//------------------------------// // Day 1 part 1: 'Sociable'? // Story: Princess Luna: Crusade for 'Friendship' // by overlord-flinx //------------------------------// “I beseech you!” the princess of the night, Princess Luna, was grovalling before her sister, grasping at the mare’s long white legs. The entirety of the Canterlot Castle guards, maids, elders, and even bystanders had gathered at this spectacle so early in the morning. Everypony tried to stay out of sight, but the courtyard provided little enough cover for them all; but this was well worth being spotted. Princess Luna, normally asleep as this hour due to her own work schedule, was on her knees pleading to her elder sister. Celestia looked over the crowd with a burn of embarrassment running behind her face. “Luna, do not make a scene,” as low as she could, she partly scolded her younger sister. Luna refused to relent despite her sister’s tone. “Have a level of compassion, Sister Celestia. I will purge the entire palace of grime. I will even trim the hedge-maze itself! But I plead sister, plead!” Celestia was growing impatient with her sister’s pleas. The denizens of the courtyard watched as Luna became encased in a golden blanket of magic, her being lifted off of the floor and away from her sister’s hooves. Celestia gestured for two of Luna’s Nightguards to follow her as she magically carried an off balanced and surprise faced Luna. “Now, Luna. I love you so. Twilight knows this, Cadance knows this, Shining knows this, even your two most faithful guards know this,” as if in response the two dark stallions nodded and gave a grunt, “and you as well know this. However,” Celestia came to a stop at the bridge of her castle and released Luna from her magical entrapment, “as I mentioned many days ago, times have changed and so have the people. You’ve made a step in the right direction during Nightmare Night, but it’s only a step.” “Then allow me sister to—“ Before Luna could rebuttal a moment more, Celestia turned her back and headed back towards her Castle and the watching crowd. “Celestia!” Luna was only able to take a few steps foreword before her own tow guards blocked her path silently. With a simple look back with a soothing smile, Celestia tried one final note of calm to be given to her sister. “Start small, Luna. You’ll be allowed back into the castle at sunset. At that point, I’ll ask about your progress.” No more to say, Celestia exited the courtyard and disappeared into the elegant castle. One by one until in clustering droves, the ponies all left the site; leaving Luna alone with her two guards on the drawbridge. Loyal as her guards were to her, they did worry at times about Princess Luna. Even so, they dipped their heads in sorry regards to their charge before moving aside and standing at attention for her. “Sunset is in ten hours, your highness,” one guard, Sunshine Smiles by name, informed his princess, looking at her with his one good eye. “We will guide you and assist you in whatever you wish to do,” the second guard, Frolicsome Meadowlark as he was named, joined in informing his princess. “So tell us, your highness. What are your commands?” Grateful as she was for her guards’ loyalty and commitment to her, Luna still felt out of place for all of this. It had been bad enough that she was casted into the light of day when she would rather be sleeping or moving about the halls of the castle, but the mission she was given was nearly impossible. “Gentlecolts.” She spoke up firmly. Both of the Nightguards tightened their stance respectfully, but saw Luna only slump evermore. “…I haven’t a clue how to be—What was that word Celestia used?” “Sociable, your highness.” Sunshine repeated Celestia’s orders. “Yes… Sociable. How does one be ‘sociable’.” Putting air quotes around ‘sociable’, Luna questioned on with her guards. “Regardless of how you can do it, princess, you must find a way.” “Meadowlark is correct, your highness. With all due respect, we both –as well as your sister- worry about your personal life.” It usually had to be Sunshine Smiles to speak out of turn; Luna had come to value his honesty. Even so, Luna did not enjoy hearing this. “Perhaps you speak in truth… But where does one start with being ‘sociable’.” The two guards broke their stances for a moment as the stroked their chins in thought, each pondering out some sort of possibility. “Your sister suggested starting small…” Meadowlark mused partly to himself. Slowly, a smile grew across Sunshine’s face as he looked to his brother. “Start small. That gives me an idea,” quick as he could, Sunshine Smiles produced a gothic umbrella from a satchel on his side, offering it to his princess. “Your majesty; your umbrella.” It was normal for Luna -whenever about in the light of day- to use her umbrella or any other sort of cover to shield her from the light. It wasn’t because the sun hurt her; it had only been a choice on her own part. Gripping the handle with her magic, Luna took the umbrella and opened it to cloak herself in its casting shadow. “Pray tell Sunshine Smiles, what does thou plan for us to do?” “As your sister said, ‘start small’. From what I recall, during you last visit to Ponyville, you managed to forge a friendship with one colt in particular,” Sunshine Smiles informed while leading the way down the street path. “Cease,” Luna called to her two guards who had already started down the lengthy path through Canterlot. “Ponyville is miles away. Will it not make more sense to take the carriage?” Meadowlark was the one to speak up, granted with a level of unease. “Normally we would, your highness. But, as it were… Your sister has forbade us from using or doing anything more than walking with you and providing basic advice…” “We are sorry, your majesty.” Sunshine Smiles offered honestly. This was starting to get annoying. Not only was she casted out into the day, but she was forced to go everywhere by foot or by wing. In the end it wouldn’t be too troubling seeing as how she could fly, but that didn’t make the task any easier. “If that is indeed how my sister wishes to handle this, then so be it.” Luna’s wings furled out to initiate her flight. Seeing as how her guards were both pegasi, they too readied their wings and joined her in her ascent. In a ‘V’ formation, both guards protecting a side of Luna, the trio made it to Ponyville’s outskirts within minutes. Since Nightmare Night, this had been the first time Luna had revisited this rustic village. Even more so, this had marked the very first time she’d seen it so filled with life. The young princess watched as ponies bustled from street to street, from stand to stand, and from house to house as if it had been her first time of seeing village life. “Welcome to Ponyville daytime, your majesty.” Meadowlark said as he and his brother tucked their wings away. “We have a little less then ten hours until sunset,” Sunshine pointed out while watching the sun above. The sky was nearly clear except for a few dark clouds coming over the horizon. Cloudsdale was clearly planning to have a rain storm later in the day, but for now the sun was clear and bright in the early morning blue. Luna shook her focus off of the crowds in the village and instead focused on her guards. “I would rather get through with this posthaste…” she informed them frankly. “We would imagine so. Do you need us to refresh your memory on your goal?” “Best to do so as to avoid any mistakes, Meadowlark.” “As you command. You have until sunset to make five friends,” Meadowlark explained. “However, this excludes Twilight Sparkle and her fellow Element holders, as per your sister’s request,” Sunshine added the condition. If this was Celestia’s will, for her to make friends outside of the castle, Luna would do it. With the assistance of her two trusted Nightguards, this would go by within five hours. “Taxing… but not impossible. So be it. Now tell me, Sunshine Smiles, what plans do you have for completion?” “As your sister said, start small.” “Order, order!” banging her gavel against the makeshift table, Sweetie Belle called for attention within the club house. “Cutie Mark Crusaders roll call. Scootaloo?” “Present,” the orange pegasus flopped up one of her tiny wings to signal her presence. “Apple Bloom?” “Here,” the little red bow wearing earth pony chirped. “Sweetie Belle?” Sweetie Belle hopped down from her spot and moved nest to Scootaloo, raising her hand, “I’m here.” Stating her being, she moved back up to her spot and smiled at her friends. “Great, so we’re all here. So… What do are we doing today?” “Bear wrastlin’!” Apple Bloom cheered. “We can’t wrestle a bear,” Scootaloo sighed, “not until we can wrestle a sheep. We gotta’ work our way up.” “Hmmm… how about fire fighting?” Sweetie Belle suggested. “Ah’ don’t know… Big sis is still mad about us starting that last fire in the barn…” “I told you fire starting wasn’t going to be our talent,” Scootaloo pouted. “Alright, holding off on the fire fighting.” “Oh! What about—“ before Scootaloo could make a suggestion, a knock came to the tree house door. The three crusaders quickly darted to the door both eagerly and anxiously. “Password?” Apple Bloom called through the wooden door. “Open the door or we’ll jump through the window?” a deep voice asked. “…That was last weeks, but alright, we’ll let you in.” Scootaloo nodded a signal to Sweetie Belle. Using her own magic, like the gavel before, Sweetie Belle manipulated the door open slowly to reveal two dark stallions standing in the doorway with sleek dark armor. The two groups just looked at the other for a few moments, blinking periodically without a sound. With a simple cough into his hoof, Sunshine Smiles broke the silence. “Can we… Can we come in?” the eye-patch wearing pegasus asked uncomfortably. “No one gets in without giving their name,” Scootaloo informed them without a hint of fear over the menacing stallions. The two guards exchanged looks before looking back at the little fillies. “I am Sunshine Smiles, and this is my brother Frolicsome Meadowlark,” the two ignored the small snickers that the little girls tried to hold in, “we’re serving as envoys for our mistress.” “Envoys?” “Mistress?” “Meadowlark?” In answering the first two questions, the two guards stepped aside to reveal Princess Luna standing under her umbrella standing on the porch. The three crusaders stopped their snickers, and instead dropped their jaws in amazement at the sight of one of the royal sisters. “…May we enter?” Luna asked calmly. The three fillies could only muster a slow collection of nods while stepping out of the way for their royal guest. Sunshine and Meadowlark took their places on the outside of the door in a protecting manner, letting Sweetie Belle close the door behind Luna. Once inside, Luna studied the small interior of these fillies’ tree house fort. Crayon maps, a nearly empty bookcase, a shabby desk, and a partly glazed over window were the very few things to notice within this home. But somehow, Luna felt comfortable with it. “Uh… Ms. Princess Luna ma’am?” Apple Bloom cautiously spoke up. “Not that we don’t like ya’ bein’ here, but uh… why are ya’ here?” Luna gave a gentle smile and discarded her umbrella, placing it furled back to its original size by the door. “Children. How old dost thou think I am?” “…Is that a trick question?” Sweetie Belle asked in return. “Not at all, little one. I ask for the sake of curiosity. I am older than Equestria itself. And with my age, comes years and years of experience.” Luna boasted a little, “true however that I was banished to the moon for many years, my mind is still rich with experience. Which is why I have descended on you three ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’. I come with a proposition for you three.” The Cutie Mark Crusaders all felt their hearts do a back flip inside their chests. Finally, a pony with enough knowledge to make getting their cutie marks easier. “What is it? What is it?” They all asked with jumps of childish joy. “…How would thou like to hear a tale?”