Bright Nights Aheadby SixRollerChaptersFresh BeginningsGet Your Game OnNight's CallingFresh BeginningsYes, I have them, they will not escape me now! All I have to do now is defeat that mare Twilight Sparkle and night will be everlasting... "You little foal! Thinking you could defeat me? Now you will never see your princess, or your sun! The night will last forever!" The Elements of Harmony, what a joke. Doesn’t she know who I am? Trying to stop me with some rocks?! Hah! Once her little friends get here, I will crush them as easily as those rocks, then I will truly be unstoppable. Oh Celestia, now you will know true grief... “You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that? Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here.” “What?” Great, now she’s spouting nonsense about how her friends all had life changing epiphanies on the way here. This will be easier than I thought. As if they would become best friends over the span of mere hours. Fillies... “You still don't have the sixth Element! The spark didn't work!” “But it did! A different kind of spark. I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all are my friends. You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic.” Wait, what?No, this is impossible! No. NO. NOOOOO — “NOOO! Nooo!” Luna woke with a start and a cold sweat on her brow, as she did most noons, the ordeal taking place some months ago still plagued her concious, both waking and not. It wasn't quite the time she normally awoke but she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep after that, well... Nightmare. Wiping the sweat from her brow with a hoof, Luna drew her gaze across her room, which until recently didn't exist. At the request of Celestia in anticipation of her sister's return, the builders of Canterlot constructed a tower opposite to the one that Celestia occupied. Unlike her sister's tower, with it's cone top, Luna's tower was a glass dome in which she could look out at the stars at night. The night... virtually the only thing that has not changed over the ages, her only solitude in the heart of a thriving capital, of constantly changing nation, in a world she doesn't know. As far as she was concerned she might as well still be locked inside the moon, at least it's serene and unchanging... Ugh. It’s not like it matters that I'm here, or if I'm tired during the night. I'm never requested for council and my subjects don’t love me. They still consider me a villain, and who am I to blame them? I deserve it. I don’t deserve their love, or my sisters... “Yes you do little sister.” “Tia! Oh, I didn’t know that you were so close, I would have guarded my thoughts more closely...” Mental note, lock the door next time. “And that’s just what I am afraid of Lu, you’ve been awfully quiet recently, more so than usual and I love you with all my heart, our mental link isn't needed for you to know that. I will never stop loving you; even whilst you were Nightmare Moon, I loved you. Seeing you like this weighs on my heart dear sister, you will never be alone again, and I intend to show you that.” Celestia calmly walked over to Luna’s bed where she was her sister was now pushing her face softly into her pillow; laid a soft alabaster wing over her still filly sized sister with care, nuzzling her cheek as she did so. Comforted by her sisters closeness, Luna looked up softly to meet her sisters caring gaze, “Oh I’m sorry Tia, I know you love me, but my mind is still raw, even though your words and our constant mental link comfort and assure me, I still doubt... I know I shouldn’t, but every time I do I fear that I’ll fail you and my subjects again, that I’ll loose the love from everyone I care about...” Celestia let out a small empathetic sigh, raising her hoof to hers sisters face in an attempt to combat the tears that threatened to flow, “I know, I know. It must be so hard coming back to a kingdom you know little about, trepidation is only natural. But I have confidence that you will succeed, and I think that you do as well...” Celestia then put a hoof under her sister’s chin and moved her gaze up to meet her own, and with a stern but wholly loving and understanding look, Celestia said all that Luna needed to know. With her doubt defeated for the moment Luna let out a small sigh, “Heh. You’re right dearest sister, I think that the more I learn about Equestria in the present, the easier it will be to deal with my past.” “Yes, and the first thing we need to do is for you to get out more—“ “But—“ “No buts missy, I’ve got an idea and I won’t take no for an answer.” Celestia brought her mouth down quietly to her sisters ear and spoke her plan, despite them being the only two in the room the closeness and the mischievous ‘sisterlyness’ fanned a re-kindled bond between the two. Truly, it’s been too long. Thought Celestia with a smirk on her face. Luna giggled sweetly at the idea “Oh my, sister, but I don’t think we should...” “Yes you do, and you know it.” Luna’s only reply was to roll her eyes playfully, feigning a look of annoyance. “Was that teleport really necessary Tia? Our subjects might miss our presence.” “Pfft, you worry too much Lu... and for the record, yes it was. We’re here to cut loose, not get tied down. Have you decided what you want to be called yet? “Well since I’m going to be playing the part of your daughter, I thought that Autumn Glow would be more appropriate. Are you still going with the same old boring Summers Day? “I-It’s not boring! It’s just well used...” “Yes and thanks to denial you’re right dearest sister.” Luna said, poking her tongue out playfully, before turning around quickly and walking to the edge of the nearby pond before her sister could come up with a retort. Celestia had set them down in one of the many mazes in Canterlot; this particular one had a small pond in which a couple of ducks had taken up residence. Around them the walls of the maze surrounded them to a height nearly twice as high as Celestia, ideal then for a start to mission 'stop Luna from being such a grumpy pants by spoiling her with a shopping trip'. Scrunching her eyes in concentration Luna focused her magical will into changing her appearance, it had been a while since she had done anything like this and even longer since she actively changed her colours to anything outside of light blue, and a darker shade of blue. The grass around her swayed calmly as the wind picked up in a spiralling motion around Luna, a mystical blue glow surrounded her as her once flowing straight mane transformed into a slightly curlier deep rust mane with red highlights, a pattern which was matched identically by her tail. Her coat also took on a different colour; it was now similar but a slightly less dazzling white than her sisters. However her eyes still remained the same. Putting the finishing touches to her cutie mark, now a golden oak leaf with the sun setting behind it, Autumn Glow hid her horn with invisibility and turned to her mother. “So, how do I look?” Celestia was in a trance, her eyes and smile betraying her mirth for her sister’s transformation. “Oh wow, you look so pretty! You know, now I’ve got a lot to live up to...” Celestia gave Autumn a wink, knowing she could never truly match her sisters creativity, however she was determined to try. Now standing beside her daughter in front of the pond Summer matched the process, the grass began to sway in the mist of an orange aurora, her mane no longer ethereal in substance was now monochromatic and the colour the vivid orange of the dawn. Celestia's coat still remained the same but her cutie mark was now a bright sun dawning above a grassy hill, although unlike Luna’s transformation Celestia had to shrink her size considerably to even be halfway convincing, something that did not go unnoticed by her body's tolerances, which were stretched beyond there normal limits through the aid of magic. The newly transformed Celestia now stood about a hoofs length above her sister, who despite her still being a filly by alicorn standards was now the size of a juvenile pegasus. Before long they both took off into the sky, circling around the maze once to get their bearings they flew off towards Canterlot Square. To say it was a simple ‘square’ would be an wrong, it was more of a semicircle, the flat face laid against one of the mountains that surrounded Canterlot; the face of the mountain up to about fifty hoof-lengths tall was carved flat, polished to a sheen it bathed the square in reflective sunlight which counteracted the shade of the buildings lining the curved edge of the square. Into the flat surface of the mountain was carved representation of a battle, a very special battle, the battle of Nightmares Fall. However, in the middle of the square stood a newly carved blue and white statue of both Luna and Celestia, they stood next to another lengthways but with their breast slightly facing outwards from one another. The necks of the two were curved down much like a heart to meet each other in the middle in a warm nuzzle. The entire square was presented in a such way to as to be a testament to the benevolent rule of Celestia and her newly returned sister Luna, and the harmony that has bloomed during their reign. Not having heard of anything like this, it was a shock to Luna who gazed up at both the statue and carving in mild amazement and admiration, albeit with a clear hint of annoyance. “W-what’s the purpose of this?” She said in a slightly hushed tone. Celestia, now sensing the worry in her sisters expression decided that quick lesson would not sate her sister's curiosity, before taking in her breath she let the remaining air in her lungs out in the form of a small sigh at her ability to overlook things that may be important to her sister, “Well, the carving whilst looking as good as it no doubt did new, is very old. It took the famous stone mason Clear Cut and his team over forty years to finish when Canterlot was founded some two decades after Nightmare Moon’s banishment. In fact if I remember correctly, Clear Cut insisted that he carved this mural to depict the triumph of harmony, although I’m sure it was in no small part to the entire face being miraculously being made out of marble and alabaster hybrid rock, something never seen before. Because the carving symbolises what it does, and it’s excellent crafting skill, Canterlot kind of ‘sprung up’ around here. Luna cast her eyes down with a slightly sullen look, using the mental link only the twins shared Celestia said, “Oh dearest sister, don’t be sad. What’s on your mind?” “In all honesty I’m not so sure myself Tia, I mean the entire square is dedicated to well... harmony, but I feel that maybe because I was absent for so long, that ponies will think it’s a dedication to my fall and your triumph, I’m afraid that maybe ponies will still think of me badly because of it...” Celestia bent her neck down slightly to nuzzle her sister on the cheek, “Isn’t that why we are here, to prove to that this isn’t the case? I would never bring you here to try and get you down Lu, you know that... What this square represents, more than our rule is like you said, harmony. Your spirit was poisoned by Nightmare Moon dearest sister, the Elements of Harmony chose to drive her away when I wielded them, while purging her from you the second time. Just because the mural depicts me wielding them, doesn’t mean that I wielded them with malicious intent.” When Celestia had finished her mental explanation Luna looked up at her disguised sister and returned the earlier nuzzle with a smile on her lips. “Thank you Tia, I needed that... I-I love you” “I know Lu, you don’t need to tell me that for me to know it. I love you too.” Celestia returned with slightly amused smile at Luna’s sudden affectionate behaviour. After the silent exchange they simply looked up at the sculptures and admired them for a while, before Luna took the initiative. “Muuuuuum, can we go shooppping? This is boring! I’m bored!” Autumn have her mother a sly wink. “Oh-Oh but of course dearie, where to you want to go?” “Well first of all I want ice-cream!” “Ice-cream!? I don’t even know where to go for that, are you sure you don’t want a daisy burger?” “No. I want Ice-cream.” Autumn fluttered her eyelashes at her mother. “Ugh, fine. But I don’t want a peep out of you afterwards. Okay?” “Yay.” It took the two a little over half an hour before they found an ice-cream stand, much to Luna’s annoyance. Once there, Celestia ordered chocolate and Luna ordered butter-pecan. Afterwards there was a short argument where Luna insisted that ‘butter-pecan is far superior to chocolate’, and that if anyone disagreed that they should ‘prepare for destruction’. Luna, now with her insatiable ice-cream lust sated turned her attention to a nearby store which she found most curious. Turning to her sister she said “Mum, why are there funny noises coming from that shop, do you think it’s a robbery?!” “Oh I doubt it Autumn, that there is an arcade. Ponies go there when they want to play video games, slot machines and even go bowling sometimes.” “Sounds like fun, I would like to try these video games...” And what would this be without a disclaimer? Less annoying. But I a need a cover, so shh. MLP:FiM is property of Hasbro and the respective owners of its intellectual property, I claim no ownership other than any original story lines and ideas that are discussed within this story. Any overlap or infringement is unintentional, however this fandom being what it is I cannot guarantee that no overlap or infringement will occur, and for that I apologise. Now that that's out of the way, hopefully you will enjoy this and much as it was a pleasure to write. Get Your Game OnThe two sisters eagerly trotted towards the arcade and the awaiting sounds of wurring machines that occupied it. The clanking of the one hoof bandit’s, cheesy Japony music and the inevitable shouting of ponies swearing filled the air. After gawking at the scene for slightly longer than was socially acceptable, Celestia nodded her head toward a cramped booth with just the one pony occupying it. Although to say he was occupying it was barely true, surrounded by newspapers, magazines, comic books and the pile of tokens needed to exchange for bits to work the machines, there was only enough room for him to sit on his haunches with a small pillow for comfort. However Celestia realised on the way over to the booth that she hadn’t brought any saddle bags with her, and therefore no way of paying. She couldn’t magic any purses up because they were disguised as pegasi, and even if she did, how would she transport the suddenly conjured bits? Then it struck her – a coughing fit – or at least that’s what everyone would think... Stopping and turning her body so that only one side of her faced the booth attendant she bent her head down to meet her right-front hoof half way. Whilst coughing manically to disguise the inevitable *pop* of magic and choosing her right wing as a suitable place to summon the purse, she concentrated her will to summon the bits whilst keeping her horn and any visible trace of magic invisible. Feeling a sudden weight in her wing she knew that she was met with success and let out a relived sigh at her impromptu plan. “What in Tartarus was that all about?” “Well I-uhh... forgot to bring any money...” “Typical, well are you done? Because people are looking.” “Very much so.” Celestia said whilst giving Luna a bashful smile. “Good.” Quickly coving the remaining distance to the booth whilst at the same time doing her hardest to not meet any of the eyes shooting curious glances at her, Celestia picked up the bag of the bits from her wing and drew out roughly a quarter of them on the top protruding from the booth to give to attendant. “Hello sir. May we trouble you for some of your tokens?” “Yeah, that’s why I’m here...” “Oh good, how many will this buy us?” Clearly not used to customers having no idea how many tokens they wanted, he counted them up before stating “Well since the exchange rate is 1:2 that would make 40 tokens, or 20 each?” If you would, thank you.” “You’re welcome” Said the attendant before nudging over two transparent plastic pouches to Luna and Celestia respectively before they walked off down the aisles towards an area with the pinball machines. “Well Lu, what do you think so far?” They were forced to use their mental communication due to the bags of tokens they were holding in their mouths. “It’s great! I can scarcely believe that they can even fit the sheer amount of machine into a building, and even more surprised that they could make them make so much noise.” “Oh yes, they really pull out all of the stops to make it as stimulating as possible don’t they... No doubt all the flashing lights and sounds draw all the foals here like moths to a flame. “ “True, but school won’t be out for about another hour, so hopefully we won’t have many running around manically like a pony possessed.” Reaching the pinball machine they picked one at random, the machine was yellow and fiery orange with a bi pedal creature with flaming hair (Rapidash) underneath a title named Poképony: The Island. “What’s this mummy?” “Well this is a pinball machine I believe, you insert your token and you get three balls, although you can get bonus balls by hitting certain markers. Then after you put your token in you pull the lever here which springs the ball up to the machine, the aim is to shore as many points as you can with all of your balls and to not let them drop down into the bumpers there. The button on the rights controls the right bumpers, the left button the left bumpers.” “Ah I get it, do you mind if I have a go?” “Really Autumn, this is your day out, of course you can...” Despite not being her true mother Celestia gave her little sister a look of mock exhaustion only a motherly figure could. “And now you will excuse me I’m going to go on the one hoof bandit because you aren’t old enough and I want to annoy you.” Hopefully I won’t empty the treasury in the process... Celestia poked her tongue out at her sister playfully before turning around and hiding behind one of the machines nearby in the hopes of fooling her sister, because truth be told the true reason for her excusing herself was to spy on her sister a little, maybe she will adorably stick her tongue out like she did when they used to play chess – oh yes, there she goes, and over to the corner of her mouth goes the tongue. At this point Luna’s brow was furrowed in concentration , she’s holding that token like it’s a surgery scalpel, although she probably hasn’t used her hooves for much in well — ever... Finally Luna managed to get the token into the machine, when she did all the gismos inside lit up and bleeped loudly shocking Luna slightly *eep!* before looking around bashfully and returning to her original look of concentration, as if she couldn’t get any more adorable... Carefully Luna placed her weight on her hind legs and flayed her wings slightly to aid in her balance. She pulled on the lever and sent the ball flying up into the machine, but what must come up must come down, and her technique to operate the bumpers was less than elegant. For the most part it consisted flailing at the buttons with a lot of enthusiasm but little accuracy, which resulted in letting out annoyed grunts every time the ball dropped, which it inevitably did. Up until this point Celestia managed to keep her giggles stifled, but a particularly exasperated grunt was too much to bear, even for a sun goddess. Celestia betrayed her position with a slight but clearly audible giggle, one that didn’t go unnoticed by her younger sister, turning quickly she just missed Celestia as she pulled her head back behind the machine, phew, that was close, better get to a machine so I have an excuse... Looking around nervously she luckily found one and rushed over to it before Luna could explore the source of the giggle. Even more fortunate for her it never came; with a quick mental probe that went unnoticed by her younger sister due to her concentration she determined she was still by the machine. Good, down to business, prepare for destruction old foe! Celestia gave the one hoofed bandit a challenging look and slotted her first token into the machine with vigour. “Damn you infernal machine, damn you to Tartarus!” Celestia had lost all but five of her tokens with no return. You win this time, but I’ll be back, I can assure you that much! Thankfully she was brought out her ravenous gambling cycle with a desperate mental cry from her sister, unhoof me you scoundrel! Celestia’s maternal instincts kicked din and she rushed toward the source of the cry. (Elsewhere) Oh no I can’t let them any closer, and I’m on my last life! Those ‘grapplers’ are too quick, got to step up your game Luna! Having gotten board with the pinball game, Luna decided she would look for entertainment elsewhere, and given the amount of time she had spent on Castle of Ponystein: Dead Alive she was successful. Die you Discord worshiping zombies, I’ll show you what for! And there goes your head exploding again. Luna was on a roll, she was just about to enter the final stage when — *BAM*, she was tackled by her sister. “What the buck are you doing?!” “Saving you of course.” “From what exactly?!” “From the — oh...” “From the non-existent zombies that my character is currently getting torn to pieces by, thanks to you?” “Yes?” “Well thank you my noble saviour.” “Well there’s no need to be smug about it” “Yes there is.” “Oh and I don’t think many mothers go around tackling their daughters to the ground this age, unless I’m mistaken and it’s now in fashion? Because it wasn’t a thousand years ago...” “Ha ha, you’ve made your point. I think we should move off, people are looking.” “Yes they are, again, and you have the most adorable blush as well. I thought I was supposed to be the socially awkward one? The smile Luna gave emitted so much smugness that one might even be able to taste it if they tried hard enough. “Point proven...” Celestia looked down bashfully at this remark. “Oh sister, I didn’t mean to offend... You’ve really taken this ‘motherly’ role to heart haven’t you? You know, not many sisters care for their siblings as much as you do, even some mothers don’t... I’ve never have a moment when I’ve doubted your love Celestia, truly I am lucky to have you.” “And I you dearest sister.” For the third time in the day they shared a love filled nuzzle before moving off to another area to avoid the other customer’s curious gazes. Before long they found an area of the arcade dedicated solely to driving simulators, picking one called Ponycart they decided to spend the rest of their tokens in two-player mode after discovering they both had five tokens each. Despite Luna being a novice she certainly had taken a shine to these games, if she didn’t already have her cutie mark she might have gotten hers at the point where she beat Celestia five times. In. A. Row... Much to her sisters annoyance Luna gave her sister another of her practised smug smiles after the fifth and (thankfully according to Celestia) final victory. From where they were standing it was a short walk to the exit, not having to exchange any tokens back for bits the two sisters settled to a polite nod to the attendant at the booth, which he half-heartedly returned. Once outside they realised they spent a little too much time in the arcade and according to Celestia’s magic, dusk was fast approaching. A/N: This chapter I decided to get up today as a display of thanks to all those who are supporting this story in its early stage. In all honesty I don’t know how long it will go on for, but I won’t sacrifice quality for quantity. Also I will be changing the story to be marked for ‘teen’ from now on, the themes described here were a little borderline and I want to be safe a curious to those who read this. Oh and THE PUNS, OH THE TERRIBLE PUNS! Once again, feel free to leave ANY feedback. Thank you. Night's CallingCelestia’s quickly setting sun was shot orange beams of light over the tightly packed streets of Canterlot, causing elongated shadows to dance across the cobble roads of its streets as ponies endeavoured to finish their businesses before day’s end. Like in any city, the end of the day signalled rush-hour, ponies all walks of life were rushing along the sidewalk in a hope of beating everyone else home, despite them all moving at roughly the same pace. Private carriages and taxis alike were rushing as fast the speed limit allowed down the thin streets, their passengers hoping to be the winners the unspoken race. For Celestia and in particular Luna this was an extremely new ordeal, neither of them really well versed with the conventional idea of a ‘work day’. Caught up in the feeling of being lost in all the organised chaos and juggling with the idea of stepping out into the mix of it, they momentarily forgot then were indeed pegasi for the day... Luna — in her ability to quickly solve problems — was first to come to the simple solution of actually using her wings to fly, of all things. Luna ruffled her wings slightly at her sister before taking a leap into the air to find a westerly, yet private spot to oversee the setting of the sun, which until only recently they forgot the existence of. Celestia — having quickly caught up with her sister — noticed her sister’s troubled expression, despite only having recently being re-united recently, her little sister’s frown was still the same. “What’s wrong Lu?” “Well, nothing much... Or at least nothing that can be helped.” “Pray tell dearest sister.” “You know how I am normally uncomfortable around crowds?” Celestia gave a nod of acknowledgement, “well it’s just that it suddenly struck me when we were standing outside of the arcade how much has really changed in a thousand years, not that I didn’t expect any change, but perhaps I didn’t want it. Is that wrong of me sister?” “I don’t think for a moment that you would want change halted, you are a mighty fine connoisseur of the arts after all... But I think that it’s natural to experience worry in a situation like yours, if you ever feel that you are out of your comfort zone, remember you don’t have to be.” “How so?” Asked Luna with a raised brow. “Well in modern society it’s common for the three branches of government to be separate from each other, and I was thinking, considering how you get a massive wing-boner over bureaucracy and legal proceedings, you could act as the leading official in the legislature whilst also maintaining an advisory role in the judiciary . This would let me handle most of the executive work. I would give me a break for sure, and it would surely improve relations with the aristocracy and ‘common pony’ when you show them what a couple of millennia of experience can do.” Celestia gave a wink at the last remark which lifted her sister’s face by quite a bit. If in doubt, appeal to Luna’s ego... thought Celestia. “Well I would be lying if I said that I wouldn’t be interested in the idea, but do you really think I would be ready, they may not know what to expect.” “Well they never are if you don’t go for it, and yes, I have the utmost confidence in your abilities. I still struggle to fathom how you enjoy those kinds of things Lu... But I know for a fact that you will do a far better job than me, being so thinly spread is such hard work, and I was afraid that I would become disconnected if something didn’t happen soon, which you did after you were purged of Nightmare Moon, to my great delight.” “Wow, well I don’t know what to say, apart from YES! Oh I can image it now, the neatly formed laws, the —“ “Whoa there Lu, don’t want to overload me with all of that excitement stuff now, do you? Save it for your appointed ministers.” “Heh, I suppose you wouldn’t understand anyway...” “Yeah that’s rig — HEY, WAIT A MOMENT!” “Pray tell, wait for what? Your brain?” Luna gave a devilish wink and doubled her speed across the sky, having the upper hoof of surprise on her sister she sped off towards a nearby hill below the outskirts of the raised Canterlot. Celestia despite Luna’s claims caught on quickly to her sister’s game. Despite Luna only wanting a fair race, fair was not something in Celestia’s vocabulary... Celestia knew there is only one proper choice of attack to use on one such as Luna, one to attack rule them all. The tickle. But she couldn’t be expecting it or it wouldn't be any fun. Knowing this, Celestia quickly cast an invisibility spell on herself and kept her pace so that she trailed behind Luna by a dozen lengths. Luna, who was far too engrossed in ‘winning’ that she didn’t even notice that her sister has vanished, kept on flying ahead toward the small clearing. Luna let out a victory cry as she touched down next to a solitary oak tree, “AHA! I win! Tia, you can kiss my voluptuous...” She looked up with a victorious smug smile only to find nopony was there, “Oh no, this can mean only one thing...” “Yes, it can.” Spoke Celestia softly into her sister’s ear, “Payback!” At this she reappeared and jabbed a hoof into her sisters side, eliciting a high pitch squeal of both surprise and mirth from Luna, which no doubt would of shattered glass had any been nearby. Suddenly not being able to hold her own weight, Luna dropped to the soft grass and was literally rolling on the floor laughing, which unfortunately for her also had the effect of exposing he tummy to her sister, which of course did not go unmissed. Celestia drew her single hoof attack from her sister’s side, and instead elected to go for a ‘full whammy double-hoof combo’ attack on her little sisters exposed stomach. Not surprisingly this was far too much for Luna; her legs at this point had no control and were failing around randomly in the air like worms in a vain attempt to knock aside the vicious and unrelenting attacker. “Mercy. Mercy!” Luna barely called out her cry with such shallow breaths, he cheeks now with a deep crimson blush that could rival her sister’s sun for heat. “Not until you apologise.” “Never!” “Then I shall give no quarter...” Celestia pounced on her sister again with renewed vigour, knowing that Luna could only hold out for so long. “Oh ho, okay! I surrender!” “And do you apologise?” “Yes?” “Was that a question?” Celestia raised a hoof again in a way that could only be threatening to anypony who was ticklish. “Yes, I apologise” “Good!” Celestia helped her little sister onto her four hooves again, with no shortage of anxiety from Luna. For a moment they sat facing west, content to watch the sun set below the horizon. “You know Lu, I really missed us doing this, getting away from it all and being sisters again...” “I know ‘Tia, so do I." “I love you.” “I love you too” Replied Luna, settling her cheek on her sisters neck with a content sigh. The two sisters watched the sun finally set below the horizon with the aid of both Luna and Celestia’s magic combined. When the pink rays of the sun only cast shadows upon the clouds, Luna took exclusive control on the celestial arrangement and cast the spell that would guide her moon across her night sky. Now bathed in the reminiscent reflected rays of the clouds, the moon rose and the two sisters sat for a moment to enjoy each other’s company, to savour their love for each other and never let go. A/N: There, another chapter done. Once again please point out any mistakes and raise any complaints. Despite this having a ‘rounded off’ ending, this is not the end. Also I have changed the image to a screencap to prevent any problems that might arise from using someone else’s art. Not to say I didn’t like it, because I did. Or that I was asked to remove it, because I wasn’t. Thank you and g’day, -Six
Fresh BeginningsYes, I have them, they will not escape me now! All I have to do now is defeat that mare Twilight Sparkle and night will be everlasting... "You little foal! Thinking you could defeat me? Now you will never see your princess, or your sun! The night will last forever!" The Elements of Harmony, what a joke. Doesn’t she know who I am? Trying to stop me with some rocks?! Hah! Once her little friends get here, I will crush them as easily as those rocks, then I will truly be unstoppable. Oh Celestia, now you will know true grief... “You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that? Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here.” “What?” Great, now she’s spouting nonsense about how her friends all had life changing epiphanies on the way here. This will be easier than I thought. As if they would become best friends over the span of mere hours. Fillies... “You still don't have the sixth Element! The spark didn't work!” “But it did! A different kind of spark. I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all are my friends. You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic.” Wait, what?No, this is impossible! No. NO. NOOOOO — “NOOO! Nooo!” Luna woke with a start and a cold sweat on her brow, as she did most noons, the ordeal taking place some months ago still plagued her concious, both waking and not. It wasn't quite the time she normally awoke but she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep after that, well... Nightmare. Wiping the sweat from her brow with a hoof, Luna drew her gaze across her room, which until recently didn't exist. At the request of Celestia in anticipation of her sister's return, the builders of Canterlot constructed a tower opposite to the one that Celestia occupied. Unlike her sister's tower, with it's cone top, Luna's tower was a glass dome in which she could look out at the stars at night. The night... virtually the only thing that has not changed over the ages, her only solitude in the heart of a thriving capital, of constantly changing nation, in a world she doesn't know. As far as she was concerned she might as well still be locked inside the moon, at least it's serene and unchanging... Ugh. It’s not like it matters that I'm here, or if I'm tired during the night. I'm never requested for council and my subjects don’t love me. They still consider me a villain, and who am I to blame them? I deserve it. I don’t deserve their love, or my sisters... “Yes you do little sister.” “Tia! Oh, I didn’t know that you were so close, I would have guarded my thoughts more closely...” Mental note, lock the door next time. “And that’s just what I am afraid of Lu, you’ve been awfully quiet recently, more so than usual and I love you with all my heart, our mental link isn't needed for you to know that. I will never stop loving you; even whilst you were Nightmare Moon, I loved you. Seeing you like this weighs on my heart dear sister, you will never be alone again, and I intend to show you that.” Celestia calmly walked over to Luna’s bed where she was her sister was now pushing her face softly into her pillow; laid a soft alabaster wing over her still filly sized sister with care, nuzzling her cheek as she did so. Comforted by her sisters closeness, Luna looked up softly to meet her sisters caring gaze, “Oh I’m sorry Tia, I know you love me, but my mind is still raw, even though your words and our constant mental link comfort and assure me, I still doubt... I know I shouldn’t, but every time I do I fear that I’ll fail you and my subjects again, that I’ll loose the love from everyone I care about...” Celestia let out a small empathetic sigh, raising her hoof to hers sisters face in an attempt to combat the tears that threatened to flow, “I know, I know. It must be so hard coming back to a kingdom you know little about, trepidation is only natural. But I have confidence that you will succeed, and I think that you do as well...” Celestia then put a hoof under her sister’s chin and moved her gaze up to meet her own, and with a stern but wholly loving and understanding look, Celestia said all that Luna needed to know. With her doubt defeated for the moment Luna let out a small sigh, “Heh. You’re right dearest sister, I think that the more I learn about Equestria in the present, the easier it will be to deal with my past.” “Yes, and the first thing we need to do is for you to get out more—“ “But—“ “No buts missy, I’ve got an idea and I won’t take no for an answer.” Celestia brought her mouth down quietly to her sisters ear and spoke her plan, despite them being the only two in the room the closeness and the mischievous ‘sisterlyness’ fanned a re-kindled bond between the two. Truly, it’s been too long. Thought Celestia with a smirk on her face. Luna giggled sweetly at the idea “Oh my, sister, but I don’t think we should...” “Yes you do, and you know it.” Luna’s only reply was to roll her eyes playfully, feigning a look of annoyance. “Was that teleport really necessary Tia? Our subjects might miss our presence.” “Pfft, you worry too much Lu... and for the record, yes it was. We’re here to cut loose, not get tied down. Have you decided what you want to be called yet? “Well since I’m going to be playing the part of your daughter, I thought that Autumn Glow would be more appropriate. Are you still going with the same old boring Summers Day? “I-It’s not boring! It’s just well used...” “Yes and thanks to denial you’re right dearest sister.” Luna said, poking her tongue out playfully, before turning around quickly and walking to the edge of the nearby pond before her sister could come up with a retort. Celestia had set them down in one of the many mazes in Canterlot; this particular one had a small pond in which a couple of ducks had taken up residence. Around them the walls of the maze surrounded them to a height nearly twice as high as Celestia, ideal then for a start to mission 'stop Luna from being such a grumpy pants by spoiling her with a shopping trip'. Scrunching her eyes in concentration Luna focused her magical will into changing her appearance, it had been a while since she had done anything like this and even longer since she actively changed her colours to anything outside of light blue, and a darker shade of blue. The grass around her swayed calmly as the wind picked up in a spiralling motion around Luna, a mystical blue glow surrounded her as her once flowing straight mane transformed into a slightly curlier deep rust mane with red highlights, a pattern which was matched identically by her tail. Her coat also took on a different colour; it was now similar but a slightly less dazzling white than her sisters. However her eyes still remained the same. Putting the finishing touches to her cutie mark, now a golden oak leaf with the sun setting behind it, Autumn Glow hid her horn with invisibility and turned to her mother. “So, how do I look?” Celestia was in a trance, her eyes and smile betraying her mirth for her sister’s transformation. “Oh wow, you look so pretty! You know, now I’ve got a lot to live up to...” Celestia gave Autumn a wink, knowing she could never truly match her sisters creativity, however she was determined to try. Now standing beside her daughter in front of the pond Summer matched the process, the grass began to sway in the mist of an orange aurora, her mane no longer ethereal in substance was now monochromatic and the colour the vivid orange of the dawn. Celestia's coat still remained the same but her cutie mark was now a bright sun dawning above a grassy hill, although unlike Luna’s transformation Celestia had to shrink her size considerably to even be halfway convincing, something that did not go unnoticed by her body's tolerances, which were stretched beyond there normal limits through the aid of magic. The newly transformed Celestia now stood about a hoofs length above her sister, who despite her still being a filly by alicorn standards was now the size of a juvenile pegasus. Before long they both took off into the sky, circling around the maze once to get their bearings they flew off towards Canterlot Square. To say it was a simple ‘square’ would be an wrong, it was more of a semicircle, the flat face laid against one of the mountains that surrounded Canterlot; the face of the mountain up to about fifty hoof-lengths tall was carved flat, polished to a sheen it bathed the square in reflective sunlight which counteracted the shade of the buildings lining the curved edge of the square. Into the flat surface of the mountain was carved representation of a battle, a very special battle, the battle of Nightmares Fall. However, in the middle of the square stood a newly carved blue and white statue of both Luna and Celestia, they stood next to another lengthways but with their breast slightly facing outwards from one another. The necks of the two were curved down much like a heart to meet each other in the middle in a warm nuzzle. The entire square was presented in a such way to as to be a testament to the benevolent rule of Celestia and her newly returned sister Luna, and the harmony that has bloomed during their reign. Not having heard of anything like this, it was a shock to Luna who gazed up at both the statue and carving in mild amazement and admiration, albeit with a clear hint of annoyance. “W-what’s the purpose of this?” She said in a slightly hushed tone. Celestia, now sensing the worry in her sisters expression decided that quick lesson would not sate her sister's curiosity, before taking in her breath she let the remaining air in her lungs out in the form of a small sigh at her ability to overlook things that may be important to her sister, “Well, the carving whilst looking as good as it no doubt did new, is very old. It took the famous stone mason Clear Cut and his team over forty years to finish when Canterlot was founded some two decades after Nightmare Moon’s banishment. In fact if I remember correctly, Clear Cut insisted that he carved this mural to depict the triumph of harmony, although I’m sure it was in no small part to the entire face being miraculously being made out of marble and alabaster hybrid rock, something never seen before. Because the carving symbolises what it does, and it’s excellent crafting skill, Canterlot kind of ‘sprung up’ around here. Luna cast her eyes down with a slightly sullen look, using the mental link only the twins shared Celestia said, “Oh dearest sister, don’t be sad. What’s on your mind?” “In all honesty I’m not so sure myself Tia, I mean the entire square is dedicated to well... harmony, but I feel that maybe because I was absent for so long, that ponies will think it’s a dedication to my fall and your triumph, I’m afraid that maybe ponies will still think of me badly because of it...” Celestia bent her neck down slightly to nuzzle her sister on the cheek, “Isn’t that why we are here, to prove to that this isn’t the case? I would never bring you here to try and get you down Lu, you know that... What this square represents, more than our rule is like you said, harmony. Your spirit was poisoned by Nightmare Moon dearest sister, the Elements of Harmony chose to drive her away when I wielded them, while purging her from you the second time. Just because the mural depicts me wielding them, doesn’t mean that I wielded them with malicious intent.” When Celestia had finished her mental explanation Luna looked up at her disguised sister and returned the earlier nuzzle with a smile on her lips. “Thank you Tia, I needed that... I-I love you” “I know Lu, you don’t need to tell me that for me to know it. I love you too.” Celestia returned with slightly amused smile at Luna’s sudden affectionate behaviour. After the silent exchange they simply looked up at the sculptures and admired them for a while, before Luna took the initiative. “Muuuuuum, can we go shooppping? This is boring! I’m bored!” Autumn have her mother a sly wink. “Oh-Oh but of course dearie, where to you want to go?” “Well first of all I want ice-cream!” “Ice-cream!? I don’t even know where to go for that, are you sure you don’t want a daisy burger?” “No. I want Ice-cream.” Autumn fluttered her eyelashes at her mother. “Ugh, fine. But I don’t want a peep out of you afterwards. Okay?” “Yay.” It took the two a little over half an hour before they found an ice-cream stand, much to Luna’s annoyance. Once there, Celestia ordered chocolate and Luna ordered butter-pecan. Afterwards there was a short argument where Luna insisted that ‘butter-pecan is far superior to chocolate’, and that if anyone disagreed that they should ‘prepare for destruction’. Luna, now with her insatiable ice-cream lust sated turned her attention to a nearby store which she found most curious. Turning to her sister she said “Mum, why are there funny noises coming from that shop, do you think it’s a robbery?!” “Oh I doubt it Autumn, that there is an arcade. Ponies go there when they want to play video games, slot machines and even go bowling sometimes.” “Sounds like fun, I would like to try these video games...” And what would this be without a disclaimer? Less annoying. But I a need a cover, so shh. MLP:FiM is property of Hasbro and the respective owners of its intellectual property, I claim no ownership other than any original story lines and ideas that are discussed within this story. Any overlap or infringement is unintentional, however this fandom being what it is I cannot guarantee that no overlap or infringement will occur, and for that I apologise. Now that that's out of the way, hopefully you will enjoy this and much as it was a pleasure to write.
Get Your Game OnThe two sisters eagerly trotted towards the arcade and the awaiting sounds of wurring machines that occupied it. The clanking of the one hoof bandit’s, cheesy Japony music and the inevitable shouting of ponies swearing filled the air. After gawking at the scene for slightly longer than was socially acceptable, Celestia nodded her head toward a cramped booth with just the one pony occupying it. Although to say he was occupying it was barely true, surrounded by newspapers, magazines, comic books and the pile of tokens needed to exchange for bits to work the machines, there was only enough room for him to sit on his haunches with a small pillow for comfort. However Celestia realised on the way over to the booth that she hadn’t brought any saddle bags with her, and therefore no way of paying. She couldn’t magic any purses up because they were disguised as pegasi, and even if she did, how would she transport the suddenly conjured bits? Then it struck her – a coughing fit – or at least that’s what everyone would think... Stopping and turning her body so that only one side of her faced the booth attendant she bent her head down to meet her right-front hoof half way. Whilst coughing manically to disguise the inevitable *pop* of magic and choosing her right wing as a suitable place to summon the purse, she concentrated her will to summon the bits whilst keeping her horn and any visible trace of magic invisible. Feeling a sudden weight in her wing she knew that she was met with success and let out a relived sigh at her impromptu plan. “What in Tartarus was that all about?” “Well I-uhh... forgot to bring any money...” “Typical, well are you done? Because people are looking.” “Very much so.” Celestia said whilst giving Luna a bashful smile. “Good.” Quickly coving the remaining distance to the booth whilst at the same time doing her hardest to not meet any of the eyes shooting curious glances at her, Celestia picked up the bag of the bits from her wing and drew out roughly a quarter of them on the top protruding from the booth to give to attendant. “Hello sir. May we trouble you for some of your tokens?” “Yeah, that’s why I’m here...” “Oh good, how many will this buy us?” Clearly not used to customers having no idea how many tokens they wanted, he counted them up before stating “Well since the exchange rate is 1:2 that would make 40 tokens, or 20 each?” If you would, thank you.” “You’re welcome” Said the attendant before nudging over two transparent plastic pouches to Luna and Celestia respectively before they walked off down the aisles towards an area with the pinball machines. “Well Lu, what do you think so far?” They were forced to use their mental communication due to the bags of tokens they were holding in their mouths. “It’s great! I can scarcely believe that they can even fit the sheer amount of machine into a building, and even more surprised that they could make them make so much noise.” “Oh yes, they really pull out all of the stops to make it as stimulating as possible don’t they... No doubt all the flashing lights and sounds draw all the foals here like moths to a flame. “ “True, but school won’t be out for about another hour, so hopefully we won’t have many running around manically like a pony possessed.” Reaching the pinball machine they picked one at random, the machine was yellow and fiery orange with a bi pedal creature with flaming hair (Rapidash) underneath a title named Poképony: The Island. “What’s this mummy?” “Well this is a pinball machine I believe, you insert your token and you get three balls, although you can get bonus balls by hitting certain markers. Then after you put your token in you pull the lever here which springs the ball up to the machine, the aim is to shore as many points as you can with all of your balls and to not let them drop down into the bumpers there. The button on the rights controls the right bumpers, the left button the left bumpers.” “Ah I get it, do you mind if I have a go?” “Really Autumn, this is your day out, of course you can...” Despite not being her true mother Celestia gave her little sister a look of mock exhaustion only a motherly figure could. “And now you will excuse me I’m going to go on the one hoof bandit because you aren’t old enough and I want to annoy you.” Hopefully I won’t empty the treasury in the process... Celestia poked her tongue out at her sister playfully before turning around and hiding behind one of the machines nearby in the hopes of fooling her sister, because truth be told the true reason for her excusing herself was to spy on her sister a little, maybe she will adorably stick her tongue out like she did when they used to play chess – oh yes, there she goes, and over to the corner of her mouth goes the tongue. At this point Luna’s brow was furrowed in concentration , she’s holding that token like it’s a surgery scalpel, although she probably hasn’t used her hooves for much in well — ever... Finally Luna managed to get the token into the machine, when she did all the gismos inside lit up and bleeped loudly shocking Luna slightly *eep!* before looking around bashfully and returning to her original look of concentration, as if she couldn’t get any more adorable... Carefully Luna placed her weight on her hind legs and flayed her wings slightly to aid in her balance. She pulled on the lever and sent the ball flying up into the machine, but what must come up must come down, and her technique to operate the bumpers was less than elegant. For the most part it consisted flailing at the buttons with a lot of enthusiasm but little accuracy, which resulted in letting out annoyed grunts every time the ball dropped, which it inevitably did. Up until this point Celestia managed to keep her giggles stifled, but a particularly exasperated grunt was too much to bear, even for a sun goddess. Celestia betrayed her position with a slight but clearly audible giggle, one that didn’t go unnoticed by her younger sister, turning quickly she just missed Celestia as she pulled her head back behind the machine, phew, that was close, better get to a machine so I have an excuse... Looking around nervously she luckily found one and rushed over to it before Luna could explore the source of the giggle. Even more fortunate for her it never came; with a quick mental probe that went unnoticed by her younger sister due to her concentration she determined she was still by the machine. Good, down to business, prepare for destruction old foe! Celestia gave the one hoofed bandit a challenging look and slotted her first token into the machine with vigour. “Damn you infernal machine, damn you to Tartarus!” Celestia had lost all but five of her tokens with no return. You win this time, but I’ll be back, I can assure you that much! Thankfully she was brought out her ravenous gambling cycle with a desperate mental cry from her sister, unhoof me you scoundrel! Celestia’s maternal instincts kicked din and she rushed toward the source of the cry. (Elsewhere) Oh no I can’t let them any closer, and I’m on my last life! Those ‘grapplers’ are too quick, got to step up your game Luna! Having gotten board with the pinball game, Luna decided she would look for entertainment elsewhere, and given the amount of time she had spent on Castle of Ponystein: Dead Alive she was successful. Die you Discord worshiping zombies, I’ll show you what for! And there goes your head exploding again. Luna was on a roll, she was just about to enter the final stage when — *BAM*, she was tackled by her sister. “What the buck are you doing?!” “Saving you of course.” “From what exactly?!” “From the — oh...” “From the non-existent zombies that my character is currently getting torn to pieces by, thanks to you?” “Yes?” “Well thank you my noble saviour.” “Well there’s no need to be smug about it” “Yes there is.” “Oh and I don’t think many mothers go around tackling their daughters to the ground this age, unless I’m mistaken and it’s now in fashion? Because it wasn’t a thousand years ago...” “Ha ha, you’ve made your point. I think we should move off, people are looking.” “Yes they are, again, and you have the most adorable blush as well. I thought I was supposed to be the socially awkward one? The smile Luna gave emitted so much smugness that one might even be able to taste it if they tried hard enough. “Point proven...” Celestia looked down bashfully at this remark. “Oh sister, I didn’t mean to offend... You’ve really taken this ‘motherly’ role to heart haven’t you? You know, not many sisters care for their siblings as much as you do, even some mothers don’t... I’ve never have a moment when I’ve doubted your love Celestia, truly I am lucky to have you.” “And I you dearest sister.” For the third time in the day they shared a love filled nuzzle before moving off to another area to avoid the other customer’s curious gazes. Before long they found an area of the arcade dedicated solely to driving simulators, picking one called Ponycart they decided to spend the rest of their tokens in two-player mode after discovering they both had five tokens each. Despite Luna being a novice she certainly had taken a shine to these games, if she didn’t already have her cutie mark she might have gotten hers at the point where she beat Celestia five times. In. A. Row... Much to her sisters annoyance Luna gave her sister another of her practised smug smiles after the fifth and (thankfully according to Celestia) final victory. From where they were standing it was a short walk to the exit, not having to exchange any tokens back for bits the two sisters settled to a polite nod to the attendant at the booth, which he half-heartedly returned. Once outside they realised they spent a little too much time in the arcade and according to Celestia’s magic, dusk was fast approaching. A/N: This chapter I decided to get up today as a display of thanks to all those who are supporting this story in its early stage. In all honesty I don’t know how long it will go on for, but I won’t sacrifice quality for quantity. Also I will be changing the story to be marked for ‘teen’ from now on, the themes described here were a little borderline and I want to be safe a curious to those who read this. Oh and THE PUNS, OH THE TERRIBLE PUNS! Once again, feel free to leave ANY feedback. Thank you.
Night's CallingCelestia’s quickly setting sun was shot orange beams of light over the tightly packed streets of Canterlot, causing elongated shadows to dance across the cobble roads of its streets as ponies endeavoured to finish their businesses before day’s end. Like in any city, the end of the day signalled rush-hour, ponies all walks of life were rushing along the sidewalk in a hope of beating everyone else home, despite them all moving at roughly the same pace. Private carriages and taxis alike were rushing as fast the speed limit allowed down the thin streets, their passengers hoping to be the winners the unspoken race. For Celestia and in particular Luna this was an extremely new ordeal, neither of them really well versed with the conventional idea of a ‘work day’. Caught up in the feeling of being lost in all the organised chaos and juggling with the idea of stepping out into the mix of it, they momentarily forgot then were indeed pegasi for the day... Luna — in her ability to quickly solve problems — was first to come to the simple solution of actually using her wings to fly, of all things. Luna ruffled her wings slightly at her sister before taking a leap into the air to find a westerly, yet private spot to oversee the setting of the sun, which until only recently they forgot the existence of. Celestia — having quickly caught up with her sister — noticed her sister’s troubled expression, despite only having recently being re-united recently, her little sister’s frown was still the same. “What’s wrong Lu?” “Well, nothing much... Or at least nothing that can be helped.” “Pray tell dearest sister.” “You know how I am normally uncomfortable around crowds?” Celestia gave a nod of acknowledgement, “well it’s just that it suddenly struck me when we were standing outside of the arcade how much has really changed in a thousand years, not that I didn’t expect any change, but perhaps I didn’t want it. Is that wrong of me sister?” “I don’t think for a moment that you would want change halted, you are a mighty fine connoisseur of the arts after all... But I think that it’s natural to experience worry in a situation like yours, if you ever feel that you are out of your comfort zone, remember you don’t have to be.” “How so?” Asked Luna with a raised brow. “Well in modern society it’s common for the three branches of government to be separate from each other, and I was thinking, considering how you get a massive wing-boner over bureaucracy and legal proceedings, you could act as the leading official in the legislature whilst also maintaining an advisory role in the judiciary . This would let me handle most of the executive work. I would give me a break for sure, and it would surely improve relations with the aristocracy and ‘common pony’ when you show them what a couple of millennia of experience can do.” Celestia gave a wink at the last remark which lifted her sister’s face by quite a bit. If in doubt, appeal to Luna’s ego... thought Celestia. “Well I would be lying if I said that I wouldn’t be interested in the idea, but do you really think I would be ready, they may not know what to expect.” “Well they never are if you don’t go for it, and yes, I have the utmost confidence in your abilities. I still struggle to fathom how you enjoy those kinds of things Lu... But I know for a fact that you will do a far better job than me, being so thinly spread is such hard work, and I was afraid that I would become disconnected if something didn’t happen soon, which you did after you were purged of Nightmare Moon, to my great delight.” “Wow, well I don’t know what to say, apart from YES! Oh I can image it now, the neatly formed laws, the —“ “Whoa there Lu, don’t want to overload me with all of that excitement stuff now, do you? Save it for your appointed ministers.” “Heh, I suppose you wouldn’t understand anyway...” “Yeah that’s rig — HEY, WAIT A MOMENT!” “Pray tell, wait for what? Your brain?” Luna gave a devilish wink and doubled her speed across the sky, having the upper hoof of surprise on her sister she sped off towards a nearby hill below the outskirts of the raised Canterlot. Celestia despite Luna’s claims caught on quickly to her sister’s game. Despite Luna only wanting a fair race, fair was not something in Celestia’s vocabulary... Celestia knew there is only one proper choice of attack to use on one such as Luna, one to attack rule them all. The tickle. But she couldn’t be expecting it or it wouldn't be any fun. Knowing this, Celestia quickly cast an invisibility spell on herself and kept her pace so that she trailed behind Luna by a dozen lengths. Luna, who was far too engrossed in ‘winning’ that she didn’t even notice that her sister has vanished, kept on flying ahead toward the small clearing. Luna let out a victory cry as she touched down next to a solitary oak tree, “AHA! I win! Tia, you can kiss my voluptuous...” She looked up with a victorious smug smile only to find nopony was there, “Oh no, this can mean only one thing...” “Yes, it can.” Spoke Celestia softly into her sister’s ear, “Payback!” At this she reappeared and jabbed a hoof into her sisters side, eliciting a high pitch squeal of both surprise and mirth from Luna, which no doubt would of shattered glass had any been nearby. Suddenly not being able to hold her own weight, Luna dropped to the soft grass and was literally rolling on the floor laughing, which unfortunately for her also had the effect of exposing he tummy to her sister, which of course did not go unmissed. Celestia drew her single hoof attack from her sister’s side, and instead elected to go for a ‘full whammy double-hoof combo’ attack on her little sisters exposed stomach. Not surprisingly this was far too much for Luna; her legs at this point had no control and were failing around randomly in the air like worms in a vain attempt to knock aside the vicious and unrelenting attacker. “Mercy. Mercy!” Luna barely called out her cry with such shallow breaths, he cheeks now with a deep crimson blush that could rival her sister’s sun for heat. “Not until you apologise.” “Never!” “Then I shall give no quarter...” Celestia pounced on her sister again with renewed vigour, knowing that Luna could only hold out for so long. “Oh ho, okay! I surrender!” “And do you apologise?” “Yes?” “Was that a question?” Celestia raised a hoof again in a way that could only be threatening to anypony who was ticklish. “Yes, I apologise” “Good!” Celestia helped her little sister onto her four hooves again, with no shortage of anxiety from Luna. For a moment they sat facing west, content to watch the sun set below the horizon. “You know Lu, I really missed us doing this, getting away from it all and being sisters again...” “I know ‘Tia, so do I." “I love you.” “I love you too” Replied Luna, settling her cheek on her sisters neck with a content sigh. The two sisters watched the sun finally set below the horizon with the aid of both Luna and Celestia’s magic combined. When the pink rays of the sun only cast shadows upon the clouds, Luna took exclusive control on the celestial arrangement and cast the spell that would guide her moon across her night sky. Now bathed in the reminiscent reflected rays of the clouds, the moon rose and the two sisters sat for a moment to enjoy each other’s company, to savour their love for each other and never let go. A/N: There, another chapter done. Once again please point out any mistakes and raise any complaints. Despite this having a ‘rounded off’ ending, this is not the end. Also I have changed the image to a screencap to prevent any problems that might arise from using someone else’s art. Not to say I didn’t like it, because I did. Or that I was asked to remove it, because I wasn’t. Thank you and g’day, -Six