A Royal Solution

by Grand Prize

Toward a Brighter Future

The clouds had turned a soft shade of pink with the lowering sun, and the air had cooled. The school staff had long since taken the donation baskets and left, thanking Celestia for helping the children, and asking her to thank Luna as well when she awoke. Celestia had watched them as they made their way up the thoroughfare, their long shadows reminding her that soon her duties would be done for the day. She hoped Luna would have gotten enough rest by then.

The sun had almost reached the point where she would have to take over and guide it below the horizon when she heard something. There was a tickle against her chest; a brief vibration and warmth.

She must be talking in her sleep, she thought. Not surprising, after all she’s been through. I hope your sleep was deep and peaceful, dear one.

The tickle came again, longer this time, and more urgent. The slender body began to wriggle in her grip. Alarmed, she let Luna work her head free.

“What’s wrong, sister?” she asked, searching for signs of injury out of instinct. “Were you having another nightmare? Was it the one about the schoolchildren and the teeth again?”

Luna’s shining sea-green eyes peered up at her, her sweet narrow face wreathed in white and pink and green, as young as it had been centuries before.

“You’ve perspired a bit. I’m stifling.”

Celestia felt Luna’s fast, short puffs of breath on the bottom of her chin and realized that she had been crushing her. “I’m so sorry!” she gasped, loosening her stranglehold. “Pardon me. Is that better?”

Luna paused to catch her breath, grinning. “So that was your plan? Use the fundraiser to wear me down, then capture me in your clutches?”

“No, no, I … well …” Celestia stuttered until she felt Luna chuckle. “Yes,” she conceded with a sigh. “We didn’t get a chance to hug properly after we vanquished Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon.”

“Yes,” Luna agreed. “We were interrupted by Twilight’s new pupil. And that wasn’t a hug, by the way. That was a death grip.”

Celestia blushed. “I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t aware of how much I …”

Luna blinked up at her, her thoughts heavy in the air, but still unspoken. Celestia studied the gleam in her eyes, twinkling like stars beside a lonely moon.

The words came out before she could stop them. “Have I ever told you that you’re precious?” She brushed a swatch of her mane away from Luna’s face with her magic.

Luna smiled. “Only every other day when we were fillies.”

“When we were …” Celestia started. An idea nudged against her thoughts, the gentlest of seedlings pushing up through the earth to find the light. She looked to the darkened sky and realized that nothing had changed; though countless days had passed, with their monsters and sorrows and joys and grinding drudgery, nothing that truly mattered had changed.

“Now that I’ve seen the nightmares—the horrors—that you struggle with every night,” she continued, forcing her voice to be calm and steady, “I wanted you to know that there’s a safe, loving place for you. Of all ponies, I would give that to you first.”

Luna nuzzled her, a soft touch beneath her ear. “I wish I had been here with you all those years, to make your dreams more comforting. To chase your shadows away.”

It took Celestia a long time to reply. When she did, her emotions slipped free at last. “You ended my nightmare when you returned to me.”

Luna’s muzzle darted back to Celestia’s chest. When she felt the warm trails trickling down, she understood why. She rubbed the space between Luna’s wings—the spot she knew was always tight and sore from flying—not needing to ask now whether she was alright.

The crickets had begun their song in the green, giving accompaniment to the breeze and the faint banter of far-off city folk. Celestia listened, and soaked in Luna’s small, but fierce warmth. After a time she asked, “Have you gotten your breath back? Is there anything I can get you before you begin your duties?”

Luna lifted her face once more. She met Celestia’s gaze for a moment before turning to the side. “Actually,” she sniffed as she wormed her foreleg up into the vanishing light, “I wanted to proffer my own donation.” Her horn flashed. Two five bit pieces appeared in her hoof, sparkling in the golden sunset.

Celestia gave a joyful laugh and enveloped Luna anew, careful this time not to squeeze too hard. Luna burrowed into the soft tresses and feathers, deep within the fortress walls of Celestia’s encircling hooves. Only her snout poked through the shimmering wisps and rustling plumage. It would not do to be smothered again.

“When Sister hugs, she shares her whole self,” she whispered into Celestia’s ear. “Easily worth …” she yawned, “a mere ten bits.”

“With you?” Celestia murmured. “Always. When I look at you, I see myself. How could I give you any less?”

“And what would I be without you?” Luna breathed in reply, drifting back into sleep. She wiggled her ear against Celestia’s neck. “I can hear your heart. Tick tock. Tick tock.”

“And what is it telling you?”

“We’re … alive …”

“We are.”

Celestia turned her attention skyward, and with a short burst of magic put the sun to rest. Rather than disturb Luna, she raised the moon as well. She decided that the dream realm would have to look after itself this night. Her sister needed, and deserved, to sleep through until the morning. And she could sleep right where she was if she liked, and that would be just fine.

Celestia whispered toward where Luna’s free ear was hidden by her wings. “I hope I’m not too stale?”

She saw the dark blue lips curve upward in a drowsy smile. “Mmmm? Oh shush. I don’t mind. You smell like a … an old sunny pastry shop … bread … sugar, a little dusty maybe …” She yawned again, shimmying closer. "Did you know that long ago … the other fillies used to call me … blueberry muffin, because of all your hugs?”

“Did they?” Celestia giggled.

“Sister,” Luna went on, “I feel that, now that we’ve spoken … now that we have put so many moons behind us, since my return … that I can … I would like to …”

“Shhh, shhh. Not now,” Celestia pleaded. “Please not now. Let’s just enjoy the moment. We get so few.”

But her request went unheard, for Luna at last had succumbed to sleep. With her gentlest spell, Celestia lifted her little black crown, and tenderly kissed her frizzy forelock.

“Soon”, she murmured like a mother to her slumbering foal, and pulled her even deeper in.

Author's Note:

Hope you enjoyed this!! There's going to be a sequel ...

Comments

[MixMassBasher]

A cute little conclusion. Look forward to the sequel!

[Grand Prize]

8655691

Thank you!! I'll try to make it even better than this one

[Dusky Flare]

Read it, loved it!
The sisters reconciling is as heart warming as ever.
And with Luna doing princess duty in this way I even shed a tear.

Well done! Waiting for more!

Dusky

[Grand Prize]

8671560

So happy to hear you liked it, and thanks for the kind words!! I really want to make the sequel something special. Hope it doesn't disappoint

[pitter_patter]

This was adorable <3 Can't wait for the sequel!

[Grand Prize]

8758700

Thank you! It might take a while, but it will happen ...

Also, thanks for faving!

[Jubilee Bloom]

This was the first story I ever read on Fimfiction, months before I even got my account. This is a wonderful story that I have reread multiple times. (I even had the entire first chapter memorized at one point.) I’m a sucker for anything cute with the royal sisters. Seriously. Or anything sappy/sentimental at all.

The only criticism I have is a common grammatical error in the first sentence; it should be “lay”, not “lie.”

[Grand Prize]

9042537

I even had the entire first chapter memorized at one point.

Wow! A writer can't hope for a much better response than that! Very happy that you liked it so much And right you are about 'lay'. Fixed!

Thanks for faving too

[Grand Prize]

9456324

Thanks!! Glad you liked it!

[EveningNight]

I loved this fic
And the sequel?

[Uz Naimat]

This is gorgeous! The way you described the hugs was absolutely golden. Reminds me if Dad’s wonderful hugs, which us why I may have shed a few tears during this story. Have an upvote, a fave and heart!

[Grand Prize]

10960017

Wow, thank you! So glad it spoke to you. Hearts right back at you!!

[TheHumanWriter]

(I almost forgot to comment, but here it is!)

This is one of the most cutest stories I’ve ever read on Fimfiction! Good job on the “snuggle moments” of the story! Hope to see your future works!

The Human Commentator

[Grand Prize]

10973720

Thanks so much! Warm and fuzzy FTW