Love and Power: A New Dawn

Late afternoon arrived in Ponyville and an irritated Luna was waking up. She headed into the throne room to find a worried Flash Sentry and a paranoid Celestia. Luna could sense that they weren't quite themselves. She asked, "Flash Sentry, what is wrong with you? You look like something is bothering you."

Flash replied, "It is Celestia. She has hardly talked today, she has had tears running her face and she just won't talk back when I try to talk to her."

Luna rolled her eyes and walked over to Celestia. She waved her hoof in front of her face and got no response. Luna shouted, "SNAP OUT OF IT BIG SISTER!"

Like earlier, Celestia took off skywards and crashed into the ceiling before falling onto the throne room floor. She looked up at her sister and shouted, "Why must you yell at me? You know it scares me!"

Luna replied, "Well, Flash has told me about your behavior today. He told me that he has tried talking to you but you won't say anything back and that you have had tears running down your face." Luna leaned in towards Celestia and asked, " What the hay is wrong with you?"

Celestia wouldn't look up at her sister as she had no desire to be interrogated like a criminal. Luna finally got right up in Celestia's face and shouted at her again. Finally Celestia replied, "Look little sister, you and I think differently, we have different mindsets and the things I am going through you have no perception of."

Luna growled, "Look, I am worried about you big sister. I don't have to understand exactly what is wrong or what is running through your mind. I do need you to be alert. I can't run on just a few hours of sleep a day. You know I have to stay up all night and here the past couple of days I have had to do both your duties and mine. What would we do right now if we were to be attacked? You wouldn't even be alert enough to know we were being attacked much less know what to do."

Celestia started to cry, "But Luna, I can't be with the one I love. She is the only thing in my life that gives me hope."

Luna growled, "Look, I can understand that. Just make sure you get enough rest so you can do your royal duties. I may as well be Queen if you can't do them."

This sent Celestia into a rage. She shouted, "SO YOU ARE TRYING TO USE ALL OF THIS TO TAKE ALL POWER IN EQUESTRIA FOR YOURSELF? WELL I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU, THAT ISN'T HAPPENING!"

Luna smiled, patted her sister on the back and replied, "Now that is the Princess Celestia that Equestria loves and needs so much!"

Celestia growled, "You do not touch me! My Twily is the only one who is allowed to touch me!"

Luna rolled her eyes and replied, "Look, as long as you are alert, able to do your royal duties and defend us against an attack I will put up with all this 'my Twily' crap. What the hay is up with that anyway? Since she is a princess do you view her as your possession now or what?"

Celestia had a nervous look on her face and replied, "Little sister, we are equals. It isn't your job to order me around. I will do my duties. Just please stop questioning me over every little thing I do."

Luna headed into the dining hall to get ready for supper. Gray Wings and Flash Sentry very quickly joined her. Luna asked, "So Flash, are you ready to go on that patrol with me tonight?"

Flash replied, "Wait a minute, I do have to sleep tonight. Besides, Gray Wings always goes with you."

Luna sneered, "Well if I remember correctly were were boasting about how you could so easily handle those modified parasprites Twilight created. I asked you if you would want to come with me and you so arrogantly said that you would come with me and have no problems with those parasprites."

Gray Wings laughed, "You did indeed say that Flash. You should really keep true to your word."

Flash replied, "Oh ok, but you know what your Majesty, I can't wait to see the look on your face when those parasprites don't give me any problems! Mark my words, you will eat crow!"

Celestia came running into the dining hall when she heard this and asked, "Flash Sentry, what do you mean Luna will eat crow?"

Before Flash could say anything Luna interrupted, "Well, this morning before you got back Gray Wings and I returned from the Everfree Forest fatigued. We ran into a few manticores and some of those modified parasprites that Twilight created,"

Celestia interrupted, "Twilight. Oh my Twily, the pony of my dreams!"

Luna rolled her eyes and cleared her throat, "Well now where was I? oh yes, we were talking about how those parasprites tried to eat my crown and tried to eat Gray Wings' armor. Flash Sentry here claimed that he could handle those parasprites so he is going on patrol with me and I am taking him to where they are and let him deal with them on his own since he seems to think they are nothing to worry about!"

Flash asked, "Wait a minute, Princess Celestia, did you say Twilight is the pony of your dreams."

The very mention of Twilight's name made Celestia all dreamy eyed and distracted. Luna shouted, "LOOK BIG SISTER, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS UP WITH YOU, BUT YOU NEED TO SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Celestia shook her head and regained her composure. She asked, "Wha-What? What were we talking about. I became distracted."

Luna growled, "Nevermind. Here comes supper. Fill up Celestia. I know you haven't ate enough and you need a full stomach to lower the sun properly. We don't want you dropping it below the horizon too quickly."

Celestia's mood became much better suddenly. She laughed, "Oh little sister the last time that happened was when we were little fillies and mom and dad were teaching us how to do our royal duties."

Luna snickered, "Well I would certainly hope that wouldn't happen again. That would be rather embarrassing!"

The rest of their supper went by without any problems and soon it was time for Celestia to lower the sun and for Luna to raise the moon. Everything went perfect like it normally does. Luna patted Celestia on the back and said, "It is so good to see my big sister back to normal. Now you better get some rest tonight!"

Celestia asked, "So will Gray Wings be going with you on your patrol tonight?"

Luna replied, "No he won't be. He will be resting tonight while Yellow Eyes holds down the fort. Mr. Hotshot Flash Sentry will be going on my patrol with me and show me how good he is with parasprites that try to eat armor and crowns."

While Celestia and Gray Wings headed back into the castle Luna and Flash Sentry headed into the Everfree Forest. Flash Sentry had a nervous look on his face and asked, "Your Majesty, do we have to go in there? How do you and Gray Wings do it?"

Luna put her hoof up to her face and replied, "Yes Flash we have to go in there. You claimed you could handle those parasprites so you are going to prove to me you can. Besides, you are a member of the royal guard, why would you be scared of the Everfree Forest?"

Flash said, "Well I haven't been in here before so I really don't know what to expect and besides, I'm worried about Celestia. Don't tell her I said anything but she seems to have an obsession with Twilight that is kinda scary. I'm trying to get as much out of her as I can but I have come to the conclusion that she isn't stable enough to be a leader anymore."

Luna smiled and replied, "Finally! Somepony other than Gray Wings and myself who thinks that she is having problems."

While Luna and Flash were on their patrol in the Everfree Forest Celestia was in her room trying to get to sleep but she just couldn't. While she knew Gray Wings was tired and was sleeping she also knew that Yellow Eyes, Luna's second in command in the Lunar Royal Guard, was holding down the fort. She started to cry but then realized a quick escape route, through her window.

Celestia opened her window and took off towards Ponyville. She just couldn't take not being with Twilight anymore. Celestia was shouting to herself, "I can't wait to see Twily! We're going to go to Las Pegasus and be gone for over a month! I'm going to make my Twily my wife!"

While Celestia thought she was home free she did not know that Yellow Eyes was circling around the castle and heard every word she was saying. He immediately decided that Luna must know everything she said and planned on telling her once she got home.