Of Time Before The Stars

by JinxTJL

Of Sisters That Never Listened

She always knew where her sister went. Always known where she would go, when she so often ran off to be alone. Always could tell when she was getting antsy; wanting to get away from her and their parents and the cabin.

And the woods.

But still, she could only go so far. Not even her sister: flighty and willful and endlessly obstinate, would break the one true edict their parents had set for them. From their birth to their first day outside to the still-unchanging present, they had always impressed upon the two of them one thing above all.

Don't leave the forest. Not until it's time.

Of course, they had never said when it would be 'time'. Time to leave it all behind, and go out into the greater world beyond; because of course there was one. Even if their parents would never tell them about it directly, and they did, anyway: they still had their books to speak of it.

The books they'd always had, that their parents had kept from when their parents had been around. And, of course, the books that their father would bring back. From his long trips to gather wood-that-shouldn't-be-so-far, he would also sometimes bring back books.

'Here,' he'd say. 'I know how you two love to read.'

And they did, and it only made her love her father all the more. Made her forget that he'd been gone for whole pots, and that he never should have found books if he was just going for firewood.

It really did make it all okay, for her.

But she could never tell if it did for her sister.

Regardless of ill-feelings, though, she still listened to them. Still never left the forest. And, of course, she still always went to the same place.

A quiet little place, even in the still-quiet-but-not-as-quiet woods. Not as distinct as an idyllic mind might prefer, but different enough to make it a point in the environment.

Just a small clearing, where one tree stood lonely. Surrounded on all sides, but no other tree coming as near as to touch; there was even more of an opening in the canopy above.

The tree itself was not even so uncommon; it was simply a tree. Not tall, nor short, or even so extremely ordinary. It was less than anything little, but not of any substance to mark it among something high. It held more than enough to make it seem different, but not any more than the other trees did as well. In every way, even in a backwards way, it was average.

Just a tree.

A tree that sported a rather unusual blue spot on its branches.

She frowned up at the shock of color in the otherwise bland-and-mostly-green outlook. From where she stood at the ordinarily-unordinary tree's base, she could only see the small-from-her-vantage bit of blue if she peered closely up at it. And, of course, she had: since she'd known beforehoof to look about halfway up the tree as she was.

Otherwise, it would have been completely missable. Not unless a pony was specifically walking around looking at the leaves would they have seen the blue, and even then they would have had to have been closely scrutinizing the branches for any differences.

But then, once it caught the eye, it was obvious. Only easy to miss; not so easy to ignore.

It was, after all, very clearly identifiable as a drooping blue tail. And, if one were to look closer, they might spot the very end of a slightly swaying, slightly lighter-blue hoof right in front of it.

And, maybe if one were to listen very closely: they could hear the subtle little rattle of a snore.

Her sister often came here, to this tree. To sleep, to play on, to just sit under; there was something of a fondness for this particular tree in her sister's heart.

She'd asked, once, what made this tree so special. Why, whenever she would disappear to the worry-then-exasperation of her family, she would, without fail, come here.

And her sister had told her.

'It's because this tree is magical. This tree spoke to me in my dreams, and told me of the things it had seen and heard through its great roots. It told me stories of far-off lands and great monuments built into the sky itself that awed all who beheld them. And it told me that one day, it would craft itself into a great vessel in reverence to me, upon which it would take me far away from here.'

She'd looked her right in the eyes, then. Eyes so often filled with mockery or anger or laughter, now seeming so sharp and serious. Not softened with easy emotion, but hard with reality. It had seemed stark, coming from that sincere goofball.

She had looked at her, as she'd lain her hoof upon its surface with her face so unusually plain, and said one thing.

'This tree is my ticket out of this dump.'

She'd always been... an odd sort.

Whatever nonsense her dreamy, cloud-head sister had fooled herself into believing, it seemed real enough for her. Real enough to lead her back to the tree time and time again, even when she knew it would work half as well as a hiding place for the next time.

She'd often wondered, just what her sister's real reasons were?

Well, as she glared at the little swaying hoof up so high, she knew why it was that she was listening to those soft little rumbling snores. Her sister was a layabout, and she had no such reservations in allowing her mind to run free as some, more focused ponies did.

She slept too much, and did too little, and there was only one thing for it.

A wakeup.

"Luna!"

Her sudden call, as loud as she could make it, quite readily shattered the peace she was sure lazy Luna was happily enjoying. At least, if the sudden flurry of surprised motion up in the only-sort-of-high branch was any indication.

She couldn't help but smile a little to herself, perhaps spitefully, as more of her sister revealed herself over the edge. Swinging hooves and panicked exclamations, as one end over the other: Luna gradually fell side-first off the edge of the branch in a tangle of blue hair and limbs.

She stepped back as, halfway down or so, a set of two big-on-her-but-still-tiny wings unfurled in a desperate flap. It was less sharp wingbeats and more an annoying buzz as hair whipped and hooves pushed against air; her sister gradually righting herself and slowing to a steady, mid-air crawl a scant few hoof-lengths above the ground.

She knew Luna could keep herself aloft, and sometimes she did as they spoke, but now she set herself on the ground in the space that had been made for her: a pout on her face all the way. Well, she may have intended it as a furious glare, but for those big cyan eyes and cute little blue cheeks: it was always a pout.

She'd always been cute, if ill-tempered at best.

"Sister! You could have really-"

The beginnings of an angry tirade cut themselves off on Luna's lips; her still-young-and-squeaky voice fading as something occurred to her, and she seemed to reel herself back a tad. Still angry: but her head raised indignantly, and her face became altogether more haughty.

"Celestia," Oh no, she was doing that 'refined' thing with her voice again, as her mouth turned up in a still-pretty-cute sneer. "-thou still hast no concept of manners, it may seem." Luna barked out a single breath laugh, or it might've been a cough, as she shook her head reproachfully. "Thy carelessness strikes true; our life would have been fraught but for our hastened and quick reflexes."

This... was a recent thing.

Neither Celestia nor their parents knew where she'd picked it up, but Luna had, as of too-many-to-count pots ago by now: taken heartily to speaking in a very... unique way.

That... manner of speaking wasn't even in any of the books they had. She'd read each and every one of them vigorously, and again in specific search of this, and there was nothing anything like it anywhere in any of them. Asking Luna about it yielded as many results; the ever-unhelpful filly only self-righteously claiming that 'it was how the old refined ponies spoke.'

Yeah, maybe in plays.

Luna continued to speak as Celestia thought, now not even looking at her as she waved her hoof and sniffed disdainfully into the air. Fine; it allowed her to freely gag. "You- I mean- thine luck pervades. If we had been hurt, thy punishment at the hooves of our parents wouldst surely have been grave and lasting."

Luna craned her head down again, thankfully slowly enough that she could wipe the sickly face she'd been making at her while her eyes were closed. Her eyes, now, were hooded and full of glimmering, fake disinterest; though the expression was lost somewhat as Luna still had to look mostly up at her.

"We shall forgive thine trespass."

Celestia, beginning to feel as though she was being made fun of, opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off as Luna continued unexpectedly. Her mouth left half open as Luna's remained fully open, and droning out one long syllable.

"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIf-" She leaned back with a tepid face as Luna leaned forward on her long 'if,' only stopping after what seemed like a dozen drips. It was silent for a moment after, as Luna simply glared at her quietly, though she eventually sniffed, and spoke again.

"-thou apologize."

Luna nodded to herself as she finished, now leaning away from her made-perilous-by-her-short-legs lean, and letting her haunches fall to the ground as she sat: eyes closed and face turned away, waiting for her apology.

Celestia looked her baby sister up and down in one long, dry stare, ending at her petulant face framed by short, blue bangs. Even now, in the throes of one of her dramatic little escapades, it still twitched with quiet energy.

She quirked an eyebrow. "So you're two ponies, now?"

Whatever her sister had been doing to keep herself silent was blown over in an instant by a large bound of indignance that dropped like a stone onto her face. Luna's head swept around in an affronted gape, and her cheeks puffed red with anger as she jumped up, and stomped one of her little hooves into the ground.

"Sister! You're supposed to play along!"

Celestia rolled her eyes. Oh, here they went. "Luna, I've told you before and I'll tell you again." She took one step towards her sister, while letting her face push into Luna's; their noses scarce distance apart as she stared down at her with a frown. "You're the only one who even understands what you're saying. I'm not going to indulge your little fantasy."

Luna, for her credit, did not shy away from the close proximity. As a matter of seeming pride, she even leaned up towards Celestia; their noses now pressed against each other, even as Luna retorted. "'Tis hardly a fantasy that which will one day be made true."

Luna smiled- or maybe sneered- up at her, as she began to feel the smaller filly pressing harder to push her face away. Celestia pushed back, gaining ground as her gaze narrowed into the fiery cyan of Luna's laughing eyes. "While thee and thy may seem content to whittle life away to a useless nub, we dream of greater things. We shall not forever be constrained by this grand chasm of trees and boredom."

Luna, as was typical of her, was really starting to fray her nerves. With her glare only being matched, and her intended tower only being challenged, the situation was rapidly spiraling out of Celestia's control. Luna was just too headstrong, and it was a fool's errand to attempt to smother her.

Celestia knew this.

But she was the bigger sister.

One small, white hoof slowly edged forward against a smaller-than-small blue hoof as Celestia pressed her size advantage; neck straining, nose squishing less as Luna's squished more, and a very determined blue face slowly inched further down.

Celestia smiled, feeling victory close at hoof, as Luna's eyes darted away in a moment of sweet, nervous panic.

But then, she moved.

The pressure pushing up against Celestia's nose was suddenly gone, and with it: the surface she'd been balancing on. Luna twirled away in a deft stroke of her wings, pealing out an annoyingly satisfied burst of laughter as Celestia tumbled forward with an exclamation of surprise. Her face made painful impact with the cold ground, and everything seemed dazed for a long moment as her sister's laughter filled her ears.

Stars spun in her vision, but she blinked them away as four stubby little hooves came out in front of her. "And for thine information..." Celestia did her best to look up at Luna from her butt-up-head-down vantage; her sister still only barely taller than her, but looking as smug as if she was ten times her height.

The blue bother leaned down, to more evenly stare into Celestia's eyes as her voice seemed to sing with triumph. "To use the encompassing we implies a greater mind."

Celestia groaned in more than one kind of pain, and began to push herself up as her sister turned away. "Not that your oh-so-great mind would deign to care, but mother wanted you to come home for lunchtime," Celestia muttered, brushing the locks of her now-mussed pink mane back into place as she stood.

Luna, turned away with her head held high, hummed in response: head swaying slightly in time to the jaunty sound. "Yes, we thought as much." Luna swept a hoof through the air, to stop in a point as one of her back legs raised to match. "The tree had been telling us tales of the old world, and it had just finished an epic of the many feasts of plenty the great nobles would oft take of."

She turned her head, to flash an eye of mischief at Celestia, as she smiled daringly. "The experience seemed so unlike a dream: perhaps we had known without knowledge of the time."

Celestia groaned, and rolled her eyes again. Her sister's boasting seemed endless at times; always finding new things to brag or bray about. She sometimes felt that Luna believed herself completely faultless.

She shook her head, as Luna hopped, and switched the hooves she had in the air. "Fine, whatever, cloud-head. Trees can speak and you're as magical as I am. May we go, now?"

Celestia tapped her hoof on the ground impatiently as Luna hummed again, longer this time. She hopped, again, then again as her hum redoubled.

This went on for far too long.

What felt like dozens of drips passed with Luna doing little but repeatedly hopping and humming. She seemed intent on making a game of it, or sport, at least. For as lazy as Luna seemed-and-usually-was, she was also absolutely enchanted with physical activity.

Even as the pot ran dry, and sleep beckoned to those regular few: Luna would return home drenched in sweat, one of her little stone knives at her side.

She didn't know why Luna enjoyed swinging those things around so much, or where she'd even learned to do that, but it was hardly any of her concern what frivolities her sister indulged herself in.

Except for when it bothered her, like it was now.

With so long spent just watching and waiting as her anger boiled, Celestia had nearly worked up enough exasperation to at least walk over and push her sister over when Luna suddenly stopped.

All four of her hooves on the ground, and she turned promptly to stand properly in front of Celestia with her eyes closed in contentment. "Very well. We shall go."

Celestia sighed, and her head rolled around her eyes as she made to turn, but she was cut off as a sudden blur of blue rushed out in front of her, nearly crashing into her but for a hair's-length.

She started back as Luna fluttered about in front of her, a wide, brash smile on her face to compliment her eyes full of mirth and mock alike. "And when we return, we shall inform mother that thy will was to dawdle!" Luna announced grandly, flapping again to hold her aloft, before turning to leave the way Celestia had come with another flap.

But that quick second in-between her tease and her escape would be her undoing.

As Luna took to the relative skies underneath the trees: her tail, whipping about behind her on the eve of her turn, was caught quite unexpectedly to the overeager pegasus. A sharp tug brought a surprised gasp to her lips as her movement halted, and another was enough of a shock to her system to stall her wings.

With one last desperate flap, Luna fell to the hard ground in a manner reminiscent of the one she'd barely staved off earlier; only a few hoof-lengths away from where she'd started. Now, of course, her wings did not slow her fall.

Celestia smiled from behind the groaning mass of her sister, as a shining golden light flickered into silence from where it had exploded into life around her younger sister's tail. The bright, golden light that also burned around her horn, sat atop her head, which now dimmed its own light.

She trotted around to Luna's front, where the little pony's dazed face was still caught between confused blinks at the ground. She leaned down, to smile brilliantly at the splayed out crashed pegasus, whose unfocused eyes barely managed to catch on the vindictive expression.

"And when I return home first, I shall tell mother that you were sleeping in a tree again."

The softly spoken words didn't seem to altogether register to the downed-and-out pony, as she only shut her eyes, and groaned again. Celestia chuckled to herself, as she stood back to full height, and turned to leave with a profound sense of peace in her breast.

Quick little Luna still may very well reach the cabin first as soon as she recovered, but for now: Celestia's magic had given her the edge.

Because she was the bigger sister. And bigger sisters always won.

Author's Note:

lulululululululululululululululululululululululululunaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Oh, how I love her. Oh, how I adore her.

Luna, my love. Luna, the moon. Luna, the stars themselves.

Pray tell me: why are you such a dork?

Anyway, this chapter: name drops, even though everybody already knew. Race drops: based on popular opinion and maybe comics but I didn't finish reading them? Setting stuff: eugh I dunno, you just read it didn't you?

Lemme know how this is working out so far. Critical response is literally my entire everything.

Comments

[Mr Swanky Hat]

Alright, that was cute.

[Damaged]

Coverart sauce: https://twitter.com/DimFann/status/1462635183891308551 (SFW)

[Starswirl the Beardless]

Well, this is certainly a very...stylistically written story. I've always thought that I put too much detail into my stories, but this makes mine look outright bland. I wouldn't necessarily consider that to be a bad thing, but there needs to be a suitable level of substance for all that style as well. If you're planning on making this the intro to a much longer work, then I guess you could justify this as a "slow burn", but as it is, I feel like I just read a 6k word story that could have easily been half as long while still conveying the same information. Even that information that was conveyed was a bit of a mixed bag, with some well-thought-out, interesting elements, and some that felt very odd. If this is all just your style, then you certainly did it well, and I can't really complain too much about that, but this sort of thing just never clicks with me.

P.S. Chill out with the oh-so-clever hyphenated descriptors; you have way too many of them.

[JinxTJL]

11262280
Ah, you must be new around these parts! These parts, of course, being the trash can where I live and peddle my horsewords to the abject disgust and slight pity of those who skirt around me.

Yeah, so, it's actually really funny that you say this story seems a slow burn that's bloated with detail, because I actually reeled myself in really hard for this. If I'd been writing at peak time wasting efficiency, this would be a 15k word story with about the same level of plot progression, and about seven hundred more random threads to devices that I'll forget by the time of relevance.

My schtick is- as you are probably aware and disgusted by- writing really stupidly inconclusive and artsy adjacent works populated by masses of empty descriptors and occasionally punctuated by flashes of action or character interaction. It is my very infrequent passion to indulge my sense of meandering drama, and my incredible ability to look up synonyms.

As you said, and as everything I write is: this is a slow burn. I thrive on spreading chapters thinly out to an incredibly unsatisfying degree, no matter how much people beg for something to just happen already. I simply laugh, while hiding tears, and proclaim that 'this is my process.' And lo: the masses voices' ring out again, in sorrow.

Oh, and as for the cleverly-hyphenated-strings: I know they're not correct. I had started out with a few in the first chapter for practice purposes, and to make Celestia a little more distinct from my normal pony's pov, but then I started to really dig it for her character. It's about the enunciation, and the promptness of her words, you know? When she speaks or thinks in strings-too-close-for-comfort, it's because she's doing it quickly, with a sense of heightened priority.

She's an intelligent and reasonable little filly, of course, but she's also fairly entitled and just a bit stuck up. She believes that when she speaks, she's speaking matter-of-factly. She's saying things that, while of course subject to argument, are just a teensy bit more important-than-important. Imagine her cocking her head to each word, if it helps.

The bigger sister wants her big-but-still-small opinions taken seriously. And sometimes, when you have a tiny-blue-filly-sister that enjoys shouting over you, you have to speak faster-than-fast.

So, yeah, it's not correct. It may not even look good, but I enjoy it for the character. It's- er... nuance, yeah?