"Tia! Tia!" She'd call out one morning.
Luna would always find her beloved sister eating oats for breakfast, and apple juice.
"Hello, Luna! How did you sleep?" asked Celestia.
The two fillies, though not close in age, were close in spirit. They always played what ever Luna wanted to play, and take walks to places Celestia wanted to go. Though they were never aloud to leave the city. Their parents had a strict rule about it.
"My sleep was good, how about yours?" Luna asked.
"I slept fine, Luna. Do you want to wake up mother and father?" Celestia said.
Luna nodded excitedly and the two ran through the hallways of the grand palace. To get to their parents room. They run through the tall brick walls, and past the ponies working, and washing the place. Luna could see nervous and worried faces as she ran past the workers but she didn't pay too much attention because Tia was winning! Luna ran as fast as her little legs could go, but it just wasn't enough. Celestia halted at their parents door, while Luna kept running. She then crashed head fist into Celestia making them both tumble to the floor. The two fillies laughed at what just happened. Then, shockingly, the doctor pony stepped of their parents' room.
"Good morning, young princesses," he greeted while bowing.
His face was sullen and tired. Had he been there all night? Did father raise the sun? Luna had so many questions. Their parents had been sick for a few months, but they could always raise the sun and moon, with Tia's help her having her cutie mark after all. And Star Swirl had always been there for them and Luna and Celestia.
"Star Swirl! Star Swirl!" Celestia called not wanting to go threw the doors that stood before her.
"Yes, Celestia? What is it?" Star Swirl asked, running towards them.
He saw the fear on both filly's face. And saw where they were standing.
"Can you see if Mother and Father are okay?" Celestia asked
He nodded, and respectfully and proudly walked into the room. The fillies paced back and forth in front of the closed doors of their parents' room patiently. After what seemed like hours to Luna, Star Swirl walked back out of the room. His eyes sad, and his face unbelieving.
"I am sorry, princesses," Star Swirl said.
And right then Luna's world crashed. She ran towards her father and pleaded.
"Father, Father! You got to get up! It's time to raise the sun!" She pleaded.
She shook her father, but he did not stir.
"Mother?" She looked sadly over at her mother. But even she was still as a scared little animal.
When Luna started to cry, Star Swirl and Celestia ran into the dark room to comfort the young princess.
"Dear, Princess. I think you should raise the sun before ponies wake up," Star Swirl suggested.
Tia nodded sadly and walked to the balcony. And all at once a warm,bright glow filled the room. Making the bodies of the late king and queen of the land more visible to the young Luna still hugging her father. When Tia walked back into the room, Star Swirl instructed them to leave. There was nothing for them to do in the room anymore. Tia, Luna, and Star Swirl walked out regal and saddened. The bodies were ordered to be buried. Every pony in the Ever Free City would attend. The princesses had their crowns on to show respect to their parents and subjects. The friends of the king and Queen started to sing in a great choir of voices.
"Do you hear the ponies cry? Crying the praise to those who rule? There is a love we share of the Moon and Sun!" They sang.
It was the song of the royal family. Every pony new it, even Luna, being a young filly, tried her best to remember the words.
"In sleep we love the moon, and at day we love the sun. Loved by all, and all they love to protect us and to teach us all about the love of our Moon and Sun!" The ponies continued to sing as the king and queen got lower in the ground.
When all was over, it was mid-afternoon and Luna was exhausted. So she walked into the castle jaded and somber. She didn't want to talk to any pony again that day.
"Luna?" A voice whispered.
Luna bolted up right when she heard her name. She looked at her sister, and then looked out of her window. It was night time. Probably an hour or so after the moon had risen.
"Tia?" asked Luna.
"I had a night mare. Can I sleep here tonight?" Celestia asked.
And so the two fillies slept that night and those memories while cuddling in the warmth of each others bodies. And in the morning when Celestia woke up to raise the sun, Luna went with her because neither of them wanted to be alone. And at breakfast, not even Star Swirl the Bearded had any words to say. The maids and servants were silent as well. All were mourning the loss of their beloved king and queen. Luna's silence was the most at unease. She was the first to see them. To touch her father, and beg him to wake up. She was very close with him, where ever he went, so did she. He'd even bring her on outings in Ever Free City to talk, and to interact with the ponies living there. Celestia was often brought along, leaving their mother to go through royal meetings and such.
No pony heard it, no pony noticed. But a voice calming, yet firm called out to Luna. It was soothing to Luna, and it made her think of her mother. Luna wore a smile on her lips for the rest of the day. When any pony would ask her why she was smiling, she would say,
"Mother and Father are watching over me,"
and the ponies wouldn't question it. When everyone was finished grieving, almost seven month later, Celestia was crowned the ruler of Equestria. She was thirteen at the time, so she was of age but she was very reluctant at first.
"What if I mess up? What if I am a horrible ruler? What if no pony likes me?" She fussed the night after her coronation.
"Tia, relax. Every pony will love you, and besides you have studied everything Mother and Father did, right? They taught you everything about being a princess. So you have nothing to fear," Luna persuaded.
"But Luna. They made mistakes, and bad decisions, I am capable of those too!" Celestia explained.
"You raised the moon so regally, Tia and your kindness is known throughout Ever Free City, and all of Equestria! You'll be fine," Luna continued.
Celestia's room was cluttered with sheets of paper, stuffed plushies, and her beloved phoenix was perched on her post. Celestia was pacing back and forth between the fire place and her window. Luna was sitting at the door, a worried look for her sister was on her face. The voice had silently agreed with Luna in her head, then stayed silent for the rest of the fillies' conversation.
"I can't always look perfect, can I? Will I look self absorbed if I do? I have to look happy all the time or else the ponies won't think I am a nice princess. And the meetings with Noble Ponies, and Mayors, and Heads of a the States, what will they think of me when I make a decision and they don't like it!?"
"Tia! I told you already, you will be a great ruler. Stop worrying, you'll be fine,"
"And the ponies in general! Will I make a good appearance? Will they like me? What would I do to make them want to revoke me!?"
"They won't revoke you. Tia-"
"Luna! I don't think I can rule all of Equestria by myself!"
Celestia stopped mid-pace to sit down and look at her sister. The seconds turned into minutes before Celestia said,
"What if I give you half of Equestria!"
"But I am only seven! I can't help you rule Equestria! Not yet, any way," Luna explained.
Celestia then burst into tears. "See! I'm not fit to rule Equestria when I make stupid suggestions like that!" Celestia wailed.
Luna quickly walked up to her sister, and place a wing on her side, and said, "You will be fine. I can't rule, but you can have Star Swirl present at any and all meetings as an adviser so that you can get tips and suggestions on how to deal with the problem."
Celestia wiped her tears with her wing and smiled down at her sister. Luna looked up, and smiled at Celestia. She then left Celestia's room so that Celestia could think by herself for a while. It was sad for Luna to see her sister so stressed with ruling already, but there was nothing she could do.
"She's right you know, you could rule Equestria better than her," the voice explained as Luna was walking to her room.
"No, it isn't right. Celestia is older, she gets to rule. That is how it has been for centuries, Night," said Luna, addressing the voice by name.
"I still think you would do it better," Night said.
Luna fell asleep quickly once she laid down in her bed. The voice was silent throughout the night, whereas it usually gave Luna one last say of the matter during that day, but this time, none came. Luna generally liked her voice in her head, though told no pony about it. She, Night, was smart, intuitive, friendly, funny, and all around good natured but it was times like this where Luna found her annoying. How could Night think that she'd be a better ruler than her sister? It did not make sense to the young filly. But never the less, Night and Celestia made good company. But that didn't stop Luna from wondering where Night came from, and why she resides in Luna's mind.
Celestia wasn't at the kitchen table when Luna woke up. Neither was Star Swirl. The sun was up, so where was she? Luna searched in Celestia's room, and the washroom, then the library, and back in the kitchen again. When Luna asked one of the guards where she could find either her sister or Star Swirl, the guard told her to go to the throne room.
Luna walked in to see Celestia, Star Swirl, and several other ponies of many colors, shapes, and sizes sitting around a table discussing.
"And princess, we must do something about the feuding in Phillydelphia. And there is a shortage of supplies in Saddle Arabia," said a colt as white as Celestia and as grey of a mane as Star Swirl.
"Luna!" Celestia cheered happily. She raced over to her sister and embraced her.
Luna was almost knocked off her hooves by the embrace.
"I have been here for forty five minutes, and I already hate this. Take me away," Celestia whispered in Luna's ear.
"I'm sorry, Celestia. I can't take you away from your meeting, but I can help you," Luna suggested.
Celestia sighed, and lead Luna to the table. The ponies graciously bowed to her.
"Now, princess, about the shortages, and feuding?" asked the same colt. His deep green eyes waited respectfully for an answer.
"Um, as my first duty as the ruler of Equestria, I say to give what ever is needed in Saddle Arabia, and um... find out what the feuding is about, and deal with it in the appropriate manner, no violence if it can be avoided," Celestia advised.
"Is that all?" Star Swirl asked. When no pony else spoke, he had the guards escort them out of the castile.
"Thank you, Star Swirl and Luna. I could not have done this with out you two by my side," Celestia explained.
"Are you hungry?" Celestia asked.
"Yes," Luna replied.
"Then let's eat!" announced Celestia.
