Some Secrets
“`Tia. `Tia, wake up.”
A small groan escaped the alicorn, head nestled directly into a pillow at the quiet voice that spoke into one of her ears.The voice may have come from someone that was truly beautiful, but it didn’t mean that Celestia enjoyed being awakened in the middle of the night. Which happened far too often for her own liking.
"`Tia - come on,” The voice continued on gently, tickling the inside of Celestia’s ear now. “Starswirl is expecting us for our lesson before your sunrise. The witching hour is upon us.”
It may have been from someone that was quite the catch, but that didn’t mean Celestia was going to move. Another protest, this one a little louder, was sounded from the back of Celestia’s throat.
“Oh?” Oh, the alabaster alicorn did not like that tone (nor the removal of the warm wing that she had previously been using as a blanket that ever so slightly tickled her back - but not the point.) When the voice’s owner got into a mischievous mood… well, Celestia repressed a shiver at the thought of the things that she could do when she wants to.
“Is somepony trying to get out of her lessons?” Oh stars, she was getting into one of those moods. Did Celestia mistake the voice from coming from someone beautiful? No, she was sure that she meant the source was annoying. Absolutely, truly annoying.
“I never knew you could be so naughty, Celestia,” The voice whispered, softer now, as the warmth of the owner’s breath contrasted with the sudden coldness the removal of the wing left Celestia’s book. “Hmm… well if you’re not willing to go to Starswirl’s lessons, than maybe I’ll have to employ some of my own lessons, don’t you think?”
No. She wouldn’t dare! Though even as she denied the obvious foreplay, her body tensed in readiness.
“Let’s just hope he doesn’t catch us.~” A quick nip to the ears, and the white alicorn finally shot up, face heating up beneath her fur as a pillow was now held up in a golden glow of magic, striking the other alicorn mare on the bed.
“Jerk!” Celestia announced, as a soft gasp and muffled laugh escape her fellow alicorn’s face, as the pillow struck the latter directly in the muzzle.
“You wound me, `Tia! Wound meee-” The voice whined - it’s owner now fully under Celestia’s gaze. The thrown pillow, having served its dutiful purpose, was now enveloped in a blue glow as it was lifted from Luna’s face, revealing a mirthful grin and eyes dancing with delight, yet a small pout rested upon her muzzle.
“Good. You deserve to be wounded after that,” Celestia scoffed slightly, as she turned her body now to properly face her blue partner on the bed. She was almost tempted to relax after the first attempt at nibbling had been made, but Celestia knew better than to face Luna when she was in a mood like this unprepared.
Her girlfriend may have been indeed beautiful, but she was also indeed the annoying filly that Celestia had once knew of back in the orphanage the pair had grown up to prior being bestowed wings for Celestia, and a horn of Luna respectfully.
“Oh come on. It’s my favorite time of the night, and you were just sleeping it all away. Plus, Professor Starswirl does have his magic lessons for us coming up soon.” A quick twitch of the wings from Luna, as a spark of excitement joined the mischievousness of her gaze - never a good combo. Yet at least this time, Luna’s interest was being pushed towards something productive - learning the finesse of magic.
“Oh, yes. The lessons that are for basic unicorn magic.” At Luna’s quick change in expression to a bit of hurt, Celestia quickly shook her head. “Instead of that, I should be learning the basics of flight - so we’re both at the beginning level of somewhere.” The alicorn huffed slightly, flipping over a corner of the bed’s overturned blanket with one of her hooves. “I could do with a little less of crashing into trees, don’t you think?”
“Oh, most certainly.” Luna said dryly, crossing her hooves in front of her as leaned back in her seat on the bed.. “I am pretty sure you scared those poor birds feathers clean off…”
The younger mare paused, before leaning forward a small grin on her face. “Though, if you really wish to continue with some flight lessons… I can teach you myself. I’m pretty sure an old gizzard like Starswirl couldn’t make heads or tails of the dynamics of flight.” The alicorn crept another iinch or two forward, her smile widening. “And if you so wish, after you get a hang of your flight more, we can take a mid-night flight up in the clouds. I can assure you, being up there in the clouds… well, it’s quite amazing,” she practically purred, leaning in toward’s Celestia’s face.
For a few moments, Celestia was tempted to lean in, and gently kiss the slightly younger mare back. It was what she wanted, after all. More than anything. Finally, they had all the privacy in the world after the magus test that Celestia had gone through, and at first she had taken advantage of it. Stolen kisses and cuddling behind closed doors, and a closeness and proximity to her lover that Celestia had never had before. It was a dream come true.
Yet that didn’t stop Celestia’s eyes from flickering towards the door at the last second, before she pulled back from Luna, her own smile turning polite. And a bit brittle.
“We shouldn’t.”
The grin that had rested upon Luna’s face now vanished at the sentence, disappearing as not a pout came upon the smaller mare’s face - but a real frown. “Why not?” A simple question, but one that Luna asked nonetheless, blue eyes piercing as some of the warmth in her eyes disappeared, now replaced by a pinprick of coldness.
“You.. know why,” Now it was Celestia’s turn to cross her hooves, as the mare got up from laying down to sitting in bed. “In case someone were to walk in.”
“Like who? It’s the middle of the night,” Luna answered, all traces of her smile now being gone as a scowl crossed her face, body tensing slightly.
“LIke Starswirl, our mentor who is waiting for us - and might wonder where the pair of alicorn teenagers suddenly went?” Celestia answered back, reaching out with her wing to flick Luna’s side gently. It took mental effort and willpower, but she succeeded in controlling one of her new limbs - but instead of a smile coming on Luna’s face at the touch, her face fell even further.
“So? Starswirl is a progressive pony. He doesn’t seem prejudiced at all about the other species of pony. Look at his group of friends.” Luna pointed out.
“Yes, but there’s a difference between a peace that has gone on since before we were born, and something that is still outlawed in Equestria all over, no matter what town or city you go to.” Celestia shot back, sighing slightly after she spoke. “And even if he didn’t immediately bulk at the idea of… what we are to each other, do you really think when Starswirl introduces us properly to the whole kingdom of Equestria, that ponies won’t judge?”
“Who cares if they judge!” Luna scowled more heavily at the comment, lips pulling back. For a moment, Celestia blinked, lifting a hoof towards Luna, which the smaller alicorn shoved away as she leaped off of Celestia’s bed - heading towards hers at the opposite end of the room, which lay cold from no warm body resting in it all night. “They’re already going to judge us for possessing all three of the tribe’s magic!”
“Yes, but that will be outlandish enough. And… it’d be easier for us to be accepted as leaders, especially as young as we are, if we don’t have another strike against us.” Celestia said slowly, feeling her ears now flatten against her skull, as Luna simply snorted a bit at her words, still turned away. “I thought we talked about this already. Didn’t we decide this together?”
“No! It was you who had the idea, and I was forced to go along with it, when it was the first thing that you could think of to explain our behavior.” Luna nearly snapped, before pausing. For a moment, it seemed that the mare was going to go on, before a long intake of breath was heard. An effort to calm down, before she spun in place, coming to face her hidden lover once more.
“`Tia… how long can we possibly put up a charade like this? You say as long as we have to, but what does that mean? When we can finally change the laws to reflect better beliefs about shared love?”
For a few moments, Celestia hesitated before nodding. “I’d hope so…” She swung her hooves off the bed, as she lay there, now staring at Luna across the room.
“But what then? What then will happen after we enact such laws? Will they think we have broken another taboo because we have grown up together? If we reveal ourselves then, and not before, then they’ll push back even more against changing the laws!” As each word was spoken, there was a slight rise in volume from the younger mare. Not to the point of shouting, but a ready beat as the words came, before her face fell once more, the anger subsiding to reveal the root beneath. Fear, anxiety, with more than a touch of helplessness thrown in the mix.“I… I do wish to change the world Tia. But I don’t want to give up our happiness for the world. But I also don’t want to give up a chance to help every other pair of lovers like us either,” Luna said, her voice barely reaching above a whisper as the defenses she had shown moments earlier fell away. “I… I just want to do the right thing for both us and others, without messing things up. I want to show everypony that you’re not just the pony I grew up with. Or just my best friend. Or a sibling of all things.”
For a few moments, Luna paused, before picking up a shaky hoof and pointing it directly at Celestia, blue eyes narrowed.. “You’re the pony I love with all my heart. And I want to do what’s right by you.”
That.... was something to swallow. Celestia felt herself clam up slightly as she realized the extent to which Luna had thought things through. It wasn’t just the ‘big sister’ worrying about things. Celestia had gone through enacting her plan without much of a thought of the impact it would have on Luna’s psyche. After all, it was common to keep things hidden like this. But adding being siblings on top of it…
Well, that just had complicated matters to another extent completely, hadn’t it?
Luna wasn’t just a silly little sibling like she claimed to others to help make her story believable. She had never been that. She had been her equal, despite being a year and half younger, and perhaps Celestia had lost sight of that with everything that had been thrust upon her since the trial.
Shame rushed through Celestia at that thought, before the older mare rose to her hooves, crossing the room easily to Luna. And despite the smaller alicorn trying to appear taller than normal - well, it seems even the intimidation of such an action, made Luna melt from her position, hoof now being lowered to the ground, and ears mirrowing Celestia’s as she looked up into pink eyes, opening her mouth once again to speak - and only to be shut up by a kiss. Not one or deep as long as she’d like… but compared to lately, it was something from Celestia.
Sitting on the ground now, in order to get down more to the short mare’s height, Celestia opened her wings, throwing them quickly around Luna in a wing hug after the kiss had ended. “... I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not paying attention to you as much as I should have, or listening to you before I made my actions. I’m a very silly partner, aren’t I?”
After pushing past her surprise, Luna stared into the face of Celestia, blinking owlishly, still taken aback by the sudden kiss - before sniffing slightly, and looking away. “Yes, you are. And you’ll be a very silly princess too, I know it. I guess I will have to be the one to be the more regal one.” Despite the comment, Luna found herself now sitting on the cold floor next to Celestia, leaning into the wing hug that hadn’t quite retracted yet. “... So, what are we going to do?”
“... well, first off, we’re going to be late to Starswirl’s lesson.” Celestia said matter-of-factly, smiling slightly as Luna’s ears perked up again. “For we have some long put off cuddling to do, don’t we? And… about the other issues…” Luna’s own gaze got more intent as Celestia continued. “We’ll talk. And I’ll listen, and incorporate your ideas from now on. I’m not sure how we can fix the mess I’ve brought us in, but I’ll promise I’ll try.” Celestia finished, now rubbing one of her wings down Luna’s back, and elicting a smile from her girlfriend at the slight tickles of the feathers running down her back.
“I’ll hold you to that promise.” Luna said with a grin.
Too bad promises are made to be broken.