> More Than My Sister > by Retrokin > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Is Love to Be? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luna eyes unfocused from her book. Her eyes, from her higher position, fell unto Twilight Sparkle. Twilight had a book in her telekinetic grasp. It’s title? Bah! Who cares! All that mattered was that such a tantalizing mare was beside her. And when one had such a lovely mare besides them, certain things were expected to happen, especially when they were the only ones in the room… And the room… There were plush bean bag chairs that both of them sat on, with one of the chairs being larger than the other. Comfort was something Twilight had always provided for Luna when Luna had visited. Three racks of bookshelves: Fiction, non-fiction, and academic papers. A mare with a brilliant mind would need many intriguing ideas to keep them entertained. An antique candelabra built during Luna’s reign hung from the center of the room. The antiquity showed that such resilience could withstand the test of time, even immortality. And who could forget the… Luna blushed. Sensual delights. Scarlet red candles, which were pricey little things, marked the area in an odor that was oh so tantalizing. Whoever gave them a whiff knew that something was desired from them. Something primal. Oh and snacks. One can’t forget the two snack tables that stood beside the two royal ponies in the room. The snacks were knock off hoof foods, yet were delightful to taste. Just like… Luna cleared her throat. And after secretly studying Twilight’s dreams, there was no doubt that everything was perfect. Although Twilight hadn’t commented on anything in particular. But she surely noticed that this was a date. Right? Argh! If Twilight would just say something about the date, then Luna could move on ahead with the confession of love. And if Luna could confess her love… Then she could finally be rid of her feelings for Twilight. Luna sighed, and returned to her book. The peasants wish to be put on the same level as their betters. Of course, in the context of betters it refers to those in a grander hierarchy. History has proven and delegated that their betters shall receive love, valor… Twas a foals book Luna was reading for goodness sake! How would the foals even understand what was written? The author was foalish and foolish for writing such things towards young and impressionable minds. The proof was in, how do ponies say, the milkshake. The taste of the milk shake? Insults. It began by calling the foals peasants, a term which carries a history of having such a desperation to survive that thou would be willing to commit heinous wrongs. Then the author adds asparagus whip cream. With a tone that indicates that thou views thyself as the reader’s betters! Brown sprinkles, which thou must have grabbed from the back in haste, was the cover up of ever doing such a thing. By stating such foolish ideals granted love, valor, and whatever nonsense the author deemed to add. And the cherry on top was pretending such views weren’t offensive! Although twas funny when one considered the book sales. The author was so unsuccessful that their books filled bargain bins throughout every store. Such pleasant karma was like… Well a vanilla shake. Not too much whipped cream, yet not too little. A perfect flavor profile. And a nice, juicy cherry on top. Oh and sprinkles, one can’t forget the sprinkles. But it would be best to not let such thoughts leak out into the open. After all, what would dearest Twilight think if Luna had a wide smile that just wouldn’t go away? Luna sighed. Twilight would never like a mare who made fun of others. Even if the one being made fun of deserved it. Luna lay her book onto the floor in the read pile. She picked up another book from the unread pile and began to read. Although of course another glance at Twilight was warranted. From yonder times, in the age of mythos and fables… Luna yawned, yet she continued on. The Mare of the Moon, a fairy tale from long ago. It’s not often that children’s tales become real. Yet this historian has had such luck that such a thing happened! It all began… The book went on to explain the tale of the Mare on the Moon. Twas quite the enjoyable read, until… The Mare on the Moon, or Nightmare Moon as she declared herself as, has done numerous, I dare say, heinous things in her time. What could thou possibly know? She was known to enslave her captors… Luna’s swallowed. …Burn down innocent villages… Luna flinched. …Perform dark magic experiments on her captors… Luna bit her lip. …Seduce stallions loyal to their mares to join her ranks… “How did they figure that one out!” Twilight looked up from her book. “Ah. Um…” Luna mouth flapped uselessly, as she pulled the book closer to her face. “We were just… Aha!” The perfect excuse! “Enjoying a really good part of a book. And, and…” Twilight’s gorgeous lavender eyes stared straight into Luna’s bland sapphire eyes. “Hehe…” Luna swallowed. “Oh. Well I’m glad you’re enjoying your book!” Twilight smiled, and went back to reading her book. Luna sighed. Twas a problem that such things were written about Luna, especially when most of it was true. Although it didn’t matter what others thought of Luna’s past crimes. After all, what would Twilight think of her when Twilight learned of her past mistakes? Luna looked out over the balcony, finding the moon high in the sky. The moon followed its manually placed orbit onto the highest point it would lay in the sky for the night, where a meteor shower was going to begin. The meteor shower! The one they both agreed to watch! The only reason Twilight had even come to this date! Twilight would go home as soon as the meteor shower was over! But there was no way Luna could confess feelings of love for such an amazing mare! Although the things that could come after confessing… No, twas Twilight Luna was thinking about! Hmm. Twilight didn’t know how long until the meteor shower. Luna could theoretically push it back further. With a little bit of magic of course. What if Luna pushed it back by half an hour? Would Twilight notice then? Probably not. An hour? Luna smiled. Then Luna frowned. Twilight had an extensive library of her own with nearly every book. Which meant that Twilight had several books on the formation of meteor showers. Twilight had most likely read those books. Which meant that she had most likely taken notes on those books. And considering Twilight’s desire to understand the cosmos… Twilight had likely calculated exactly when the meteor shower was going to take place. Luna was doomed! Luna needed to stay calm. She took deep breaths. In, then out. In, then out. In, then out. Luna frowned. This date would be ruined, and there would be no way to fix it! The time, effort, and bits all wasted on a fruitless chance. A hope so near and dear, and for what? What was the point of going on? Although if one was bold and brave, then feelings of hesitation and… Luna swallowed. Fear could be pushed past, leading to the potential of a brighter tomorrow. Even if twas only a naive hope. Would Luna be able to do such a thing? Luna pounded her hoof to the floor. Silently. She would confess before the meteor shower started! From across Luna’s bean bag chair, Twilight took a nacho from her snack table and ate it. Twilight took another nacho. And another. And another. How many nachos can a mare of her size fit? Although it gave Luna an idea on how she could confess. Perhaps Luna could compliment Twilight. Butter her up and then… Twilight we love thee. No, that was too corny. Twilight’s hoof hit the bottom of the nacho bag, with nary a nacho in sight. She looked into the bag, a puzzled expression on her face. For a princess, Twilight acted like a common laypony.Twilight liked doing normal things. With other normal ponies. In normal places. With normal… Aha! A normal confession. Although what would that even look like? Perhaps it meant acting as if everything was wonderful and perfect all the time? Or smiling even when one was not amused? Luna sighed. Acting fake wasn’t going to work. Luna wanted a real relationship with Twilight, so acting fake would only force Luna to act with further deceit in the future. Twilight reached her hoof to the furthest end of the table, and opened a bag with Poppy the mascot, a popcorn ball with hooves and wide eyes. Twilight scooped a hoof-full of cheap buttery popcorn and began munching. What a wide smile for mare to have when eating low quality junk food… Luna scratched her chin. Compliments and deceit wouldn’t work, so what would? The more Luna thought about it, the more confusing confessing became. Seriously, why was it so hard to think of one foolproof way to confess? Although perhaps Luna was the fool. Luna giggled. Wait. Was it even okay for her to date Twilight? It must be. Right? But now that she thought about it, there were actually several problems with dating Twilight. One, Luna was much older and much more powerful. Two, they both had personalities that were far too different. And three, Luna was Twilight’s mentor. Wait. Since Luna was Twilight’s mentor, then it was almost like Luna was taking Celestia’s position. Uh oh… “Say, Twilight…” Luna looked away, attempting to hide her interest in her next question, “Does thou ever think it would be okay for a student to date their mentor?” It would be best to start one at a time. Twilight didn’t answer for awhile, continuing to read her book. Luna was left with an uncomfortable silence. “Sorry!” Twilight folded the top-right corner of the page looked up. “I was at a really good part. Hmm. It certainly would have many negative connotations if such a thing did occur.” “But why so?” “Well do you think it would be okay?” Twas cheating to turn the question! “Maybe it would be…” Twilight put her book down. “Well first I would point out that a mentor is someone who looks after the student and guides them. If the student is impressionable enough,” Twilight rubbed her chin, “And desperate enough, then it’s possible for the mentor to convince the student to do things that may endanger them.” “But if the student and mentor are responsible, then there shouldn’t be an issue, right?” Twilight shook her head. “The problem is still there. The mentor is still in a position of too great power. It’s possible that the mentor might accidentally convince the student to do things they are not comfortable with.” “But… but… Aha! Of course we’re talking adults, so both are able to consent!” Twilight frowned. “Even if they are both adults, it breaches the professionalism required with a mentor and a student. In too many cases there are situations where the student is taken advantage of. Even if the mentor is responsible, as a society we should not encourage such behavior.” Luna sighed. Why did her feelings have to be wrong? “Anyways, wanna build a book fort?” Twilight’s smiled, oblivious to Luna’s inner struggle. Luna tilted her head. There was no way that the mare before her was so oblivious. Yet Twilight continued to smile, not a care in the world. “Why would thou want to build a book fort? Isn’t that a bit foalish?” Twilight blushed. “I just thought that since its just the two of us, that maybe we could be alone. You know, kind of like we’re in our own little world.” What would the two of them do in their own little world? Luna stared deeper into Twilight’s eyes, trying to determine if there was any hidden meaning behind her words. Also, would there be enough room for two royal alicorns to sit close by with each other. Or would they need to squeeze so close to each other that they would be forced to embrace the other? Would Luna smell the sweat and grime that Luna had collected throughout the day? Would her mus- Luna wiped a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth with her hoof. But being in their own little world did come with certain expectations. During Luna’s time, such a description would entail intimacy in the purest form. Although the definition of pure had changed throughout the ages. From meaning such things as innocence, altruism, virginity- Was Twilight a virgin? Luna’s breathing quickened. Would Luna take Twilight’s first… “So is that a no?” Twilight’s cute little snout scrunched up. Luna opened her mouth and closed it. Over and over and over again. Finally the words came out. “We hardly know each other, enchanting mare.” Silence descended upon the room. Twas almost as if somepony had scraped their hooves across a chalkboard. “Right…” Twilight returned to her book. Luna wanted to bang her head against the walls of the room. Luna was left alone with her thoughts. If Luna could not be with Twilight, then there was only one thing to do. No matter how unpleasant twas, she had to do it. Luna would have to grind her feelings to dust. Twas not anything new. Luna had been imprisoned on the moon for 1000 years. When she returned, she had done the same thing. Feelings of inferiority, hate, pain, jealousy… Poof! Gone like they never existed. It would be the same. We do not love Twilight Sparkle, Luna told herself. A hundred little things that Twilight had done in the past resurfaced in Luna’s mind. Luna pondered, Twilight has wronged us. Remember the time… Yet all the wrongs were so trivial. Luna thought back to the past, The days spent together, Nightmare Night, Hearthswarming, Hearts and Hooves Day… But they were fun. But Luna was a survivor, and so she was able to crush anything that stood in her way. Nightmare Moon had taught her to crush everything that could hurt her, for every risk was too great. Nightmare Moon didn’t care what other ponies felt, for she was above feelings. Yet acts of villainy seemed far easier than doing something that should be so simple. Especially when for so long nopony had a single ounce of care for her. Luna understood the brazen insults the nobles would say to her face, all the while hiding it behind compliments as if Luna was so dense. She had overheard what the commoners of Canterlot said to their peers about the newly returned lunar princess. And she could see the way Celestia looked at her whenever she made a decision that opposed Celestia’s. Yet Twilight… Bah! It should be so easy. And yet… And yet… Luna couldn’t do it. Luna had always thought that her feelings were something that got in the way. Yet perhaps Luna had been thinking about her feelings all wrong. Perhaps confessing to Twilight should be more than just getting rid of annoying desires, but instead be about desiring a deeper connection with another pony. Were Luna’s feelings truly wrong? And based on what? Just because there would be some issues with two princesses dating? Didn’t every relationship have issues? Twilight looked up from the corner of her book. She opened her mouth, almost as though she wanted to say something, but quickly closed it. Twilight swallowed, mustering her strength. “So… My friendship studies have been going well…” “Oh. Uh. Congrats, Twilight.” “Yeah…” Twilight scratched the back of her neck with her hoof. “Just thought it might interest you…” Was Twilight trying to bond with Luna? Luna chuckled. “We are delighted every time we hear of thous exploits in the field of friendship.” Twilight brightened up, smiling. Luna smiled back. Just like Twilight cared about Luna’s opinion, Luna cared about Twilight’s. “Well,” Twilight put her book down. “Do you remember that new student that I recently got?” “Starlight correct?” Twilight’s smile widened. “Right! Well recently we went on a picnic with our friends…” Twilight regaled her story, being delightful as she often was. Luna knew that such talk was trivial, as its purpose was only there for enjoyment. Hmm, perhaps not. What if such talk was so that the two could form a deeper connection? Luna had always thought of relationships as things which one would have so that they can better themselves. Were relationships for more than just personal gain? “…And can you believe that it was me who learned a lesson that day?” Twilight chuckled. Then Twilight smiled. She seemed happy to just talk with Luna. “Thank you for being here.” Luna’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, “Of course. Why wouldn’t we?” Twilight smiled. “It’s nothing.” The two spent a moment staring at each other, waiting for the other to speak. Finally, Twilight cracked. “You know… I’ve never had a special somepony.” “What? Thou must be lying!” Luna could practically feel the heat of Twilight’s cheeks as she blushed. “Err… Yeah. I understand, what with me being a princess and all…” That was not at all what Luna was thinking. Twilight was cute and adorable and- “…But who would like, well a nerd like me.” Twilight chuckled. “There’s no reason why anypony would want to date me.” What blasphemy was this! “Twilight, thou must understand! Thou are a treat to be around. Anypony would be lucky to have thou’s company in their midst.” Twilight opened her mouth to retaliate. Luna raised her hoof, beating her too it. “And another thing, such negativity is unfitting for the Princess of Friendship! Thou’s friends consider thou’s kindness and generosity a true treasure. One that cannot be traded for even the finest metals!” Twilight opened her mouth- But Luna refused to let Twilight speak. “Thou friendship is a guiding rock during troubling times.” Twilight sighed, knowing that she would not be allowed to say anything else negative about herself. Especially with Luna’s hoof in the air. Then, Luna smiled. “Twilight, we consider thou friendship and love to be something that has helped us in our most troubling times. When we feel down, thou is there for us.” Twilight sighed. She raised her hoof, attempting to hide her smile. “Thank you. But-” “No buts.” “But-” “No. Buts.” From the way Twilight’s smile grew vibrant, Luna had successfully silenced Twilight’s negative opinions for good. “Thank you Luna. I wonder if being in love is like this.” Luna smiled. “Too bad I’m not ready to fall in love and have a special somepony.” And just like that, the house of cards known as Luna’s hope came crashing down. However, a brilliant idea came to Luna’s mind. “First of all Twilight, would thou even know if thou were in love?” Twilight scratched her chin. “I would think so?” “Think? Or know?” That got Twilight thinking. And a thinking Twilight is one that considered things. And a Twilight that considered things might even consider things such as dating. “We can tell thou what love is. After all, we know of centuries old theories of what love is. Most of it isn’t even written in modern books.” Hook, line, and sinker. Twilight eyes lit up as she leaned forward, waiting with bated breath for what knowledge Luna would pass on. Luna closed her eyes, and began recalling the information. “When the tribes were divided, love was known as a powerful magic which unified other ponies together. Although not all love was seen as good.” Scribble. “Some love, such as loving a pony in another tribe, was seen as coming for succuponies. And that love was evil.” Scribble. “Twas said that the succuponies were evil abominations. That they were loveless beings who’s true form wasn’t even that of a pony!” Scribble. Luna chuckled. “Can you believe such a thing? Now me and my sister realized early on that there was more to love than what other ponies said. And so we began a private investigation.” Scribble. “Which resulted in many happy marriages, let us tell you. Twas not everyday back in those times that an earth pony had a pegasus as a foal.” Scribble. Luna opened her eyes, unable to stand the blasted scribbling. Twilight was taking notes! “Twilight?” Scribble. “Twilight.” Scribble. “Twilight!” Scrib- Twilight looked up. “Hehe…” Luna gave a blank stare. “I’m sorry, I just found it so fascinating to hear ancient ideas on love! It almost makes me want to enter a relationship just to see how true some of this is.” Perhaps Twilight did want a relationship! Oh joy! “Well,” Luna cleared her throat, trying to keep a straight face, “What kind of partner would thou want?” Twilight scratched the back of her head. “I don’t if I should say…” “Why?” “It’s embarrassing.” Nothing would stop Luna from knowing. “But how will thou ever know if thou never writes it down on pen and paper.” Now was the time for the nail in the coffin. “Why doesn’t thou make a list?” Twilight’s eyes lit up at the idea. “Why of course!” Twilight pulled out a blank sheet of paper and began writing. “Well first… They would have to be hardy.” Luna was hardy. “And something about a stallion who takes what they want…” Luna was known for being impatient. “Hmm…” Twilight stuck out her tongue, making a silly face. “I would also want them to be taller than me.” Luna was tall- “Oh and if they knew how to fight, that would be cool.” Luna was a- “Of course, something about a unicorn is exciting. Oh! They would have to be a powerful magician.” Luna sighed. Would she be allowed to- “Last but not least. The stallion in question must be somepony with whom I have a close connection to. Somepony who I can say my deepest worries too. Such that I could rant to my issues about, and say my deepest worries too.” Luna chuckled. Twilight stopped writing. “What’s so funny.” We think she just described us. “Do you really think so?” Luna paled, and shut her mouth closed. Had she said that out loud? “Hmm. It almost sounds like I like you.” Twilight chuckled. “Funny huh?” Luna’s mouth dried up. “It’s not like you like me though.” Should Luna confess now? Twilight’s eyes narrowed, studying Luna. “Right?” The room was tense with unsaid feelings and strong desires. Twilight looked deeper into Luna’s eyes. “Well.” Twilight scratched her hoof in an awkward manner. “What kind of partner would you want?” “Twould not be a wise idea to share.” Twilight’s face scrunched up. “That hardly seems fair.” Luna looked away, pretending as if she didn’t understand the unfairness of the situation. Yet Twilight prevailed, continuing to stare into Luna’s eyes. “Fine. How about instead we tell thee what we like about thou.” Twilight pouted. “Fine.” Twilight leaned back further into her chair, getting comfortable. Luna cleared her throat. “Well for one, thou art a fun size. Taller than the common ponies, yet smaller than us.” “Okay…” “And thou art a scholar. Any stallion or mare would be proud to have thee as a friend.” “How so?” Luna scoffed, taken aback by the answer. “Tis not obvious that a scholar has knowledge of limitless…” Pleasures. Although Luna couldn’t say the last part out loud. “And another thing-” Twilight pouted. “What about the scholar-” “Tis very fun to be around thou. Especially when thou is baking sweet delicacies.” Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Now you’re just messing with me.” “Thou art a mare with very feminine features. It makes thou an…” Luna scratched her chin, pondering. “Enjoyable accessory to have.” Twilight frowned. “But I’m more than an accessory.” Luna chuckled. “Yes of course. By accessory we simply mean that thou is something which a pony would want around through all sorts of situations.” “Such as?” “Well…” A companion to wipe away the constant loneliness. A certain somepony to celebrate the holidays with. And a tempting mare for the ‘after party’ that the holidays always had. That last thought had Luna nearly drooling. Twilight smirked. “So…” Twilight made air quotes. “’After party’, huh?” “Did we-” “Yes Luna you said it out loud.” Gah! Why did we- Twilight put a hoof over Luna’s mouth, ensuring no words would get past her lips. Twilight’s smirk grew more devious. “Now the term ‘after party’ comes with several stigmas. Some ponies might think it would be hoof-holding.” Twilight’s smirk grew. “Other’s might think hugging.” Luna looked to the corner, trying to hide her reaction. Yet Twilight smirk grew wider. “I know of plenty of mares who think of kissing.” Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Don’t say it. “And who could forget-” Luna poked Twilight at the collarbone. Then, Luna began tickling her. “Stahp!” Luna continued. There was no way Twilight could continue her line of thought. Twilight began kicking, knocking books on her side of the room into a messy jumble. “Fieee- Fieee- Fine! You sta- sta- started a war!” Luna stopped. If Twilight Sparkle was going to do something in retaliation, then it would be best to be prepared. But before Luna could do anything, Twilight closed her eyes and ignited her horn, magicking a bright flash. “My eyes!” Luna began rubbing her eyes. Gah! Why did Luna’s chest tickle so much?! It felt like a particularly itchy feather… Luna cast a quick unblinding spell. She opened her eyes. There was a long white feather sashaying onto Luna’s sternum! “Tis on!” Luna raised her hoof in a dramatic fashion. “Uh oh.” Twilight tried to run away, but Luna chased after her. The bookshelves were knocked out of their positions and unto the floor. Books were scattered from their piles. Every time Luna thought that she had caught Twilight, Twilight would squirm her way to safety. Then, Twilight would hit away Luna with one of her back hooves. Twilight hit a bit too hard. Eventually, Twilight began slowing down. As quick as a cat capturing its next meal, Luna tackled Twilight to the floor. They both laughed. They lay prone on the floor, staring into each other’s eyes. The longer they continued to stare, the more aware of the other they became. Twas almost as though Luna could see all the insecurities that Twilight had about herself. The niggling little things that annoyed her, the things that brought her joy, her feelings for Luna… And before Luna could think of all the reasons why she shouldn’t, she kissed Twilight. The meteor shower had begun. Embarrassed, Twilight turned her head away from Luna. Luna sighed. “This is why we invited thou tonight.” “The meteor shower?” Luna glared at Twilight. “Right… The kiss.” Luna sighed. “Dearest Twilight, we love thee more than life itself. The idea of being with thou fills us with insurmountable joy. Yet we understand that we cannot be.” “What! Why?” Luna leaned backwards. How did Twilight not know? “Well, we are thou’s mentor. Twould be wrong to abuse our power-” “I have the same power as you do?” “But we have been around longer-” “So?” Twilight interrupted. “It’s not like you raised me since I was a filly like Celestia did.” Luna looked away. Twilight noticed, and frowned. “Wait… You don’t think…” “Twilight thou art young. It feels as if we are replacing our dearest sisters spot.” Twilight frown grew. “Now hold it there!” Twilight pointed a hoof in Luna’s direction. “Don’t you dare think for a single second that you are like Princess Celestia!” “And why not?” “Well… Well… Because I love you!” Twilight opened her mouth to correct her mistake. However she quickly closed it upon realizing that she couldn’t. Luna laughed. And laughed. And continued laughing. Colt twas funny! Twilight made a cute face, scrunching up her cheeks. “What?” Luna wiped a tear. “That is thou’s first thought?” Twilight sighed, moving her weight from hoof to hoof. She was embarrassed! “Look,” Twilight looked deeper into Luna’s eyes. “That’s not what I mean- Yes I love you. I was an idiot to not realize it sooner.” But twas wrong for them to- “You’re not Princess Celestia. You’re not abusing your power. And you definitely, and I mean definitely didn’t…” “So it isn’t like I’m doing something wrong to a foal?” Twilight sighed, drained from what she considered a silly idea. Then, Twilight smiled. “No. You never did anything wrong. Now come, let’s watch the meteor shower.” “But-” “Do you trust me?” Luna loved Twilight more than life itself. Luna smiled. “Yes.” “Then trust me when I say that its okay for two immortal princesses to date. I’ll explain to you just how wrong you are at our next date.” She knew! “Come,” Twilight held Luna’s hoof, “Let’s go watch the meteor shower.” Luna smiled, allowing herself to be dragged by Twilight to a sofa on the balcony of the room. Twilight leaned unto Luna, ensuring nothing would take the lunar mare away. Not Luna’s doubts, the law- “So…” Twilight swallowed, trying to not let her nerves get to her. “How did you know a meteor shower was going to take place today? There wasn’t any sign of an astrological happening occurring in the sky tonight.” Luna cleared her throat a bit too loudly, trying desperately to keep her emotions in check. “We- Well… We are the lunar princess. We do not only control the moon, but the cosmos that surround Equestria. All it takes is a little… Push.” Twilight opened her mouth wide in shock. “You can do that!?” Luna chuckled. “Yes Twilight, we can do that.” The night twas a night to remember. Twilight stayed up rather than waiting for the next date, and proved to Luna, with charts, graphs, academic papers, and studies that twas okay for them to date. They talked, laughed, and hugged. But most importantly they did it together. As they would do many more things from now on.