The Greatest Gift Is You

by Level Dasher

Rating: everyone
Tags: Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Princess Luna
Length: 3552

It’s Princess Luna’s first Hearth’s Warming since she returned from her banishment. It will take time to adjust, but some sisterly bonding will certainly help.

It’s Princess Luna’s first Hearth’s Warming since she returned from her banishment, and her first in Canterlot Castle. Things have changed in Equestria, and it will take her time to catch up with the current day and age.

Perhaps some sisterly bonding is a good place to start.

This story was written for Mindscape as a part of Jinglemas 2020! For more information about Jinglemas, check out our group!

Wonderful cover art by maeveadair
Big thanks to Cyonix, Emotion Nexus, Stinium Ruide, and Buttery Biscuit for pre-reading and proofreading.
And now with an amazing reading by Gabishy and their friends! Thank you so much!

Published 2020-12-27 15:40:00 UTC
Last updated 2020-12-27 15:40:00 UTC

The Greatest Gift Is You

“So? What do you think?”

Two alicorns stood in the foyer of Canterlot Castle, one looking down, the other looking… everywhere else.

Princess Luna watched as several ponies—pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies alike—bustled about, decorating for Hearth’s Warming. From the massive tree in the foyer, to the smaller trees down the hallway to the throne room, to the banners on the railings of the upper floor, anywhere you looked, the spirit of Hearth’s Warming was apparent. A smile made its way onto the Moon Princess’s muzzle as she looked all around.

“‘Tis wonderful, Tia. ‘Tis so different from our old castle in the Everfree. And yet… so very much the same.” She looked up to meet her sister’s smiling face. “Do such embellishments adorn the entire castle?”

Shaking her head, Princess Celestia replied, “No, just the rooms that are open to the public. Decorating the whole castle would take weeks. Though some of the live-in help do decorate their own rooms; I decorate my own as well.”

Luna’s eyebrows rose. “Thou hast decorated thine own chamber?”

“Not yet,” the Sun Princess answered, “but I will. I have lights and wreaths ready to be hung, along with garland for the mantel. And my tree still needs to be trimmed.”

Luna cocked a brow. “Wouldst thou not prune a tree before erecting it in thy chamber? T’would make a horrible mess.”

A hoof lifting to her muzzle, Celestia giggled, “No, Luna. ‘Trimming’ a Hearth’s Warming tree means decorating it.”

Luna rolled her eyes. “The Equish language has changed drastically in one thousand years. T’will take Us another thousand to acclimate Ourselves.”

Celestia chuckled as she wrapped a wing around her younger sister. “It’s only been a few months, Luna. You just need some time. In the meanwhile, I’ve been meaning to ask: are your decorations to your liking? You stopped decorating your own room when you turned twenty— I didn’t think that would change.”

Nodding her head, Luna smiled and said, “Indeed, they are quite to Our liking. We must extend Our gratitude to the decorators.”

“Well, go ahead.” Celestia retracted her wing as she pointed toward the upper floor beside the top of the massive tree, where a unicorn mare stood tying bows amidst the branches. “That’s Refined Design right up there; she’s the head decorator.”

Luna stepped forward, then cleared her throat before looking up and calling, “Miss Design?”

The mare started, nearly dropping the bow she was tying. Peering over the railing, she found the Moon Princess looking up at her. “Y-yes, Your Highness?”

“‘Tis thou who embellished Our chamber with thy decorating prowess?”

With a nod, the mare replied, “Yes, Your Highness. Team Holly and I did.” She gestured to the other five ponies around the tree, who turned from their positions and looked toward Luna with nervous expressions. “Do you like it?”

Luna smiled as her focus shifted between each pony in turn. “Indeed. We would like to thank ye for your efforts; We are most pleased.”

The team let out sighs of relief and smiled amongst each other, then looked back to her and responded in unison, “You’re welcome, Your Highness.”

As the team resumed their work, Luna returned her gaze to her sister and asked, “If thou hast not begun, when dost thou intend to decorate thine own chamber?”

“I’m actually planning to do it now.” After a few moments, Celestia donned another smile. “Would you like to help me?”

Luna’s brows rose. “Verily? Thou wouldst like Us to join thee in thy… trimming?”

“Luna, Hearth’s Warming is all about spending time with family.” She chuckled as she extended her wing and pulled Luna into another tight hug, adding, “I would love it if you would join me.”

Luna squirmed in her sister’s grasp. “Tia, prithee, relinquish thy hold.” Finding the mass of decorators giggling at the royal pair, she blushed and murmured, “Thou art embarrassing Us…”

Retracting her wing with a giggle of her own, Celestia responded, “Come now, Luna. You know it’s an older sister’s job to embarrass her younger sister. And vice versa.”

“But not for all to bear witness…”

“Relax, Luna, it’s all in good fun. Besides, nopony here is going to say anything.” She swept her gaze around the foyer at all of the decorators. “Will you?”

“No, Your Highness,” they all answered together. There were a few more stray giggles before they went back to their various tasks.

Luna snorted. “Very well. But thou shalt suffer Our revenge soon enough, Sister.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, Luna.”

Celestia closed the door behind her as she and Luna walked into the elder alicorn’s bedroom. Luna stopped briefly and looked around.

“We still cannot believe the size of thy chamber, Sister,” she commented.

Cocking a brow, Celestia responded, “What do you mean? The room isn’t that big.”

“Precisely. Thy previous chamber was enormous.”

Celestia chuckled as she looked toward her left, then lit her horn and picked up a length of garland lying in an open, gold-plated trunk. She walked towards the fireplace before them and laid the garland across previously installed hooks above the mantel. “I don’t need that much space, Luna. There’s a separate room for all royal matters.”

After panning her head around the room, Luna shrugged and responded, “If it satisfies thee.” She turned and looked up at the pristine, pruned pine tree—more than double Celestia’s height—standing off to the right side of the room. Several more identical trunks sat stacked beside the tree, each of them marked on the sides with, ‘Hearth’s Warming Decorations— Princess Celestia,’ one of which also held the number ‘42.’

Luna tilted her head as she approached the stacks. “Sister… pray tell, what is the significance of this number?”

Celestia smiled as she joined Luna beside the trunks. “Over the past several years, many of my students—of all ages—have made Hearth’s Warming ornaments for me. I like to put them on my tree along with the others. This is the forty-second box of them.” She beckoned Luna to her as she levitated the trunk down to the floor and opened the lid, revealing ornaments of all shapes, sizes, and subjects. “I wouldn’t dare allow them to be hung on any of the public trees for fear of them getting damaged. I try to use different ornaments every year so each student’s gift gets their time to shine. Literally, when they face the windows— I enchant the base of the tree so it consistently, slowly rotates.”

“Hm. ‘Tis a clever enchantment,” Luna responded, gazing at the rays of sunshine coming through the window and bathing the tree in light. “What hast thou done with thy previous gifts? If thou hast received so many, dost thou discard them?”

“Of course not!” Celestia cried. “I would never do such a thing!”

“Sister, prithee, stay thine anger. We did not mean to offend— apologies if We did so.”

Taking a breath, Celestia said, “Sorry, Luna. It’s just that such a thought has never even crossed my mind.” She cleared her throat and continued, “To answer your question, I keep them in storage in their original trunks, imbued with a preservation spell. I wish I could do something better, but there really is nowhere else to put them.”

A smile crossed Luna’s muzzle as she looked over her sister’s collection. “‘Tis a kind gesture to retain them at all, Tia. We are certain thy students appreciate that thou dost cherish their gifts so.”

“Yes, well…” Celestia lifted an ornament out of the trunk, a near-exact replica of her cutie mark. When she turned it around and found a name and date on the back, she put on a small smile of her own. “…Hopefully they even remember giving them to me. These students are old enough to be grandparents.”

Luna’s eyebrows rose at the comment. “Their gifts do not betray their age.” She lifted another ornament out of the box, one designed like a decorated Hearth’s Warming tree. “These are in pristine condition. Thou dost certainly preserve thy possessions well.”

“Of course,” the Sun Princess responded. “I can’t let my students’ gifts fall apart before they serve their purpose.” She lifted another ornament out of the box, one that vaguely resembled a white alicorn with a green and pink mane and tail. Celestia chuckled as she turned it around before showing it to Luna. “Even if they are a bit… crudely designed.”

Giggling as she put a hoof to her muzzle, Luna said, “Thy students have quite creative minds.”

Nodding as she put the ornaments back in the trunk, Celestia replied, “Indeed they do. I believe that particular student was eleven years old when she made that for me.”

Luna’s expression faded slightly, her shoulders sagging as her sister closed the trunk before them. “‘Tis wonderful thou hast students that admire thee so, Tia.”

Celestia looked towards Luna, finding her slumped over and gazing forlornly at the trunk as the lid closed. With a soft smile, she rose to her hooves and walked over to a desk on the other side of the room. “Yes, it is. But I’m not the only one.”

Cocking a brow, Luna turned and asked, “Hm? What dost thou mean?” She slowly rose as well and followed her sister’s path.

The Sun Princess opened a drawer in the desk, removing a nondescript box. As Luna appeared at her side, Celestia set the box down. “Many of my students are interested in astronomy.” Opening the top, she lifted another ornament up in her aura: a varnished, indigo-painted circle of wood, with a crescent moon and silver glitter on one side. “This is for you. It was made by one of Twilight Sparkle’s friends.”

A gentle hoof found Princess Luna’s muzzle as she enveloped the ornament in her own aura, then flipped it around to read the name on the back. “Moondancer…”

“She’s a big fan of yours,” Celestia responded with a nod. Picking up the whole box, she smiled and levitated it down to Luna’s eye level. “And there are more.”

Luna sifted through the box, finding more ornaments made specially for her: a solo crescent moon, a recreation of her cutie mark, a telescope… The princess’s smile widened with each new ornament she removed from the box, a single tear eventually trickling down her cheek. “These… These are wonderful, Tia. We do not know what to say.” She sniffled as she returned the ornaments to the box, then added, “We thank thee, dear Sister. These gifts have brought Us much joy.”

“You’re very welcome, Luna.” Celestia closed the box, then allowed it to hover between the two of them. “Would you like to bring these to your room and put them on your tree?”

Wiping the tear away with a wing, Luna nodded. “We would very much like to do that, yes.” After looking behind Celestia and getting a glimpse of her sister’s bed, she then turned and looked at the barren tree. “But…” Grasping the box in her own aura, she opened it again, then levitated out the ornament from Moondancer. With a small smile, she said, “If thou wouldst, We would like thee to place this one on thine.”

Celestia’s brows furrowed slightly as she tilted her head. “Really?” At Luna’s nod, she put on her own smile. “I would love to. May I ask why?”

Closing the box once more and placing it on the floor, the ornament still hovering in front of her, Luna hung her head slightly and sighed. “Tia, as thou art aware, We are yet to regain strength enough to dreamwalk. Thus, We have been unable to protect our subjects whilst they sleep.” She looked back up into Celestia’s eyes. “And thus, We have been unable to protect thee as well.” When Celestia’s eyebrows rose, Luna nodded. “We have heard thee in the night. We do not know of what thou art dreaming that causes thy cries, but…” She closed her eyes and took a breath, then Celestia saw Luna’s horn and the ornament glow brighter for just a moment. “…We wish to aid thee however We can.”

Celestia suddenly began sniffing the air. “What’s—”

“‘Tis the scent of lavender,” Luna said. “It calms the mind.” She lifted the ornament up to her sister’s eye level. “We shall hope that it assists thee with thy restless sleep.”

Another soft smile played upon Celestia’s muzzle as she took the ornament in her own aura and gently laid it on the desk beside her. Then she pulled Luna into a hug. “Thank you, Luna. I greatly appreciate that.”

Returning the hug, Luna responded, “Of course, Sister. If there are other ways in which We may aid thee, prithee, inform Us.”

Celestia nodded. “I will, Luna. Thank you.”

After a moment, Luna looked around the undecorated room, then pulled away from her sister and smirked. “Thy room appears bare, dear Sister. Perhaps we should adorn it with festive embellishments?”

With a chuckle, Celestia nodded again. “Indeed.” She lifted a pair of wreaths from across the room in her aura. “I like to start with the greenery.”

Luna opened another trunk, pulling out its contents. “Then We shall begin with the tinsel…”

“Everything is in order, Your Highness? Is there anything else you need?”

Luna rolled her eyes as she walked down the hallway beside an elder, bespectacled unicorn stallion wearing a red and gray uniform with a pocket watch. “Yes, Kibitz, We have everything We require, as does Our sister. Thou shouldst not still be here; prithee, return to thy home and thy family. ‘Tis Hearth’s Warming Eve, and they deserve thine attendance more than we.”

As the two approached the door to Celestia’s room, Kibitz nodded and replied, “I’m merely—”

“Kibitz, what are you still doing here?” Celestia called from inside the room, where she lay on a large pillow in front of a crackling fire. “You should have left an hour ago!”

“‘Tis what We told him,” Luna added as she stepped over the threshold.

“Very well, Your Highnesses.” The stallion poked his head inside. “Thank you, and I hope you have a pleasant evening.”

“You too, Kibitz,” Celestia responded with a smile and nod.

Luna nodded in turn. “Thou as well, good Kibitz. Happy Hearth’s Warming to thee and thine.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” The stallion smiled, then closed the door behind him as he left.

Shaking her head as she lay down beside her sister on the pillow, Luna said, “Thine aide needs to… We believe the modern phrase is, ‘Take a chill pill.’”

Celestia laughed. “Yes, yes he does.” She took a sip of the hot cocoa in front of her, then looked around the room at the lights, wreaths and tree. “I think we did a pretty good job in here, Luna; what about you?”

Luna nodded. “We agree. ‘Tis a fine effort we made.” She tilted her head and furrowed her brows. “But… We feel there is something missing…”

Cocking a brow, Celestia responded, “Hm? Like what?” She looked around the room for a moment, then her eyes fell upon the mantel. “Oh! That’s right!” She rose to her hooves and strode to the side wall, where the trunks of decorations had been left until the inevitable undecorating. Opening one of the lids, she fished around for a moment before returning to the pillow. Hovering in her grasp was a pristine, stuffed doll in her image, which she then rested upon the garland above the mantel. “Thank you for reminding me.”

Her face and head falling, Luna mumbled, “Ah. Indeed.” She let out a deep sigh, then looked up to her sister out of the corner of her eye. “We suppose Our doll hath all but decomposed…”

Celestia let out a breath herself, then her horn lit up. “I’ll admit, it has… seen better days, Luna. But…”

A moment later, a gift-wrapped box with a bow affixed to the top floated its way down to the floor in front of the younger alicorn. Luna started as the golden aura faded out of view, and Celestia sat down on her haunches beside her. Luna’s brows furrowed slightly as she looked up at her sister, who gestured to the box with a small smile.

Sitting up herself, Luna removed the bow, then slowly tore the paper off the box with her own hooves.

“I’m not exactly good with a needle and thread…” Celestia began. When Luna removed the lid, she found a crudely sewn doll in her likeness, with mismatched green buttons for eyes and crooked wings. “…But I hope it’s suitable.”

Luna lifted the doll up and let it hover in front of her, rotating it three-hundred-sixty degrees before looking at her sister. “Thou… thou constructed this thyself?”

“Mhm,” Celestia replied simply, with a light nod. “Professor Epic Yarn talked me through the basics, but otherwise, yes, I made it myself.” A pause. “…Do you like it?”

The doll continued hovering for a moment before Luna whispered, “Oh, Tia…”

Celestia held her breath.

Floating towards Luna’s chest, the doll soon found itself in a gentle hug. “We adore it.” As Celestia let out a sigh of relief, Luna carefully placed her new doll beside her sister’s atop the garland with a smile. Moments later, Celestia found herself receiving a tight hug of her own. “We thank thee, Tia. So very much.”

“You’re welcome, Luna,” Celestia replied, smiling herself and wrapping her hooves around her sister. “Happy Hearth’s Warming.”

There was a pause. “…Indeed.” Celestia felt Luna’s grip loosen and her shoulders sag. Then the Moon Princess turned to face the crackling fire, looking away from her sister’s gaze as she lingered on her haunches.

Celestia’s brows upturned as she craned her neck in an attempt to see the younger alicorn’s face. “Luna… what’s wrong?”

Luna let out a deep sigh. “‘Tis simply that…” She hesitated. “Thou hast done so much for Us since Our return. Thou hast aided Us in returning to some sense of routine… helped Us acclimate to a new time, let alone a new home… to say nothing of performing Our duties whilst we were… away…” Celestia heard a sniffle. “…A wonderful Hearth’s Warming gift… and We have given thee so little in return.” Another sniffle, along with a shake of the head. “…We are so sorry.”

“Oh, Luna, shhh…” Celestia consoled her, wrapping a wing around the younger princess. “There’s no need to be sorry.”

Leaning against her sister’s shoulder, Luna whimpered, “But… But We still have so much to atone for.”

“Luna, please…” Celestia rested her chin on Luna’s head. “I think you’ve ‘atoned’ enough. All you need to worry about is taking your time to adjust, and when you’re ready, you can resume your duties as you deem yourself able. Please, Luna, stop being so hard on yourself.”

Luna let out a deep sigh. After a minute, she wiped tears away from under her eyes. “…Very well, Celestia. We shall try.” After a moment, she snorted. “Still. We could at the very least have offered thee a suitable Hearth’s Warming gift.”

Craning her neck to look her sister in the eye, Celestia started, “But Luna, you’ve already given me—”

“Prithee, Celestia,” Luna interrupted, “do not patronize Us. While We do indeed cherish the bauble thy student created for Us, the effects of the spell We cast upon it could be created with simple candles.”

“But Luna, that’s just it,” Celestia responded. “You cherish that ornament. You’ve given it a little piece of your heart. A piece of you.” As Celestia turned her head towards the tree behind them, Luna followed her gaze, where they found the ornament in question reflecting the flickering firelight. “You may not be able to dreamwalk again yet, but since you gave that ornament to me, that little piece of you has been watching over me at night.” She paused. “And I’ve slept soundly ever since.”

Luna let out a sigh as the two sisters turned back to meet each other’s gaze. “Tia…”

“Besides, you had already given me the greatest gift you could have.”

Lightly furrowing her brows, Luna tilted her head. “What art thou speaking of, Tia?”

A moment later, Luna found Celestia’s gentle hoof under her chin. “You, Luna,” Celestia said with a soft smile, before she leaned down and nuzzled her sister’s cheek. “The greatest gift you could have given me was you.”

Luna reciprocated the nuzzle as a small smile of her own made its way onto her muzzle. “…We thank thee, dear Sister. T’was something We have needed to hear.” After they broke the nuzzle and their eyes met once again, Luna continued, “And if thou dost verily speak true…” She snuggled into Celestia’s side and finished, “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Tia.”

Celestia let out a happy sigh as she once again rested her chin on Luna’s head. With a hum, she unfurled her wing, and wrapped Luna tightly against her side.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Luna.”

Author's Note

Those of you that read A Daughter and her Dragon know that I like to write Luna this way, and probably know that fluff is one of my strong suits, so here’s another slice (of life) of it.

Merry Jinglemas, everyone!