It's only tradition, Celestia thought. It's only a once in the blue moon tradition. Yet, here she was for the second time doing the same exact thing her sister, Luna, wanted her to do. She stood on her left hoof and marveled her empire.
"Luna, what is this supposed to accomplish?" Celestia asked.
Luna didn't even raise a hoof at her. "Tradition."
Celestia teetered on her hypothetical totter when she heard that word uttered from her sister's mouth. The sound of it felt like venom. It poisoned her and raced down her spine, leaving a mark that could never be erased. It printed itself inside her and made sure to tempt with her for the rest of her sunny days.
However, she knew her sister was just trying to be normal. Hence why she was tiptoeing on her weakest foreleg. It was tradition.
"What kind of tradition is this?" Celestia inquired, before adding, "Not that I'm complaining."
Luna did glare at her for that one. "A tradition of the alicorn," she blandly replied. "It's a tradition from long ago." She turned her gaze back to the rolling hills of Equestria. "You should know this, Celestia. You've been here longer than I."
Those intended jabs towards her banishment stung like bee stings directly below the eye, or so Celestia felt it, her eye twitching in response. She winced and said, "Mother didn't tell us all of the traditions, Lulu."
Luna frowned. "I'm sorry, sister." She looked down at my lone hoof. "You can stop now," she declared, before turning towards the double stained-glass doors. "This tradition thing must sound ridiculous to you."
Celestia glared at her sister. How dare she think her shenanigans as ridiculous? They are positively redonkulous! They—
Oh, who is she kidding. They were ridiculous. But that was not the problem. The real issue was that Celestia liked doing them. She just couldn't admit it to her sister. Even though they were ridiculous, top-heavy, never-ending, and downright despicable, the sense of family was there. Celestia enjoyed that sensation more than anything in the world. It was what kept her going for all these years.
So, Celestia decides to take the plunge and snatch her sister right back. "Luna!" she bellowed.
Her sister stopped, her hooves rather odd clicking became silent. Seconds passed. Maybe a minute. Celestia couldn't figure it out, her mind was too focused on her sister's lack of motion. She was in a momentary trance, stuck in time with the only thing that haunted her mind for years and years: her sister's booming voice.
It was only a few more unbearable seconds she have to waste before Luna replied in a soft murmur, "Yes?"
Celestia approached her sister's side. "I am not going to deny anything, you understand me?"
A small gust of wind whisked over their bodies. They stared into each other's eyes. An unspoken battle of two old, yet lively siblings. Never to be separated again, according to the eldest of the two.
Luna replied with a reluctant nod, giving Celestia the floor. Of course, Celestia hid her pain from her sister's reaction. It made itself at home inside her mind under the code, "Never Make Luna Do That Face Again". She already jinxed herself; Luna made that face again.
Celestia took a deep breath. "It was ridiculous." She heard her begin to walk away. Not on my watch, Lulu! Celestia grips her sister's hoof in her magic, leaving it suspended in the air. With the most radiant smile she could hope to deliver, Celestia continued, "But it was fun."
Fun.
Celestia knew that word too. It dangled in her grasp like a limp root from the Tree of Harmony. She was the epitome of fun in the sun. Everypony but Luna knew it. Luna knew her differently. A Princess with a kick.
"Fun must be ridiculous then too, sister," Luna uttered, slapping Celestia right in the face. "Because all I did was make you upse—"
"Luna," Celestia interrupted. "You know that's not tru—"
"Yes it is!" Luna shouted, breaking the sound barrier with her voice. It echoed into the distance, letting everypony of Equestria know of their plight. "You tried to hide it! I know how you act, Tia!"
Celestia sighed. "No, Lulu," she began, regretting every word she was about to say. "I hid myself because of your intended jabs at my past decree of you." Celestia watched her sister's anger dissipate in seconds. "It stung, Lulu." She dropped her gaze to the white stone floor of the balcony. "It really did."
Luna's head drooped while her gaze went south. She stared at the pinnacle of the castle, how it waved down to the ground in the base before spreading out in its distinct form. Celestia knew Luna loved its design. She said it was as lovely as her moon one night. The night before her banishment.
"Tia."
Celestia heard her over the roar of the fireplace. There they lay inside Celestia's chambers, watching the night begin. Luna stood beside the window, while Celestia was just approaching from her seat on the floor. "Yes?"
"It is time," she sternly stated before she closed her eyes. "Vive la lune! Maintenant, le lever!"*
Celestia watched as Luna raised her moon. It glowed right down upon her, gracing her horn with the love and praise of a body returning to its owner after a much needed rest. Luna smiled wide and kept her eyes shut. "Mon amour..."**
Upon hearing Luna's words, her moon aimed its presence onto her horn, keeping the tradition alive. She hummed to herself quietly while the moon continued to shine on her. After a few seconds, it faded and there stood her moon, triumphant and in the sky once more.
Celestia saw her sister eyes twinkle like the stars in the sky. They were bright, blue, and vivid. She could stare at them for hours, if she wanted to have a staring contest. Yet, only part of the tradition was done. The other half had just begun.
Celestia nodded. In silence, she stood at the window and observed her sun. "Mon amour, c'est temps de repos..."***
The sun responded promptly by sending its lights to Celestia's horn, leaving her with the last bits of love she knew she would receive.
"Mon amour, J'adore toi," her sun said. "J'adore..."****
Celestia smiled and murmured her love back to him as he set past the horizon. She let a tear pass, knowing that he will be back to-morrow. She gazed at her sister and shakily said, "It's always hard to watch him go."
Luna sighed. "I know how that feels." She looked to the sky. "Mon amour does not like it when I leave him." She pauses momentarily, holding back what Celestia hears as a sob. "He loves me. And I love him. But, is that a normal tradition? Loving your other body?"
Celestia smiled at her. "Of course, sister. Mother told us what we were to do."
There was a silence that could not be stopped. Luna stood beside her sister for a brief moment, before walking to the balcony doors and opening them. The two glass doors flung open and Luna stepped onto the white platform. She saw her night. It was happy, and it was especially happy to see her. Yet, something stopped her.
"Celestia."
Celestia heard her sister's calling and rushed to her side. "Yes, Luna?"
Luna gazed up at the moon. "My love sits up in the sky. I can never hold him. I can never feel his touch other than through my horn." She gazed down at the castle below. "Is this what we were cursed to have? Never to have a true love in the physical life?"
Celestia sighed. "I don't know, Luna. It's a tradition."
Luna frowned and murmured, "Then I want a new tradition."
"Then let's make one," Celestia replied. "We can make all the traditions we want."
"Really?!" Luna said giddily. "I have so many ideas!"
A pause.
"Celestia?"
A soft hum was all that Luna heard.
Luna sighed. "I love this castle as much as my moon. It is lovely. It sits so well with Equestria. The castle walls, white in its form; the tall towers, how they reach for the stars; and the base, how it brings the whole castle together." She paused as a wind graced their manes. "It's as lovely as my moon. He sits alone, but I can see his beauty. He's just as white as the walls and he has craters in his hull. He's not damaged, but more so decorated with the battles of yesteryear."
Celestia felt a tear slide down her cheek. "I—"
Luna glared. "Do you know how many battles he fought?" She watched her sister shake her head. "Plenty. Plenty of them." She turned back to her moon. "He wants me to view them to-night. Maybe we can touch finally? Maybe..."
Celestia frowned and nuzzled her sister. "I hope you can soon." She paused. "He sounds like a gentle giant."
Luna giggled. "If you heard what he said to me when I raised him, then you wouldn't be saying that, Tia."
"Sister!" she shouted in mock surprise. "That is not what I wanted to hear!"
Luna began to laugh among the stars, while Celestia stood frozen in shock. She gazed up at her sister's moon and watched as it danced. Even though other ponies didn't see them dance, she saw him dance. He was proud. He had pride; she could tell.
"Lulu..."
Luna picked herself up and smiled. "I loved this night. Thank you, Celestia." She turned to return to the chambers. "May we speak again to-morrow?"
Celestia smiled back. "Of course, Lulu."
With that, Luna left, leaving Celestia to her own devices.
Celestia remembered that whole conversation. That whole desire of Luna's to love her moon. Was that her motivation to become Nightmare Moon? Was she simply needing her moon? Was that whole banishment just a way to get to him?
Was it just a tradition?
"Then maybe I should go."
Celestia's heart shattered at the decree. "Pardon?"
Luna frowned. "Maybe I should go back to being banished. You know, so I can be with him again."
Celestia's eyes widened. "Why?"
"Don't you see, Tia?" Luna growled and stomped her hoof on the balcony. "I'm lost without him now! I can't stop making new traditions to replace ours. What we had up there, on his body, was..." She blushed. 'It was full of passion."
"Passion? You mean..." Celestia blushed too. "Luna, too much information!" she said, grasping her head with her hooves.
Luna laughed at her sister, before she returned to her saddened state. Celestia thought it would have worked. Luna would've laughed and it all could return to normal. But that would be ridiculous. Ridiculous as herself.
"Not to mention that if I was banished, then maybe I wouldn't feel as guilty as if I just took off and left you here."
A gust of wind whisked by Celestia's ear. "You would leave me?"
Luna nuzzles her sister's cheek. "If I was forced to then I would have no choice, wouldn't I?"
Celestia froze. "But Luna, I want you to stay!"
"Why? You were soooo adamant on banishing me long ago," Luna replied, her glowered brow made Celestia shiver to her core. "Do you not think of this anymore? Do you just want to love me like he does? Does that peak your interest?"
Celestia shouted, "No! Because we're family and I..." She paused. "I am the one who is wrong."
Luna faltered and staggered to the railing. She held onto it for dear life. "H-Huh?"
Celestia looks to the sky. "You know how I am. I'm still a student, you know. I never stopped learning." She turned towards her sister. "Did you know that?"
Luna shook her head. "No, you never told us."
"My mentor loved me failing. He loved it so much that he actually encouraged it," Celestia began, looking over the edge of the balcony. "You know why?"
"Because that's his tradition?"
Celestia giggled. "No, Lulu. It's because that's how we learn. By failing." She turns her gaze back to Luna. "I failed again to learn from it. I want to make a new tradition..." She brought a hoof to Luna's chest. "For us."
Luna smiled. "Oh, what is it?"
Celestia smirked. "How about we discuss this... passion you have for your moon? Maybe we can swap stories?"
Luna blushed as she felt her sister's hoof on her chest. "Uhm... I thought you neve—"
"If it makes you feel better, once we swap stories, we can visit the moon together," Celestia said, ignoring her sister's babble. She paused to see her sister's reaction of wide eyes and slowly rising wings. "Maybe make it our vacation destination for two or three weeks out of the year..."
Luna grinned. "You got yourself a deal, sister."
Celestia smiled. "Then it's settled."
Another pause.
"Tia?"
"Yes, Lulu?"
"Can we go take our vacation now?"
Another pause.
"Not until we finish this tradition you made me do earlier."
An irritated groan was all that Celestia needed to hear. Payback never tasted so sweet.
