She awoke with a start, her heart beating a bit faster than usual as she opened her eyes to the blinding sunlight pouring through the window and onto her face. She had just had a dream, and a bad one at that. She didn't remember what it was, but she knew that if it left her this breathless that it probably wasn't good.
She sat up, a few orange and yellow strands of her mane falling into her tired, magenta eyes. She brushed them away with a hoof and then rubbed her eyes to try and wake herself up. She scanned the white walls of her cloud house, and found nothing out of the ordinary. She walked through piles of magazines, clothing and a few stray Daring Do books before reaching the door, a large Wonderbolts poster hanging from it, and stepped through. She headed for her kitchen, and found a familiar green face waiting by his food bowl.
"Morning, Tank," she said with a yawn, patting his head lightly as she passed to get his food from the counter. She lowered the bag to the floor using her teeth, and opened it with her hooves.
She then poured several dozen pieces of the pet food into the bowl and placed the bag back on the counter.
"There's you go," she said, watching as Tank headed for the bowl and started eating.
It was at that moment that her own stomach started growling, and she new that she needed food as well. She put together a meal that she ate too quickly to remember and headed for the front door of her house. She had remembered that her best friend had asked for her assistance that day, and headed straight for Sweet Apple Acres, passing an empty mailbox attached to the edge of her house reading:
Rainbow Dash
***
She awoke to the sun glaring through the window and right into her emerald eyes. She groggily got up and out of bed, walking tiredly out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen. She reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around, seeing the light yellow face of her younger sister sat at the table eating what looked like a bowl of cereal, but she wasn't too interested in the type. She approached the wall cabinet and fixed her own breakfast. She sat at the table and looked at her sister.
"Mornin', Applebloom," she said with a yawn.
"Mornin', sis," the young fully responded, her reddish-orange eyes looking at her. "Whatcha up to today?"
"Borin' work stuff with Rainbow Dash today. So long as she don't slack off..." The older mare replied.
"Wouldn't surprise me if she did, Applejack," Applebloom said with a light giggle.
Applejack sighed and laughed with her. "Me either, sis," she said, looking out the windows s if expecting the cyan pegasus to appear at the very mention of her name.
She finished her breakfast and headed for the door, grabbing her Stetson from the wall rack on the way, and headed out to the portion of the orchard that she and Rainbow Dash were to work on.
That portion had suffered majorly from a drought caused by an earthquake some time ago, and it was on its last legs, so to speak. The trees were thin and dry, and looked like the very wind could topple them over. Applejack shuddered at the thought of what could happen were someone to find out about that portion... They could lose a lot of money if anyone found out that they didn't have as much usable land as they had let on.
She sighed and set off for the orchard, a particular rainbow-maned pegasus meeting her on the way.
***
Twilight was not a morning pony, and to many, this may have come as no surprise. Her habit of skull-crushing, stress-inducing, book-burning, midnight study sessions were legendary at her previously established stomping grounds, and to some existent, in Ponyvile. And though she would never admit it, she liked to catch a wink. This morning was an exception.
“Dash!” her head flew up in a start, her eyes wide and fearful. She blinked rapidly, the light from her window piercing her weary pupils, Where was she? Looking around blearily, she found the familiar sight of her study greeting her, shifting, she felt the soft friction of fabric slowly slide onto the floor and disregarding the nightmare that had stuck her from her sleep, she shifted her mind to safer things. Spike must have come in… How sweet- Hey, what time did I fall asleep? He should have been in bed. She stumbled almost drunkenly toward the kitchen, though the smell of breakfast quickly sobered her. “Spike?” she called, slowly descending the stairs into the warm, fire lit hall. She shivered despite the temperature, her sleep had been restless and plagued with nightmares that had left a bad taste in her mouth, and she counted herself lucky to have so quickly forgotten them.
“Yep?” he was indeed in the kitchen, this was confirmed for the third time, when she came, still stumbling, into the kitchen. His goofy chef outfit always brought a smile to her face.
“Did you put that blanket over me?” she asked slyly, slinking over to the table where a mound of pancakes sat, reminding her stomach of the meal it had missed the night before.
“Sure did. You where shaking real bad when I checked on you.” He said, dumping a small measuring glass of multi-colored jewels into a bowl of batter. “Kinda scared me.”
“Oh, and what time was that?” Her smile grew as he accidentally added the glass to the batter via the effects of gravity.
“Uh… Ten?” he said, fishing about the bowl for the glass while glancing sideways at his surrogate sister. She shook her head,
“I was star gazing around that time. Try again,”
“Eleven?”
“In the basement.”
“Fine, I walked into your study at four! But I swear I went right to sleep after-!”
“Oh Spike!” she exclaimed, her brow creasing with worry, “You can’t stay up that late! Don’t you know how important sleep is to a dragon’s health?”
“Twilight, I know, I know!” the drake sighed, “Don’t you remember? You're making me read that book on it…” a sudden smile spread across his face, “That I spent all night reading.” Spike sniggered a bit at the irony, and Twilight muttered to herself.
“Well, I can’t punish you for helping me,” she said at last, “but I can tell you about my studies last night:” Spike rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he turned to his bejeweled batter and began pouring it onto an iron skillet, “Interspecies relationships.” Instantly spilling some over the side. He set the batter down and turned from his breakfast, staring intently at Twilight, though she seemed not to notice, and continued to speak at length about her studies. “Apparently, ponies of different races aren’t allowed to intimately fraternize with others. As such, a Pegasus and an Earthpony forming a relationship is actually illegal, though everypony knows that,” she said, rubbing her chin, “Hmmm, oh, did you know that condemnation of the actvstems from times before even the three tribes? Oh! Or that relationship between the same sex, while taboo, were legal till the third century of Celestia’s rule?” She said, only now truly awake, her loose tongue bringing her brain to life, though she seemed to forget her young hatchling’s affection for a certain unicorn for a moment, much to his horror. “It also seems that a relationship that is not purely platonic between a pony and any other race breaks the first law.” She said before glancing at the clock, “Horse feathers! I’ve got a meeting with Mayor Mare! I’ll see you later!” Leaving the dumbstruck and now quite depressed baby dragon alone.
“But…” He said, his little heart giving out an audible crack. A few moments after exiting the door, it appeared that Twilight had suddenly remembered her assistant’s affections.
“Oh, Spike!” she said, before rushing back inside.
***
“Um… Celestia?” Luna looked up at her sister, eyes round and questioning.
“Hmm, yes?” she said, shooting a glance at her sister from between her bifocals, as she stared down at her scrolls, (details of a new invention created by a minotaur metal smith for any whom were wondering).
“We have been reacquainting ourselves with the new laws of the land, and we would like to pick thy brain about a few things.” Luna held up the scroll and began reading, “’In accordance with the laws of our ancestors and the popular opinion of our people we hereby’-“ There was a knock, and the door of Princess Celestia’s study opened slowly to reveal Shining Armor, head lightly bandaged.
“Princesses,” He said, smiling enthusiastically, “I’m about to go, I just wanted to turn in my captain’s helm.” He sat the gold trimmed purple helm down in front of them, though as soon as he did so Celestia objected.
“Please Shining, keep it. And not just as a memento, I have doubts about my abilities to find a capable captain of the guard, at least now. You have gone and spoiled me with excellence, I don’t think I’ll ever find a captain as honest and deserving as you.” Shining reddened at the compliment, and retrieved the helm.
“Very well your majesty, thank you!” and then he was out the door, Celestia smiling fondly after him.
How strange, Luna thought, you are always so kind sister, always so benevolent, but… She looked through the scroll, eyes closing as she reached the last line, what were you playing at sister? What is your game? She halted that thought with a brow furrowed, that was a road she would rather not tread again. Celestia… a lot could have changed in a thousand years. But Luna wouldn’t question this. Not now. Now was a time to relax, supper was almost upon them, and Luna wanted to enjoy it with a brighter disposition.
But she could not, that night she picked through her food, thinking to what her sister had written. It ached, she couldn’t help but feel a darkness across from her, where her sister should have sat. Was this how Celestia once felt? Seeing her and knowing something was wrong, feeling a darkness grow beyond your reach? No, Luna angered slightly at herself, this is nothing like then. I will not betray her again!
But somewhere deep inside, a voice reached out, calling to her sister across the way, when did it take you, sister? It asked, how did it steal your soul too?
Author's Note
I've been wrong times over
And I've been shamed, with no words to find
But if the sun will rise
Bring us tomorrow
Walk with me
Crimson day
