Sunny, Moonie, Twily

by Jetto

7. Besties with Moon: Objective Plus/Minus

Moon Sky had a secret. A secret nopony could find out. Not even the school's faculty, not a single teacher or student. A secret that had to be protected by any means necessery.

A secret that was...

"Hey Moonbutt!"

"Meep!" She jumped... again. She wasn't getting used to it, contrary to what her sister told her. And yet this young, innocent(ish) white mare did it every single time, always obliviously smiling. Moon Sky wasn't sure if she really didn't realize it, or was doing it for cheap laughs. Either way, it wasn't a big deal, so she let it slide. Every single time. One day she would tell her to stop. "Hello, Moondancer. Can I help you?" Not today.

"You might." Moondancer leaned over her desk and looked around. "So, there's this cool night club... no, don't look at me like that, this one's legit, for realzies!"

Moon Sky reached her memory to the slang dictionary she read last night. That particular expression was not in it (probably because slang died very fast and that dictionary was already two years old), but she reasoned it had to be some extrapolation of the word "for real", which supposedly meant "legitimate". She nodded, not sure why she used a shortened version of legitimate right after it, making it sound redundant. She let her continue, hoping she would get it from context. "Yes, and...?

"And they have a super rave party soon! DJ-Pon3 of all ponies will be there!"

"Dee-Jay Pon-Free?" The dictionary didn't mention any of those words. One sounded familiar.

"Yep!" Moondancer smiled obliviously once again. If she was pretending, she had to be the best actress in the world, wasting her talents on measly magic. "And guess who has a friend who has a friend who knows an employee who gave a friend of a friend, that's me in case you're confused, two tickets?" Moon Sky nodded gratefully. She was glad she specified it, otherwise she would've been completely lost. Moondancer meanwhile hummed to herself. "Wait, I got confused in my own speech, did I spoil the answer? Whatever, I got tickets. Wanna come?"

Moon Sky contemplated this question. It wasn't the first or last time Moondancer invited her to something, but she refused every single time. Tennis court, swimming pool, Cafe, window shopping (she only recently found out it wasn't about buying windows, though knowing modern teens she wouldn't be surprised) and now this whole... rave party? She was pretty sure she knew what a "party" was, but she never encountered the word "rave" thus far, at least not in this context. She was intrigued. Maybe coming this time would give her better insight into thing that books would never be able to explain? She owed her for all those times she refused. Maybe just this once?

"Sorry, I'm busy tonight, I can't go. Maybe next time?"

Moondancer smiled a little too widely for it to not be suspicious. "I didn't say it was today. The rave's tommorow."

Moon Sky's eyes widened, but she couldn't decide if it was out of fear, or hope. She had another chance. Just say yes, that was all it took.

"Tommorow... no, I'm busy too, but thank you anyway."

---

"DAMNIT WHY DON'T YOU JUST SAY YES FOR ONCE?!" Yelled the Brain.

"Because... shut up!" Answered Heart, crossing hooves and turning away.

---

Moondancer's ears dropped a little. "Oh. Well, too bad, again, I guess." Just in time for the the bell to ring. "Gotta go to class. Catch ya later!" She zipped away, as Moon Sky waved to her, before planting her face into the desk, moaning over her weakness.

Her despair lasted about two seconds, when a heavy book slammed into her desk and immediately woke her up. "No sleeping in class." Said Professor Inkblot, as the class started.

---

"Did you ever entertained the idea of saying... no?"

Princess Luna raised her head from her sister's bed once again to give her a deadpan glare. She exhaled and slammed her head over the cushion with a loud, muffled thud. "I tried, but it's not that easy! Try telling her in that innocent, smiling, bright face that you wish not to see her anymore!"

"Believe me, I know that feeling," she chuckled "she's been attending my classes for years now and you wouldn't believe how many times her grades got up a notch after a simple conversation. Let's just say, she worked hard for all those plusses on her A's."

Luna shot up from the bed, gasping in horror, hardly believing what her own sister, headmistress of the Academy, was just implying. "T-Tia! How could you?" Celestia stepped back, to avoid a head to head (or horn) collision with her sister. "How could you raise your students grade like that? Do you have no shame for yourself? Abusing the grading system from Equestria's most renowned school... for a cute smile? This is... this is a travesty!"

Celestia blinked at her sister, then covered her snoute to avoid snorting at her face. "Oh Lulu," she extended her hoof and patted her mane "I don't remember how I had fun while you were gone."

Luna smacked her sister's hoof away from her messed up air, immediately trying to fix it. "Tis no laughing matter, sister! That's a breach of ethics, caused by one who was supposed to be an example for her country!"

"Luna Luna, Luna..." Celestia shook her head "...let me tell you something about the grading system in my school. You see, my dear sister, plusses and minuses mean nothing. As in, literally nothing! They're not even represented on the students' score sheets. Anything beyond a single letter or a percentage scale is only ever used to motivate the students for extra effort. And trust me, you don't see a smile this convincing everyday, it warrants a prize of some sort."

Luna stared at her wide eyed, blinking once in a while to confirm her continued existance. Celestia continued.

"I started using them hundreds of years ago, back when I was just starting this academy here. There was a small, but noticeable increase in my students' grades whenever I gave them, so I encouraged all the faculty to adopt a similar system as well. I started with a plus and it just stuck, bo some are more creative. Red Blast uses cute smiley faces, Silver Scroll gives stars and so on. Heck, every once in a while I get to guest teach in the kindergarten classes, where I use sun stickers instead of grades. Foals love them! So much so, that a lot of my graduates treasure them as some sort of family heirloom. It's just cheap stickers, but who am I to deny them the joy of having a proof of being acknowledged by their Princess? In fact, I expect you'll print some yourself when you start teaching... if you ever decide to start, no pressure."

Luna blinked once again. "Are you trying to tell me that I spent ten minutes debating over the grade for my Modern History essay for nothing?"

Princess Celestia couldn't help it and started laughing hysterically, losing all the strenght in her hooves and falling to the floor, laughing, while Luna stood still, blushing and irritated.

"Stop laughing!" She ordered, but even if she was higher in hierarchy, she had a feeling it wouldn't have done a thing. She grabbed the nearest object in grasp of her magic, which happened to be a pillow on her sister's bed. "I said STOP LAUGHING!"

She tossed the projectile. It collided with her sister's face, making a loud POMF noise and getting impaled on her larger than anypony's horn. To Luna's credit, that did shut her up. A little too much, in fact. Princess Celestia stood up from the ground, the pillow dangling from her horn completely obscuring her face, instead sending some feathers as it moved. Luna swallowed, beads of sweat the size of acorns dropping from her forehead. She stepped back and awaited the dire consequences.

"Luuuunaaaa..." She growled, her magical aura surrounded the pillow and slowly lifted it out of her face, slowly revealing the maniacal smile underneath. "... YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

"Meep!" Princess of the Night squeeled, as she ducked for cover, narrowly avoiding the deadly projectile.

---

Almost ending her shift, Raven approached the doors to Princess Celestia's chamber, magically holding a few scrolls and knocked on the doors a few times. Hearing no answer, she knocked again, to no avail. She hummed and pushed the doorknob to look inside, only to notice...

"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE NIGHTMARE AND PAY YOUR DUES!"

A set of pillows shot right before Raven's eyes and passed through, colliding on a makeshift barricade made out of a kingsized bed, which costed about few thousand bits to manufacture, currently appraised as priceless antique piece of art. Or a piece of junk.

"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE, SUN SCUM!"

Another set of lightspeed pillows went from the other way, the backdraft wind messing up Raven's hair and glasses, only to end up missing their target.

"JOKE'S ON YOU, MY DEAR! I DON'T NEED YOU ALIVE!"

"THEN COME AND GET SOME!"

"PREPARE TO MEET YOUR DOOM!"

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!"

Raven fixed her glasses and hair, then turned back and quietly closed the door. "I'll come back in ten minutes."

"FACE THE WRATH OF MY ORBITAL SUN CANNON! MWAHAHAHA!"

"Or thirty."

Author's Note:

The first appearance of Raven is not nearly as grandeur as I thought. Oh well.

Also, this is still about Maresketeers.

Comments

[Eyeswirl the Weirded]

This whole chapter was cute, from Moony, to the bit with the stickers, to the Pillow-Fight of the Ages, even Raven just quietly accepting the princesses' oddities.

Also, insight into Celestia's mode of governance!
I wonder if Prince held onto Sun Stickers, if he ever got any?

[SageBrony07]

That was funny. Great job. Good luck with the next adventure of Luna and Moon dancer. This is so much fun to read.

[Knightwolf1875]

Epic sister pillow fight!

[ShadowLDrago]

"You might." Moondancer leaned over her desk and looked around. "So, there's this cool night club... no, don't look at me like that, this one's legit, for realzies!"

Shockingly enough, Team Four Star and DBZ Abridged used that before Sonata.

"Are you trying to tell me that I spent ten minutes debating over grade for my Modern History essey for nothing?"

Over A grade and essAy.

Raven fixed her glasses and hair, then turned back and quietly closed the door.
"I'll come back in ten minutes."

Good idea.

The first appearance of Raven is not nearly as grandeur as I thought. Oh well.

You mean as grand.

[howard035]

5787091 You know Prince keeps all his Sun Stickers in a drawer somewhere, next to the essay Celestia once wrote "Good Job" on.

Also, This:

[djthomp]

Moon Sky really needs a few (maybe three) ponies to find out her secret. I think things would be going slightly better for her if she had some allies in her current mission who wouldn't so easily take no for an answer. And who aren't her sister.

[n080dy123]

And so they did glorious battle for many days and nights, until only one was left alive!

[Greatazuredragon]

Mega pillow fight!
Also:

"Wait, I got confused in my own speech, did I spoil the answer? Whatever, I got tickets. Wanna come?"

Moondancer should never meet Pinkie....

[calinjc]

Almost ending her shift, Raven approached the doors to Princess Celestia's chamber, magically holding a few scrolls and knocked on the doors a few times. Hearing no answer, she knocked again, to no avail. She hummed and pushed the doorknob to look inside, only to notice...

"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE NIGHTMARE AND PAY YOUR DUES!"

A set of pillows shot right before Raven's eyes and passed through, colliding on a makeshift barricade made out of a kingsized bed, which costed about few thousand bits to manufacture, currently appraised as priceless antique piece of art. Or a piece of junk.

"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE, SUN SCUM!"

Another set of lightspeed pillows went from the other way, the backdraft wind messing up Raven's hair and glasses, only to end up missing their target.

"JOKE'S ON YOU, MY DEAR! I DON'T NEED YOU ALIVE!"

"THEN COME AND GET SOME!"

"PREPARE TO MEET YOUR DOOM!"

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!"

Raven fixed her glasses and hair, then turned back and quietly closed the door. "I'll come back in ten minutes."

"FACE THE WRATH OF MY ORBITAL SUN CANNON! MWAHAHAHA!"

"Or thirty."

[Luna-my-favorite-pony]

Oh that is awesome