Steamed and Pressed

by Steam Punk

Following the Moon

Princess Luna held her composure just long enough to go through the motions. Her secretary talking her through the fine print twice, Pen in mouth, she signed the triplicate. She shook hooves with everypony, even the merchants of Flim Flam Industries, and Barnyard Bargains despite the stares. Just as soon as she waved good bye to the last pony standing she teleported out. A cobalt flash in her wake, her wings down turned just a smidge. She bolted the skyways making it to one very important place right in the heart of Manehatten.

Cherry Blossoms battled for vibrancy amidst the stone and earth toned grime. Lovers rubbed noses on a nearby bench. One enthusiastic jogger danced to no tune but one’s own. Aviation headset tuned into built in speakers. A group of giggling mares just in their final year of Filly Finishing school waved at the cantering Princess. She knew where they were from judging by the school uniforms of a puffy sleeved flouncy blouse and Edwardian skirt. Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns was a rival to their own sister school. She made a mental note to visit Canterlot and inspect the school herself. If Professor Inkwell’s warnings of a spy among the faculty were true, than a war to be prevented between the Griffins and the Dragons could put Equestria into Civil unrest because the east coast of Equestria had the best battlefield for unimpeded dog fights and everywhere from the Hayseed Swamps to the hilly ranges beyond Manehatten had cities and nomadic settlements up and down its borders.

All thoughts of the outside world took a backburner when Princess Celestia entered the gilded arch to the marble gazebo. Celestia’s statuette body stood behind its gilded plaque. Luna opened a small garden shed to the side taking out rakes, brooms, and several cleaning supplies. She laughed relishing in the clutter she caused by accidentally dropping them all over the marble floor.

“Oh sister you wouldn’t believe the stressful day I’ve been having,” she started chattering immediately, “I don’t know how you do it Sister. Watching your tongue around the picky ambassadors, the merchants were trying to build a machine to take over my job. Their underhanded business dealings had already shoved around the entire society of Equestria. I am not going to let good ponies get fired, not if I have a say in it.”

Princess Celestia’s stone cut face hadn’t said a single word. She stood stock still despite her sister rolling her eyes. For a thousand years she kept trying to tell herself her sister was a statue now, she can’t hear, that was the Nightmare Moon’s logic talking. The jealous adult that stood jaded against all this disorder that infested what was supposed to be a perfect kingdom. Though a little reflection of hope was whispering in her ear, the teal haired childlike voice that whispered all of its nervousness of her insecurities and fears, this small part of her felt comfort in talking to her marbleized sister. She came to the gazebo every night, cleaning it up, washing it down with only her bare hooves and very little magic.

“Still the strangest thing happened today,” Luna quipped, matter of fact, “I had gotten the warmest welcome from a friend I had never met before.” She shuddered at the thought of what happened next. “And I had an accident and we all know what happens when I have an accident.”

Her fiery breath had been rearing its ugly head lately. Last Hearts and Hooves day she’d gotten a marriage proposal from a dragon of all creatures because she blew a seventy foot tall pillar of flame into the sky. She didn’t know Pinkie Pie loved tabasco sauce on her cupcakes so much that she decided to bake habanero peppers inside them with fourteen cups of curry powder. To say the local hospital was graced with the Fire Department’s presence was the understatement of the year. Hearth’s Warming Eve, another disaster, she learned never to chortle near a gas main. During Nightmare Night was when she finally started to gain control of her flame. Tried to light a candle with her nose and ended up flambéing the entire table.

“Luckily,” Luna sighed in relief, “One of my soldiers was nearby, Private Toot Suite. Mechanic in our heavy artillery division, sniping and cover fire technician I believe. Shame I did not recognize the rainbow maned Pegasus even though I should! I know everypony by face and/or name here in Equestria and if there is one face that is out of place!”

She paused in her sweeping, the shadows seemed longer than when she first entered. Its signs telling her time flew by quickly.

“I will need to assign somepony to find out more about her not just anypony, considering the fiasco of sending Flim and Flam as ambassadors to the Zebra Nation upon my negligence.” She sighed and in her worry started sweeping more aggressively, “Toot Suite is a low ranking officer I could just bypass all ranks with my authority and order her to spill her guts out for me.”

The wind rattled in response. Luna took it as a sign of discouragement. Princess Celestia would never muck in the affairs of mortals no matter how intriguing. Nightmare Moon could command power with a flick of her mane. Luna knew she could do that but Little Luna at least cared for the mortals, it was her duty and loyalty that kept her strong in all those years yet gone was the little Filly whose voice was so soft even introductions would come out as a squeak. She stopped her sweeping, dropped her broom and sighed.

“Oh Sister I wish you were here,” she stated, it was clockwork, the confession spilling from her lips just like every other visit, “What I did was wrong and I am so ashamed.” Eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Equestria deserves better than the moon.”

One final task, the bucket and cloth levitated at her telepathic behest. Her mind felt a little numbed. All these years of wiping the grime from Celestia’s sealed body. What looked back at her was simply a statue. She wished could do more but she didn’t know how. She didn’t have the Elements of Harmony to reverse the spell.

“It deserves the Sun and the Moon working together.” Luna finished, “If we didn’t seal the Elements of Harmony back into the Tree of Harmony after facing all our perils before my jealousy got the better of me than maybe-no-no that’s not right. That’s in the past. You always told me even if yesterday is awful, tomorrow is a new day.”

Luna pursed her lips musing over the curious thought. For so many years she dreamed of having ponies appreciate her night, appreciate her. She forgot that when one eldest sister moves out of a house. The youngest could get all the attention and the responsibilities that went with it. Being flocked by dignitaries, the royal guard standing to obey her every whim. One word could put anypony in the line of fire. One request could rub the wrong way or be spun a thousand more different ways with the help of a single picture.

“Farewell to thee my sun kissed sister,” Luna recited, taking her leave.

The sun was still in its descent across the sky. Luna took up her crown and with it all the worries and fears that came with ruling a nation. Her heartbeat fluttered lighter than before as she strode the cherry blossom path. The fountain gurgled in a corner. The jogger long since jogged away. Two lovers lost in each other’s eyes failed to notice the princess walk by. The students from the Filly Finishing School laughed splendidly enjoying their game.

Princess Luna herself felt her head held up a bit higher as the sun shined down. She couldn’t stare into its brilliance but felt the warmth. Almost imagining it as a hug from a warm and compassionate presence she clutched a hoof to her chest feeling Celestia’s warm spirit. She opened her eyes in surprise the sun extended the shadows from the tree line making it fall across her spotted back. Casting a wary glimpse skyward she allowed herself one small freedom to not be the timid Princess Luna or the indomitable Nightmare Moon.

“May we meet again as friends,” Luna finished reciting.

For a moment she was just a younger sister wanting her big buddy to come back home.

Author's Note:

What does anyone think about this version of Luna? I wanted to keep the bare bones there. I might add more to this chapter, maybe covering Twilight and Spike.