Moon Rising

by kibamudkip2

Chapter Eight: Sisters Day of Joy

One Month Later

Luna sat in her room at a large writing desk. Scrolls, books, and ancient parchments littered its surface as Luna sifted through them, reading and rereading them all, committing them forever to her memory. Ever since the talk she had with her Father, Luna had gone above and beyond what she was expected to learn in order to impress him, to prove herself to him, to gain his love. Between her studies and Celestia’s new duties as an active Princess, the two sisters had seen less and less of each other. Luna did her best to hide how much this bothered her, but she knew that Celestia caught the glance she often passed her way and wished that she felt the same.

Luna knew though, that if she wished to grow closer to her beloved sister once more, she had to gain the same responsibilities. Falling Star thought that she had gone mad after she disobeyed her father and told her friend what had happened in the Star Chamber. He had begged her not to push herself to hard, and that she was still a filly, she should be enjoying her life as best she could. She made him promise her that he could keep her a filly at heart. True to his word, Falling Star would approach the castle gates daily to call on her so that they may run and play. It kept her heart light and made her studies all the easier, and more enjoyable.

His company became like a special treat to Luna, her source of true joy and laughter. But today his Father, the captain of the royal guard, had taken him off to a combat training camp, so today Luna was alone. Or, at least she thought she would be alone all day.

A gentle knock on her bedroom door shattered the silence of her room, and with it her concentration on the spell she had been practicing. With an irritated groan she pushed her chair from her desk and stood up. Elegantly she walked towards the door.

“Who dares disturb my study?” she demanded as she opened the door, only to be greeted by the smiling face of Celestia. She stumbled back into her room, embarrassed by how she had spoken to her sister. “Tia! If I had known twas you I would never have-” she stammered before Celestia cut her off with a light hearted chuckle

“Luna its okay, I see you have been practicing how to carry yourself, Mother must be proud” she said as she entered the room.

Luna looked up at her sister from within her mane where she hid her embarrassment. It still shocked her to no end to see how much her dear sister had changed in the month since her coronation. She hadn’t grown, which Luna was thankful for, but she carried herself with a much more regal air. No longer did she did walk about with the joy and carelessness of the young pony that she was, she instead walked slowly, and with purpose. Sunlight seemed to shine from within her and she left everywhere with the gentle warmth of the sun. But most noticeable was her mane and tail. A full month of raising and lowering the sun had strengthened Celestia’s magic into a visible from, as her once pink mane had become a flowing rainbow of magic that moved of its own will, it made her look like a true Goddess of the Sun.

It made Luna fearful of how different they had become, yet at the same time very excited about what she could look forward to. Luna shook herself to regain some composer and she gave her sister a curious look. “Tia, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be tending to your royal duties?” she asked.

Celestia nodded “I should, but I explained to Mother who distant you seemed and that I wanted to cheer you up. So she is taking care of them today so that I may spend the whole day with my baby sister” she replied as she ruffled Luna’s mane.

Luna giggled and scurried away “Really Tia!? The whole day!” she was bouncing from hoof to hoof with excitement, she couldn’t remember the last time they had spent the day together.

Celestia playfully booped her sister on the nose and smiled “but first thing is first Lulu, close your eyes for I have a surprise for you” she said. Luna nodded and closed her eyes tightly.

She could hear Celestia moving behind her, then she felt a cool metal rope around her neck, the rope held weight. Celestia lead her across the room, keeping her steady. When they were still, Celestia whispered softly “Open your eyes Lulu.” Luna’s eyes shot open as she searched for her sister’s gift. She was standing in front of a mirror and her gaze lowered to the pendent that now hung around her neck.

It was shaped like the small blazing sun and its centre held a ruby. Celestia stood next to her and raised a hoof to a pendent around her own neck. Hers was a gleaming silver moon with a sapphire in its centre. She smiled nervously “Do you like them? I had Starswirl make them for us. They connect us so that no matter how far apart we are, we’re still together, still connected.”

Luna flung her hooves around her sister and hugged her “Oh Tia I love them! Thank you so very much!” The two fell into fits of joyous laughter as they hurried out of the room to begin their day.

Celestia was on curled up on a bench in one of the courtyards as very unladylike laughter escaped her. Luna was pacing back and forth waving a stick about doing her very best impersonation of their tutor, Starswirl the Bearded. “Oh wait! I can do better Tia” she plucked some leaves from a bush and held them with magic like a mock beard. “I don’t understand fouls these days or fun at all because I’m old and spend all my time with book, books and more books, bawwwww” she wheezed in an elderly voice.

The Sun Princess sat up still laughing, waving a hoof wildly for her sister to stop “No more Lulu! No more!” she pleaded.

Luna laughed and bowed, letting the leaves fall from her face “Thank you, thank you you’re a wonderful audience!” she said as she sat down next to Celestia. She smiled as she nudged her sister “We haven’t done this in ages” she said.

Her sister looked up to the sky “done what Sister?” she asked.

Luna gestured around them with her hooves “This, just been sisters. Enjoy each other’s company.” She looked down “not have to worry about being princesses”.

Celestia rubbed her sisters back “Is that what has been bothering you Luna?” she asked.

She nodded “It isn’t fair Tia. Every other Pony get to grow up with their parents loving them for them, getting in trouble for like, I don’t know stealing cookies before dinner. They get to grow up with all of their parents love and attention on them, and sister can just be sister. We never asked for this Tia! We never asked” she opened her heart and let out her troubles.

“Lulu” Celestia wrapped a wing around her sister “There are many things in life that aren’t fair, maybe more so for us, but we get so much more than other Ponies. We get all of their love, all of their admiration. They need us Lulu, whither we want it or not”

She stood and turned to face Luna “It’s getting late but this is still your day” she said as she booped Luna on the nose again, drawing giggle from the younger princess. “That’s my sister. So what else would you like to do? We can do anything you want.”

Luna thought hard before replying “Remember when we were younger, and Mother would take us to that hill, the one where the grass was soft as down?”

Tia nodded “I remember it, we would always roll down it” she said happily. “Is that what you want Luna?”

Luna nodded “More then anything! Please Tia?”

Celestia nodded and spread her wings “Shall we?” she asked. Luna nodded and the pair galloped into the sky and flew towards the hill.

The laughter of Luna and Celestia echoed through the air as they rolled down the hill. They came to rest side by said in a field of young wheat. “That was wonderful! What was that Lulu, the seventh time?” Celestia asked, still laughing.

The moon princess shook her head “That was nine Tia” she replied.

Celestia clapped her hooves together in glee and let out a joyous and incredibly unlady like squeal of joy “Oh I feel like a child again!”

Luna scoffed “You still are Tia, you need to remember that” she said she rolled over and cuddled close to her sister “It’ almost time for your sunset, isn’t it Tia?” she asked. Celestia nodded. “So our days at an end, isn’t it Tia?” again Celestia nodded

“I’m afraid so. Thank you Lulu. Thank you for making me laugh again, please never stop being you, you are such a sweet little filly, and you bring such joy to others” she said as she fired up her horn and gently nudged the sun away as their Fathers moon rose high.

‘Tia needs me as much as I need her. I understand now… I’ve been selfish, that’s not like me. That would make Tia sad…’ Luna thought to herself “I promise Tia, I’ll always be me.”

Celestia smiled and stood up “Come along Little Sister, we should be off or we will miss dinner”

Luna got to her hooves and spread her wings “Race you home, Tia?” Luna asked.

Celestia’s wings snapped open “Oh it is on Lulu!” with whoops of joy and pure laughter the two alicorn sisters flew up into the sky, silhouetted against the moon they returned home with promises in their hearts.

Author's Note:

Awww, Sisterly Love.