A Sister’s Helping Hoof

by RoyalPonySisters

Chapter 1

Princess Luna sat at the long royal table, idly munching on a peach pit (she’d already eaten the peach). The sun was rising, it was a beautiful day, so naturally she was scowling- it had been a very long night. A bunch of Unicorns were dreaming about starting a secessionist movement, and harmony only knows how she had managed to derail their plans. That, and the fact that the Night Court had dragged on longer than usual, had put her in her usual bad morning mood. Still, she would try to put on a happy face for Celestia, who deserved to be greeted more kindly than Luna was in the mood to. Come to think of it, where was Celestia? She was always at the table far before Luna- and with a new delicious breakfast cooked as well. And it wasn’t like her to be late.

“Morning, Sister,” she suddenly heard a voice say. There was the Sun Princess, with bags under her eyes and her mane dragging limply on the ground behind her.

“Why Celestia,” Luna giggled, “You look even worse than I do this morning. What was so exhausting about a full night’s sleep?” she teased.

Celestia groaned in response. “I don’t know, I just woke up like this, but I feel awful. And I have so many things to do today....” She unraveled a long scroll.

Luna studied her carefully, “You look awful,” she said. She reached out and put her hoof onto her sister’s forehead. “You feel a little feverish, too.”

Celestia sighed. “Just what I needed today. I don’t have time to be sick.”

Luna looked over at her sister. “Perhaps... I should take over some of your duties for the day?” she asked uncertainly.

“That’s kind of you to offer, Luna, but I haven’t taken a sick day in more than a thousand years and I’m not about to start now.” her elder sister responded resolutely. She stood up from the table slowly. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to make you breakfast- err dinner- today, but if you really want to assist me, you could help me find my medical potion.”

Luna got up and trotted briskly behind Celestia as they went to the potions lab. It was a smallish room at the end of a winding corridor, and so disorganized it would make Twilight Sparkle faint on the spot. Some cupboards overflowed with odd ingredients, while others were locked tightly. Fur, feathers, hair and who knows what else was strewn all over the floor. “‘Tia, I did not know you dabbled in the healing arts?” Luna asked, rather excitedly.

“What? No.” Celestia rummaged through drawers that looked as though they hadn’t been opened in centuries. “It’s just one ‘cure-all’ potion- but I can’t seem to find- ah, here it is!” she proclaimed. She held out her prize, a vial containing a viscous, brown, awful-smelling liquid. To Luna’s horror, she could spot discrete chunks of... something... floating around the bottle.

“Sister, that looks vile. I implore you not to ingest that.” she said nervously.

“Oh, it is vile,” Celestia said, apparently unperturbed by this fact.

“Pray tell, ‘Tia, what is even in that? I’ve never even heard of a ‘cure-all’ potion?”

Celestia giggled. “I don’t even know what’s in it at this point. I always leave a little over from the last batch when I create a new one, and I’ve been making it for centuries.”

“Oh, Celestia,” Luna moaned. “Drinking whatever THAT is will probably make you sicker than you already are!”

“I know,” Celestia said.

“Then why in Equestria would you DRINK IT?” Luna yelled.

“Because, Luna, the effects of this potion last about half and hour. And after half and hour of suffering through the agony brought on by my potion, my original ailment becomes a lot more bearable.”

Luna sighed. “Celestia, that is the equivalent of banging your head against the wall to distract yourself from a headache.”

“What?” Celestia stopped banging her head into the wall and turned to Luna.

“I have an idea that doesn’t involve anypony suffering through agony.” Luna said, teleporting herself and Celestia to her sister’s quarters. She made sure to leave the potion behind. She set Celestia down on her bed, tied her limp mane back behind her head, and placed a thermometer into her mouth. She removed it after a few minutes and laughed. “122. Not a very high fever for you, Sister, but for regular ponies, quite concerning.”

“I feel so much better now that you tied my hair back. When it isn’t flowing and carrying itself, it is actually quite heavy.” Celestia admitted. “But Luna, we can’t do this. I have to work. And last time you took over for me it didn’t work out so well.”

“Celestia, you deserve to rest once in a thousand years. And I know what to expect now.” Luna covered Celestia up with her blankets and gently laid her head on her pillow. “Come on, ‘Tia, that feels good, does it not?” She could sense her sister’s resolve dissipating.

Celestia groaned. “Okay, Luna, you win. I shouldn’t let you do this but I will. But you must report back to me periodically throughout the day so I know how you’re doing.”

“Agreed,” Luna said.

“Feel better, ‘Tia,” she said softly, but her sister didn’t respond. She was already asleep.