How Many Princesses Does It Take

by Georg

An Important Announcement

How Many Princesses Does It Take

An Important Announcement

It had been over a year, but Celestia was still getting used to having her sister back. The habits of many pony lifetimes made her fight off the urge to use her magic to raise the moon at night once she had put her own sun to bed. Her attempts had not always been successful, thus the balcony she preferred to use for that occasion had eventually gained a sign, although Celestia had not been the one to put it there.

My moon. Hooves off. Love you.

Today the Day had been quite busy, leaving the Princess in charge of the chaos moving at a brisk clip from dawn to the present, and although all Celestia really wanted was to stagger back into her bedroom and sleep until time for her sun to emerge, there was a greater desire that swept over her in the darkness. She stood there for a while, looking up into the sky while counting the stars and considering their rearrangement, as if somepony was moving the furniture around in their house.

No matter how tired Celestia was, she would not be able to sleep until she found out just why the heavens needed to be shuffled tonight. It certainly was not for dusting, because Celestia had been quite conscientious about keeping the night sky clean during Luna’s thousand year absence. Although the first thing her sister had done upon returning was to scurry about in the night sky with a dustrag in her mouth to chase invisible flecks and complain.

Celestia did not mind in the least. Sometimes, Luna was the happiest when she was complaining.

All the musing she was doing did not get Celestia one step closer to solving the dark conundrum, so she heaved a sisterly sigh and turned her path to Luna’s tower with long, slow strides. It was a longer walk than she liked, but flying in the darkness was just tempting fate, particularly when so many of the stars had been shuffled into new locations. The bedroom door was open to promote a cool breeze through the darkened room, which Celestia picked her way through cautiously, far too aware of a Minotaurian toy manufacturer’s gift of ‘Princess Luna’s Lunar Fortress With Working Asteroid Projectors And Light-Up Moon Signal.’ Thirty-nine thousand pieces of tiny plastic blocks⁽*⁾ now littered the carpets and floors of the castle, turning a casual night stroll into something akin to wading through a minefield. The Royal Guard was even rumored to have purchased several of the plastic block playsets with the intent of using them as caltrops in the event Canterlot was ever invaded again, although Celestia suspected their main purpose was to give off-duty guards something to do in the barracks under the excuse of ‘wargaming’ or ‘strategic tactical exercises performed in restricted space environments.’
(*) Some assembly required, HA!

“Celly!” called out her sister. “Be careful where you step. I dropped a piece out of the Intruder Fun Slide Into The Pit Trap Of Doom, and I’m not quite sure where it went.”

“Here you go, Luna.” Celestia floated the slightly flattened piece of plastic over to her sister and limped onto the balcony with her. There was really no delicate way to approach the subject of stellar rearrangement, so she added, “What are you doing with your stars this evening, dearest sister?”

“Progressing into the modern age. It hath been far too long since I have cleaned up the obsolete constellations and expired prophecies,” explained Luna while moving another star.

“Ponies are used to the constellations where they are. Perhaps you should leave some of the more popular ones,” said Celestia slowly while fighting back a well-deserved yawn. “And what was that about prophecies?”

“Of course.” Luna gestured with a loose star, which probably caused some astronomer to have a bad case of vertigo. “Certainly you remember how we inscribed the events of the future into the stellar firminent in order for the peasants… I mean common ponies to be prepared.”

Celestia thought back and nodded. “The practice has fallen out of favor in modern times.”

“Merely the clutter,” said Luna, turning back to her task. “Once a prophecy hath run its course, there is no reason for the announcement to remain. After all, the weather schedule for the city only lists the current week and month, not all years back to the first cloud being manipulated.”

“Quite true,” said Celestia with a short nod as she watched the stars move into their new locations.

“Plus it gave me the opportunity to bring the sky into compliance.”

“Oh?” Celestia frowned slightly while looking up into the sky, her lips moving as she spelled out the letters.

W-E H-A-V-E U-P-D-A-T-E-D O-U-R P-R-I-V-A-C-Y P-O-L-I-C-Y…

Author's Note:

Remember when I said I’d publish a new chapter in How Many Princesses Does It Take if it reached 2,000 likes? I’ve changed my mind. I’ll push publish on the new chapter when it reaches 1,500.

(waits)

Oh, heck. It’s close enough. Pushing it.

Comments

[Georg]

Remember to click next time you're outside at night.

[Scyphi]

Ha.

That is all.

[Level Dasher]

EVERYTHING I USE IS DOING THIS

Thank you for bringing some pony levity into the mix.

[FTR2017]

I was laughing at the end of this chapter. Thank you for the update!

I read this while being an anon, and I think will dust it off to cap it over with this latest chapter.

Hope to read more from your hand!

[Neece]

Even the skies do it!
Love it, would love more too

[horizon]

As to what the new privacy policy is, you can check out Luna's edict over on Twitter.

[fractalman]

My moon. Hooves off. Love you.

HAH.

W-E H-A-V-E U-P-D-A-T-E-D O-U-R P-R-I-V-A-C-Y P-O-L-I-C-Y…

[Antiquarian]

All the musing she was doing did not get Celestia one step closer to solving the dark conundrum, so she heaved a sisterly sigh and turned her path to Luna’s tower with long, slow strides. It was a longer walk than she liked, but flying in the darkness was just tempting fate, particularly when so many of the stars had been shuffled into new locations. The bedroom door was open to promote a cool breeze through the darkened room, which Celestia picked her way through cautiously, far too aware of a Minotaurian toy manufacturer’s gift of ‘ Princess Luna’s Lunar Fortress With Working Asteroid Projectors And Light-Up Moon Signal. ’ Thirty-nine thousand pieces of tiny plastic blocks⁽*⁾ now littered the carpets and floors of the castle, turning a casual night stroll into something akin to wading through a minefield. The Royal Guard was even rumored to have purchased several of the plastic block playsets with the intent of using them as caltrops in the event Canterlot was ever invaded again, although Celestia suspected their main purpose was to give off-duty guards something to do in the barracks under the excuse of ‘wargaming’ or ‘strategic tactical exercises performed in restricted space environments.’ (*) Some assembly required, HA!

Everything about this is glorious.

[Greenhorn]

Meanwhile, on top of the certain crystal castle in the countryside, a mare is looking through her telescope.
... wat?! ... I don't ... how?
(5 minutes later) DISCORD!!! Put the stars back to where they should be this instant or I would sig Fluttershy to you!

[Alondro]

Our new privacy policy: You don't get any privacy. We can haz hax UR ifno 2 sel 2 corporashuns! ALL THE PROFITS 4 US!! Trololo! (Alondro has been paying attention to Tumblr as well, with the stealth spy settings they implemented)

[Georg]

8957869 NightShift and DayShift are fantastic. (and you can't say much about Twitter like that) And @ASmallFiction constantly amazes.

[lord_zaphyr]

It's nice of you to add a chapter!

However, i am sorry to say that I still can't upvote more than once

[Aariadon]

You got me.

[Bugsydor]

*snrk*

[Gyro Pony]

8957889
You bugger.

I was going to post the same two things.

[CMC4TW]

Now if only you'd expand the Green Grass stories...

[Dlaf rferg]

Damn you.

[Opponent]

It is good.

[Irrespective]

Yes, yes. I accept the terms and conditions. Nopony actually reads those things anyway.

[djthomp]

Nice.

[IceHawk]

Funderful, now astral beings want to track what kind of dreams I have.

Am I going to start seeing targeted advertismemts based off previous dreams?

[Autumn Wind]

Ha! Well played, I didn't see that coming.

[Ytak]

That was terrible and awful and you should be ashamed of yourself (and by ashamed, I mean proud).

[Georg]

8958371 (marked for future reference) Although I did something like that for Season 5's writing contest

[blazikenking]

Luna loves Lego. I like this.

[FanOfMostEverything]

"During peace, we make bricks. During war, we make bricks."
—Hard Edge, minotaur toymaker

Flavor text aside, lovely little addendum. Thank you for it.

[Misplaced Mage]

“Mommy, mommy! Where are the stars and moon?”
“NIGHTMARE MOON HAS RETURNED!”
“THIS ISN’T ETERNAL NIGHT! IT’S ETERNAL DARKNESS!”
“Oh, Celestia, abandon us not in our hour of greatest need…”
“THE END IS NEIGH!”
“Pinkie, where the hay did you get that bicycle-powered spotlight?”
“I keep them stashed around in case of absolute darkness emergency!”

---

“Celly, thou didst remember to payeth the electricity bill whilst We were in—what be the current vernacular?—’time out?’”

[NYChris824]

All citizens must agree to the update in order to see the night sky. If they don't they go down the Fun Slide Into The Pit Trap Of Doom and something happens.

[_SkyHorse]

...I'm so angry. You made me read this with my poor virgin eyes. You did this.

[Thorai]

[Kevin Lee]

“Celly!” called out her sister. “Be careful where you step. I dropped a piece out of the Intruder Fun Slide Into The Pit Trap Of Doom, and I’m not quite sure where it went.”

This explains how Tirek got out...

[Bender Alpha]

W-E H-A-V-E U-P-D-A-T-E-D O-U-R P-R-I-V-A-C-Y P-O-L-I-C-Y…

That's topical.

[Georg]

8961792 After you click on a few dozen of those, it gets into your brain. Plus I think RoyalNightShift triggered it.

RoyalNightShift - Update of Privacy Policy

[RandomBlank]

Adding upvote#1501

[La Vallett1]

So the EU privacy laws exist in Equestria too.

[UltimateReject]

I feel like i got bel aired.

[CommanderBigMac]

well done

[Noble Cause]

8957937
If I might also suggest MicroSFF on Twitter? they do LOVELY stuff, and some of them are thoughtful, cute, funny, or sometimes all at once.

[ARKLIGHT SNIPERSHY]

W-E H-A-V-E U-P-D-A-T-E-D O-U-R P-R-I-V-A-C-Y P-O-L-I-C-Y…

FUCK NOT AGAIN!! NOW I GOTTA READ THE WHOLE NEW STAR CHARTER!!! UGH

[Berry Delight]

Wait... what does that make the Crystal Heart? Are the Crystal Ponies walking chargers?

[Efadd]

W-E H-A-V-E U-P-D-A-T-E-D O-U-R P-R-I-V-A-C-Y P-O-L-I-C-Y…

Ha!

[Zepher]

8958940
And now she has popped your.... eye ball?

[yellowbastion]

Celestia controlls the giant lightbulb in the sky, Luna controls the moon projector, but the real question is: who built the Ice Wall the keep ponies from falling off flat Equestria?

[Super Trampoline]

The Royal Guard was even rumored to have purchased several of the plastic block playsets with the intent of using them as caltrops in the event Canterlot was ever invaded again,

Ha!

[Seraphem]

This was just, so joyously fun.

Let us hope Luna never gets far enough along with modern times to start selling ad space in the sky.

[ClosetBrony]

Absurdly funny. Thanks Georg!

[Destiny Chaser]

My moon. Hooves off. Love you.

How have I not read this before?
Just, gold

[KittyrinnAiko]

Is now tracking just in case another chapter shows up. XD

[goranxii]

7719133
Of course, the 'gas' part stopped being useful when the sisters lost the key to open the reservoir, and each blamed the other for it, and of course, since it was the sun that went out, everyone blamed Luna.

And they only switched to gas when the oil pipe kept blocking up.

[cogwheelbrain]

10177854
True