//------------------------------// // Girls Day Out // Story: Champion of the Sun // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// Luna had never felt more alive in her life than she was at the moment. She was on the back of Celestia, sailing across the clouds with both arms in the air and a smile on her face. She had closed her eyes so that she could feel the cool breeze on her face while also taking in the warmth of the sun. Below her Princess Luna was being pulled along in a sphere of solar magic, while Harp Note rode a wave road next to the three. "I can't believe this is real!" Luna exclaimed with a loud laugh as she opened her eyes and stared into the horizon, happier than she had been in a long time. "Flying on the back of a Pegasus was something I only thought I could get away with in my dreams, but here we are!" "Technically I'm an alicorn, but I am glad to see that your mood has improved," Celestia said over her shoulder to Luna before the princess of the sun began to scan the ground for a place to land. She made a motion to her sister and Luna nodded, getting Celestia to begin to descend. Luna looked over the shoulder of Celestia to find that they were landing downtown. "Why are we going to a marketplace?" Luna asked Celestia, who smiled in reply without revealing anything. The princesses landed first, drawing all eyes to them. Luna hopped off the back of Celestia and looked around to see the citizens gawking at the princesses, while Harp Note landed in a back alley and walked out a few moments later as her human self...not that Luna could recognize her at first. "Sonia, is that you?" Luna asked as she stifled a giggle as she saw what the superstar was wearing. Sonia was wearing a yellow hoodie with the sleeves ripped off, had a large pair of sunglasses on her face and her hair had been dyed yellow. "You look...nothing like you're supposed to." "That's the idea," Sonia said in a voice that sounded far more devilish than her usual voice. "Don't want to run the risk of being spotted in public. The people here might exploded if they saw Sonia with the two alien princesses that have access to something most people thought was a myth." "Good point. And with everything that is going on, freaking them may be the last thing we want to do," Luna agreed before she looked to the two princesses, who had found a pair of benches and were sitting on them as best they could. The two girls walked over to where the ponies were sitting, both of them cracking up at the sight for a brief moment. "So princesses, why did you bring the both of us out here? Especially without Geo? What if the Maestro attacks?" "Then he will fight two princesses of Equestria and best the both of them. And that would be an outcome he has already seen. Which he hates above all else," Celestia said in a knowing tone as her eyes narrowed. "But if not, Megaman is waiting for a signal just to be safe. He's not too far from here, actually." "I thought that was him following us at a distance," Sonia muttered with a nod before crossing her arms, looking around to make sure that no one else was listening in. "But that still didn't answer the question. Why bring us out here and away from the safety of the base?" Celestia looked to her sister, who nodded before gazing upon the two before her. "Luna asked me for help the other day, help in being a better leader so that she could aid your commandoes when the time came for us to battle the Maestro and his forces once and for all. I agreed and here we are "You promised you wouldn't tell!" Luna half shrieked when Sonia glanced at the girl. "No, you made me promise I wouldn't tell Geo, Bud or Zack. You never said anything about Sonia," Princess Luna replied with a sly smirk that made the teenager groan and hide her face in her hands. "And that is what we are here today to do. We are here to start showing you tips and tools we used as leaders back when we ruled." "I know I asked you for help, but why is your sister here?" Luna asked. "Because I also observed how you "instructed" your friends when you were showing me around a while back. And I agree with my sister that you need some work," Celestia said with a nod of her head before she smirked and poked Luna with her wing. "Also my sister is terrible at keeping secrets from me...except for the only one that mattered." "Yeah, she wormed out what I was planning yesterday. Sorry bout that," Princess Luna apologized while she rubbed the back of her head and stuck out her tongue meekly. "So, you get the added bonus of having the alicorn that ruled Equestria by herself for a thousand years while her much better looking younger sister was...indisposed." "Well, I am grateful to have you here," Luna said with a smile to Celestia, who nodded in reply. "Hey, Luna?" Sonia asked. "Yes?" both of them responded at the same time. "Heh, that's never going to get old. Princess Luna, you explained why Luna and the two of you are here, but why were you so instant that I come along as well?" "Ah, that is because I enjoy talking to you," Princess Luna replied with a smile before patting the spot on the bench next to her. "And that we never got to finish the story about the time that you got separated from your producer in that foreign county." Sonia smirked in reply to Luna's words before she walked over to the princess and sat down beside her, turning her gaze upon Luna, who was looking at the three with a nervous expression. "So, what am I supposed to do?" Luna asked in a meek tone. "Back at the mall, you were instructing your friends to show me around...and then took credit like you yourself had done something worthy of praise," Celestia said in a no-nonsense tone that made Luna's eyes shrink slightly. "Luna, from my observations of you and your actions, you are terrible at reading ponies...people. Sorry, it is hard to break a way I have talked for so long." "It's okay. But what do you mean, bad at reading people?" "Back when we were at the mall, you were so concerned with impressing me by showing me everything of interest that you failed to see I was more interested in your friends. Or when you tried to say that your leadership is what allowed us to find those interesting stores, when in reality it was your friends," Celestia explained, causing Luna's face to fall with each word. "And Sonia has told me plenty of stories told to her by Geo, one of them being the first time you met him," Princess Luna added on, turning the teenagers attention to the two of them. "If what Geo told her was true, then you essentially bullied him into going to school, even when it was clear that he had no desire to." "That was-" "I do not want an excuse. I am telling you what happened," Princess Luna cut her off in a tone that silenced any backtalk. "Luna, in order to become the leader you wish to be, you must learn to read the emotions of those around you and to see how they feel. Yes, part of being a leader is telling others what to do, but you must also understand them and their emotions in order to truly lead. If my sister and I hadn't cared for our subjects, do you think they would have adored us so?" "No...but Geo, Bud and Zack have still listened to me." "Yes. Because they are your friends. And they are afraid of you, to an extent," Celestia added, getting Luna to widen her eyes. "Do not act surprise. Your reaction to the news the other day told me everything I needed to know about how you felt about insubordination. You have a temper that reminds me of a younger me. Much younger." "I'm not scary! Yeah, I can be a little tough, but...Sonia, a little help?" "Sorry, Luna, but you scary," Sonia replied with a shrug of her shoulders and a smirk. Luna looked from her to the princesses before she hung her head. "So what do you want me to do?" she asked. "That is simple. I want you to observe these people," Luna said as she motioned her wing to all of the people around them. "I want you to see how they're doing, how they seem to be feeling and how you would instruct them if they were your allies. Then you will come and tell me of your thoughts and I will see how they stack up to what my sister and I think. You start now and have until sunset." Luna spun on her heels and began to race around, leaving the princesses to shake their heads when she began to panic. The three of them watched Luna race around for a bit, before she finally managed to calm herself down and found a place away from the group where she had a clear view of everyone. A green rabbit in a magicians hat appeared beside the girl and offered her advice, leaving Sonia to explain that the rabbit was Luna's wizard. "It was nice of you to help her," Sonia said to the two princesses after everything had calmed down and the group had gotten tired of watching Luna freak out. She leaned back against the bench and stared up at the sky, while Luna and Celestia read information about the world on Celestia's Hunter VG. "It was no problem. I promised that I would not let the Maestro win, no matter what. Luna felt so down because of something that the Maestro had said, so I have to make sure that she does not let him get to her," Luna explained before smiling to herself. "Not to mention, as Celestia said, Luna reminds me of a younger Celestia, one that had a volcano for a temper. You should have seen it when she threatened to throw all of the dragons into the sun." "The threat worked and they never bothered us again. I fail to see why you see the threat of throwing somepony into the sun as a poor negotiating tool," Celestia shot back with a smirk, one that made Luna roll her eyes. "Throwing your foes into the sun is a valid strategy and one that should be used more often. Why can you not understand that?" "Because the ruler of Equestria shouldn't be going around threatening to throw others into the sun," Luna replied with a laugh before she seemed to get the thousand yard stare in her eyes, one that Sonia noticed was in Celestia's eyes as well. "Those were the days, huh? When mom and dad dealt with everything and allowed us to run around to our devices. When we could terrify others with threats of solar incineration?" "Back when we had little responsibility and could go wherever we wanted, without a care in the world?" Celestia added on with a smirk, one that seemed dry and pained. "Yeah, I remember those days. No cares about ruling, about billions of lives resting on our call...or thoughts of what would happen if we made the wrong choice. When the weight of the world wasn't on our shoulders?" "Yeah...those were the days..." Luna said as well before she shook her head and forced the pained memories to go away, before she glanced down at the concerned face of Sonia. "So yes, those are my reasons for helping your friend past her problems. And once I am done with her, I promise that I will help you with your courage." "My courage? My courage is fine," Sonia said with some indignation as she crossed her arms. "Who was the first of us to take on the Maestro when he showed up at my studio? Me. Who always jumps into danger at the first sign of trouble? Me. Who stands up to Luna whenever she gets mad? A dead man, that's who. I think my courageous actions speak for themselves." "Are you sure? Perhaps there is something that makes you second guess yourself...or perhaps there is something that you are to afraid to do? Afraid to say?" Princess Luna probed, but when Sonia gave her a look of confusion in reply the princess shook her head and smiled at her sister. "Ah to be young." "What are you talking about? Stop being subtle and just spit it out," Sonia growled at Luna, who stuck her tongue out in reply. Sonia raised an eyebrow before she tackled the princess and tried to put her into a headlock, getting a laugh out of Princess Luna before she began to resist. Despite still suffering from her wounds, Luna was more than strong enough to break the grip of Sonia and with a flick of her neck she tossed the teenager into the air. Before the superstar could begin to fall, Celestia caught her with her magic and lowered her to the ground, giving both her and her sister a look. "For a being that is over two thousand years old, you can be so immature sometimes," Celestia chided her sister, but Luna was having none of it. "Come sister, you must try to relax and have some fun. It is better than the alternative," Luna said with a smile, but her smile only caused her sister to roll her eyes and shake her head. Luna glanced at Sonia and gave the girl a shrug. "Sisters. What are you going to do?" "Deal with whatever Luna is dealing with apparently," Celestia replied, turning both Princess Luna and Sonia's head towards Luna, who was sprinting towards them at full speed with a look of terror on her face. "What is the matter, Luna?" "Yes, what is the matter? Did you tick someone one off?" Princess Luna asked with a smile. "Trouble...big trouble..." Luna panted as she doubled over and rested her hands on her knees, taking in numerous deep breaths. Before she could speak an explosion of shattered energy went off behind her, forcing Luna, Celestia and Sonia to leap off of the bench as people around them began to scream. From the center of the explosion walked forth a being with black, metal armor that had the symbol of Mu in the center. His blue visor was in the shape of an X and his left hand was filled with shattered magic. But all four of them narrowed their eyes with anger as they realized who was walking towards them. "Rogue," Sonia said with a hatred in her voice that Luna and Celestia didn't know she could make. "Figures that on such a beautiful day you would have to show up to ruin it? What's the matter? Get tired of getting your butt kicked by Geo? Or do you want my boot print there instead?" "I am here for the three of you," Rogue replied in a voice colder than ice as he pointed his blade at the four, eyes hidden behind the visor. "Maestro has had enough of you and your sister, Celestia. He said that your stories have ended, so you should end with it. And for the pain you caused him, he wants me to end your sister first. So you can watch. As for you girl, I have put off slaying you long enough. You can keep the two company in hell." "So Maestro doesn't want to deal with us himself and instead sends his lapdog to deal with us," Celestia replied in a voice like venom as she stepped before her sister, horn glowing with a powerful light. "No, lapdog isn't the right term for your relationship with him. I believe that the proper word is bit-" Faster than she could follow Rogue slammed his fist into her face, sending her flying backwards into the side of a building. Princess Luna called out to her sister, but before she could move Rogue kicked her in the chest and caused the princess to spiral off to the side. He then turned his gaze to Luna, who was staring up at him with fear. He glared at her for a second before he turned his hatred towards Sonia, who had taken off her hoodie to reveal she was wearing a workout shirt beneath. "Got to admit, never liked the idea of playing any of my music at a funeral," Sonia said with malice as she picked up her guitar and strummed it once, glaring at Rogue with blazing eyes. "But since it's your funeral, I guess I'll make an exception. What song would you like me to start with?" "I do not know what I hate more. Your constant interference or that annoying voice of yours," Rogue spat back as he aimed his blade at her chest. "Any last words before I make sure you never speak again?" "Just this. Transcode: Harp Note."