Author's Note

This chapter is the whole reason why the disclaimer WAS there. The reasons as to why the disclaimer is not there anymore are why I decided to publish this chapter without the next one, as I had originally planned to give some levity and light for you all to enjoy after this.

However, despite me having been tempted to leave this out due to those same reasons, I keep will be keeping this part in this note because I was once asked by a reader not to do this sort of thing in a story due to it happening to him irl. So, stop reading this if you don't want spoilers, and have no such worries. For the rest of you, know that this chapter includes a fight. A LARGE fight that has been brewing since chapter one, and will include things like domestic violence. If these sorts of things are ones that cause issues for you, but you wish to keep with the story, please, message me, and I can give you a recap of the events.

Permission

Button walked into Canterlot Castle with Luna beside him, amending the question in his mind. Forget explaining to his mom how he got an almighty, almost goddess, to fall for him. How was he going to survive letting Celestia know? He turned to Luna and swallowed hard. “A-are you really sure this is the thing to do right now?”

Luna smiled taking his hand in her own. “Yes, I wish to have an apartment with you. I’m excited for this.”

Button shook his head. She obviously didn’t quite understand what he meant. “I mean, are sure we should be telling Celestia about us now? I know she’s usually very kind, but I don’t really know how she’ll react to somepony like me, well, being with somepony like you.”

“...Maybe she’ll be alright with me being with somepony like you, even with how flawed I am.” Luna glanced down as she stopped. “I hope anyway…”

Button looked down as well, realizing what his words could be interpreted like, and walked back over to Luna to hold her hands. “Luna, you know that’s not what I meant, and please, stop… stop calling yourself worthless. Everytime I hear that word come out of your lips, it hurts me because of how untrue it is.”

Luna smiles. “You are so wonderful…” She looks to a guard. “Waning Star, do you know the location of ou… my sister?”

The guard stiffened as his back somehow became straighter, before he shouted out, “The dear Princess Celestia is in her chambers, getting some rest before she takes the cases of public trials, Princess Luna!”

Button bit into his cheek as he heard ‘private chambers’ and turned to Luna. “Are you sure I should be there with you? I don’t know if I’m really allowed to be a part of royal business like this, even when, well, I’m the royal business I guess.”

“She and Twilight Sparkle are having sex, is that not correct, Waning Star?” Luna says simply her lips forming a thin line still not over the fact her sister had forsaken her for her best friend.

Waning Star furrowed his brow, never enjoying this part of his job. He also never enjoyed gossip, and hated this particular, popular piece of it. “Princess Luna, Princess Sparkle is not here. Last I heard, she has stayed in Ponyville, awaiting for you to come see her, if the dire need arises for you to need her guidance..”

While he spoke, Button furrowed his brow as well. He was inclined to trust Luna about the princess’s relationship, but he didn’t really care about that. The anger there is what worried him more, and he remembered her talking about how few friends she had before. Could this be a part of it? For the moment though, he stayed quiet.

Luna closed her eyes forcing down any anger she felt at the idea that she needed guidance from Twilight. “I am going to my sister’s chambers, I suggest you try not stop me.”

Waning Star frowned at the statement. “I… have no orders to do such a thing, and you have free reign of the castle. However,” he said as he turned to Button, “he does not, especially one of your’s chambers.”

Luna lifted her chin regally “Escort him to my chambers to wait then.”

Button squeezed her hand as the guard came forward, frowning at the thought of leaving her. “Luna… I don’t want you going up there alone. Not as you are right now.” He looked her right in the eyes. “Please.”

Luna nodded. “Waning Star, Button Mash is my consort. He will accompany me anywhere I trot.” She took Button’s hand firmly in her own. “He is my chosen.”

The guard’s mind kind of went quiet at the news, not sure how to process it. As for Button, he brushed off the flowery language as simply a formality, instead focusing on Luna’s anger as they walked into the castle. “Luna, what’s wrong? Why are you like… this?”

“It’s what the guards expect of me.” Luna sighed sadly, her voice becoming the same, gentle one Button had grown to know and love. “...And I do think Twilight Sparkle is with my sister… though there is a chance they are not having sex right now.” They quickly reached a white door, which Luna knocked her fist against.

Button turned to Luna. “And if she isn’t there? What then?”

“Then I will not have to see my best friend and former lover together.” Luna knocked again.

Before Button could say more, the door opened. First to come out was grand, regal, rainbow hair. The sunlight caught on it, making it seem to shimmer and wave in a non-existent breeze. Button considered kneeling, but thought that that might just make Luna angry. Or, worse yet, sad.

The feeling that he might need to kneel soon left as Celestia swung open the door, showing her in very conservative white pajamas, along with pink stripes. Her mane was actually a mess now that he could look at it, and she looked utterly worn out.

Celestia let out a long yawn, before smacking her lips together, and looking to Luna. She then blinked and rubbed her eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them, and make sure she was looking at the right person. When she opened them again, they slowly widened, and she held her arms out for a hug. “Sister!”

Luna hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around Celestia’s waist. “Hello Sister.”

Celestia snuggled into her sister’s neck, humming for a moment, and rushing a lot of blood downwards for Button as her breasts squeezed against Luna’s, before she backed away. “How has your vacation been? Any good stories to tell me about?” Despite her smile, she wobbled on her hooves, as if she could fall over at any moment.

“...When did you last sleep?” Luna led her sister back to her bed.

Celestia yawned again as she sat on the edge of her bed, and began to pour herself a pot of coffee. “Actually, you just woke me up from a short power nap. I’ll admit though, it’s been hard switching back to my full time schedule, and the insomnia has not been helping.”

“And why would you be having insomnia… No Twilight in your bed?” Luna shook her head huffing. “No… never mind. Sleep now Sister. I’ll be here when you’re awake.”

Button paled as he saw Celestia immediately wake up, and winced as the solar princess grabbed her sister’s wrist. In her current state, even almost hard enough to break it.

Once she had Luna’s full attention back, Celestia’s eyes now alert and angry, she hissed out, “How often do you really think me and Twilight see each other? How many nights do you think I spend with her in my arms?”

Luna ignored the bruises forming on her wrist, looking Celestia in the eyes. “I do not know… all I know is what you told me when you tied yourself up while in heat, and then came to me because Twilight was not available… now you will let go of my wrist… you’re hurting me.”

Celestia did not let go. She was not in the mood for this shit. Button, for his credit, stayed quiet, and didn’t even react to the news, too worried about Luna to really register the naughtier side of it all. “Once a month, if I’m lucky.”

“Celestia, let me go! I care not if you fuck her every night! I do not care! I came to tell you-”

“Luna, shut up!”

Both princesses turned to Button, whose eyes were like a beast. He turned to mare he loved, and scowled. “Did you not even register what she said? And yet you seem content on not even apologizing?”

“...I am sorry you only see Twilight so rarely, Celestia, I am.” Luna yanked her wrist away, wincing at the large, angry bruise in the shape of Celestia’s hands wrapped around it. She quickly shoved her hand in her pocket. “I’m sorry Celestia… It seems I have been unfair to you and Twilight… It may be for the best that I’ve made the decision to move out. Without me here, there’s no reason Twilight would be unable to move into my room.”

Celestia looked away to avoid letting her sister see the heartbreak in her eyes. The utter destruction this was causing within her. For a moment, she looked to Button, wanting to ask him for help. But centuries of relying on herself, of simply needing to move on trained her not to, and she looked to the wall. “A-are you sure, sister?”

Button made his footsteps loud as he made his way over to Luna, and turned to face her. He said nothing, but looked at her with a cold, hard stare. He knew his words wouldn’t simply sway her. Any threat would just reinforce her resolve. He just needed her to actually think though, and he hoped that would do the trick.

Luna squeezed her eyes shut and stomped a bit, snorting before her ears pinned back. “...No...no I’m not sure. I’m not sure of anything… I hurt Celestia… You were my life… my only love. To find out I’d been replaced by one I called my bestfriend… my heart broke… it shattered Tia! Then to be rejected by her and sent away from you…” She looked up “Can you not understand how even more useless that made me feel?”

Celestia looked back to Luna, and then to Button. She considered telling her off for having replaced her far faster than Celestia ever did Luna, but discarded the idea. She was tired, but she wasn’t about to be stupid. Instead, she looked her in sister in the eyes. “Twilight didn’t want you to stay with her in fear that you would either just become angrier each time you saw her, or that you might try to take her for yourself, and she would have to turn you down then. Neither she thought would help. While it was in part selfish, not wanting to have to tell you directly, it was also so that you might have some time to recover.”

“As for your being useless, would you care to make a real guess as to why I’m back to an old schedule, or why I’m so tired?”

Luna shook her head. “Have no worries, Celestia. I’ll take back my post. You can sleep now, and please do.” She sighed “As for the other bits… I have no interest in taking Twilight Sparkle as a lover and I… I was looking forward to seeing her… She is my best friend.”

“And she considers you close. But again, she was worried. If you absolutely needed to her though, she was there, instead of helping me. And,” Celestia straightened her back, before standing up and looking her sister in the eye, “speaking of which.”

She pointed one finger at Luna, her voice thundering in the small room as she shouted, “You, Princess Luna, are hereby stripped of your duties as princess of the night until you can appreciate the worth in them!” She then became deathly quiet as she got very close to Luna’s face, and somehow had more rage and fire then ever before in them. “I will not have someone who looks at themselves, when so much trust and importance is put in them, as worthless in my court. It will only lead to the worst happening, and I wish I had seen this before. When you can honestly tell me you believe you are worthy of your title, you may come back. Until then, I did both of our jobs for a thousand years. I can do it for longer while you figure out who you are.”

Luna paused a moment, and then just laughed “...Princess Sparkle is in Ponyville in case you need guidance… The Dear princess Celestia is in her chambers, resting to prepare for the coming trials…” She shook her head. “If I am so important, Princess, tell me this will you: why do even the guards treat me as second to you… Dear Princess.” She pulled back. “Come on, Button, lets get my things, or am I not allowed them?”

Celestia looked down, but Button couldn’t take his eyes away from Luna. Couldn’t forget all the times he thought he might be taking advantage of her mental state. That he was using her.

He acted without thought, feeling something against his fist for a moment, before opening his eyes to him holding Luna by the collar of her jacket, and screaming.

“Who are you? Where the fuck did the good, kind hearted mare I fell in love with go? Was it all for this? All just to get back at your sister? To say you had someone? I thought you were better than this. That maybe, just fucking maybe, you were a normal pony, and not some pony who was far beyond me, whose mind was always somewhere else, and I was just some royal pawn!”

Luna stared up at him her bottom lip trembling, her eye already beginning to swell from where he punched her. “...N-no, mine stallion, tis not like that… P-please do not leave us...do not…”

Celestia stepped over, and her magic came upon Button like a gentle wave, forcing his anger down. He quickly realized what was going on, and turned to look at his fist, and then to Luna, before scrambling away, looking shocked and terrified as more tears came to his eyes.

Celestia turned to her sister, and knelt before her. She forced all the pain, sadness, and betrayal down, wondering if this is how her sister felt. “Luna, I would suggest simply going with him. He cares too much to leave you, but such a young colt, in such a tumultuous situation… do not blame him for his anger. Blame it on me instead. It won’t change anything then.” Or, at least, so Celestia hoped.

Luna looked up at her. “...I blame only myself… he is right in ways. I am different than the mare I played myself to be… the mare I wish I could be.”

Celestia gently wrapped a hand around one of Luna’s hands. “Sister… I want to know that mare, so I can say sorry to that mare, and let her be with me once more. Please.”

Luna’s hand trembled as Celestia held it. A small whimper escaped her lips as her other hand pulled at Celestia’s hand, not wanting to be hurt again. “I’ll leave… I promise I will, Princess. I won’t even take anything. Just please….”

Celestia placed a finger to Luna’s lips as she looked her sister in the eyes. “Lulu, I let you go once when you were at your darkest place, and I wrought the consequences. I’ve now done it twice, a mistake I never should have made. So please, stay, for I will not make this mistake thrice. You are my sister, my world, and nothing can ever truly replace you.”

Luna blinked “Celestia I don’t understand you…. Didn’t you just dethrone me?”

Celestia shook her head. “I took your responsibilities away, yes. But that merely means you may take as long of a vacation as you need. Nothing in this world has the power to stop making you my sister though.”

“You told me to leave… that you did not want somepony who thought that they were worthless here. That I could return when I no longer feel that way… That you would do one of the only two jobs I was given at birth until I feel different. I… do not understand. You do not want me as Princess Luna, but as Luna you do not want me here, but you want me here…” Luna winced, rubbing her eyes, blinking back her tears. “You say I’m your sister, yet when I told you to rest so we could talk later…” Luna’s eyes glanced at her bruised wrist. “I’m sorry for the quip… It was mean.”

Celestia shook her head. “You were in pain. We lash out in pain, just as I did.” She gently ran her hand along Luna’s bruised wrist, and then her eye. “Just like Button Mash did.” She then looked to Luna. “But I want to stop the pain. I don’t want to abandon you when you obviously need me the most. However,” she shut her eyes as tears came to them, “I also need to protect my people, and give you the time to heal. That’s why I stripped your duties from you. You’re my sister, free to do as she needs. If that means to be at my side, like old times, then so be it. If it means to go and hang out with Twilight and her friends, then you have my blessing.”

She hung her head low. “I only want to see you happy again, my dear sister.”

Luna squeezed her eyes tight, before pouncing at Celestia wincing at the pain of her wrist but nuzzled into Celestia’s chest “...I’m broken, aren’t I Celestia? Ready to throw everything away over the anger of pain of a few ponies, when I am supposed to be a Princess of Equestria.”

Celestia wrapped her arms around Luna, cooing softly into her ear. “You’re still finding your place Luna. You were hurt soo badly when we were separated the first time that I don’t blame you for being scared. But you should see already that there isn’t reason to be so. There are those out there who adore you, who want to see the best in you, like that young stallion you brought in.”

“You’re not broken Luna, merely scared, just like I was when I was without you.”

Luna sniffled before reaching out to Button. When she turned to where the colt had scrambled to though, there was nothing.

In fact, Button was gone.

Luna’s eyes widened “...N-no tis not fair…” She got to her hooves wildly, looking around “...Mine stallion…”

Celestia placed a hand on Luna’s shoulder, and whispered, “Calm.” She then glanced around the room herself, before barely touching Luna’s bruised eye. “It’s not because of you he ran, I can almost guarantee that. He’s just scared... like the rest of us have been. I should be able to find him though.”

Celestia winced as she summoned her magic. Not only did she not get the sleep she needed right now, but with everything that had just happened, she was completely tapped out. She had to do this though, and one strand of brown fur lifted away from the carpet, and turned into a mote of light. Celestia let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, and pointed to the mote. “That will track him, sister, but,” she gently grabbed Luna’s arm, “be careful. He… he did strike you once.”

Luna simply held out her bruised wrist, before tugging the hood of her sweater over her head. “I’ll be back… Please sleep Tia.”

Celestia nodded as Luna flew away, before simply collapsing onto the ground, exhaustion taking its toll.

======+++++======

Button Mash was silent as he stared at the rushing water beneath him. It led to the waterfall that fell from Canterlot, and many blimps used this waterway to take off in a spectacular flourish. The current was strong, and any ship could easily be pushed along by it. Harmony help any pony who fell into it.

“You should watch your step. It’s quite a... how do you say, doozy?” Luna stopped to stand next to him.

Button whipped his head around, before backing away from her, almost pushing himself over the wall on the bridge in the process as he clutched the hand that hit her. “S-stay a-away from me, Princess. I-I…” He looked away, clutching at his hand as tears came to his eyes.

“Luna… I’m not a Princess right now and I never wished you to call me as such… you struck me, tis true, but my sister almost broke my wrist… Button, mine stallion, I love you, I truly do. I know you were angry and… tis true I am not the mare you thought me to be. I am damaged in ways, but I want to be her… I want to be that Luna. Please say you’ll help me?” Luna reached out hopeful.

Button was silent for a long moment, before he swallowed hard, and kept his arm to his chest. “I… I will help you Luna, but… I can’t just shake this away. I hurt someone I love, and unconscious or not, it’s wrong. I’ve known you for too short a time to just let it slide, unlike you and Celestia. I want to help you, because I do love you, but…” He squeezed his arm. “I want to earn the right to touch you again first.”

Luna considered. “How would you do that? I trust you. I know you were just angry… Also I do believe Celestia would send you sun bound were you to do it again.”

Button managed to smile at the little joke, and looked at his first, He then glanced back at his love, and winced as he saw the bruised eye. It brought something to mind though, and before Luna could react, he put his arm out, and swung with all of his might right into his own eye, sending him crashing to the pavestones.

“Button!” Luna rushed to him helping him up.

Button winced as she did, the whole right side of his face feeling like a cinder block had hit it. Then again, when you put everything you have into a punch, it can do that. “I… I know it’s not much. It’s probably not even enough. But… at least now I know how it feels, right?” He tried to give her a small, nervous smile as he tried to make sure he remembered how much this hurt.

“...Before you ran, I was going to ask you if you’d stay here with me. We can turn my chambers into an apartment; even install a kitchen… And I could stay near my sister, learning what I need to so as to become a Princess again.” Luna smiled hopefully at him.

Button wanted to just say yes. To let things go back to normal. Almost every fiber of his body agreed with him. Every fiber, except his hand, and his face. He frowned, and looked down. “Luna, I still… I still hurt you. I should have just stuck by your side, instead of judging your pain. I don’t… I don’t deserve that anymore.”

Luna sighed, rocking back on her heels “Button… tell me, who did you grow up with as your Princess? Who were you taught was infallible?”

Button felt the anger came back from the bedroom, but none of it turned physical. It was the same anger that led him to snap at her, and for the same reason he called her false. “Luna, this has nothing to do with you being my princess or not. What this is is that the Luna I knew and saw, and have known, is strong, confident… she was her own pony.”

“Seeing you like this, always trying to put yourself down… it hurts me like… I don’t know.” He clutched at his chest, but what had resulted in lashing out was cold and dead, never to rekindle, even if he wanted it to.

Luna smiled gently. “Button… You make me feel strong… Don’t you remember how broken I was at the beginning when I came to your house and we fell in love?”

He slowly, ever so slowly, placed his hands on her sides, before looking up to her, and letting a long breath out. “I do. And… and I do want that back. With you in Ponyville, or with you here.”

Luna smiles “So.. stay here with me?”

Button smiled back. “I would love to.”

“Shall we go back inside now?” Luna lays her head on his shoulder.

Button, biting into his lip as he tried to shirk the last bits of worry in his mind, nodded. “Yeah. I could use a good nap right about now.”

Luna nods, wrapping her arms around his waist, her wings springing open and carrying them up to her room where they could rest, and put the horrible day behind them.