Most ponies, citizens of Equestria, had forgotten that Princess Celestia, princess of the sun, had a sister. Celestia sending her to the moon for a thousand years because she’d tried to usurp the throne for herself would do that. Though Celestia expunging her from the history books to prevent anypony from getting ideas was also probably due part of the blame.
It could be said, then, that Celestia’s younger sister, Luna, returning from the moon in the guise of an evil conqueror bent on revenge and conquering Equestria was not an entirely unexpected development. Fortunately, Celestia had been prepared, and sent a graduate student and five locals from a yokel town to stop Luna. They succeeded, and Luna was reduced to her own form, stripped of dark magic, and wiser from the experience.
Still, time does not heal all wounds. Sometimes it only makes them ache. Luna had been gone for a long time. It was with some trepidation, then, that Celestia greeted her long lost little sister in the destroyed ruins of what was once their shared castle. This was shortly after Luna’s return to Equestria and even more shortly after Luna’s being blasted by rainbow friendship magic.
Luna, however, held no grudges. Rainbow friendship magic was partly to blame, but also the source of the sisters’ disagreement was long gone. Despite her disheveled scruffiness after the battle, she was more than happy to embrace Celestia with enthusiasm.
Celestia hadn’t noticed a significant change about Luna during their initial cuddle. It was only after she pulled back from the first hug that she realized something was different about her sister.
“What’s happened to your cutie mark?” Celestia said, staring with surprise at Luna’s hindquarters. Instead of the crescent moon she had expected, there was instead a modern nuclear submarine.
“I came to a realization while I was away,” Luna said. She shifted some of the rubble away to create a clear space on the floor and sat down. Celestia sat beside her, close. Luna went on. “I had hated you because you were the princess of the sun and I the moon. Ponies loved your day and slept through my night. I decided reorganization could benefit us both.”
“Your dialect is also much different than I expected, considering the thousand years of missed culture,” Celestia noted.
“Is it?” Luna said. “Perhaps it came with the change I made. It was quite drastic.”
“So I see.” Celestia gestured to Luna’s new cutie mark. “Do tell, what does this mean?”
“You appeared to have no trouble handling both sun and moon yourself while I was away,” said Luna. “I decided that you should have them both, to let you be the princess of the heavens. I couldn’t be envious if I didn’t feel inferior to you, an unnecessary shadow to the light. So, I became the princess of the sea.”
“You didn’t have to change yourself for me,” said Celestia, hugging her sister again. “But the princess of the sea…I like it. It does make you sound distinguished, yet equal. Not ‘assistant princess to the heavens.’” She grinned. “I should think your color even matches the deep blue sea.”
“And yours the purity of the air,” Luna added.
“Hmm, the princess of the heavens?” Celestia considered the title. “I must say, I was surprised by your return, and even more by this change, but the gift of a new title surprises me most. Thank you, Luna. I am happy to accept.”
Celestia pulled back again, to more closely study Luna’s new cutie mark. “So tell me about your new cutie mark. I want to hear all the details.”
“I could think of no better symbol than an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine to represent the ruler of the ocean,” said Luna. “Though for a more metaphorical interpretation, it represents the depth of dreams and the incredible power of imagination and the mind found within.”
Celestia nodded. “That makes sense. I take it you still remember how to perform princessly duties.”
“Smile and say ‘my little ponies’ a lot,” Luna noted. “Same as always.”
Celestia nodded. “I’m sure all of Equestria will be glad to have you back as princess of dreams to watch over ponies as they slumber.”
“As am I,” said Luna. “I hope they will benefit greatly from reduced nightmares and improved sleep.” She raised an eyebrow. “Though I imagine their happiness was kept high in my absence by the princess of cake?”
Celestia smiled. “You know me.” Her grin gained a sly angle. “Are you still the princess of vampires?”
Luna laughed, a tone of emotion that began as mirthful and gradually transitioned to awkward. Without answering the question, she asked, “What other princesses have been selected in my absence?”
“Well, I call my nephew Blueblood the princess of pigheadedness,” Celestia tittered. “It annoys him to no end, and he deserves it. To the point, though, a mare named Cadance has become princess of love. I’ll introduce you to her. You met Twilight Sparkle already. I believe she was responsible for some of this.” Celestia swept her hoof around the destroyed room.”
“I remember her as a unicorn,” Luna remarked.
Celestia nodded. “While not a princess yet, I’m grooming Twilight to eventually do triple duty as princess of friendship, magic, and library science. She’s very powerful, yet scientifically methodical.”
“Which reminds me,” said Luna. She indicated her new cutie mark. “I suppose this also makes me the princess of strategic nuclear deterrence.”
“Oh yes, I was meaning to appoint somepony,” Celestia agreed.
A sudden thought came to Celestia, and she paused and frowned in thought. “So if I am now princess of the heavens and you of the oceans, who shall we pick to personify the space in between?”
The two of them lapsed into silence, deep in thought.
Applejack closed the storybook and smiled at the group of wide-eyed foals gathered around her.
“And that, my little ponies, is how I became princess of dirt.”
Author's Note
If you aren’t familiar, this is in reference to the Lonestar song Unusually Unusual.
