//------------------------------// // Asking the Princess of Friendship // Story: Cries of a Self-Tormented Soul // by twilightsparkle3562 //------------------------------// Chapter 2 "Asking the Princess of Friendship" As soon as she had finished raising the sun, Celestia departed for Twilight's castle, determined to get her to help break through to Luna and get her to reveal what was on her mind that night against the Tantabus. Luna's behavior at dinner the previous night was just an indication of the self-harm that she had been hiding. In fact, Twilight was thinking and considering about what Celestia had wrote to her the night before. "I still don't get it, Twilight," said Spike as they had breakfast. "Why would Celestia want to get Luna to open up about what happened in our dreams? Personally, I think she is being a little nosy, do you think?" "Well, Spike," replied Twilight. "I think Celestia has every right to be nosy, but in a good way. I mean, she is Luna's older sister after all and their parents have been gone for over a thousand years. So, what else do you think Celestia should do?" The baby dragon got up to get himself a drink as Twilight used her magic to eat another bite of her breakfast. It took a few moments, but Spike had managed to find an answer. "Well, I think she should let us try to persuade Luna to open up," suggested Spike. "I mean, we know what Luna said against the Tantabus, so maybe if we are present, Celestia can learn what Luna had on her mind?" Twilight considered the matter, but she realized that just because they would be in the same area with Luna, it wouldn't mean that she would tell everything that was on her mind to Celestia. "I don't know if that would be a good idea, Spike," sighed Twilight. "I want to help Luna get over her past as much as Celestia does, but it's not going to be easy. If we were in the same room as Celestia, Luna might not be willing to talk." Twilight then walked from the table over to a picture that was on her kitchen counter of her and the other princesses at her princess coronation. She couldn't help but notice that Luna was very uncomfortable in the picture, almost as if she didn't want to be at Twilight's coronation because Celestia was there. In fact, at all the previous events in Canterlot: her brother's wedding to Cadence and her princess Coronation in Canterlot; the Equestria Games in the Crystal Empire and even the recent summit in Canterlot, she noticed how uncomfortable Luna was around Celestia. "I'm saying maybe we should get the others in on this as well," said Spike, looking over at Twilight. "They listened to her reveal on how Luna created the Tantabus after all, you know." "You're right, Spike," said Twilight, turning back towards him. "They were also there and are probably thinking the same thing as us that we have to help Luna overcome this obstacle." It was at that moment that a knock was heard at the door and Twilight ran to open the doors to her castle to reveal Princess Celestia at the door, with two guards for protection on each side of her. "Princess Celestia," gasped Twilight, trying to catch her breath from all the running she did. "We weren't expecting you this early. I read your notice last night." Acknowledging the fact that Twilight read her note brought a smile to Celestia's face as she stepped into the castle. It seemed to Celestia that Twilight and her friends would help get her to open up about her feelings or at least in her mind. "I am glad you did, Twilight," replied Celestia as she followed Twilight into her castle. "Luna has been hiding something from me and I can't get her to tell me what it is. I know something had happened a few nights ago and I want her to tell me about it." Twilight led her mentor into her throne room and bolted the doors to give them uninterrupted privacy from anypony outside. Once the doors were closed, Twilight began to relay her thoughts to Celestia. "Something did happen a few nights ago," said Twilight, sitting at her throne. "Luna revealed that she had created the Tantabus to harm herself out of guilt for what she did as Nightmare Moon. My friends and I, along with the rest of Ponyville, had to convince her that she had to let go of her past in order to defeat the Tantabus and get it to weaken." Celestia could not believe what she had been hearing, but it was enough for her to take in and absorb into her mind. It seemed with every word Twilight said, it made the elder princess of Equestria even more determined to help get through to Luna. "I don't understand," sighed Celestia, her head lowering in despair. "Why would she say that to you and not to me, Twilight?" "I've often wondered about that myself," replied Twilight. "It seems maybe she is afraid of you reacting to something like this." Celestia was shocked by what Twilight had said. Yes, she learned what was on her little sister's mind, but why Twilight would say this and not Luna herself made her think of what was going through Luna's mind. "Then, we have to figure something out," said Celestia, firmly. "I need her to open up to me and me alone. That's why I need the help of you and your friends, Twilight." Twilight thought about what Celestia had said for a moment. Seemingly, having Twilight and her friends help Luna open up was a last resort for Celestia. "If we can do anything to help, Celestia," said Twilight, walking over to Celestia and nuzzling her gently. "By all means, we can. You have helped us many times in the past and I need to once again return you the favor. Let me get together with the rest of my friends and together, we can help find a way to get Luna to open up to you." Celestia smiled at this and after hugging each other, Celestia departed knowing that she was going to have the help of her most faithful student and her friends.