Author's Note

Forgive me, it wasn't until the translation was finished that I realized that sometimes it changes from third person to first person.
I promise to fix it in the future, but I hope you understand that since it is a translated story, errors like these are inevitable.

I'm also thinking about making a chapter that explains Celestia and Luna's past.
What do you think?

17- A glass of wine in the light of the stars

“I'm just saying there's something weird about her” a certain pegasus stated with his head almost touching the ground as if that would help him draw less attention.

"Oh, please, dear, everything about her is... unique, you can't expect her to behave like other ponies would." The fashionista said while covering her muzzle with a hoof, as if it magically blocked the noise, even though she could literally do it. That with his horn and be less obvious

“I'm not talking about that.”

“And what are you talking about then?” The farm pony butted in with a whisper that might as well have been a scream. “Rarity was taken by diamond dogs, and I've never heard her complain about her, you seemed ready to jump on her as soon as you saw her.”

“And what does that have to do with this?” The pegasus narrowed her eyes, increasing the intensity of her gaze, but to me, it only gave her tenderness.

Before the farmer could respond, Rarity intervened, apparently hoping to avoid conflict. “Nothing, nothing, what Apleejack means is that you don't seem very happy lately when there are… other things around.”

I decided to cut them off there, not directly, of course, the simple spell to generate a breeze had been more useful than I could have imagined when I used it to make the wind run in the opposite direction, taking the sound with it. For them, nothing changed, but I could see how their mouths moved without apparent noise

Useful

I'm surprised they didn't notice the sudden change in the weather, but remembering that they didn't even notice how his so-called 'whispers' were even louder than her normal voice, I'm not surprised.

Oh, really?! How is it possible? I'm not even that far away, Fluttershy is the only one separating us, and it's not like that helps much considering she seems to make every effort not to be noticed.

I know she heard them too, she looked embarrassed... although that seems to be her natural state.

There was nothing interesting there, my attention was focused on something more intriguing… and gray, to my right was Twilight Sparkle.

She looked downcast, her face marked with an apparently perpetual sadness; the strangest thing was that this even affected her physique. In no book that I have read does it talk about something like that, although there are quite a few very curious magical illnesses of which I haven't read, but I'd bet this is more tied to your mental state

Pinkie was next to her, trying to cheer her up with a happy talk, but she could tell how desperate she was, it even seemed to me that she also started to lose color.

Fuck! Don't tell me it's contagious, maybe it was a disease after all. I unconsciously strayed, wanting to keep my distance from patient zero.

“Ouch” The sudden contact almost made me trip, but I was able to maintain my balance; sadly, my firm step caused another smaller one to fall.

“Oh, I'm sorry, little boy.” I felt genuinely bad seeing the poor lizard, which until now had gone unnoticed by me, fall.

I used a little telekinesis to help him stand up "OUCH" A fatal mistake, the magic I used was not enough, although it should have been. Curiously, I could feel my magic sliding over his scales as if repelling him, the poor thing could only rise a few centimeters before falling again, only this time less prepared and more vulnerable against the hard floor

I could tell that he wasn't immune to magic, just resistant, it was interesting...

I removed those thoughts and intrigues, so I could help the poor boy and calm the growing sense of guilt that was beginning to wash over me. This time I made sure to do it in a more physical way, using my front paws.

“I'm really, really sorry.” I didn't have to fake the guilt in my voice.

“Oh, don't worry.” The way he rubbed the tip of his snout did just the opposite.

I thought about asking the girls for their opinion, as they undoubtedly had more experience diagnosing him, but I realized that they continued on their own, too absorbed in their own talk to notice a fallen soldier.

Fluttershy was the only one who stayed, and luckily for me, she put aside her fear to check on the poor boy and ensure her well-being while unknowingly placing herself at one of the highest points on my list of wishes. Nice ponies

It's not that she was that long or had much competition

"Leave me alone, I said I'm fine." The boy was kicking at the unnecessary attention, but in my eyes it was like watching a puppy show me his belly, so giving in to my senses, I picked him up once again and brought him into a hug. Bear, squeezing him against my chest

“MMHHH”

“Now, now, pretty thing, healthy, healthy.” Ignoring his protests, I pampered him like a baby.

"Um, excuse me." I turned to see Fluttershy, who looked uncomfortable but determined. "I think you're suffocating him."

“Oh right.” I loosened my grip, and the little one took the opportunity to take a deep breath, but before he could get too far away, I lifted him up with magic, this time making sure to use enough, and placed him on my back like I had seen them carry. To the children here “You will be better there”

“I can actually walk on my own.” You could tell how upset she was.

I've been wanting to do that for a while. I guess I couldn't hide it well because Fluttershy gave me a smile. "It's okay, Spike, I think we'd better hurry up." She said this while avoiding eye contact and pointing in the direction the girls were going. The rest

It's official, she may not be the best pony, but of these six, Fluttershy is definitely my favorite

We set off at a slow trot, always careful to keep me stable enough to keep Spike from being silent. Fluttershy even gave me some advice despite Spike's indignant protests as he told us over and over again that he wasn't a child.

That earned him a good amount of care from both of them.

Despite the good time we were having, I made sure we kept a decent distance from the main group. There was something that kept bothering me and I wanted an answer. “Fluttershy, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to Twilight?”

Suddenly the whole atmosphere changed, I could feel Spike squirm uncomfortably on my back, Fluttershy's good spirits left, and she returned to her initial shy attitude or so I thought at the beginning, even when she tried to cover herself with her hair the guilt was noticeable in her. The whole face

I know the face of someone who is sorry, maybe if he had seen her last week, I wouldn't have noticed, but after Blueblood...

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable…” I tried to apologize, but that only served to sink her further. As if he had hit her, her eyes moistened, and he began to bite her lip, holding back her tears.

I had no idea what to do until I felt a prick on my neck. It was Spike “I think he needs some time alone” He said, whispering in my ear. Something I should add is that it was much quieter than those ponies were. Before

I decided to listen to her and give the pony her space while she slowly returned to formation with her friends.

"What happened?" I asked unconsciously

“Discord” The unexpected response baffled me on several levels

Once I got rid of the surprise of the answer I wasn't expecting, my brain finally processed the name.

LIE! Denial was the first thing that came to mind

Even if he did that, I talked to Discord and made him promise that every time he changed something, he would return it to normal after playing

He wouldn't lie to me!

Despite the impact of the news, I managed to maintain control only because he was a child I was talking to.

"Really?"

The boy looked at me strangely without understanding why it was so hard for me to believe. “Didn't you see what he did when he freed himself? It's also the reason we're here… poor Blueblood, it wasn't fair to him.”

My mind spun several times when I noticed something that didn't match.

“Discord… Did it have anything to do with what happened to Blueblood?” I asked, bewildered.

Again, I earned a bewildered look from Spike. “Don't you read the newspaper, or are you living under a rock?”

Ouch

“I only read the newspaper sometimes, and I live in the forest” Note that I only managed to confuse him more, and at another time I would have gladly answered his questions, but not now “There is a village in the middle of the forest, and I received my invitation just a few hours ago, When everything finally went back to normal, can we go back to Discord?”

He nodded in understanding and began to explain, although somewhat downcast. "Well... when it all started, the princesses called us to help." I raised an eyebrow at that, but I didn't interrupt him. "At first everything was normal... well, as normal as a girl can be." adventure against chaos, but with so many adventures, I think we are already used to the strangeness, or well, we were” He stopped for a second as if he didn't know how to continue, he didn't even notice that I had stopped my march completely

“We failed” Finally he said “He separated us, and when we met again, everyone was... different, Discord changed them, and we didn't know what to do to get them back to normal. We didn't even see him after that, as if he had completely forgotten about us.” She continued speaking with more and more force in her voice “Although a few hours later everything returned to normal on its own, except Twilight, for her, it was worse, not being able to complete her mission and losing her friends affected her, and Discord didn't even care. I didn't even touch her, and she turned gray on her own, and when I finally manage to gather the girls to support her, we get the news that she blew up the castle, injuring who knows how many ponies and Blue!… Blueblood-"

I stopped him right there and pulled him towards me to give him another hug, this time he didn't resist.

She hadn't been able to understand all the details of his story, and she had questions, but now he had a child screaming with rage and on the verge of crying with frustration, and for nothing in the world was she going to leave him without comfort.

We were there for a while, and among the ponies that passed by, some showed curiosity and seemed to want to help in some way, but I just shook my head for them to continue on their way. It was strange to see so many strangers wanting to get involved in someone else's business, but I didn't give it any importance as I petted the poor lizard without caring that my fur was stained with slime and snot.

“Now, now, it's okay, you did very well.”

“I failed at everything” He didn't yell at me just because my fur drowned out the sound.

"He was practically a God" I reminded him "And you barely look over ten years old, I don't even understand what you were doing there." I had a small spasm when I felt his claws digging into me, but luckily it wasn't enough to make me bleed, and that's why even the illusion could be maintained

Understood, don't mention age. I mentally scolded myself. I should know better than anyone how much it pisses someone off to be reminded how small they are.

"And yet here you are, with all your friends. If Discord was dangerous enough to demolish the castle with people still inside, imagine what he could have done to your friends, but you managed to protect them." The claws retracted, and his body stopped moving. Being so tense, it seems that it is right for him to continue on that path “You said that you managed to reunite them, they could have ended up in who knows where with who knows what, and despite that, you managed to find them and bring them to a safe place, it doesn't matter "Whether you defeated Discord or not, you protected those who were with you, that was what was important."

Finally, he calmed down. I gave him a moment as he turned away from me, still sniffling but much calmer. “Did I really do it right?”

I gave him a confident smile. “Better than anyone would have done.” I patted his head, and he finally worked up the courage to smile again.

And just then, I felt a great flutter accompanied by an icy breeze right behind me.

Luna, maybe the girls were wondering where I had gone with Spike, or they saw me from the castle, I don't know.

I was stunned the moment I turned around

Wow… just wow… she is beautiful

I mean, she was always beautiful, but that seemed to be the natural state of alicorns, they seemed to possess a natural beauty not only in appearance but also in actions, their mere appearance and presence combined made it seem like any movement was smooth and graceful.

Whether this happens due to countless years of discipline from being in the position of ruler or whether it is something natural to them, I have no idea. Not that I care much, I had already gotten used to it.

But now it was different. If the term 'Absolute beauty' could be considered their natural state, just imagine what it would look like if they really tried to look pretty.

I talk about mundane things like makeup, hairstyles, dresses, etc... but nothing in them could be considered mundane.

“I apologize, am I interrupting?” Her voice somehow sounded even softer and sweeter than it already was.

“N-no, I just tripped, and he was helping me up.” No one believed poor Spike, not only because of the tone of insecurity in his voice, but also because of the tears that he had not managed to completely erase.

It's bad at lying... I'm going to change that, but not now. I'll enjoy the view

Luna was smart enough not to say anything. “Very well, in that case, I must thank you for helping him.”

“Aha…” I said, but I forgot to close my mouth.

"Something happens?" I wonder obviously noticing my quirks

"Just thought"

"That? Yes, I am allowed to ask”

I was about to respond, but Spike started to shake and slipped away from my embrace. “Why do you feel so cold all of a sudden?”

He advanced through the town to the central building of the village, the largest of all, trying to reach an accelerated pace so that there would not be so many witnesses to the state of his king and not cause unnecessary panic due to a simple combination of fatigue and stress.

At the same time, he tried to remain as stable in his gait as possible so as not to be a nuisance to his brother, who was resting on his back.

Luckily, there were not so many deer in the place, most likely they had also become tired from the recent activities, and now that everything was returning to normal, they did not hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity to rest.

Just before reaching the entrance, it was opened by another doe, and although they did not have any personal grudges between them, it was impossible to hide her displeasure upon seeing him. It was not that she was dissatisfied with Hawthorn, but rather with the situation he was in and possibly a certain irresponsible bicorn

Fyr held the door open and made sure nothing hindered Hawthorn's path to his bedroom, where he would leave his brother as gently as he could.

Which wasn't much since a crooked leg unbalanced him enough to drop his brother, now a victim of gravity.

A hollow sound echoed as Aspen's head hit the rounded edge of the bed's backrest.

"What was that?"

“A gas” He excused himself, and Fyr looked at him with revulsion and quickly walked away from there, luckily for Hawthorn, who now saw his brother with her tongue hanging out and her eyes blank.

He surreptitiously covered it with the sheets until only the antlers were exposed.

What had Forest told him some time ago? Too beautiful for this world?

He looked again under the covers at the wild eyes and messy, sweaty fur, all accompanied by a kind of snoring that could easily be confused with suffocation.

Nope

He stepped back and closed the bedroom door, so his brother could finally rest in peace.

But obviously his day couldn't end so peacefully, as soon as he put a hoof in the direction of his room, he was intercepted by a cold gaze that searched his soul.

Realizing that the only way to escape this would be to fake a heart attack or have one, he decided to start the conversation “Is something wrong, Fyr?”

“You know perfectly well what's going on,” she replied dryly.

Of course, he knew it, just like all of Equestria, knowing who Discord was, not many would be comfortable in his presence, and now he would be a regular guest thanks to Forest "You'll have to be a little more specific, a lot has happened today."

He wasn't going to miss the opportunity to annoy his sister-in-law a little if she was given the chance, it had been an unusually hectic and stressful day, and if he could take it out a little, even better, on his natural enemy, he would be happy to take it out. I would

But to her surprise, her response was not what she expected, she didn't even speak to him, instead, she threw a piece of paper in his face. She just looked at him while he took the paper and stretched it out. Make it readable

Quickly, he realized that the paper was what the ponies called diaries, the deer did not have these things. Although their villages were scattered throughout Equestria, they lived in small communities with little or no contact with the outside, so they did not think this kind of thing was necessary

She thought about asking how and when she got it until she read the headline. Her breath hitched, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“It's a lie” I don't even doubt it, her words were said with complete certainty

He may not have spent much time with the spirit of chaos, but even the most idiotic would know the difference between a murderous psychopath and a child with the power of God.

Aspen was not the only one who was on the edge with the unexpected visit of chaos, especially when the civilian deer and fawns were nearby, unaware of the presence of the being they were in front of, however, unlike his brother, who was with his hair standing on end until his mind finally failed, Hawthorn relaxed as time went by, realizing as time went by that this was a situation that was not up to him and nothing he did would change anything.

Contrary to what many seemed to think, he was not an airhead, or at least not completely. One does not become a general simply by being the brother of the village leader... well in some places maybe, but not in the Everfree

With the amount of danger that inhabits this forest, it is essential to know when to retreat, and in this case, in which they were being visited/Invaded by what could be the most powerful being in the world, I came to the conclusion that as long as it did not harm them, the best thing I could do was be courteous.

“I don't think so either, keep reading.” That answer only confused him more, but he wisely decided not to protest and follow her order.

As soon as he finished reading, he began to point out the fragments of information he had managed to gather from him. “Then… Discord broke free.” He pointed to the heading and lowered his hoof down the paper as he continued his explanation. “He trapped the princesses, he played pranks on them and the guards, he unleashed his magic across Equestria... then he came back to kill them all with an explosion, and then he left, taking his chaos magic with him.” He shook his head repeatedly. "It's too erratic, even for him."

“Finally, we agreed on something, but that's exactly what worries me.” I snatched the diary from his hooves, looking for a specific part. “I don't think it was Discord, I don't think he's been back to Canterlot since he freed himself.”

Connecting the dots in his head, Hawthorn understood the reason for his concern. “So, who attacked the castle?”

Fyr did not say anything, instead, he looked at the end of the hallway, where one of those new Timberwolves with a duster could be seen diligently passing through every corner of the mansion, an image that contrasted terribly with the appearance of the beast that, from any point of view, was made for combat

Fyr felt a chill. The cursed were scattered throughout the village, doing all kinds of tasks, from sweeping the floor and babysitting to more demanding tasks such as construction and harvesting.

“You can't be serious.” Faced with Hawthor's apparent inability to remain silent, Fyr dragged him into one of the many rooms.

Those things could hear and see everything, they were not safe in front of those things

“He had to meet Discord at some point,” he stated as he locked the door.

“Yes, but he could have been anywhere, he just appears and disappears at will, you saw it.”

"True, and that's why it's strange that they met so soon, Discord had all of Equestria, maybe even the world, to move around, and yet she brings him here just hours after his release. What are the chances that that happens?"

Hawthorn pondered internally. He had to acknowledge that what he said had validity, but... “Do you have any evidence to support this?”

Fyr looked away “Just... my instinct” That was the problem, without evidence, no one could even dare point to the heart of the forest, and even if the act could be done, it would be considered almost heretical due to the beliefs of their people “But I'm sure if we push a little, maybe we'll send some deer to investigate Equestria or arrange a meeting with the princesses."

“Are you suggesting that the princesses are covering this up?” The implications of what Fyr was saying were already serious enough for simply being against what was possibly the embodiment of his faith in nature, and now he was calling the princesses liars?!

“I don't know, but we can find out if we just-” The queen of the forest tried to give more ideas, but Hawthorn wouldn't let her.

"No"

"That?" Fyr asked in confusion.

"Just no"

“Are you seriously going to ignore this? Just because she's the only one who tolerates you besides your brother? It's your responsibility to make sure we're safe, and finding out if we're sharing a roof with a murderer is just one of the things you should-"

"I already know it!" At her sudden hostile tone, Fyr took a few steps back. Hawthorn had never dared speak to her that way, but she had struck a chord. “Understand this!” Noticing his tone that could almost be mistaken for threatening, he forced himself to calm down before continuing, “Can you imagine what would happen if Equestria found out that we were harboring the person responsible for the attack on their princesses' castle and that we even befriended the spirit?” of the chaos that attacked them? “Can you imagine… what Celestia would do if she found out about our involvement in the death of her nephew?”

Fyr felt like she was short of breath as her face slowly lost its color. “… She wouldn't do it,” she said, but it seemed like she was trying to convince herself as well.

“According to your theory, she already changed the truth as it suited her best, what else do you think she is capable of doing? And even if you decide to forgive that, we both know what ponies are like, how incapable they are of adapting to things that are different, and... how they react to fear... they are not going to forgive us for this, whether we are guilty or not.

Having made her point, silence took over the room, as did doubt, fear and uncertainty in their hearts.

“You have to fix this” With no other options in sight, her queen could only give that order.

“I will plow it” And the general accepted her new mission, and with it, the future of her people and possibly the world now also depended on him.

…

If only I had some idea where to start... maybe I'll ask someone... Is that weird zebra still around?

The respectful silence was interrupted only by the occasional cry of some overly sensitive pony, in other words, almost everyone

She was genuinely surprised, the vast majority of these ponies had probably barely even heard or found out that they had a prince, and those who were well-informed surely hadn't heard anything good about him.

And yet he was mourned, as the coffin supposedly containing his remains was left in Canterlot's central square for hours so people could pay their respects.

He would then be taken back to the castle, where Celestia herself would perform the final rites and carry his body to its final resting place.

I watched everything from a distance, from one of the balconies of the castle, along with the royal sisters. At some point, Spike and his friends, along with Cadance were also here, but for some time they came down to pay their respects as well.

The crying could be heard up to here, how crybaby can they be? I didn't mean to insult anyone with that, but we've been here for hours. At first, I just ignored them out of respect and because a small part of me knew that this was my fault and I had to pay.

But that small part of me put aside her understanding of him and lit a fire when she found out that this was all a farce.

I asked Luna to tell me what happened... needless to say, I didn't believe her at all, not only because I was there but also because she was a terrible liar. At one point, Celestia jumped into the conversation while detailing with practiced precision how Discord brutalized the royal guard, and his nephew did what he could to distract him, heroically managing to take him to the library, where he overcame the few magical defenses that remained in the castle, giving his life for Equestria.

Luna couldn't hide the grimace on her face, even with all the years of practice going into her poker face.

On the other hand, I was left blank-eyed as I finally understood what the hell Blueblood was doing in the library.

He was hiding

That was why the enchantments on the door to the forbidden area of the library were still in place when he arrived. At the first sign of danger, he ran to the best protected place and used his magic to reinforce the magical lock, narrowly rejecting the magic. Of chaos

Ironically, if he hadn't done it, he would still be alive.

My thoughts ended abruptly when I felt something extremely soft sliding and enveloping me.

“Spirit” I turned at Luna's call.

"Yeah?" She had been so lost, thinking I didn't notice her and trying to talk to me until she caught me with one of her wings.

“Nothing, just... you looked a little... forget it, are you feeling okay?”

What can I say? “Not much, really.” I knew she had to lie, and fortunately, I was one of those who knew that the truest lies were the ones that carried some truth.

It was not difficult for me to fake an expression of pain and discomfort

Luna's gaze showed concern, and she turned to speak to Celestia. “Sister, I wish to take my… friend.” I noticed a certain amount of pride in using that word. “To a less busy place to talk, if that's okay.”

I thought it was cute that Luna did this for me, however, Celestia shook her head. “I don't think so, Luna, it is in times like this that we have to show that we are still strong and united to calm the worries of our ponies.”

“I understand, sister, that's why we came outside our duties to attend this event, but I highly doubt that being away for a few hours will affect us in any way.”

Celestia looked conflicted, so I decided to contribute "I think it's a little inconsiderate not to think about your sister." The hostility in her eyes was immediate. "Not all of us can remain stoic in the face of loss, you know?"

Luna was visibly uncomfortable, but she decided to remain silent, although I think it was more because she didn't know how to get into the conversation than because she agreed with me.

“Do whatever you want, but in three hours I want you here” He was talking to both of us, but I felt that his gaze was focused specifically on me, almost like a laser beam threatening to open a hole in the back of my neck “Am I clear? ”

“Yes, sister” Luna pulled me away before I had a chance to respond.

I don't even wait, I just use her magic to get rid of me

"HI!” I had to hold back a squeal, from the tail NO damn!

Despite my obvious discomfort, Luna didn't let go of me until we left the room, out of sight of her bossy sister.

“That was disrespectful.” Finally, she let my sore bottom rest.

“Ok, maybe I missed it a little” I said while she rubbed my buttocks. I noticed that she was moving away from her, so I started to follow her.

"That?" He asked before my constant gaze

“You look a little... frustrated” Poker face or not, those eyes say a lot

“All this could have been avoided if only I had known, all it took was a simple question to my sister and-”

“I think I'm going to interrupt you right there, Luna” He was a little upset when I stopped his wailing, but it would be pretty stupid to hear this line of blame again “Be mad if you want, but I'm not going to accept you blaming yourself for something you didn't know would happen, It is the epitome of stupidity. The best thing you can do in this situation is learn from your mistakes, not let them block you”

He stayed for a while thinking about that and about how we were heading to what he noticed was her room. “… Your words have merit.”

Until it helps me to have so many movies and series, they always give the best phrases

“I just can't help but feel like I'm to blame for this, it's supposed to be our kingdom, our subjects that we're supposed to protect, and we failed miserably.”

This... is getting difficult. I kept thinking as we finally reached her room and walked through the doors.

“You… only have part of the blame, but not all.” I had to give in a little.

“Is there a difference?” I ask with disdain

“A huge one, yes.” I stayed near the center of the room as she headed to her desk. “Not all of Equestria's care is supposed to be yours alone, no one believes or expects you to solve everything, that's why it's yours.” "And before you tell me another stupid "The reason why this is your fault, I want you to know that I will burn all your things if you do it."

Her muzzle closed, she knew what I was capable of, however, it didn't take long for her to smile. Did I do it right?

“Anyway, I think... I'm going to miss it,” she finally said wistfully as she returned her attention to the furniture.

“I didn't know you liked me so much.”

“Haha, of course not” She opened one of her drawers and took out a false bottom. Is that a hidden drawer? "But he was one of the first ponies I was able to meet upon my return, he was also in charge of teaching me proper modern behavior... it didn't end well"

Despite the obvious unpleasantness of the memory, the smile on his face did not disappear even for an instant. A small sting returned to my mind, I barely made out what it was, guilt. I tried to hold on to that feeling as much as I could, but it was fading worryingly fast.

"Want?" While I was lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the reason for Luna's search.

"Came?" It was an ancient bottle, the label was in a language incomprehensible to me, or at least what was left, as most of it seems to have been lost long ago.

“Straight from my sister's royal warehouse” He stated proudly as she poured a glass

"… Wait to? “Wasn't she the one who made these things illegal in the first place?” Well... not illegal, it's just highly regulated, and it's not like anyone is bothered by that. From what I've learned from watching the ponies, it seems that they don't even like it, and as far as I could find out, they don't have a great variety either. Apart from the wine, I have only heard of apple cider

“He only collects them, he doesn't drink them, although from what he told me, he usually shares them with representatives of other nations. Besides, this one was mine, so it's not bad that I have it” He said while caressing the bottle as if it were a cute kitten

“Right, and the fact that she was in a hidden drawer was due to a simple lack of space.” She ignored my sarcasm as she took a big sip. “I think I finally discovered the smuggler from the night watch.”

“BUSH, COF” Luna choked on the wine to the point that she had to spit it out. The problem was that she couldn't get the glass out of the way, so it ended up redirecting itself right into her face while she continued coughing.

Meanwhile, I was trying not to die from the lack of air that escaped me due to the uncontrolled curls caused by such a spectacle.

“How do you know?!” I ask as she wipes the remains of the alcohol and ruined makeup from her face with the dress, discarding it on the spot. Something tells me that a certain unicorn would have a heart attack if she saw this.

Don't look too much, don't look too much, don't look too much. How is it that for a race for which stripping is considered common, stripping is still so exciting?

“Don't count on Shadow to keep secrets.” She rubbed her paw with her hoof as she murmured what I can only guess were future lamentations from the poor guard.

“I can forgive him for having talked more than he should with you, but forgiving you for the loss of such precious nectar is a more complicated matter,” she pointed out to me accusingly.

“Oh, and please tell me, princess, what could I do to make up for such a sin?” She responded to my joke by bringing her glass to my lips. “Nope.” I tried to back away, but her horn lit up, and I was dragged toward her. “Wait, let's talk about this.”

I hate alcohol, no matter how it is served to me. Of the few times I drank wine, it was for a ceremony in the church, and then I had to pray, but not because I was making peace with God but because I knew that my mother would send me with him he did spit the damn thing at the bishop

Obviously, Luna didn't care, she just forced me to open my mouth and pour the liquid, she didn't let go until I was empty.

Oh... wow, she somehow doesn't taste so bad... wait a second

Sweet baby Jesus! The world is melting!

Luna looked expectantly at her friend without realizing that she had just given her a large dose of what was one of the strongest liquors in her world.

"And?"

“Mm… Excelsior”

Luna shook her head in confusion, knowing her friend's comment was surely a reference to something, but she had no idea what it was.

"CRACK"

"Oops, I'll clean it up." It seemed like he was trying to pick up the remains of the broken cup with his magic, but it didn't activate, resulting in a staring duel against the floor for about five minutes in which Luna had already cleaned it, but Spirit didn't seem to notice

Luna began to believe that maybe she had gone too far.

Now that she thought about it, this bottle had been found in one of the warehouses of a ruined fortress that she and her sister had taken refuge in during Discord's reign, it was one of the extremely rare places that chaos magic could not find. For some reason, that magic left random places untouched for the simple fact that being random was in its nature

She found it appropriate to drown her sorrows in something she had already suffered and survived chaos magic not once but twice now.

She had only been opened once after a great victory against the Griffon tribes, who threatened to become the new tyrants, taking advantage of the void left by Discord's defeat. Then she was sealed with magic and forgotten until his return.

She seemed to remember that at that time the label indicated a date almost six centuries before her birth... adding to all the time that passed...

“Wait a second, where is she?” She briefly wondered if this bottle was bewitched to be forgetful in some way, considering the number of times it had to have been lost to survive to this day.

"What is love?!" Luna jumped when the sheets of her bed flew off to make room for an improvised stage “Oh baby, don' t hurt me, don' t hurt me, no more”

Spirit started to sing, it wasn't a problem, in fact, the music was catchy, the movement he made with his head was almost hypnotizing, and I could almost hear the rhythm that should accompany the melody. It would have been a good show... if it weren't for the dance... the way he moved, and how his whole body moved

His hips too, especially his hips, were what moved the most by far, turning the pleasant music into another type of spectacle.

One that left Luna speechless in her place, and the one in which the lyrics of the song could easily be mistaken for a declaration of love, didn't help at all.

“I want no other, no other lover, this is our life, our time, when we are together, I need you forever. Is it love?"

At that exact moment, Luna's heart skipped a beat... because Spirit had leaned to the edge of the bed, dangerously reducing the space between their faces.

At her alarm, Luna carelessly jumped back, causing her to fall.

Spirit couldn't care less when she left her stage and began stalking Luna, similar to a predator. “Yeah, whoa, whoa, ooh, ooh”

Luna tried to get away from her, but Spitir had the advantage of standing, so it was easy for him to climb on top of her while she crawled on her back.

Closer

Closer

…

Too close “Don't hurt me, don't m - PUNCH” Luna. I don't even doubt it, the ponies of this era could be more reserved when it came to violence, but she was still old school “Aaauch”

While her friend writhed in a daze, she stood up. She hadn't exaggerated, right? “Come… honey, you need to rest.”

“I specifically asked you not to hurt me” She complained with teary eyes.

Luna just rolled her eyes at him as he levitated her back to the bed until she felt a tug. “Are you going to leave me?” Spirit was now pulling her hair while he looked at her with a sad puppy face.

“Now, now, step aside” Realizing that this was probably the best way for her to relax, she decided to give in.

“Yupiii”

Luna decided not to comment as she climbed onto her bed, looking for a relatively comfortable position, until she felt something hard that she lifted to identify that it was her, and upon discovering it, she was incredulous. “Did you drink it all?”

It was the bottle, once again forgotten

“Mmh… it was sweet,” Spirit said with joy at the memory of the delicious nectar as she wrapped herself in the previously discarded sheets.

“Thank you for describing it to me, because now I will never know,” Luna said with evident depressed anger.

“Wasn't it already open?”

"I had only opened it once, and unfortunately I decided to be courteous and serve first to one of our guests, who fainted on the spot. Then I had to protect the bottle with my life, since the guards thought I had poisoned him, and they wanted to take it away from me to examine it... an internal war almost started, but that was the least of it." He told his story with pride until he realized that something didn't add up. "Now that I think about it, how are you still conscious? This amount would surely take down adult Yack.”

“… It wasn't that strong, whiskey is harder, and that wine was almost like a juice... a good juice-hiccup” Now he was starting to have a hiccup attack that only made him laugh “Jiji”

Luna had no idea what kind of drink that was, but she was curious.

“Mm, juu, juu” Luna's thoughts stopped before a sudden cry.

“And now, why are you crying?” Could alcohol really alter emotions so easily? Just three seconds ago, she was laughing like crazy.

“Um, I want to go home” She said between moans and cries. It wasn't the first time he talked about his home, it only took a push from him, and they could talk for hours, but he couldn't help but notice a certain melancholy and sometimes pain in those stories

Spirit never told her why it hurt him so much to talk about her home, but she could already get an idea by noticing how she always avoided the topic of how she got to Equestria among many other things she avoided.

But still, Luna didn't know what to say. What was she supposed to say? She decided not to think about it and let out some of their shared emotions.

"Me too"

That caught Spirit's attention “Do you miss them too?”

“To whom?”

"To your parents"

That question truly caught the princess off guard. How long has it been since she thought about them? “I… I guess... so” Now more than ever, she regretted not stealing more wine from the cellar, she could really use some.

Spirit continued, feeling interrupted periodically by sobs “My mother often scolded me and yelled at me for anything, no matter how small... that's why I always did what I could to avoid her... although it didn't help that we lived in the same house.” Her crying had stopped, but the melancholy remained both in his face and in his voice

Luna didn't really feel comfortable with this, she hadn't brought up the subject of her parents since... When? Do I even talk to her sister about this? Or did they both just bury it so deep that even she could say they forgot the event that defined her life? She didn't even remember the last time she thought about them.

“Hey,” her friend called her, and Luna noticed how her outline had become blurry. “Are you okay?”

Spirit used the blanket she had used to cover herself to wipe the tears from Luna's eyes.

“I guess I missed them more than I imagined,” Luna said with some discomfort and gratitude as she felt her friend comfort her.

“Did you lose them too?” Luna didn't like receiving so many personal questions at once, but the recent death of her newest family member touched wounds that never fully healed, and knowing that her friend had gone through a similar experience made her feel like she wasn't so alone. How you would normally feel

"Yes... in those times, we ponies didn't have anything resembling a government, just some nomadic tribes and isolated villages, it was all so simple... but once the predators found you, it was all over..." The conflict was visible in the girl's eyes. Lunar princess, as if memories of the easiest and warmest moments of her life competed with the worst of horrors to see who had more relevance in her life

Seeing that the princess stopped, either because she didn't want to say more or couldn't, Spirit took it as her cue to continue "... I... I didn't talk to my mother because I didn't want her to give me another lecture... now there are times when I can't sleep thinking about that... it was so easy... to walk in, kiss her on the forehead, and tell her that I love her... so easy." One simply does not realize how many things one usually takes for granted, one believes that everything is insured until one day it stops being that way

Following the example of his companion Luna, he considers the moment of silence as his signal to continue "Despite all the years that have passed and everything I have experienced, I still cannot forget that day, I remember it perfectly... especially my mistake." …” She took a moment to swallow the painful lump that had formed in her throat, preventing her from continuing. Spirit comforted her with hugs until she calmed down, something she really appreciated “I fought with them almost always… most of the time I didn't even have a real reason, I just... I felt left out…”

Realizing that she would not continue, Spirit decided to give her a minute to calm down her emotions. She may have been drunk, but there are things that are not lost, no matter what state you are in. "I'm sorry for not being the right one for you to talk about." this, but I know you need to let this go, Luna. Since I've known you, I've seen you get down on yourself. Almost every time you do something well or feel happy, just a few seconds later you force yourself to return to your serious face, it's like you think that everything you do has no value."

“Most of those moments you talk about happened in the world of dreams, they were not real” She stated

"You see it? That's just what I mean, what does it matter if it was a dream? Or a game? If it made you happy, then what's wrong with it?!” Spirit was starting to raise her voice. She knew it wasn't good to force anyone to say something they didn't want to, but this time it had been the closest she had ever been to her speaking up and saying... anything. She didn't know what, but I was sure I needed to get it out.

Luna had erected a wall around her, a wall that prevented her from always being in true contact with anyone outside her. Over time, this wall even blocked the way to her sister, whom she had long begun to see as a stranger

But the unexpected mention of her parents had revealed a weakness in the structure, and Spirit, like a ruthless conqueror, did not hesitate to take advantage of this structural defect and attack in order to open a hole in the wall.

“Luna… What happened to your parents… and your home?” It was low, and it certainly wasn't a matter for Spitir to get involved in, they hadn't even known each other that long, and he barely had the right to call her a friend, but the alcohol took away the most rational part of his brain and replaced it with a morbid curiosity. And a distorted sense of duty

"What did you do?"

It was like this, with one last mention from her parents, that the great wall finally weakened, and the occasional tears turned into crying: “I just wanted to show that I was as good as her, that they would see me as they saw her, I didn't know. That others would see me!... I had no way of knowing..." Once again, she was choked by a mixture of sobs, some emotional trauma and feelings so depressive that they would put any Emos fan to shame "I just... I wanted to be perfect too”

After that, Luna froze, refused to speak, and covered her face with her front paws, similar to a child covering her face with her knees, hoping that if she stayed like that long enough, everything would go away. What is wrong in the world will go away on its own

There was a lot to consider and very little to work with, he couldn't really understand what had happened before Luna closed again, but there was something he managed to catch on to, there was only one person it could have been referring to as far as he knew, and so nothing in the world was going to let him continue with an idea as ridiculous as that.

“Do you want to be like Celestia?” Lula's crying stopped, contrary to the act, and that said a lot in itself

With confirmation that her doubts were correct, Spirit did not hesitate to tell her what she thought "That will never happen, no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you change or how much you do to be more like her, you will never be close to being like her"

Those words said so directly at such a sensitive moment hurt her deeply, but Spirit had no plans to stop, she knew that Luna needed to be clear about this once and for all.

“Your subjects will never see you the same, you will never be the symbolic princess that everyone looks at with devotion, in fact, I am sure that literally anyone else could be her except you!” Luna was disoriented, she had no idea what she had done to deserve such a verbal attack.

In the end, that was a good thing, since if she had been in any other state, her friend would most likely have ended up with a lot of broken bones at best.

Luckily, she just had to listen a little more.

“On the other hand… there is no one else who can be like you.” The sudden change did little to alleviate her condition “Celestia may be the image of perfection, but it's only because she created that perception.” Spirit grabbed Luna's forehead. And I put them aside so that I could see them well

“Anyone can look pretty, say what everyone wants to hear, and bathe in flattery while feigning modesty to appear humble.” She took Luna's face in her paws to force her to look directly at her. “But not you, you're not like that, no matter how convenient.” "Whatever it may look like to pretend to be someone you're not, you just stand your ground and aren't afraid to say their shit to whoever you're talking to in the face."

"If the situation goes wrong, you don't look for excuses, you look for the source of the problem and cut it. I won't lie and tell you that that makes you perfect, but it's much better than living a lie" Spitir stared into Luna's eyes, who finally seemed to react again "The ponies may love your sister, but it is an empty love, none of them really know her or would be willing to do for her what I do for you now"

Spirit gave her gentle caresses as she wiped the tears from the princess's eyes. “You may not have as many followers as your sister, but I assure you that there is not a pony, griffin, dragon, or a fucking alien that doesn't love you after “A single night with you, and that is far more valuable than any amount of hollow love and dry devotion.”

The affection expressed both in her words and in her actions scared her away from all the fatalistic emotions that flooded the alicorn's mind a few moments ago.

“And if I haven't convinced you right now, I promise I won't give up until I get it... I'll even make the ponies realize how great your night is if that makes you feel better.” As she finished her vow, she simply shrugged her shoulders. At that last part, as if it were no big deal, as if promising to make her happy no matter what the cost or giving her what she had most longed for over a millennium were something natural to do for her, as if the effort required was something that anyone should be willing to do for her

Luna had forgotten the last time she had felt like this... an almost lost memory came to her, she was in a warm place, she was being crushed to the point where it was difficult for her to breathe... it was her mother, her father and her sister as they did everything. Possible by transmitting all the love that was possible through mere physical contact

She needed to feel it again, and in her attempt to replicate it, she grabbed the closest thing and pressed it hard against her chest.

And she felt that he returned her gesture with no less affection than she had received so long ago.

Princess Luna, guardian of dreams, co-ruler of Equestria for the first time in longer than she could remember, felt loved.

And…

… She felt that she reciprocated that love.