“Good morning, Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo let out a soft moan, shifting slightly under the sheets. Luna lifted a forehoof, but stopped when the filly rolled over, pulled at her sheets, and mumbled something that she couldn't quite hear. Rolling her eyes at the sight, she lightly poked Scootaloo. No reply. Luna poked again. No reply. She poked a third time. This time, she was greeted with a gentle slap as Scootaloo tried to keep the princess at bay. The feeble swat sent a smile to Luna's face, the princess barely holding back a snort. Scootaloo's attempt to keep herself in the realm of dreams was commendable. Alas, the sunlight was still beaming through the window that Luna had crawled through just before, and it was time for Scootaloo to wake up.
Luna poked her a fourth time. “Scootaloo. It is time to wake up.”
This time, Scootaloo surrendered and said a final farewell to her dreamland. With a groan she rolled over, yawned, and opened her eyes. At first, Scootaloo's eyes barely cracked open, blinded by the blades of light from outside. However, soon her eyelids fluttered open and she stretched her legs. Luna watched as she moved her gaze around the room, inspecting every corner of the familiar territory. How she was able to miss a massive alicorn sanding in front of her window was a wonder.
On the third pass across the room, the little pegasus' eyes snapped open. “Princess Luna!? Is that really you!?”
She smiled, taking a few steps away from the bed. “Indeed it is, young one.”
“Oh my gosh!” Scootaloo shouted as she scampered out from under the sheets. Halfway out of the bed, she stumbled and tripped. Legs flailing, she fell out of the bed and tumbled headfirst toward the floor. Fortunately for her, Luna was alert and ready, catching the small filly with her magic before she smashed her nose in. Luna carefully righted and placed the filly onto the floor. As soon as Scootaloo's hooves hit the wood she leaped forward, hopping around Luna in exuberant glee. “It is! It really is! I can't believe you came to my house. My house!”
“And this is strange?” Luna questioned, doing the best she could to track the now very much awake filly that was bouncing around her.
“Well, it's kinda strange... I think? Or maybe it isn't. I mean, you're a princess and I'm me.” Scootaloo stopped hopping around the room, bringing a hoof to her chin. Eventually she shook her head. “But that doesn't matter! What matters is you're here! I... I gotta show mom and dad!”
“Not yet, Scootaloo.” Luna caught Scootaloo in her wing and pulled her close. “I wish to know how you are doing. Are you still afflicted with nightmares?”
She looked up at Luna, and through the bubbly excitement Luna saw a sparkle as bright as the stars in those eyes. “Oh! Right! Sorry! I'm doing awesome! Couldn't be better! Don't have my cutie mark yet, but still doing great! And no nightmares either. Well, there was one, but I think that was because I ate an entire box of doughnuts last week.”
Luna blinked. “An entire box?”
“Umm... yeah.” Under Luna's wing, Scootaloo tapped the floor lightly and looked down. “Could you do me a favor and not tell my parents about that? They'd be pretty mad for spending my allowance on nothing but doughnuts.”
Luna giggled. Lifting Scootaloo with her magic, she placed her upon her back and smiled wider. “I shall promise that, but only if in return you promise to put in a good word for me when I meet your parents.”
Shifting a little bit on her back, Scootaloo shouted, “Oh, you bet!”
“Very well then.” Luna chuckled as she made her way to the door. “In that case, shall we?”
Luna felt two little legs start lightly kicking the sides of her back as Scootaloo cheered, “Of course! The coolest princess ever in my room and letting me introduce her to my parents? Best morning ever!”
“Good morning, Scootaloo.”
Luna smiled as she peered down at Scootaloo. The purple mane atop her head was scattered every direction, making it look as though she had been sleeping for a fortnight or two. She couldn't see Scootaloo's tail, but she assumed the typically well-kept hairs were as tangled as her mane. Wings fluttering lightly from under the sheets, Scootaloo grumbled and rolled to face away from Luna, opting to instead face the wall.
Luna whispered yet again. “I said good morning, Scootaloo.”
“Yeah... just... five more minutes,” she muttered before pulling the sheets over her head.
Rolling her eyes, Luna placed both forehooves onto Scootaloo's side and lightly shook her. “Come now. It is well past noon already. It is rude to have a princess fly all the way from Canterlot on her one day off and then sleep through her visit.”
“Fine fine. I'm coming,” Scootaloo mumbled as she rolled back over. Luna watched as she slipped off the bed. She had no time to catch her with magic or hooves, so Scootaloo greeted the floor with her face. Smacking into the ground with a thunk, she remained motionless except for her soft breaths.
Despite all formalities being a royal demanded, Luna burst out laughing. The sight of the teenager trying her very best to wake up—or more accurately trying her best to stay asleep—sent a laugh deep from her belly through her entire body. Sure, it was completely and utterly at Scootaloo's expense, but what was Luna to do at the funniest sight this week but to laugh?
As the laughter filled the small room, Scootaloo turned her head to look up at her and muttered, “I hate you.”
“I am sure you do, young one.” Luna let her laugh die off slowly as she presented a helping hoof. Scootaloo slapped it away with enough force to trip up Luna. A small gasp escaped Luna's lips as she withdrew the offering and steadied herself, nearly tumbling to the ground herself. Grounding herself, she watched as the teenager got back onto her hooves and climbed into her bed. Pulling the sheets to her neck, she rolled onto her side and once again pointed her back toward Luna.
“Scootaloo,” Luna said as she approached her friend. “What's wrong?”
She sighed. “Nothing.”
She stilled her tongue. That was a lie if she'd ever heard one, but calling out a headstrong pony on that lie to her face? If she wanted to drive the young mare away, that would be the fastest way to do it. Add in that Scootaloo had a rebellious streak longer than anypony else she'd ever met before, and she'd have to be careful about pulling the information out of her dearest friend.
“Scootaloo,” Princess Luna whispered, her voice cutting through the silence-filled room. “Is anything going on between you and your parents?”
A lone word left Scootaloo's lips. “No.”
Swing and a miss. Still, any answer, even a wrong answer, was a step in the right direction. “Did you get in a fight with Apple Bloom? Or Sweetie Belle?”
“No.”
“Did... did I do something wrong?”
A half-humored chuckle escaped Scootaloo's muzzle as she shook her head. “You? Don't be ridiculous.”
“Is Rainbow Dash still trying to—”
“No no no!” she finally shouted, rolling over to face Luna. There was a fire in her eyes that Luna had not seen in a long time. It wasn't the fiery glow of determination she had always come to expect from her, nor was it the flickering flame of fear that burned every so often. Instead, it was a wild, blazing inferno of absolute fury that was overcoming her, sending vile daggers at Luna as Scootaloo punched the bed with all her might. “It's not any of that! Not any of that at all! It's Goa—” she suddenly stopped, slamming her mouth shut and averting her eyes.
Luna wasn't going to let that one drop. “It is... who?”
Scoots growled before muttering, “Goalkeep.”
“Goalkeep?” She knew the name, but she was drawing nothing but blanks.
“Yeah, Goalkeep. Remember? He's that stallion that I've been talking about in all the letters I sent you? The one—”
“That you are infatuated with!” Luna sat back, giggling like a filly half Scootaloo's age. “Yes, I remember him now. You seemed, for lack of a better term, head over hooves for that stallion. Why, if I remember correctly, you went on for a full page and a half about 'his perfectly shaped fl—'”
“I asked him out.”
“Asked him out!? Why, Scootaloo! I was not aware of this! What did he—” Luna's eyes widened, her heart tightening. “Oh, oh Scootaloo. I am sorry, I did not mean to—”
“To make me feel like a complete jackass by coming here today and rubbing it in? Yeah, I'm sure you didn't.” Scootaloo rolled back over to face the wall, her back greeting the princess for a third time.
“Scootaloo, I was not aware.” She brought herself right up to the edge of the bed. From there, she placed a forehoof on the pegasus' blanketed shoulder. “I am truly sorry.”
“I'm sure you are.” she muttered as she shook her shoulder. Luna's hoof fell off of the pegasus and onto the bed below. “It's not like you've ever been rejected in your life or anything. I mean, you're a freakin' princess. 'Oh, Princess! You're so lovely! Please take me!'”
“That... is very true.” Luna sighed. She looked to the left at the floorboards. “I could have anypony in the entire world, and anypony to think otherwise would be a fool. And I admit, I did choose several ponies in the past to be my partner, and every single one said yes. Each was completely smitten with me since the very first day and without fail we fell in love.”
Scootaloo snorted. “This is really helping me feel better.”
Luna coughed a few times, keeping her eyes lowered. “You are correct, I do not understand how it feels to be rejected. Every pony said yes, I got married to each one, and we spent our lives together. Only, it was their entire lives, not mine, for while every single one accepted me and stayed with me, every single one eventually grew old and... well...”
She sniffed and wiped her nose as she recalled every name of every love. Cartographer. Soft Light. Maple. Playwright. Cello. Spend Thrift. All leaving this world so many centuries ago, yet every one tore at her as if they left her yesterday. Thankfully, Luna was not a blubbering mess over them still, but the memory of every name was a stab at her heart. Still, she kept her voice as steady as she could. “Scootaloo, you are quite accurate. I have never been rejected. Not a single time. Instead, I am cursed to love each to their dying breath, forced always relive how horrible the phrase 'until death do us part' really is.”
The feeling of a hoof on her shoulder snapped her out of her memories. Looking up, Luna saw the maroon eyes of the mare before her. There was a pause, then Scootaloo whispered, “I'm... I'm sorry I snapped at you. I didn't know that... you...”
“It... it is alright,” Luna whispered back. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat and put her strength back in her voice. “You had no intention of making me feel that way.”
Scootaloo slipped herself off of the bed and pulled Luna into a hug. “Still, I shouldn't have said those things.”
“Like I said, it is quite alright, Scoots.” Luna returned the hug. “I promise.”
Before Luna could continue the reassurances, Scootaloo whispered again, “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
Scootaloo pulled away, yet let their faces remained mere centimeters apart. “Keep going on. After all of that loss, all of that pain, you pushed through and kept going.”
Luna felt the warm breath of her friend against her face blowing away the lingering tears on her cheeks. She dared not allow any more distance between the two. Not yet. “It is not as though I have any choice, Scootaloo. It is either that or surrendering. Let me tell you, giving up is not an option.” Luna smiled and pressed her forehead against Scootaloo's. “Besides, even though I feel as strongly as ever for them, it gets easier in time. Not easy, but easier."
Scootaloo pulled back and frowned deeper. “Still, that sucks.”
“Yes, it does very much 'suck,' but I have learned not to dwell on their deaths. Like I said, it is best to remember the joyous memories left behind.” Luna leaned back in and winked. “I have also learned ice cream on a hot day just like this lifts my mood back up quite effectively.”
For a few seconds, Scootaloo simply sat there, frozen in place as she absorbed the words. The wheels in her head were whirling, still piecing together all of the bits of information. Of course, there was really no way to actually know what Scootaloo was thinking. For all Luna knew, Scootaloo could be imagining how she was going to prank Luna the moment the two left the house in an attempt to lift her mood that way. Honestly, Luna hoped something like that was the case.
Scootaloo's frown finally cracked and the pegasus burst into a smile. “In that case, first one to Sugar and Cream is a rotten egg!” she yelled before leaping through the window and zipping off into the sky. It took a full three seconds before Luna laughed, jumped through the window herself, and flapped her wings hard to try and catch up to that accursed pegasus.
“Good morning, Scootaloo!”
At first, the young mare appeared to not be able to hear Luna over the clamor of the crowd around them, regardless that they were only a few meters apart. Young mares and stallions were gathered around, all dressed in the same matching cloaks and hats as they waited for the ceremony to begin. It was the same for Scootaloo as well. Even if the black cloak and hat clashed horrifically with her orange coat, she looked marvelous nonetheless.
Standing taller to get above the crowd, she again called out, “Scootaloo! Over here!”
Just as she was hoping for, Scootaloo quickly turned around and spotted her. As soon as those vibrant eyes fell upon her, the self proclaimed “coolest pony in school” let out a filly-like squeal. She made her way toward Luna, with more than a couple shoves needed to get through the crowd. The steps she took were less of steps and more akin to hops and skips of a filly half her age.
Scootaloo finally got right up next to her. “Luna!” she screamed, causing Luna to flinch and lower her ears. “I can't believe you made it!”
“I cannot believe I am not being swarmed right now!” Luna yelled out. Thankfully, the ponies around her were familiar enough through her regular visits to only elicit a courtesy greeting. “Wait, what do you mean you cannot believe I could make it!?”
Scootaloo shoved her. “Well, you have all of your princessing duties and stuff. I mean, how often do you get a day off simply to see me?”
Luna winked. “I am a princess, thus may do as I please. This includes giving myself the day off from, as you put it, 'princessing.'”
“Oh really?” She brought herself a few centimeters closer as a sly grin grew across her face. “Then would you care to explain why you decided to not come to my birthday party last month?”
“Uh... last month was different.” Luna pulled away as she continued. “I was busy negotiating a land dispute between Cervida and Griffaria.”
“Uh huh. Right.” Scootaloo pulled back and brought her forehoof closer to her face. With narrowed eyes she inspected it for any imperfections. “I guess it makes sense that a bunch of deer and griffins would intrigue you far more than a simple, lowly pegasus serf would. Hmm?”
“No, that is not what I meant at all. What I meant is that there were pressing duties that I had to attend that time.”
“Uh huh. Pressing duties that left little ol' me alone on my birthday.”
Luna shook her head again. “I cannot reschedule these sorts of things.”
“I can't reschedule my birthday, you know.”
“But you can reschedule your party!”
“A birthday party is supposed to happen on a birthday!”
“Not all the time! I've had them happen on other days for me!”
“You've had hundreds at this point! This was my eighteenth! An important one!”
“I understand, but—”
“Oh, how I wish I knew sooner that Princess Luna, nigh-Goddess of the Night, would forsake me so! If I'd only known that she'd cast off a puny, pathetic pegasus that isn't even worth—”
“No!” Luna shouted.
The sudden yell was enough to snap Scootaloo out of her lamenting and lift her gaze back to her. For those few seconds, it felt like everything in the room disappeared and every pony except for her and Scootaloo never existed. The two ponies—the two friends—looked into each others eyes and took in everything that the other had.
“Geez. I was only messing with you.” Scootaloo finally chuckled. Luna felt herself blushing quite heavily under her midnight coat as her friend continued. “I mean, did you really think I was mad at you?”
Luna shook her head. “No. Well... yes. I mean...”
“Oh come on. Really?” She punched Luna's shoulder with a forehoof. “Me? Mad at you? How could I be mad at you? I mean, you made it today. That alone was a huge surprise to me! I know you're doing all that princess garbage, but you came anyway. That's what matters. Right?”
Luna nodded. “Right.”
“Not only that, but you made a complete fool of yourself in front of everypony. Total plus in my book.”
“Yeah.” Luna looked at her and, with that blush still present, threw out, “You look good, you know.”
“Ugh, don't patronize me.” Scootaloo looked at the cloak around her and winced. “I hate wearing black. I feel like I'm dressing up for Nightmare Night.”
Luna snickered. “You look good in the cloak and hat. Like a little pumpkin witch!”
“Oh ha ha. Very funny,” Scootaloo said, her voice flat. Still, there was a slight red tinge on her cheeks that screamed embarrassment. “And it's called a cap and gown, Princess Moon-Butt. You know, the kind of things that are normally worn during a graduation.”
“Are they?” Luna looked around and inspected the rest of the crowd around her. “Personally, the term 'cap' does not appear very accurate. They do not seem to cap anything at all. Further, the little 'gowns' that all of you are wearing are definitely cloaks clasped around your necks. Why would anypony consider them gowns?”
“They're caps because they... uhh... cap your head, and they're gowns because... umm...” Scootaloo groaned and placed a hoof on her forehead. “Look, they just are. Alright?”
“Fine. Very well.” Luna sighed, even if there was no way those things were anything but cloaks. Noticing that the crowd around them a few moments before had thinned significantly, she said, “Anyway, I believe I should be going. I must join your mother and father during the ceremony and I have no idea where they are seated.”
“Oh, fine.” The two embraced one last time. Before the hug really began, Scootaloo broke away and replied. “Well, I should get to my spot too. It'd be pretty lame to be late to my own graduation because of a silly hug.”
She smirked. “Even if that hug was with Princess Luna?”
“Princess Moon-Butt the Birthday Ditcher?” Scootaloo laughed as she trotted toward the door. “I think that'd be the lamest of lame! Oh, and if you miss my graduation party, I'm never speaking to you again!”
“I would not dream of it, Pumpkin Witch!” Luna cried out as Scootaloo passed through the doorway and into the next room. Smiling to herself, she turned toward the door on the opposite end of the room and went to join the rest of the audience. She should not have promised that she would be able to make it to Scootaloo's party. There was far too much in Canterlot she had to do this week, her tasks only compounded while her sister was away on a diplomatic mission in the Crystal Empire. There were meetings to attend, petitioners to deal with, as well as the ever troublesome nobility to keep in line. Missing a single day would set her back far too much.
Luna made it to the main hall and scanned the auditorium for Scootaloo's parents. She could only imagine what Celestia's reaction was going to be when she discovered how irresponsible her time management had been. At the very least, she could relax in the thought that her sister would not be entirely furious with her for too long. Luna could pass off that she was doing these sort of things to further her friendship with Scootaloo—friendship is magic after all. Still, the bureaucracy that was Canterlot was far more powerful than any magic either of the sisters could ever harness for themselves; to allow it to run without their influence was like letting a stampede of hamsters command the agriculture of the nation... or something like that.
Looking down the next row, she found the two ponies she was looking for. Resisting the urge to jump into the air and fly to her place, she walked along the many aisles and past the many bowing ponies to get to her seat. Despite both, she was able to make it before the ceremony started. As she approached, Luna asked with a smile, “Is this seat taken?”
Looking up, Scootaloo's father immediately smiled back and bowed his head. “By all means, Princess Luna. It's an honor as always.”
“Please, sir, the honor is mine.”
He was about respond until a coughing fit overtook him. Scootaloo's mother placed a hoof on his back before turning to her. “We're glad you could make it. For the past week, Scootaloo's been talking about nothing but how you were going to be here today.”
“Trust me, I would not dare to miss this for the world.” The lights in the hall suddenly dimmed. Music began to fill the auditorium as columns of young ponies marched into the room, congregating into center stage. Half tried to look as pompous as possible. The other half forwent any sense of decorum, instead simply trying to find their family. Luna could not see Scootaloo yet, but she knew she eventually would.
Smiling wider, she muttered, “Not for the world.”
“Good morning, Scootaloo.”
Immediately, Scootaloo turned around and looked back at Princess Luna. Like every other time that she decided to visit Scoots, those bright, violet eyes fell upon her own. However, there was something different about them today. Instead of the life and spunk they normally held when Luna visited, there was something else in them. Sure, the way she straightened her slouch made it obvious that she was excited to see her, but Scootaloo still glanced away the moment she saw Luna.
Gulping, Scootaloo approached Luna. “H... hello, Princess. How's... how's everything going?”
Luna scrunched her brow at the very uncharacteristic stutter—not to mention the formal title. Were they meeting for the first time all over again? “Everything has been quite interesting, if I might say so myself. Twilight is feeling confident enough to finally try her hoof at dealing with the local petitioners when they come to Canterlot Castle.”
“That's... that's nice,” she softly said, the pegasus' voice wavering ever so slightly.
To that, Luna snorted. “Anything but. The poor thing feels like after reading a few of my sister's books on the subject, she is a master of negotiation. She has gotten to the point that she's been refusing to even heed Celestia's council, let alone take my advice in any measure with her dealings with the citizens. I fear that my sister and I are going to have a nice little mess to clean up after she realizes that she is not supposed be a Yes Pony to the nobility. Still, if Celestia is so adamant to let Twilight learn her lesson on her own, then who am I to tell her otherwise?”
“Cool cool, sounds great.” Scootaloo said as she nodded, scratching at the cloud she was standing on with a hoof.
Cool? Great? How was anything that she had just said cool or great in the slightest? Was she even listening to any of the words she was saying? Either Scootaloo had decided to completely ignore her or something was eating her up. Still, if Scootaloo wanted to tell her, then Luna would let her do it on her own terms. “I guess you could say that... sort of. So how about you? How have you been?”
She gulped. “Oh... you know, just doing my thing. Nothing really eventful. Yeah.”
“Nothing eventful? Why, I wouldn't call becoming the Cloudsdale Weather Manager uneventful in the slightest! That is quite the achievement, I must say.”
Finally, Scootaloo showed an emotion, but instead of a cheerful smile Luna was expecting, Scootaloo let out a huff and turned her head to the side. “Please. You and I both know this isn't what I want. I want to be a Wonderbolt. Instead, I get this crap job.”
“For now,” Luna walked over to her and, with a sigh, sat down next to her. “Sure, today you are merely the weather manager of the most complex and important weather system in the kingdom, but I am sure come next week you shall have scores of Wonderbolt recruiters kicking down your door.”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
“Come on.” Luna nudged Scootaloo. “Rainbow Dash started as weather manager too.”
“And she never made it to the Wonderbolts!” Scootaloo yelled as she jumped up with spread wings. “Rainbow was ten times the flier I will ever be! She was the best! Guess what? She ended up never making it!”
“That was her choice alone and you know it.” Luna took Scootaloo's cheek in her hoof and turned her head to look her in her eyes. “Rainbow wanted to be a Wonderbolt when she was younger yes, but as she got older her priorities changed. She calmed down a little, got together with... what is his name...”
“Quip,” Scootaloo mumbled.
“Ah yes, Quip. Rainbow Dash got together with Quip and decided on a new direction in life. Besides, I dare say it is quite impossible to be both a Wonderbolt and a mother of six. Hmm?”
“Also hard to be a Wonderbolt when you gotta spend all your time helping mom and dad with doctor bills instead of practicing,” Scootaloo huffed, glaring at Luna. However, after a few seconds she looked away. “Whatever.”
Luna lowered her head, trying to keep the eye contact. “Scootaloo, what is the matter? You sounded like you were happy with this in your letters, but now look at you. You're more upset than I have seen you in years.”
The young pegasus closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. “I'm not mad. I'm just... I'm nervous.”
“Nervous?” Luna cocked her head to the right. “I thought your dad was doing well though.”
“No no no, that's not it. He is. Doing alright I mean. It's just...” she trailed off. Instead of continuing, she closed her eyes and simply sat there. Luna was able to make out the deep and slow rise and fall of her chest, the constant flicking of her tail, and even the darting of her eyes from under those eyelids. Scootaloo's wings let out a little flap every so often as Luna waited for her to finally break out of whatever was going on under her woes.
Right when Luna was about to say something, Scootaloo opened her eyes and shouted, “I gotta show you something!”
Jerking her head back, Luna replied, “Show me something?”
“Yes! I am going to show you something right now!”
Before Luna could dare question what that meant, Scootaloo stood and tore into the sky. The nervous mare was darting to and fro, gathering a lot of random clumps of clouds together and began forming... something. As to what that something was, Luna hadn't the slightest clue. For now, it looked like some very unfortunate cat that had been in one too many fights with a dog or two. Yet Scootaloo kept on pushing those clouds together. As more clouds were pulled into the little drawing, it became apparent that this wasn't a drawing at all. Instead, the image was quickly becoming—
“A message?” Luna scrunched up her brow. “Why would she...”
As she trailed off, Luna noticed that the message, while very much incomplete, was beginning to form a question of some kind. The question mark was there, the inquiring “Will” was mostly formed at this point, but the rest of the letters of the message were mostly just random clouds that were being pushed against one another. Finally, another puff of clouds, and the message was complete.
WILL YOU GO OUT WIT ME?
Luna couldn't help but to remain frozen in place. When Scootaloo finally landed onto the cloud, the pegasus' wings were still twitching from the exertion. Giggling lightly, the pegasus whispered, “Well... how... umm... how do you like it. You know... the... uhh... yeah.”
There were a lot of things that Luna could say about that message. There were thoughts of Luna squealing in excitement as she rushed over to her former friend and she screamed yes. There were thoughts of running away as quickly as possible, fleeing as swiftly as she could back to Canterlot, leaving what would be her former friend behind. There were dozens of thoughts of if she reacted somewhere in between. Luna had no idea which she wanted to react with.
So instead, the dumbfounded princess simply sat there, eyes skyward, and muttered quietly, “You forgot the 'H.'”
“Forgot the huh?” Following Luna's eyes, Scootaloo looked skyward, mouthing the message to herself. It was only a second before the pegasus stuttered, “Oh... oh geez. I didn't... I didn't mean...”
“Scoots...”
“I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry!” Scootaloo wailed. “I didn't mean to! I just thought that... I mean... look. How about we forget about it and act like this never happened! Yeah! Let's do that! Yes!?”
“Yes.”
“Y... yes?” Scootaloo's voice wavered. “S... sure. Yeah. Right. Yeah... sorry.”
“Huh?” She tore her gaze from the message above and watched as Scootaloo's entire body collapsed upon itself. The bold and triumphant mare slumped her back and, tail strewn out all over the cloud, stared upon her forehooves. Luna gasped. “Scootaloo, I meant—”
“I know what you meant. I just though that, you know, you might want to—”
“Hey,” Luna stood and made her way over to where to where Scootaloo was moping. With careful and trepid steps, Luna got right up next to her and sat back down. “What do you think I said ‘yes' about?”
Scootaloo never looked up. “To forget about everything.”
“Everything is a lot of things, so no. Try again.”
“To forget about my message.”
“Again, that is a no. One more try.”
“Said yes... to...” Scootaloo looked back to her and, like before, the two mares locked eyes. “Said... said yes to... umm...”
Luna couldn't help but to giggle at how awkward she was being. Smiling, she bumped her nose against the stammering mare's nose. “I said yes to the possibility of, as you ponies put it, going out with you.”
Scootaloo just sat there, seemingly incapable of say anything in response. Those orange wings of hers, once twitching erratically, were now halfway unfolded as she gawked at Luna. That was until she finally jumped onto all fours and squeaked, “Really!?”
Luna nodded. “Really.”
“Really, really!?”
“Really, really, really.” She chuckled once more before bopping the orange little nose with her own again. “Now are we going to keep saying ‘really' to each other, or are we—”
Luna was interrupted by a large mass of orange and magenta tackling her. The force of the impact was enough to send her tumbling onto her back with Scootaloo crashing on top of her. The tumble transitioned into a roll which was filled with nothing but laughter and snorts and hiccups as the new couple shared the joyous celebration with one another. Luna knew that getting together with her was a gamble at best: the possibility of a harsh breakup and losing her as a friend was definitely there. She wasn't sure what she would do if she lost her closest friend.
However, right now that didn't matter. All that mattered was that that mare was currently trying to pin her to the cloud below. Luna would not stand for such insolence from her subject.
“Good morning, Scootaloo.”
Before Scootaloo could react, Luna draped herself over her beloved's back and hooked her forelegs over her shoulders. She reached her mouth forward and nibbled the tip of her victim's exposed ear, eliciting a light gasp from her. Scootaloo rolled her shoulders to shake Luna off from her back, but it was to no avail. Instead, Luna continued her torture, simply hanging on and watched the struggle through the mirror.
“Luna,” her pegasus complained. “Cut it out.”
“Not a chance, my little mango.” Luna giggled as she switched her nibbles over to Scootaloo's other ear. Again her love tried to shake off the persistent princess, but there was no possible way that Luna was going to let her fun be ruined that easily. It had been far too long since she subjected Scootaloo with a healthy dose of love bites. Besides, every mare should know her place in the presence of the lunar princess. Right now, Scootaloo's place was under her with a nibbled ear.
Scootaloo shook her shoulders again, but Luna was once again successful in hanging on. “Luna, quit it.”
Luna giggled and whispered, “No.”
With that, she gave her one last nibble before removing her mouth from the violated ear. A smirk stuck on her face, Luna reached down and grabbed onto Scootaloo's wing with her mouth, making extra sure to grab the most delicious and sensitive parts. A nibble along the fleshy area right near the joint in the middle, and—
Scootaloo shoved Luna off of her. Hard. “I said cut it out. Alright?”
She stumbled a few steps, but managed to keep on her hooves. She flattened her ears and frowned. “I'm... I'm sorry. I did not mean—”
“No. Don't say that.” Scootaloo returned to looking into the mirror. “You didn't do anything wrong. You were only trying to cheer me up... and I'm just being a jerk again.”
“Yes you were.” Luna took a few steps forward and once again blanketed her love with her body. She looked into the mirror before them, forcing herself to smile at the stunning mare that she was on top of. “But it is alright.”
“Alright!? How is being a jerk all the time alright!?” Scootaloo looked at Luna through the glass, her eyes misty and her lips quivering. “You've been so supportive through everything. You've forgiven every single outburst. You've done everything I've asked and more. How... how is treating you like some kind of... of...”
“Kicking bag?” Luna offered.
“...of piece of trash help anything!?” she blurted out. “Here I am, lamenting over everything, panicking over everything, freaking out at everything, and you are being the best fillyfriend anypony could imagine. Ugh.” Scootaloo's head sagged. “Why do I even deserve you?”
“Because you asked, sweetie,” she answered, forcing herself to smile wider.
“I mean it!” Scootaloo shouted, the yell filled with more rage and sadness. “Here I am, making this day all about me instead of us. You're supporting me and mom through this, mom is spending all her efforts helping me get out of this funk, Sweetie Belle basically planned this entire thing by herself, and I'm just acting like a little filly!”
“Sweetheart, everypony needs to have—”
“Everypony around me is trying to make me feel better, and all I'm doing is pushing them away.” Scootaloo closed her eyes tight. “I'm pushing them away and I don't know why. I'm just so, so... I don't know! I... I can't even...” Tears started to streak down Scootaloo's cheeks. She tried to shake her head and will them away, but they continued to flow. “Dammit, here I go again, crying like a filly!”
“Shh... shh...” Luna let the strained smile fall from her face. Bending her head down, she closed her eyes and rested her cheek against Scootaloo's own. The hooves that were once hooked around Scootaloo's shoulders were now tightly gripping her around her neck. Scootaloo did not respond to the hug, but Luna held on regardless. “It's alright. I am here for you, my love.”
“It's... it's not okay though,” she whined, hiccuping in the middle of her sentences. “This isn't how dad would want me to act. He'd want me to be strong, to be brave, to—”
“To remember him,” Luna finished for her, squeezing tighter. Opening her eyes, she once again looked into the mirror at those violet orbs her love possessed. “I have seen so many ponies try to be strong and emotionless over lost ones. Not once has it turned out well. It is much better, much healthier, to mourn for your loss and remember the wonderful memories you two shared. To refuse your emotions, even the depressing ones, is to insult his memory.”
She wiped her nose and sniffed. “I just... I just wanted him to be here today.”
“So did I,” Luna whispered as she slid down from atop Scootaloo's back and stepped alongside Scootaloo. Slowly, she brought a hoof to Scootaloo's chin and lifted the tear-filled eyes to look back at her. “He loved you more than anything else in this world. More than me or Celestia, more than your mother, and more than even himself. You were the pride and joy of his life, and he would do anything to be walking with you today. But while he cannot do that, that does not mean he is not watching. He shall be watching, smiling, and crying tears of joy for you the entire time.”
Scootaloo sniffed, wiping her nose with a foreleg. “Do you really think so?”
“Not only do I think so,” Luna said, a tiny grin forming on her face, “I know so.”
Scootaloo bowed and continued to sniffle here and there. Luna didn't force Scoots to look back into her eyes this time. Instead, she simply consoled her, gently brushing her lovely braided mane. Softly, Scootaloo leaned into the rubs, letting her play with the vibrant hairs to her heart's content. The strokes were destroying the tight braid that had been meticulously crafted, but Luna did not care.
Scootaloo turned her head and gazed into the mirror on the wall. Following her gaze, Luna saw the most minuscule of grins formed on her lips. Luna's heart to skipped a beat as she whispered, “What is it?”
Her pegasus giggled, hiccuping as she did so. “Sweetie's going to kill you when she sees what you're doing to my mane.”
“Hmm... yes. Sweetie Belle did take over an hour to style it if I remember correctly, but I do not recall this being her day. You are mine, and if I want to play with your mane, I shall.” Despite her words, Luna stopped messing with Scootaloo's destroyed braid and released her from her grip. Through the mirror, the two once again let themselves become lost with each other's presence. Regardless of all the troubles and woes and trials, the only thing she needed was the knowledge that Scootaloo was there. She knew Scootaloo felt the same for her. Everything else in the world was icing on the cake.
“Luna? Scootaloo? Are you in here!?” a frantic voice shouted from the door behind the both of them. Still using the mirror, she caught the wide-eyed look of Sweetie as she nearly squeaked as she wailed, “Princess Luna! What are you doing in here!? You aren't supposed to see her yet!”
“What can I say? I could not resist.” Luna turned around and winked at Sweetie.
Sweetie remained as frantic as before. If anything, she was more hysteric. “I've been looking forever for you! You were supposed to be on the stage half an hour ago!”
“It's called a dais, Sweetie Belle,” Luna said as she removed herself from Scootaloo's side and strode up to Sweetie. “Besides, it is not going to run off somewhere.”
“Your guests might! I mean, the King of Griffaria, the Lord of Overia, the Countess of Mullosca, the—”
“Yes yes, they want to see their little spectacle. Sometimes I feel as if this is more for them and less for us.” Luna shook her head. Walking out of the room with Sweetie Belle, Luna called back to Scootaloo, “I shall see you in a few minutes, my dear.”
Either Scootaloo never replied or Luna did not hear it. As Sweetie Belle chastised her—most likely about how behind they were making the entire day—Luna thought back to how they came to be where they were. It felt like it was only yesterday that Scoots asked her out on their first date. The two of them had been so nervous back then, it was almost sad on how awkward their relationship was. Like two foals meeting their first crush, they fumbled around every single word and movement. From the first date to the first kiss—a moment that was more akin to kissing a plunger than a pony—the two somehow managed to make it work for three years.
And what a three year ride it had been.
“Well?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Luna blinked twice. “I am sorry, say that again.”
Sweetie sighed. “I asked you if you were ready.”
Looking up, she noticed she was at the doors leading to the main hall. Taking a deep breath to steady her now very much pounding heart, she nodded. “Yes. Yes I am.”
Nodding, Sweetie opened the massive double doors and let the bright Canterlot throne room blind them. Even with the spots scattered across her vision, Luna was very much aware of the hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of eyes that immediately fell upon her. While she always did have a large crowd looking upon her as she sat on the throne, it was never like this. When she sat on the throne, she was the one that was in control and could dictate what happened with absolute authority. Here, those eyes beat down on her, the mouths muttering incomprehensible thoughts to their neighbors. Even with her dress on, Luna felt exposed.
Doing her best to shake off the shiver running up and down her spine, Luna quickly walked her way down the aisle, quietly whispering apologies as she moved along. Those peering eyes came from all levels of society: from the highest royal to the lowest peasants. To the right were all the dignitaries one might expect from a typical royal event, with monarchs, nobles, and elected officials from all over Equestria and beyond—each of them wearing a tired and impatient frown. On the the left side of the hall was the complete opposite, filled with what must have been at least half of Ponyville. They appeared much happier about Luna's arrival than the previous.
Looking upon the dais, she saw her sister standing front and center with a grin on her face—though whether it was genuine or simply one of the many masks she wore was another story entirely. Joining her sister on the right were all of the Elements of Harmony, every single one of them showing wide smiles filled with joy, even if most of them looked a little more stretched than usual. Finally, to Luna's left, stood Apple Bloom with five other ponies that she had either never seen before or could not remember the face of.
Finally reaching the top of the steps, she heard her sister whisper, “I had assumed you were going to be late, but did you have to take this long?”
She whispered back as she turned around, “I... have my reasons, dear sister. I shall leave it at that.”
Celestia appeared to respect those wishes, for no more words were shared between the siblings. The pipe organ in the back corner of the room suddenly blast forth with all its glory, signaling to the audience that the main event was here. The fast-beating heart that Luna felt before was now racing a marathon at full sprint. Every muscle in her body tightened and twitched, sending a tremble to flow through her. That wasn't even mentioning the sweat that slowly began to form on her brow.
That all stopped the moment the massive oak double doors at the end of the hall opened. Out from those doors, she saw Scootaloo—her Scootaloo—appear. In the dressing room, Luna wasn't able to truly appreciate how Scootaloo looked, but now that she was able to not worry about her panic attack, she saw how stunning her mare really was. The dark violet dress that covered her flank fit Scootaloo snugly, trimmed with white lace. This pattern continued down the long gown, with the violet and white lace train dragging along behind her. The matching violet slippers on her hooves literally sparkled in the light of the sun shining into the room, matching the glow of the amethyst gemstones in her necklace. Luna was surprised by how good Scootaloo's mane looked, for while she left it in quite the questionable state in the dressing room, Sweetie Belle had apparently discovered how to work miracles, with a yellow flower added to the softer braid
Standing next to Scootaloo, tears streaming down her face, was Scootaloo's mother.
Side by side, the two made their way down the aisle, the music growing louder with each step. Luna's grin grew wider and wider as she noticed the pride, awe, and envy in all of the guests. She knew what they wanted. Each wished to be the one that was standing at the end of that long hall. Each desired to be the one that would be saying those vows to Scootaloo in just a short while. Each wanted to be Princess Luna. That envy made Luna smile even wider.
Before she knew it, both were standing right next to Luna, teary-eyed faces beaming. Scootaloo's mother gave Scootaloo a kiss on the cheek then walked up next to Luna and whispered something to her. Through the sound of the music and the daze that she was in, she never heard the words. All she knew was that immediately after, the older pegasus took a step back, wiped her eyes, and made her way back to her seat in the front row.
Luna was barely able to prevent herself from jumping on top of the radiant pony standing next to her. Instead, she turned to Princess Celestia, who now bore what was undoubtedly the biggest smile she had seen on her sister in the longest time. Nodding to both Scootaloo and Luna, Celestia shouted out, “We are gathered here today to join these two ponies...”
“Good morning, Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo paused at the doorway, her hoof raised to the door frame ready to knock. Lowering her hoof, she took a step forward before once again pausing. Her forehooves raised and fell slowly in place in sluggish taps, nearly in perfect sync with the clock against the wall. Luna watched for a few more seconds as Scoots lowered and shifted her eyes back and forth.
Luna sighed. “I shan't yell again. I promise.”
Scootaloo nodded. Her head still lowered, she walked further into the room. Even with the promise of a truce, she still didn't proceed any further than to the edge of the bed Luna was resting on, the will to continue apparently not within her. She heard Scootaloo softly breathing the stale air, suffocating from the joyless atmosphere.
Luna couldn't think of no more appropriate of a setting.
“Are you... I mean... I love you,” Scootaloo stammered.
She once again let out an exasperated breath. “I know.”
While she immediately lowered her head back down on her pillow, she was still able to catch a glimpse of Scootaloo cringing at the hallow affirmation. Still, she replied, “Do you... can we talk about it?”
The princess shrugged, her voice remaining as level as ever. “I cannot stop you.”
Yet, Scootaloo's words dried up. Once again, silence reigned in the bedroom, neither side willing to force any words to come forth to start the conversation that was desperately needed to be had. All the while, that accursed ticking of the clock continued to drill into Luna's mind, forcing her throbbing head to thud in time with the ticks.
“I'm sorry,” Scootaloo again tried, her voice much raspier and quieter than even the tiny whisper from a moment before.
“It was not something that you had any control over.” Luna chuckled. “Besides, if anything, I am to the one that should be asking, nay, begging for forgiveness.”
“Who... what?” The pitch in her voice rose and became sharper. Any hesitation or stutter was completely removed from the words. “You... you shouldn't feel guilty at all!”
“Please,” Luna huffed as she rolled her averted eyes. “We both know that the entire reason this happened is because of me, and how I'm a—”
“You're a what?” Scootaloo suddenly barked. The tone caught Luna's eyes, dragging her vision back. “An alicorn? A freakin' princess? A what?”
She forced her eyes away yet again. “You know what I mean.”
“I do! You're feeling guilty that it didn't work! Guilty that it didn't work because you're an alicorn! But you don't get what I'm saying!” Scootaloo yelled, pointing her hoof at the side of Luna's averted face. “I'm saying that wallowing in your own despair is short-sighted, immature, and completely unfair to—”
A sudden groan of pain from Scootaloo stopped the rant, drawing Luna's immediate attention. Scootaloo doubled over and laid her head on the side of the bed. All thoughts of her previous woes forgotten, Luna sprang into action. Within a second, she had her forelegs around Scootaloo's tired and fallen body, comforting and caressing her to the best that the angle would allow. There, the two stayed for a time. Luna wasn't quite sure on how long—it could have been ten seconds or ten minutes—but she remained for as long as Scootaloo desired. Eventually, she was able to gather the strength to climb onto the bed with Luna, allowing the two of them to curl up together.
Scootaloo quietly whispered, “You're not... you're not the only one that lost her, you know?”
Luna could barely bring herself to even nod. “I know.”
“I mean... I carried her for all those months, we both picked out the furniture for her room, we both came up with her name together, we both guessed on whether she'd be a pegasus or not.” Scootaloo stopped, her voice cracking near the end of her list. Sniffing a few times, she barely whispered, “We both wanted to say hi to her.”
Luna snuggled up closer to her. “I... I know.”
Even with those minor reassurances, Scootaloo's words continued to spill out. “I mean, we knew the risks and we knew that the spell might not work because you're an alicorn. I thought that maybe, maybe they were wrong.” Those sniffles erupted into full blown sobs. “I just... I... when I saw her, and she wasn't, I thought... I thought that maybe—”
“Shh... shh...” Luna whispered, blinking away the tears in her eyes.
“But when I... when I held her and felt how... how cold...” she buried her head deeper in Luna's flowing mane. Her voice fell to nothing. “I never felt so helpless.”
She dropped her head down, resting it onto the top of Scootaloo's mane. “She's in a better place now, having... having a ball of fun and everything.”
“I can't... I can't do that again.” Scootaloo shook her head. “I'm... I'm sorry, but I can't bear to go through that again. I won't.”
Luna closed her eyes and let those fateful words echo inside of her mind. Scootaloo was right. There was no way to get rid of the overwhelming risk that every single magician and doctor warned them of a pegasus and alicorn union, despite how much they wished otherwise. Sure, maybe there was a spell out there that could lower the chances of a... rejection, but was it worth it? Was spending countless days and nights waiting, potentially going through the same thing again, worth it? Was anything worth that?
“I'm sorry,” Scootaloo interrupted Luna's thoughts. “I know how much you wanted a little one for yourself, but I just... can't—”
“It's alright,” she whispered, squeezing Scootaloo's tighter. Taking a deep breath to keep herself calm, she continued. “We... we won't.”
“Are... are you sure? I mean... we've always wanted—”
“To be happy. Throwing this kind of thing at ourselves again isn't...” Luna swallowed and sighed. “It is not something I can go through again either.”
Scootaloo silently nodded before resting herself next to Luna again. The pair remained silent, Luna simply thinking about what their future could hold. It was one that she wasn't sure how she could handle. Every single dream and plan that she imagined always involved a filly of her own to raise alongside Scootaloo. Either teaching the foal to fly, teaching her magic, or teaching her anything about anything really. It was something that she dreamed more than anything. All of those dreams were now ash, never to be returned. Yet, that didn't mean that it was the end of everything.
“Scoots,” Luna whispered, “I love you more than anything. No matter what.”
Scootaloo grew closer to Luna, sharing in the warmth of their embrace. “I love you too, Lulu.”
“Good morning, Scootaloo.”
A soft grumble was the only thing that she could hear from Scootaloo as she poked at her mane. Everything about the pony's demeanor screamed that she wanted to simply roll over and go back to sleep. Luna felt the same way—it was her only day off this week and she couldn't help but wish she could snuggle up with her love and sleep the day away. In fact, she swore that her pillow was whispering sweet nothings into her ear, beckoning her back into dreamland.
Alas, that was not to happen, especially while there were things to do and daylight to burn. Luna looked up at the sky. It was a sunny day with not a cloud to be seen. Celestia really put her heart into this day, or at least more than she usually did. Either that, or the weather team wanted nothing more than to let Luna and Scootaloo have a wonderful day outside—something that had been lacking for the two of them for the past month or so. Regardless as to who was responsible, it was a welcome respite to the rain.
After a few minutes, Luna deemed it necessary to try to wake Scootaloo again, and thus poked her. “I said wake up, lazy bones.”
“I'm up, I'm up,” Scootaloo replied, shifting her weight a little bit. As she rolled onto her stomach, it seemed every single one of her joints popped. The waking-up process and all the noises that came with it seemed to be getting worse and worse recently for her pegasus. While she always insisted that it was only the rainy weather, Luna knew that these joint issues must be getting painful. Maybe there was some sort of potion or magic or herbal remedy out there that could help with it. Something to look into.
Still, that was something for later. Not this morning. This morning, Luna had other plans. “Ready for our little walk?”
“In a second. I'm still getting up... I think. Either that, or I'm dying.” Scootaloo shook her head lightly, getting her mane out of her eyes. “What day is it? Tuesday?”
Luna giggled and poked Scootaloo. “It's Sunday, you fool.”
“Oh... oh good.” Scootaloo's dulled eyes slightly glazed over as she stared off into space. “Sunday... Sunday...”
“My day off. Remember? I told you three times yesterday.”
“Oh, right. Sunday.” Scootaloo slowly nodded, the streak of gray in her mane bobbing as she did so. “I knew that.”
Luna stifled her laugh. “Sure you did. Come on, let's get up.” With that, Luna carefully pulled Scootaloo off the bed and to her side.
Even with her years, Scoots was still the most beautiful mare that walked Equestria. Age had a habit of not treating ponies with dignity, but Scootaloo was much more fortunate. Her once vibrant coat had dulled with time, now resembling closer to a brown than its former bright orange. While her mane and tail were as bright as always, a gray stripe now called her mane home—a color not yet shared with her tail quite yet. While her eyes had clouded over somewhat recently, the muscles under her skin made her look strong as ever. Most fortunate of all was that she did not have any molting problems. It was an embarrassing issue that plagued many pegasi that got up there in years, and she was sure Scootaloo was thankful that her wings looked as full and powerful as ever.
When the two of them were ready—Scootaloo comfortably leaning against Luna's side—they began their walk around the grounds. It was a simple thing that the duo had started a little less than a year ago. Scootaloo had not been... happy with the change. For decades, the two had flown to their hearts content every morning, making their rounds all across Canterlot and beyond. Yet, as the years passed, Scootaloo had gotten slower and more tired after each flight, to the point where they could barely clear the castle walls before Scootaloo was out of breath. Thus, the day came where Luna was forced to confront Scootaloo about maybe taking it easier. “Like Tartarus I'm giving up flying,” was her reply, but after a painful but necessary intervention, and a few broken plates and bowls, Luna was able to convince her that simply walking around the castle would have to suffice.
It suited Luna just fine regardless, for while flying around the city had been fun, she never was able to simply enjoy her surroundings. Flying around the city granted a good view of the world, but the walk gave Luna ample time to simply enjoy the sights of gardens, the smells of kitchen, and the sounds of birds singing their lovely tunes. In time, Scootaloo had grown to love it as well, even if she denied it every time she was asked. While, deep down, Scootaloo was still that rough and tumble flier that wanted nothing more than to speed off into the distance, Luna knew that the years in the castle had allowed Scootaloo to grow very fond of the slower things in life. Or at least grow tolerant of them.
“So how are those meetings going?” Scootaloo asked as the two were beginning to enter the gardens.
“They're going alright, I guess.”
“You guess?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, since Griffaria's new king came to power, things have been... well... awkward.” Luna sighed and shook her head. “He mentioned wanting to make a big impression to his subjects and neighbors about how he's just as strong as his father. He's got them all a bit nervous about—”
Scootaloo stumbled as they made it to the gardens, nearly tripping up Luna as well. Scrunching her brow, Luna turned and asked, “Sweetheart, are you alright?”
“Yeah... yeah...” Scootaloo said, failing to hide how much she was panting for air. “I just... I wanna lay down. Relax in the sun. You know?”
Luna nodded. “Of course, dear.” Looking around briefly, Luna slowly led the two of them toward the center of the garden. All around the pair, a variety of flowers lined the sides of the path, creating a sea of colors and smells. Everything from tulips to roses, azaleas to even bluebonnets bloomed all around. More importantly though were the large hedges behind those flowers, creating the much needed seclusion that the two desired. In the center of this all, a large fountain formed the centerpiece, surrounded by a small ring of grass.
It was here that Luna carefully led Scootaloo, the two settling on the grass. With a smile, she whispered. “There. How's that?”
“Mmm... nice.” Scootaloo closed her eyes and leaned deeper onto Luna's side. “Sorry though.”
“Don't be sorry. I love these little rests,” Luna said, closing her eyes as she basked in the sun's rays.
With a yawn, Scootaloo shifted her weight. Luna wrapped Scootaloo in her wing tighter. “No, not that. I'm sorry about making you late, hon.”
Luna opened her eyes and turned her head toward her. “Late? Late for what?”
Scootaloo opened her eyes and fixed them on Luna's own. “For work. Duh.”
“Sweetie... I told you it's Sunday...”
“So?”
“It's... it's my day off today,” Luna said, her voice soft and slow.
“Oh... heh, I knew that.” Scootaloo looked forward, staring off into the distance. After a few seconds, she started again. “Hey, hon?”
Luna looked down at the grass, her brow still as furrowed as before. “Yes?”
“Can you... can you tell me story?” Again, Scootaloo shifted her weight, snuggling in her little wing-cocoon. “A story about us.”
“About us?”
“Yeah.” She grinned as she continued. “I love it when you tell stories.”
“A story about us then,” Luna muttered as she thought back. Dozens upon dozens of potential stories came to mind: their first date, their wedding, their honeymoon, Scootaloo's formal coronation. All of them were amazing and hilarious stories with various degrees of disaster woven into them. Yet, each of them didn't quite seem appropriate.
Then, the perfect story came to mind. “Well, this one goes back many, many years. It was a few weeks after you were officially crowned a princess. You confided with me that you desired to sit on the throne and rule. I did not find an issue with this—you were a princess after all—so after consulting with Celestia, we picked out a day for you. It would be relatively light of visitors so in case something went wrong, there would be little consequence. Little did we know, you had an idea in mind...”
“Good morning, Scootaloo.”
There was no reaction from Scootaloo as she dozed on the bed, sending a giggle to Luna's lips. She was more than a little batty if she thought something as plain as a simple morning greeting would awaken her hibernating bear of a pegasus. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if any noise short of an invasion of dragons wearing cymbals and breathing fireworks would wake up her mare from her deep slumbers. Sure it was bad when Scootaloo was younger, but recently it had gotten to the point that the two would have to periodically postpone their daily walks until the afternoon because how much she'd sleep in. It was a slight irritation at times, but she wasn't going to fuss about it to Scootaloo.
A gentle breeze blew through the open window, sending a tiny shiver through Luna. She debated letting Scootaloo sleep in more; the mare certainly needed it. It wouldn't really hurt either of them normally, for it was still pretty early in the morning. Alas, Luna's day was filled with a truly busy and hectic schedule of dealing with the ambassador of some nation that sprung up recently, though she couldn't remember which for the life of her. North Griffaria Union maybe? Either way, it was hard enough squeezing in a walking break after breakfast, so if it was going to happen, it had to be here and now.
Luna took another few steps forward, a smirk still on her face. “Scootaloo, it's time to wake up now.”
Still, she slept. Her smirk growing wider, Luna approached the edge of the bed, so that she stood over Scootaloo. She reached forward and, with a gentle shove, tried once more to wake her up. “Come on Scootaloo, it's time to—”
Scootaloo flopped to her side. Unmoving.
Any fluttering going on in her heart was squeezed out with an icy death-grip. Luna flew into the bed, immediately wrapping her forelegs around Scootaloo's body, pulling her tight against her chest. There was no warmth to be had in her, nor did she feel any breathing. Most disturbing was the lack of the familiar rhythmic thumping.
Luna lightly shook Scootaloo's body. “Come on, love. I said it's time to wake up!”
Still nothing. It… this was some sort of prank! It was a prank, Scootaloo would come bursting out of the closet, and laugh at how much she “got her” or something like that. Yeah. That's what it had to be. She was in the closet, this was a phoney, it was a vile prank, and they would laugh about it later when they were going on their walk. That made sense. Scootaloo was always trying to trick her, so that's what this was. A prank.
Luna shook her love harder. “Come on, Scootaloo. This isn't funny! This isn't a funny joke! Get up now!”
Still nothing.
She shook even harder. “I said wake up!”
She barely made out the sound of several sets of hooves on marble before she heard a voice at the doorway. “Princess Luna. We heard yelling. Are you alright?”
It took but a moment for her to stammer, “Celestia. Where's Celestia?”
One of the guards at the door replied. “Princess Celestia is in her study, your highness.”
Luna's breathing sped up. “I... I need Celestia. Get Celestia.”
“We're sorry, princess, but Princess Celestia is meeting with—”
“Get my sister now!”
The open windows of the room rumbled and the birds outside scattered into the sky from the forced of the scream. Whichever guard born with the stones to defy her was lucky enough to also have been born with the brains to understand the urgency, galloping off into the distance with his compatriots.
“Oh Scoots,” Luna whispered. “Why now? Why did you have to choose today?” Carefully, she brushed away the rogue hairs that were in Scootaloo's face, gazing into her face. Shuddering, she carefully inspected how horrifically… serene Scootaloo looked.
It felt like the guards had just left when they finally returned. This time though, it was not a guard's voice that entered her ears, but one much more familiar. “Luna, are you… oh… oh no…”
She looked up and upon the doorway that her sister stood. Celestia was not the only one that stood there; Luna's outburst plus Celesta's hasty arrival had attracted over a dozen guards and servants, along with the ambassador to the New Griffaria Union. While the majority were mindful enough to wait in the hall and merely settle on overhearing the conversation, more than one were nosy enough to peek around the corner to find out what was going on.
Luna simply sat there, Scootaloo still in her forelegs, gazing into Celestia's sorrow-filled eyes. It was only then that she realized that she was crying, yet no sobs cut through her words. “I… I… wanted…”
Celestia slowly stepped into the room and, with her magic, shut the door behind her. Making her way across the room, she whispered, “Lulu, I'm so… so sorry.”
Each word was a brick falling upon her ears, impacting harder than the last. Yet, she could find no words for what was going on. Instead, all she could do was sit there, stupidly staring at her sister as Celestia made her way across the room. Other than the two of them, all time had stopped. The birds outside were long gone, the breeze had settled, and the whispering outside the door was much too hushed to make out through the door.
She finally found her voice, albeit so very weak. “She… she was supposed to go on a walk with me.”
It was then that the dam broke, the once trickle of tears bursting into a wave of sobs. Celestia crawled onto the bed, pulled herself close, and embraced her with all of her strength. Luna eagerly returned the love, shoving her face into her sister's neck, instantly soaking the white hairs with her tears. All the while, Luna kept her forelegs wrapped around Scootaloo, refusing to release her precious wife.
“Why... I just wanted to go on a walk!” Luna cried, pushing her face into Celestia even harder. “Why couldn't she go on a walk with me!?”
Her sister didn't answer. Instead, gentle shushes were the only reply she got. There, she sat with her sister for an untold amount of time, forgoing any idea of order with the rest of the world. Duties be dammed, the world could wait for them. All that mattered was that regardless what happened, Luna would never let go of Scootaloo. She would never let go, nor would she ever allow Scootaloo to be alone.
Never.
“Good morning, Scootaloo.”
All around Luna, vast fields of green spread out before her, headstones dotting the grassy plains on all sides. On one side, the graves went but a few short headstones before abruptly ending, the grassy field extending far beyond. On another side, the headstones went on a fair distance before becoming sporadic, a few clumping together here and there with no discernible rhyme or reason to an outsider. Finally, there were the other directions, where the graves ran in rows all the way to the borders of the cemetery, stopping only because of the arbitrary borders created by ponies.
The cemetery itself clashed horrifically with the borders that contained it. The walls and gates around the perimeter were rough and rugged, clearly artificial constructs in the world. Stone bricks and wrought iron kept the graves in their place and in order. Meanwhile, the cemetery itself was a much different place, with the headstones merging with the grass in a much more pleasant way. The only other things that disturbed the cemetery were the few trees that were planted in the field, each as old as the world itself.
The headstone that Luna sat at was possibly the most unassuming grave one could ever imagine for a princess. It was not one that was singled out among others, determined to be the only one around for miles and forcing all to understand the royalty that lay within. It was not one that was built into a mausoleum, with a statue of Scootaloo's likeness carved atop so ponies forever would know exactly what she looked like. It was not one that had titles and achievements, nor did it have poems or quotes of nobles or royalty etched into the stone. Instead, it was a simple grave, with nothing but Scootaloo's name, her date of birth, and the date she passed. To the few that learned of her significance, it would appear to be a terrible slight. To Luna, it was the only appropriate option.
“Well, I guess it isn't morning at all.” Luna looked up at the moon just rising over the horizon. Only a minute before, she had brought it into the sky to dance with the stars. “But I guess that phrase is more of a hello than anything really.”
Turning her gaze back down toward the headstone, she smiled ever wider. “I never did ask you if you liked your accommodations here. I wanted to place you in Canterlot, but... well... I thought you might like it better here in Ponyville. You were never one for the fancy, hoity-toity sort of thing that that came with that city. Not only that, but you didn't quite get along with any of the nobles that you met there either. I didn't want you to be alone.”
Taking a peek at the two headstones to her left, Luna chucked. “Besides, I think your parents would appreciate your company much more than some random royal would anyway.”
Yet, even with the small talk, she couldn't stop the tapping of her hoof against the ground. Her heart was thumping faster than in any race she had flown this decade. All the small talk helped, but she knew that she was only delaying the inevitable admission. It was almost funny how nervous she felt about telling Scootaloo, considering she was sure that her love already knew everything. It was like telling Celestia that she did something to the sun or something. Yet, coming out and verbally admitting it to her was still as hard as it would've been to her face.
Finally, after one last deep breath, she burst forth with it. “Star Smile proposed to me yesterday... and I said yes.”
Luna paused, almost waiting for some sort of reply. None ever came, so she continued. “Only took him an extra year or two of beating around the bush to finally grow the spine to do it, but I gotta say, he got on two knees and everything, like 'a proper gentlecolt' or something like that. Honestly, we could have simply eloped and been done with it and I would've been happy. Celestia would undoubtedly been irritated by that choice, but I wouldn't have minded.
“I think you'd like him too. He's like a cross between both you and your friend Sweetie Belle. He loves to be all sweet and cuddly, but definitely has a wilder side to him if you get him going.” Luna sighed and closed her eyes. “I'm not going to lie, I almost said no to him over the sheer fact that every time I was with him, I couldn't help but to think of you, but that would've been... well... I guess it would have been wrong.”
Opening her eyes, Luna looked upon Scootaloo's headstone, placing a hoof atop it. “I... I wish I knew whether you like him or not. I mean... I know you like him, but do you approve of us being together? I don't want to get together with somepony you don't like, but I want to be with somepony that you do want me to be with, or do you want me to be with anypony at all? I'm... I don't know!”
Gazing toward the heavens, she cried out, “Dammit, Scootaloo! Why do I still love you so much!? All the others... I loved the others so much, but I could get through them! You though... I can't go a single day without wishing I was still with you! I'm just...”
Luna let out an exasperated breath. Waiting for a few seconds, she was finally able to mutter, “I... I promise I'll try though. I promise I'll try my hardest to move on. I tell myself otherwise, but I know you want me to be happy more than anything and I know I'm only projecting my worries onto you. I promise I'll give it a shot.”
There was a chill in the air as the wind blew by. Leaves from the trees upwind flew past her, carried by the breeze on their way to freedom outside of the gated enclosure. Soon, the dimming light of the sun would finally go away completely, forbidding her from being able to read the gravestones at all. Noticing the time, she stood and placed a forehoof on the headstone one last time.
“You know, when I finally pass, I'm going to make sure that you are the first pony that I see.” Luna turned around and stopped. After a few seconds, she looked at the ground, and snorted. “Wow. I hope you've met all of my past and future husbands and wives before that happens, or things are going to be a little awkward.”
With that, Luna spread her wings and took to the air. While Canterlot was northeast of here, she didn't quite feel in the mood to immediately bolt off into that direction yet. Instead, she was content with just lazily cruising along the edges of the town that was now so important to her. Ponyville was merely a tiny village on the outskirts of civilization for the first couple of years after she returned from her exile. That all changed when she met Scootaloo. It was still a tiny town in outskirts of civilization, but now it held a special place in her heart.
After a few laps around the town, she changed her bearing toward home. However, shortly before she left town, she looked back down at the grave that she was sitting at before and smiled.
“Goodnight, Scootaloo.”
Author's Note
Special thanks to Admiral Hoofsome, Kitsunehero, and Phaoray for the stupid amount of help they gave me in this.
