Bright Nights Ahead

Celestia’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