A Time Before

by Blue Turtle

One Sunny Day... Ch.5

Levier woke up to see Luna and Celestia had already gone downstairs. Levier stretched out and walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Celestia and Luna were sitting peacefully waiting for Levier.
"You waited for me?" Levier said, looking at the sisters curiously
"Mhm, We always do this..." Celestia said, looking at Levier strangely.
"Well, You don't have to while I'm around ok?" Levier said with a smile. Levier sat down next to Luna. The chef came in and served once again alfalfa. Luna looked at Celestia. Levier then knew what to do.
"I'll eat your alfalfa, just give your plates to me and I'll give it back when i'm done." Levier leaned over and whispered. Celestia and Luna pushed their plates down anxiously, Levier ate it quickly and without much grace. She slid over the plates once more and winked at the two as the chef came in, looking surprised.
"You two must have been hungry... I thought you didn't like alfalfa..." The Chef said glancing over at Luna and Celestia.
"Oh well we decided that we should have given it another chance..." Celestia said, winking back (and not doing a good job) at Levier. The chef walked away and Celestia was excused by Levier, Luna followed her older sister. Wind Song and Lily waited eagerly outside the castle for the two, Spark Shower and Nebula sitting quiet.
"C'mon guys let's go to the market!" Wind Song said as she yelled behind her shoulder, running towards the gates. Celestia, Luna, Lily, Nebula and Spark Shower running behind her. The hustle and bustle of the market was a perfect place to hide Celestia and Luna. No one would notice two more ponies in the crowd, though just to be safe they hid their wings with a saddle bag. Celestia and Luna walked past a flower shop.
"What kind of flower is that?" Luna said as she pointed to a white flower, it's twisty petals were beautiful, a streak of dark blue in the middle of each one.
"Oh That? It's a Moon Bloom. Quite beautiful isn't it?" The old pony behind the counter said with a smile. Luna looked at the old mare and smiled back, then dropped a few coins and ran off.
"wait didn't you forget the flower?" Lily said as Luna trotted back to her friends.
"Oh no, I just gave her the money... like um uh a tip! but without the actual buying part!" Luna beamed.
Luna and Celestia followed their friends to the library. The market became a bit rowdy after some trouble makers had knocked over a cart.
"Let's go to the library then." Wind Song looked over at the growing crowd. Her friends nodded and they scurried away as the crowd started cheering for a fight. The library was filled to the brim with books, scrolls and maps. Maps hung on the walls or were splayed over tables. Scrolls were neatly tucked into shelves, each having a name printed under it for each scroll. Books were also neatly stored into shelves. Shelves were in rows that spread across the large library. A librarian sat at the front desk, sleeping.
"Let's just check out some books and leave..." Lily said with disinterest.
"Are you kidding?! This is amazing!" Nebula said as her eyes sparkled.
"yeah, can you even think of all the stuff that's here?!" Spark Shower quietly sped towards the nearest bookshelf.
"They've got a point, I mean think about it, The shelves probably hold information of Hart's Warming Eve. Or even Griffonia, or Saddle Arabia, or even the Black Islands!" Luna looked around in wonder.
"Fine, if you four eggheads want to read your eyes out then go ahead, I'm gonna go watch the crowd." Lily walked over to the front window, and watched two ponies walk towards the library.
"Oh fudge Celestia and Luna put the bag back on!" Lily ran towards the sisters, but Celestia's bag was near the door. Celestia ran towards the door as quickly as possible, but by the time she even got close the pair of ponies stepped through the door. The pegasus looked at her wide eyed, then stepped slowly back through the door. Celestia gave an unamused look
This always happens... Celestia thought quietly. Luna looked at her sister and sighed.
"Don't worry Tia it won't be like that forever." Luna said with a half smile.
"Yeah sure..." Celestia said flatly. Celestia woke up the sleeping librarian, checked out her books and sat down on the bench. Luna trotted over to Wind Song, who was staring at a large map.
"I never really realized how big Equestria is... And how big the whole world is!" Wind Song stepped closer, tapping her hoof against Equestria's borders, then circling around Griffania, Saddle Arabia and The Black Islands.
"What about the Crystal Empire?" Spark Shower said looking at the northern border of Equestria.
"The Crystal what now?" Luna looked at the grey pegasus.
"The Crystal Empire, it's up north. crystal ponies live there, King Nebulis went there remember?" Spark Shower looked towards Luna.
"Oh yeah." Luna paused and looked up to the map. The Dragons and Sea Serpents printed made her not want to go near the ocean.
"Most of the land is untamed isn't it?" Lily said, looking for other borders.
"Yeah. Most of the lands are filled with wolves and tigers and bears, or at least that's what my dad says." Wind Song flew up to the top of the map.
"Hey guys look at this!" wind song hid whatever she was looking at.
"What is it?" Lily said from below.
"Sea ponies!" Wind Song traced her hoof around a vast kingdom of water labeled "Mariana"
"Wow, you know I've heard of sea ponies but I've never seen them before." Luna fluttered her wing, getting a few feet off the ground, she hovered (barely) looking over every detail of the map.
"Ok guys, it's almost sunset. Me and Luna gotta go home." Celestia stepped forward.
"Yeah, I have a dinner party tonight." Lily rolled her eyes and sighed
"It's gonna be really boring." Lily glanced at the librarian. Nebula pulled a large bag of books and scrolls across the floor.
"My stars that's a lot of books!" Wind song said, acting like a princess of sorts. Being "regal" and moving slowly yet smoothly. Celestia giggled at this and Spark Shower barely held in his laughter.
"Oh ha ha." Nebula said, picking up the large bag with her magic. Lily was rolling on the floor, laughing until she couldn't breathe. Wind Song continued the joke by walking over with her eyes closed, lifting her head up absurdly high and knocking over a tea cup (empty of course) It fell onto the ground, alarming Wind Song. She looked around, turning to Celestia and Nebula
"Servants come pick this up!" Wind Song pointed at Celestia and Nebula, who promptly ran over and carefully put it back up.
"It is two point three centimeters off! A hundred lashes with a beef chicken!" Wind Song barely contained her laughter as her friends crumbled to the ground laughing. Luna was the first one to get up, but fell over again when Wind Song strutted across the room acting like a chicken.
"Ok, ok no more we gotta go." Lily settled down. Spark Shower helped Luna up and Celestia ran over to help Nebula with her books. The six fillies walked through the door after waving the Librarian goodbye. Celestia and Luna gave up on the bags and walked normally.
"We'll walk you guys home." Luna looked over at Celestia, who nodded. Wind Song lived across the street so they just waved her off, Lily lived a few blocks away so they had to do a bit more walking.
"So Lily, are you glad you came?" Celestia looked over at Lily, who walked calmly even when the groups of ponies around them looked at her as strange for walking with the princesses of Equestria. Nebula and Spark Shower also got these looks but became uncomfortable and lowered their heads.
"Yeah of course, I love hanging out with you guys." Lily pushed her hair back.
"I'm glad I came too." Nebula looked over at Spark Shower, he nodded and smiled. Celestia breathed a sigh of relief knowing her friends were happy they came. They came to the corner and Lily stepped into her home, waving goodbye she closed the door. Nebula's house was right across the street, She also waved goodbye and was welcomed in by her grandma.
"Alright Spark your house is in the clouds so i'll just come up with you. Luna stay down here ok?" Celestia looked towards Spark Shower then glanced over at Luna. Spark Shower waved as he stepped into his cloud home. Celestia slowly flew down to Luna, who waited eagerly for her sister.
"Wanna race home?" Luna jumped up and down. Celestia looked towards the castle that was quite a bit away.
"Yeah! oh and whoever loses has to eat the alfalfa!" Celestia got into a ready position. Luna stuck out her tongue and took a deep breath.
"Ok... and now!" Celestia said, giving Luna some time to start running. Celestia kept up a good pace while Luna bolted down the road. Luna was trying to get as much space as possibly between her and Celestia, as Luna neared the gates (After causing several "accidents" for Celestia to slow down on) she slowed down to a light jog, fatigue weighing down her legs. Just as she was about to reach the finish, Celestia bolted past her and won.
Darn it! I knew I shouldn't have taken her up on the alfalfa! Luna thought quietly as she frowned slightly in defeat. Celestia put the tired filly on her back, Luna sprawled over her sister's back.
"Ok, lower the gates." Celestia yelled over to a guard. He began pulling down on a rope, it was a long process.

__________________________________________________________________________

"Do you have them in your sights?" A shadowy figure said, looking towards Celestia and Luna.
"Do I look blind? They stand out like sore thumbs against that stone wall." Another figure said slightly more grouchy.
"Fire when it's the right moment." The figure on the branch hopped down. It was a griffon, A band on his arm showed he was apart of the House of Stone Claw. The figure next to him, another griffon, Brought back the bow's draw string.
"Wait, why are we killing Celestia and not both?" the archer said, lowering the bow slightly.
"Because she's far more dangerous then Luna." The banded one looked towards Celestia. Their position was on the very same hill Celestia learned to fly. The Sun was quickly setting, making the forest even darker. The Archer drew back his bow, and just as Celestia started to walk through the gates, He sent the arrow.

Comments

[Blue Turtle]

... I went back and didn't save... Not on purpose...
...
...
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[Blue Turtle]

Oh golly I left a cliffhanger... >:{D Now I must go an stroke my imaginary beard as I write the next chapter