Timed Ramblings

by Midnight herald

As Ever

There was a certain reverence in placing a new constellation. Luna swayed and hummed to herself, drunk off the powers flowing through her. With a grunt of effort, she sent out a mighty font of power to light up the sky, and watched as thirteen stars rose in brightness. Then, she carefully readjusted them. Those three became a beak, those six were wings and tail, poised in a mighty dive, and those four became outstretched talons. A fitting monument to a worthy adversary, she mused.

“The stars look wonderful.” Luna glanced at her sister walking up slowly behind her, smiling, before looking over the parapet again.

“‘Tis a good night,” she agreed, casting her gaze outward.

Celestia sat beside her with a rustle of feathers and a clink of her regalia. She sniffed and nosed at one of the dark streaks that ran up Luna’s neck, nickering softly. “Luna, why art thou yet bloodstained?” Celestia asked softly, clearly concerned. “‘Twould put a damper on the festivities to show up as such.”

Luna shifted a little, scanning the horizon. “I had no intent to join the celebration,” she admitted, frowning.

Celestia sighed and leaned gently against Luna’s soiled armor. “Luna, were it not for you, our army would have fallen under beak and talon in an instant.”

Luna smiled grimly. “And yet the Griffon’s empire has fallen into weakly fiefdoms,” she answered. “And we are safe again, no matter.” She looked at Celestia, her head tilted in question. “Your ponies make merry, sister. Shall you not join them?”

Celestia’s eyes flashed for a moment. “Our ponies, dearest Luna,” she corrected gently. Luna snorted and tossed her starry mane.

“They tremble at the mere mention of me,” she spat, rustling her wings and looking again into the darkness.

“Luna.” She turned and watched a lonely comet reflected in Celestia’s teary eyes. Her sister swallowed. “When we threw Discord down, when we took on the mantles of leaders, I never intended...” Celestia choked up, a single, precious tear trickling down her muzzle.

“I know, sister,” Luna murmured, nuzzling Celestia’s neck gently. “I know.”

“Sister, thou knowst I love thee?” Celestia asked in a trembling voice.

“Aye, and know it well,” Luna answered, stroking Celestia’s elegant wing. “As I love thee, Fair Celestia.”

Celestia shivered and leaned harder into her touch, ignoring the day-old gore that stained her coat. A soft, mewling whine came from her throat as she desperately nuzzled at Luna’s horn, down her filthy neck, as if assuring herself that her sister were truly there. “I worried overmuch,” she cried into Luna’s neck. “Fain, I could hardly raise the sun this morn for fear of a day without you.” Luna shifted so she could fully embrace her weeping sister in her strong forelegs, shushing her gently. After some time, Celestia quieted and stilled, and Luna broke away, smiling softly.

She butted Celestia’s chest and nudged her towards the Great hall, full of light and music and the murmuring thunder of a thousand ponies talking, eating, laughing. “Go and join them,” she coaxed, still smiling. “They wish to see thee, Sister.”

Celestia wiped the tear tracks from her eyes and looked at Luna, deep in contemplation. “Luna, I would move mountains for thee. If ever I can do something, anything for thee, please name it.”

Luna grinned. “Peace, sister. This I know.” She swatted Celestia playfully with a wing. “Now go on, Celestia,” she chuckled, thumping her shoulder. Celestia yelped from the treatment, and gave a sheepish grin at Luna’s raised brow. “Laugh, feast, sing, do what ye must,” Luna ordered. Celestia nickered, a ghost of doubt shadowing her face. Luna nudged her again. “Rest easy, dear sister,” she finished softly. “As ever, I shall guard the night.”

Celestia smiled back and walked away. A cheer rose like the ocean tides as she entered the Hall, leaving Luna outside in the shadows. Luna sighed and scanned the surrounding forest, searching the shadows for any dangers.

Author's Note:

Prompt 397: "I don't need my own dreams if I can help you achieve yours"

Writing in old-ish English was a fun excercise, but mostly I felt like writing a pre-nightmare Luna who wasn't a huge, angsty teen about everything. This one was fun to write

Comments

[Silvernis]

Gah, my feels. The fact that Luna isn't being so angsty makes the irony sting even more. I also like the whole griffon war thing -- it adds a gritty, realistic touch to a world that normally leans more towards friendship and rainbows than blood and guts. Speaking of which, I like how Luna is wearing bloodstained armor while Celestia is not. It's like Celestia is the pure, pretty one unsullied by the violence that was necessary to protect Equestria, while Luna is the one who actually got her hooves dirty and sacrificed her purity to do what had to be done.

Yay for over-analysis!

[Mermaid]

It took me a while to realize what era this one was set in. (I was all "oh no, war with the Griffons? :(" ) It really digs the dagger deeper to realize how selfless Luna was and how worried Celestia and still where that led to.

[Midnight herald]

2937342 Yep, that's what I was going for here... If I ever continued this storyline, Celestia's promise to do anything for her sister would play a huge part. But mostly I was showing a side of Luna that I, as a younger sibling, feel isn't showcased enough. SIbling rivalry is always balanced out with sibling love, and I'm always ticked that the sibling love gets shunted aside wherever Luna's concerned. She doesn't come across that way to me, so I figured I should write what I wanted to see, since nobody else has yet...