One meteorologist remarked that if the theory were correct, one flap of a sea gull's wings would be enough to alter the course of the weather forever. The controversy has not yet been settled, but the most recent evidence seems to favor the sea gulls.
-Edward Lorenz
It was night in the Crystal Empire. The magical dome, powered by spells stronger than Celestia could understand, kept the howling blizzard at bay, letting the city bask in stifling summer warmth.
Celestia stood in Luna’s chambers. She had barely managed to break out of her own house arrest not a quarter-hour before, and had, by a stroke of luck, managed to find Luna’s chambers. And now, she was about to have the most important conversation of her life.
“Luna,” Celestia said, putting a hoof under Luna’s chin and raising her gaze, “Do you trust me?”
A pause—and Luna nodded.
“Then I need you to trust me, one more time.”
Slowly, Luna nodded again. Celestia closed her eyes in relief.
“What should we do?” Luna asked, in a tiny voice.
“We need to go,” Celestia responded. “King Sombra is planning something, and we need to get away.” Luna opened her mouth to respond, but Celestia pressed her advantage. “You know it’s true,” she said. “You know how strange he’s been with your negotiations--how hard he fought, and how quickly he caved. No sane stallion would do such a thing…” she swallowed. “...not unless he had been playing you all along.”
To her own astonishment, Luna bowed her head—then nodded. She looked back up at Celestia, tears in her eyes.
“I know,” she said. “I know. I… I didn’t want to believe you… but…” She swallowed. “Where can we go? There’s nowhere we can hide here in the city…”
Celestia looked over her shoulder, at the false night sky, and thought she could see the storm beyond. “We go the only place we can,” she said. “We go out.”
Luna’s eyes went wide. “Are you crazy?” she said. “That’s impossible. We wouldn’t last the night!”
Celestia noticed the fear in Luna’s eyes, and felt her gut twist. “No, it’s not,” she said. “I did it.”
Luna shook her head. “B-but you, you’re—” she sighed. “You’re stronger than I am, Celestia. A-and you know how the weather works. You could do it, but I don’t think I could. Not in a million years.”
Celestia swallowed. She could feel her moment slipping. “Luna, trust me—”
“I do,” she said. “But what you’re asking is madness.” She stepped forward, and put her hooves on Celestia’s shoulders. “Now,” she said, “I need you to trust me.”
Celestia’s eyes went wide. “What do you mean?”
Luna nodded over Celestia’s shoulder—out the window, at the storm beyond the city. “Out there, we wouldn’t be of use to anyone—especially not as two alicornsicles.” She chuckled a little. “But here—here, we can do something. We can work against whatever it is that Sombra is planning.” She smiled crookedly. “Maybe save a few more lives that way.”
Celestia say back on her haunches, a faint panic bubbling up into her mind. She slowly shook her head. “Luna,” she said carefully, “I don’t think this is a good idea…”
Luna smiled, then laughed. “Oh, come on, Celestia,” she said. “We’re big girls, we can take care of ourselves.” She giggled a little. “I mean, really—what’s the worst that could happen?”