(Bleep, Bloop) Achievement Unlocked: Double Rainbow- Write a Sequel

Nocturnal Hunter galloped through the streets, weaved in and out of traffic, he had thirty minutes to get to the smithy; the only problems being: he lived fifty minutes away, was a weak flyer, and Master Cracked Anvil hated tardiness. The cantankerous old mare was even bold enough as to chew out Steadfast Volition, the Knight Commander of the Guard. Nopony crossed the best smith in town, not even the King.

As the thirty minute mark drew near, Nocturnal Hunter pushed himself harder. Too bad for the white alicorn that turned the corner in front of him. With spectacular reflexes, Nocturnal Hunter lept and did a front flip over her, unspectacularly crashing into the stone wall of a shop and crashing down in a pile of rotten cabbage.

"Oh my! Gray! Are you alright?" the white alicorn mare asked concerned.

"Just," a cabbage rolled off his face, "hanging out, Cel."

Celestia giggled, "I see that. Where were you off in such a rush?"

Gray untangle his hooves and stood, shaking cabbage off his grey coat and wings, "Smithing lessons. What are you up to?"

"About to head home from the market," she replied with a weak smile.

"Are they still mistreating you?" he inquired annoyed.

"No! No. It's fine. If I have to pay a little extra..." she trailed off, averting her fuchsia eyes from his concerned golden gaze, "A-anyways, I bought what I needed and the materials for my father."

He noticed the full bags she carried, "Let me help you with those."

"No, its-"

Gray used his purple magic to levitate the bags off her back and onto his, "I insist."

"Thank you, Gray."

The two alicorns walked down cobblestone street to her house.

"How is Darklon?" she asked after moments of silence.

Gray noticed her slightly rosy cheeks under her pink mane and chuckled, "He's doing great but is very busy. Ah, I have a letter for you from him, since Starswirl magically doesn't know what happens to the letters he sends you at home."

Celestia snorted, "That man always blames his 'senile old age and faltering mind' or the mailmare."

Another moment of silence passes as they enter the residential district and walk by stone homes with thatch roofs.

"Can you thank the twins for me? They are the only ones who ever play with Luna at school. It means a lot to me and my father," she smiled.

"Absolutely. It just hurts to see how people can mistreat you or your adorable little sister."

"It's understandable. I-I don't blame them," Celestia nudge his shoulder, "Besides, Luna is only nice to you because you spoil her."

"And you don't? How can you ever say no to such a sweetie?" Gray chuckled, "I love foals. I miss when the twins were foals. They grow up so fast."

"Yes. Yes, they do," Celestia agreed.

A dark blue alicorn filly charged at them, pushing Celestia out of the way.

"Gray!" she chimed and hugged his neck.

Gray laughed, "Well, hello there, Woona."

The filly dropped of his neck and stomped her hoof at him, "Luna is Luna, not 'Woona'!"

"Of course!" Gray bowed and smirked, "My apologies, Princess Woona."

Luna huffed and turned her back to him, "Luna will forgive your bad manners if you give Luna candy."

"I don't have any candy today..." Gray grinned mischievously and gently pushed the filly to her side, tickling her ribs with a hoof, "You will forgive me or I won't stop."

Luna laughed uncontrollably, "L-Luna demands you t-to stop!"

Celestia giggled as she watched the two of them play.

"Nope."

"Princess Luna f-finds it in her h-heart," she spoke between fits of laughter, "t-to f-forgive you!"

Gray stopped and smiled, "Was that so hard?"

The flustered filly hopped to her hooves, "You win this time!" She stuck out her tongue at him before running into her house.

The bell tolled six times and Gray sighed.

"I have to go now, Cel."

Celestia took the bags off his back with yellow magic, "Okay. Thanks again, Gray."

"Anytime!" Gray ran off and looked back at the top window to see a glaring midnight blue filly who pointed a hoof at a teal eye then back at him. He chuckled.

Starswirl turned from the window and to his daughter who entered the kitchen, "He would make an excellent father."

Celestia rolled her eyes, after hearing him say that for the thousandth time, "Gray and I are just friends, Father." She set the bags full of groceries on the kitchen table.

"That is how all great romances start out as! As foalhood friends. Too bad he doesn't live next door..." Starswirl mused.

Celestia bit her tongue, not wanting to say, "How would you know? You do not have any friends." Instead she opted to say, "You need to stop reading those ridiculous books, Father."

Starswirl scoffed which made the bells on his hat tinkle, "Manga is not 'ridiculous'! Many talented stallions and mares invest their whole lives into writing and drawing those works of art!"

"If you say so, Father," she sighed and pulled a thick tome from under the table, "Can we begin where we left off?"

"Most certainly, Daughter. Most certainly."

Master Cracked Anvil glared at him with unamused cyan eyes.

Gray chuckled nervously, "Better late than never, right?"

She cracked him over the head with an iron hoof, "You better have been saving elderly mares from a burning retirement ranch."

He winced and rubbed his sore head, for someone as old and frail looking as her, she sure packed a wallop, "Just helping Celestia-" A second wallop stopped him.

"Neglecting your duties for tail, eh? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree with you," the brown alicorn mare commented, "Your mother always was a mustang. Now, enough gum smacking and start up the forge."

He ignored her comment and stoked the forge, "What do we have to do?"

"The usual. Tonight, though, you will run the shop while I go to the docks to order supplies."

He pulled the chain for the bellows with his magic, "Something special coming up?"

"I wouldn't call it 'special', just need more steel for weapons."

Gray frowned, "The other tribes still want to wage a war against us?"

"They feel that if they can get at the riches of the alicorns, they will be able to survive the cold."

Gray sighed, hopefully his mother would be able to calm the Three Tribes down at the Council meeting.