The Sun Wants To Help

by Thistle Gravity

Intermission 1

"And the whole time, she was questioning me! Can you believe that?"

"I'm surprised as well,” Luna yawned, her fork cutting through an eye of her smiling pancake. “Despite her afflictions, it seems she may have quite the independent spirit buried underneath. Are you sure she simply doesn’t dislike you though?"

"It was exhilarating, Luna - of course she likes me,” Celestia snorted, before taking a bite of pineapple. “You should have met her. I think you would have done better with her - do you think it was wise? Just letting her leave?"

"I don't entirely enjoy being questioned by strangers as much as you do,” Luna grumped sleepily. “But please clarify: you didn’t just do that, did you? Abandon her?"

"Oh no, I had Raven set her up with a room and pension in the hotel for a month,” Celestia said, smiling around her food. “She also,” A swallow, “Scheduled Bee in for tea on Wednesday - tomorrow, I should say."

"That sounds wise. And generous." After these supportive comments, Luna chewed, awaiting more information. When Celestia accidentally threw her butterknife across the room when trying to cut a banana into slices, Luna blinked.

"Oh my stars Luna, I want to send her parents into the sun."

"As you’ve said. Erm.” Her sister dabbed her napkin thoughtfully. “You didn't get 'fiery', did you?"

"In court? No."Celestia was insulted. “I would never, Luna. I know decorum.”

"That's good."

"I did after. In the bath."

"Ah." Luna blinked.

Before she could ask about it, Celestia added,"I got better after the second tub.”

"Oh dear.” Luna set her cutlery down and massaged her tired eyes. “Was her retelling that bad?"

"Worse,” Celestia lamented. “Her parents blamed her for her vanished cutie mark, Luna. They are clearly horrible parents, exacerbating the problems she faces. I’m honestly scared of asking more about it, because then I might have to consult the guard for arrest warrants."

"The problems being, her depression and suicidal thoughts?"

Celestia clapped her hooves to the table, causing dishes to rattle. “I have seen things, Luna. This - This isn’t good, this is disastrous. What if Bee starts barking like a dog?”

"Celestia, that's all you've been saying,” Luna intoned patiently, ears folded at the noise. “That and you want to send her parents to the sun. And it was 'moon' earlier. This conversation is repeating itself."

"They deserve it," The elder muttered.

"And we can't establish a authoritarian regimen for parenting, Tia,” Luna reminded her, words being distorted by her yawn. “We would be dictators. That's bad."

"Hmph. I know."

“You are worrying, sister mine.” Luna said around her hoof, eyes squinting as she appeared to debate between yawning and eating. “You seem stressed about this mare, although you have not found the place to talk about yourself when I’ve asked. Only her, this Lady Bee.”

Celestia had remembered her breathing exercises this time around. When she had been wound up an hour ago over the same topic, Luna had silenced her with a raspberry tart to the face. Her ears still felt sticky, although Luna had sworn she had gotten it all.

“I can’t remember ever having dealt with a pony like this before, Luna,” Celestia said, sighing. “It troubles me that I was scared to even hug her.”

“It is newness you are feeling, that’s all,” Luna said with a nod, working on the last of her fruit. “I was fearful often due to everything being new to me. We want to be in control, but in the end no matter our ages, we will always be surprised.”

“Thank you for the fortune cookie, Luna.” Celestia huffed, earning a confused glare from Luna.

“I am quite serious, Tia,” Luna said.“ Do not be scared of your pony because she is new. When ponies are hurting, they sense fear easily in others. If you continue like this, you will only hurt her.”

“I wasn’t dismissing what you said, sister,” Celestia made a pleading gesture with her hoof, but Luna was already up and starting out of the room.

"I know, Tia,” Came her sister’s reply as she left. “I’m going to bed, though, as it is the hour. I don't want to see you festering over things you can't control."

"Lunaaaa,” Celestia whined. “Don’t leave meeeee."

"I’m going to bed, Tia, I’ve said my piece,” Luna called from the hall. “Go take a shower.”

“I’ll blow up the shower!” Celestia retorted after her.

“I love you too!” Came the fading echo of Luna’s voice.

Celestia sighed, finding herself alone, amongst empty dishes and half-finished meals. Her smile wilted from her face. The merriment of sisterly banter began to trickle away as the newfound silence settled in. The stillness of the atmosphere felt wrong, as if she herself had done something wrong.

You always do.

Celestia gulped down her coffee and decided to get up. After a quick poke of her head into the kitchen, she went off to her room, leaving the staff to collect the dishes and leftovers. She needed noise - and Luna was right, she needed a shower before work.

---

The water beating down on her back felt good. The weightlessness of her shoulders and hooves, still unadorned by her royal jewelry, basked in the heat of the warm water; tired muscles singing when she moved the dial to the hottest setting. Celestia sighed in the steam, wondering absently if there was a way to draw this moment out forever.

Thank you, Luna.

She didn’t want to go into court today; she didn’t want to go to school. With her other thoughts drowned out by the loud drumming of rushing water, it was easy to admit, especially in private.

“I am a weak, old, mare,” Celestia murmured to herself.

Luna was right, which wasn’t unsurprising. Her moon tethered her to the worlds of dreams and the subconscious; along with the starlit sky. She should have known how impressive her sister was, but her habit of good advice tended to go about forgotten. The list of Luna’s skills was as long as it was rarely brought up by either of them. Most of the time, contemplating the cutiemarks and roles between the sisters simply didn't happen.

“I certainly am in a morose, odd state of mind today,” Celestia said aloud, her voice all but droned out by the water, as she started to bathe. “If it all comes down to being afraid of something new, I could do better than think about the things I have no control over. After all, being afraid does little good, when action is what creates change...No matter what I am afraid of.”

“I face new things every day,” Celestia stated, smiling slightly. “Every week. Every decade. This? One mare? I can do better than that. I just have to not worry about it.”

If I always do something wrong, Celestia added brightly, Then I must hold the record for the longest one-mare con.

“And I have one thing over fear. I have administrative duty.”

Until something goes wrong. Until you let somepony down. Will your duties save you, or will you be forced to run?

“Shut up, me,” Celestia groaned. “I do not need my self-deprecation jinxing this.”

I know what I can do. I can head to my office early and write some letters. Perhaps paperwork will help me shake this funk.

Eventually the shower ended, and the princess, feeling refreshed and invigorated to face the day, stepped out onto the fluffy mat and dried off using several towels. The routine normally called for seven, but perhaps routine was causing her life to go stale. A windy, morning flight would do the rest for once.

See? New things aren’t scary. I can do more ‘new’.

---

“Princess Celestia? Um. I like what you did with your mane. You look...Fluffy today.”

“Thank you!”

“Wh - Wait, what are these papers doing everywhere? What are you doing with your office?”

“Trying something new, I believe. I figured my old arrangement was becoming lackluster and unprofessional. There’s certainly a lot of dust.”

“I… So have you graded my test yet? I wanted to go over the answers on the last quiz about the effects of magic on radial and linear axis of spatial casting.”

“Not yet. But I’ll tell you what, let me make a sign, and we can have office hours outside today!”

Author's Note:

Manic distraction versus depression, who will win?