She admired the proud mare studying herself in her wardrobe mirror. It wasn't since a thousand years ago that she had seen that midnight blue princess take such time checking herself over. Without noticing before it was too late, Celestia let an airy chuckle out that alerted her little sister to her position watching her from her room's door frame. Teal eyes locked onto Celestia with some shock, but softened with a light bow of her horned head. "Greetings, Sister Celestia," Luna said as she returned to checking herself in the mirror and using her horn's power to organize a small cluster of clothes on her bed.
It felt good to Celestia to be greeted once again with the title 'sister', evident by the little sighing laugh she let pass through her lips. "Greetings to you as well, Luna," Celestia let herself into the open room of her sister and watched as Luna continued adjusting her mane. While Luna remained preoccupied with that, Celestia moved up from behind her sister and joined her in looking in the mirror, giving an admiring smile to the reflection of her sister. "You look quite radiant with your celestial mane," she teased.
Luna cocked a look back at her sister through the mirror, trying her best to look cool despite her small embarrassment at the complement. "Royal edict does not allow such complements, sister. We must aim to be more proper," she reminded her sister.
"Ah yes, the royal traditions," Celestia laughed a little before giving a warm smile. "I've been meaning to address you on that matter since your return."
"Address us? Pray tell why, sister?"
Luna had a look of a worried child as she looked to her sister directly. It took Celestia's best might not to aw at her sister's face. "You see, sister. It has been many years since we've acted on such traditions. We now practice a more casual and approachable edict," the white mare explained without straining her words too much.
"Casual? Approachable?" Luna seemed almost bewildered as she repeated her sister's words. "But we are royalty. Verily, it is tradition for us to—"
Before any disagreement could be voiced, Celestia gave a light stroke of Luna's hair with her front hoof and warmly smiled. "Yes, it was. But 'was' is what I mean to tell you. If you wish for the citizens to love and look to you as they do me, you need to apply yourself to these times. Understand?"
The younger mare thought and looked herself in the mirror. Truly, she wanted nothing more then to cast off the previous image that Ponyville ponies had come to know her as. Fear, anxiety, worry, these things aren't what she wanted. She didn't want them in the first place. She desired admiration, love, cheers. But with a day like Nightmare Night?
Luna nodded and her sister released a breath of relief she was holding in before turning her sister around to face her. The younger of the sisters looked to her elder sister, eyes unsure and face holding worry. "Then tell us sister. What must we do to be acknowledged by our subjects?"
"A great many things perhaps," Celestia gave no pause with her honesty, but Luna grew a sprout grateful for that. "But let's start with talking about your current plans of going to town. We'll see if we can change them to be a bit more current."
They were in agreement and Luna took to remembering what it was she planned for the Nightmare Night ahead. "We thought we would endeavor to gain our subject's attention by filling their Nightmare Night sky with a dazzling show of lightning and send through their village the roar of winds. This way, they shall know that we hath arrived and thy subjects should come and bow before us."
"Sister, sister," her elder sister laughed a little at the mental image of how that would go. "Don't you think that's a bit over the top?"
"Far be it!" Luna scoffed confidently. "We have already prepared our finest pegasi cloud makers to orchestrate our grand entrance. Our Shadowbolts will provide us with the grandest performance; the likes of which the citizens of Ponyville have never beheld."
It nearly hurt Celestia to rain down on her sister's plans, particularly after seeing her bright, confident smile. However, it was her job as princess and more so as her elder sister to correct her and make sure she showed herself the best she could. "That sounds wonderful, Luna. But that seems more suited for a grander celebration. If anything, Nightmare Night is a far more somber occasion," Luna instinctively dipped her head dejected before her sister quickly added onto her statement. "But I assure you, the idea itself is something we can apply into a more extravagant celebration."
It was a small motion, but Luna smiled ever slightly and brought Celestia a little ease. The hard part was out of the way for now; it was time to point her into the right direction. "Now, Luna, my sister. You have good intentions, I see that. But, if you wish to make a really grand impression on the citizens of Ponyville, it would be better to travel with a smaller party. Whenever I for one leave the castle, I only take with me two or little more guards. This shows ponies that you are indeed royal, but you are also open enough to your subjects. Do you understand?"
A smaller group? But royalty was to always present itself with—no. No, that was the old way of thinking. One thousand years old to be exact. Luna straightened up in her chair and nodded her compliance. "Verily I say to you sister that your words nay fall on deaf ears."
"Excellent to hear. What else were you planning for your visit?"
"In all honesty, dear sister. We had also planned out a remarkable speech that we believe conveys the exact message we wish for our subjects to hear," a piece of parchment with the royal seal fluttered out before Celestia with the glow of her sister's magic.
The parchment had the traditional tone for a decree, but Celestia couldn't help but find it off. The message came out clear, but a bit too clear; as if the writer was talking down to the listener. It wasn't that big of a deal, but Celestia had come to know that the citizens of Ponyville were far from unintelligent. Celestia moved the paper aside as it floated in mid-air so she could see her sister, who had started to smile confidently once more. "This does indeed get your point across. But your wording and voice are a bit… belittling."
"Belittling? That was not our intention, dear sister, we assure you," Luna insisted with some worry. The elder mare instantly regretted bringing that matter up before Luna continued on. "We merely wished to not overwhelm the citizens with a higher level of speech."
"You worry too much, Luna. The ponies of Ponyville are far ahead of the literal and social studies than they were allowed a thousand years ago. Some are accomplished scholars and authors. You needn't talk down to them as we once did in the past." Celestia explained on.
"We see," Luna mused to herself with a hoof tapping against her chin. "We will endeavor to create a more suited speech as per our arrival. One more suited for the ears of our wonderful subjects."
"Wonderful, Luna. You're starting to get it," the elder princess felt ecstatic about how fast her sister was learning of the new edict.
"Indeed we are! Thy worries be slain, sister Celestia," Luna got up to her legs and looked up at her taller sister. "We know what must be done to change our image in the eyes of our subjects." With a stroke of her head against her sister's and a proud strut away, Luna was off.
However, not an inch out the door, Celestia called to the younger mare. "Luna. Remember… formal is not required. Relax and just be casual."
"Not formal… understood, sister," Luna bowed her head as the clothes she left on the bed drifted towards her.
The door to the main hall shut and Celestia was left alone in her sister's room. She remained looking at the door her sister previously used, and heaved a very small sigh. "It'll be alright, Celestia… She's old enough to walk on her own four hooves…"
Tiara dawned atop head, cloak draped around back, and hood left ever so slightly up the back of her mane. Her light trots echoed through the empty hall of the castle as Luna made her way to her carriage outside. It wasn't a long walk, but she decided to take this moment of calm to take what her sister said to heart and consideration. Celestia had taken time out of her busy night to make sure she did not make a bad impression on Ponyville after her imprisonment. For that, she had nothing but thanks. But that time would be for nothing if she didn't think it all through.
First, travelling with a smaller group. Perhaps that wasn't too hard. She had need for only her two Nightguards, so as to pull her carriage. The Shadowbolts and their display would perhaps be too much like her sister had told her. The answer was simple when she thought about it. Why bring anything unneeded? She only needed two to pull her carriage and didn't need pegasi for an entrance. She would simply make her grand entrance herself! Of course! It would mean so much more if she conjured the clouds, churned the winds, cracked the thunder, and summoned the lightning. The Ponyville civilians would be in awe of her amazing power; power that rivaled even her great and powerful sister.
That plan down packed, it was time to move onto the next thought. Her speech. Celestia had told her it was too watered down; belittling to the audience. She had no intention of making her subjects feel stupid or otherwise. So what could the solution be? There wasn't time to write out another speech. But it hit her; the obvious answer. Her heart. She would simply speak from the heart and tell everypony what she truly thought and felt. Surely they would understand such sentiments.
At last, she reached the gate to the courtyard where her guards and carriage awaited her. She mentally prepared herself for what was to come as her front hooves pushed the door open. Immediately, she saw two yellow eyed colts with purple armor standing before a carriage, each standing proudly and unmoving. "Hark," at her call, the two saluted a single hoof to their helmets.
The princess moved towards the two of them and looked them over. "Are we prepared for departure, Meadowlark?" she asked one of the guards.
"At your command, your majesty," the guard quickly went to the front of the carriage and holstered a set of chains to the back of his armor so as to pull it.
The second guard turned to follow, but was quickly halted by his notice of Luna's clothing. Luna noticed this staring eyes and frowned with some worry. "Does something trouble thee, Sunshine Smiles?"
"Not at all, my lady. I am simply curious," his eyes shifted from her face to the tiara atop her head then to her cloak. "You're leaving without the triple-tier crown or the matching cloak?"
Luna smiled at this question and moved passed him and into her spot in the carriage. "That would be far too formal, Sunshine. We aim to be casual with our subjects." She informed him with a proud look and matching tone. "That is why we bring the bat cloak. This cloak will allow us to quickly strip down to the level of our citizens, as well as provide ambiance for the following affairs."
"You have thought this through, your highness," the guard bowed his head to her before joining with his partner at the head of the carriage.
The two colts tugged the carriage foreword with a rattle of the chains done into their armor and where soon off into the air. As the cool, Nightmare Night air brushed against Luna's face, she had no doubt in her mind. This would indeed be the best night ever.
"Dear Princess Celestia,
When you first sent me to Ponyville, I didn't know anything about friendship. I met somepony tonight who was having the same problem - your sister, Princess Luna! She taught me that one of the best things you can do with friendship is to give it to others, and help them find it themselves! And I'm happy to report that all of Ponyville has learned that even though somepony seems a little intimidating, even scary, when you offer them your friendship, you'll discover a whole new pony underneath."
The corner of the white coat princess's lip perked into a smile while the fire of her study crackled. Her horn's magical aura guided the letter from her student down onto the carpeted floor. "Not exactly as I expected, but I'm happy it at least turned out alright," Celestia told herself, opening her study door and entering the hallway.
To her surprise, her sister was standing outside the door; triumph radiating from her visage. Celestia smiled as she closed the door behind her with a small glint of her horn. "I hope everything went as you expected, Luna?" she asked, well knowing from the letter that everything seemed to have gone fine.
"It did, Celestia," when Luna spoke, Celestia went wide eyed and gasped sharply. The firm of her voice was gone and was replaced by an almost soothing, gentle tone. "I couldn't have planned the night better. Thanks to your apprentice's guidance, as well as the aide of her marry lot of friends, I actually came to enjoy the festivities. So much so, I will be going again next year to bring fun for all the little ones," Luna announced to her sister proudly.
She couldn't believe her ears. Her little sister, who had not three hours ago been speaking in a traditional Canterlot dialect, was now speaking in an actually casual and open manner. The sound of her sister almost brought a welling of tears to her eyes; but instead, she chuckled and gave her sister a teasing look. "'I'? Since when do you refer to yourself as a single mare?"
Celestia half expected her sister to get angry, but was surprised when her little sister scoffed and threw her head back confidently. "Oh, dear sister. You're far too out of touch with your people," she went on to say while walking off down the hall. "Perhaps it is you who needs to bring yourself down to the people and mingle amongst them. It shall do wonders for your outlook."
The elder princess watched as her sister trotted off to her room. "I can't believe it…" Celestia started to laugh cheerfully. "She's lecturing me now?" she followed in foot of her sister so as to reach her own room. Before reaching her room though, she looked out one of the massive windows that lined the main hallway. Her gaze was met with the pale moon resting high in the night sky. Its face was flawless for the first time in a long while. "…What a Nightmare Night it was. I couldn't imagine being prouder."
