered from.
As if to mirror everything, as the waitress left, Princess Celestia stepped in, watching her go.
“Hello everypony, did I miss anything?”
***
“That act of violence was a test?” the younger princess asked.
“I'm afraid so,” Fancy Pants confirmed. “You see, the nobility was not sure of your attitude. Your first few days of being so quiet led them to believe you were something of, pardon my droll term usage, a wuss.”
“And we showed them otherwise?” Luna guessed.
“Yes, you did, but that’s not the only reason they fear you.”
“What other reasons would they have?”
Fancy Pants finished the last of his soup with the same ever polite sipping he always did, before dabbing his face with a napkin. “Simple, you’re the Queen.”
“But we are a Princess,” Luna blinked.
“I’m aware. I mean in a figurative sense.” Fancy Pants stood up, and walked his way toward one of the windows to look out at the city of Canterlot. Luna, feeling a strange pull, decided to join him.
“Think of it like chess,” he continued. “Celestia is the King. The ultimate prize, the most important piece on the board. To the rest of the Nobility, common ponies are pawns, and they themselves are the Elite, the Rooks and Knights and Bishops and such.” He smiled as he turned to her. “But you? You are the Queen. The most powerful piece. What every member of the Nobility wishes they were. You, are the co ruler of Equestria, but more importantly, as Celestia’s sister, you have more persuasion against her than almost anyone else in the city. Nopony else can sway her as you can. What’s worse, as you demonstrated that night, you are not willing to play their game. And that terrifies them more than anything.”
Princess Luna thought about it for a moment. Suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense. “So they fear our influence as well as our attitude? But they have nothing to truly fear. We hold no grudge against those who do not deserve it.”
“They will come to realize that, one day, I think.” Fancy Pants smiled. “Which is why I think you will eventually win them over. Just give it time. Your arrival is a major event, and several ponies have not yet gotten over the shock of two princesses to rule them.”
Luna cocked an eyebrow at him. “And thou? How does thou feel about all of these events?”
Fancy Pants gave the biggest grin he could muster. “I feel lucky to have lived to witness your return.” With that, he levitated a watch from his coat pocket. “However, I am now running much later than intended, and must bid you adieu, Princess.”
“We,” Luna thought for a moment, “We thank you for telling us all of this. And for your kind words.”
“Think nothing of it. Good Day Princess, good luck with our kingdom.” He gave his always polite and dignified bow, before exiting the room.
Princess Luna sighed, and gave a smile. The morning had not gone as planned, but she still felt confident about the rest of the week.
Noting that it was nearly time for court to be opened, Luna quickly scarfed down a few pieces of toast and made her way to the throne room, her spirit renewed.
Still though, one part of her mind would not relax. An unanswered question still hung in the air.
“Why does she even need sunglasses?”