Princess Celestia walks down the dimly lit hallway of the Canterlot Castle. The dark veil of the night covers the sky outside, bright stars giving a beautiful hue to the landscape. However, Celestia finds it hard to look outside the window. Instead, her head hangs low, thoughts swarming throughout her mind. Despite how much she tries to persuade herself otherwise, her mind persists. She’s given her sister as much space as she can, but every time she wants to spend some time with Princess Luna, it doesn’t work out. Luna always has some excuse to stay in her tall tower.
The sound of her hooves echoes in the hall, only reminding the princess how lonely she feels. It’s already been a year since Princess Luna has returned to her, but Celestia can’t say she knows her… For all she knows, Luna could like reading novels in her spare time. Or maybe Luna enjoys watching comedies. When Celestia thinks about it, she knows barely anything about her dear sister. That’s probably the thing that hurts her the most. Luna used to share everything with her before Nightmare Moon. But now? That is the farthest from the truth. Luna just locks herself in her room and stays away from the outside world. Unfortunately, that usually includes her. The most amount of time she can get with Luna is when she sets the sun and talks with her for a few minutes before Luna takes control of the night.
“I was thinking that… maybe we could spend some time together,” Celestia whispers to herself as if she is rehearsing some kind of speech. “Could we eat dinner together? No guards and distractions?” Celestia’s voice is full of doubt, knowing the answer Luna will probably give her. Half of her mind tells her it’s not worth the trouble, but Celestia knows that it’s always better to ask than to assume.
Using her magic to open the door in front of her, Celestia steps out of the hallway and into a dark, vertical corridor, going upward for at least a few stories. A loud clank echoes throughout the stairwell, submerging Celestia in almost complete darkness. A small sigh leaves her lips. Her horn begins to illuminate the immediate surroundings just as her wings bring her hooves off the ground. The sound of the door closing surely alerted Luna to her presence. Celestia can’t help but wonder why Luna makes everything so dark. Even her own bedroom lacks light. Luna claims it is because she’s the princess of the night, but Celestia sometimes thinks it’s also because of Luna’s guilt.
“If I was an earth pony, I wouldn’t be able to get up to you,” Celestia mentions with a chuckle, the sound echoing up the stairwell. Celestia’s wings bring her upward, small amounts of light from the top of the stairwell bounce off the walls. Reaching the top of the stairwell, Celestia briefly looks out the window before inspecting the door in front of her. Resting her hooves on the ground, Celestia nudges open the ajar door. Looking into the dim room, Celestia can’t help but notice Luna out on the balcony. Her bed is neatly fixed up, but there is a stack of books near the nightstand. The ceiling has glow-in-the-dark stars that would make anyone seem childish except for her. Finally, Celestia looks at the framed pictures on the wall, smiling at how nostalgic Luna can be.
Gently walking through Luna’s room, Celestia makes sure to not disturb anything. The beautiful night sky shines down on the balcony and her sister. Luna’s mane flows in the wind, her eyes looking up at the stars that she manages each night. Stepping out onto the balcony, Celestia sits beside her sister.
“How art thou?” Luna asks Celestia casually, keeping her eyes on the stars.
“That isn’t modern speech,” Celestia teases her sister with a giggle. It never fails to amuse her when Luna lets her old speech patterns slip through.
“Thou art in our space now, not thy own.” Luna’s eyes narrow on a select few stars. Her horn sparks with magic as the bright specks in the sky start to move to where Luna wants them.
“I see. Well, I am doing fine. Would you be alright if we talked for a little while?” Celestia asks Luna, trying to respect her space.
“I wouldn’t mind that,” Luna responds using a more modern tone. Luna takes her eyes off the sky to look at her sister, raising her eyebrow. “Although, shouldn’t thou be in bed?” Luna asks curiously.
“I would be, but I wanted to spend some time with my sister.” Celestia’s answer seems to satisfy Luna’s curiosity, making both mares turn their gaze towards the city in front of them.
“A thousand years ago, hardly a single pony stayed awake at night,” Luna mentions quietly, her eyes focused on the bustling city. “Now? There are a lot of ponies who spend their nights doing errands or going to work. Technology caused all of this in a way.” Celestia turns her eyes to Luna, surprised to hear her thoughtful words. Luna’s eyes almost look… sorrowful. “Still though. They almost never appreciate the night. At least I can appreciate my work.” Luna’s horn comes to life once more, moving the stars with a small smile. A smile that Celestia can’t help but share.
“I appreciate your work as well, Luna. Even if it seems like I don’t.” Celestia’s wing wraps around Luna’s shoulders, trying to remind her sister of her presence. “I was thinking about doing something together, actually.”
Luna’s eyes turn to Celestia, a bigger look of curiosity painted on the alicorn’s face. “Tia, thou know of mine busy schedule. I-”
“I know, I know. I was just wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve done that. Well, more like a few months. Still. I thought it would be nice to talk without any other distractions.” Celestia motions her head towards the night sky that Luna has been attentively working on throughout this whole conversation. A small silence follows Celestia’s proposal, making her sure she knows the answer Luna has in mind. Even though her sister is most likely going to say no, Celestia has enjoyed the small amount of time they have spent together.
“Alright,” Luna mentions quietly, standing up from her seated position. “Give me an hour to settle some things. Some dreams need to be quelled before I can give thou my full attention.” Celestia can’t believe what her ears are telling her. Luna spends all of her time alone, even when she’s offered chances to spend time with Celestia. Now, she seems pretty open to the idea of eating dinner with her sister. In a way, it makes Celestia feel excited. It’s pretty late in the night to have dinner and she expected to do this another night, but this should work just fine.
The crackling of the fireplace is the only sound in the dining room. A table for two is set up according to Celestia’s liking. The princess places two plates down on the table with her magic. A small chuckle escapes her lips, impressed with her own craftsmanship. Luna’s favorite food is relatively easy to make, but difficult to make perfect. A daisy salad needs the right care and attention. Something only Celestia or the royal chef knows how to do.
Walking over to her side of the table, Celestia sits down on her chair. A glass of water floats up to her lips delicately. The crackling of the fire puts Celestia’s mind at ease, but she holds off on eating any of her food. It is rude to eat without the presence of her meal partner, after all.
The sound of the great decorated doors opening fills the room and Celestia’s ears. Her gaze turns to the entrance of the dining room. A dark mare stands in the entrance with her crown shining from the flames of the fireplace. Luna’s blue eyes almost seem to glow, but that can be due to Celestia’s tired mind. She isn’t used to staying up this late, but if it is for her sister, she is willing to do it.
Luna gently walks over to the table, the sound of the grand doors closing follows her. The princess looks down at the plate with a gracious smile, seemingly surprised by the choice of food. Sitting down on the opposite side of the table as Celestia, Luna looks towards her sister with a grateful tone in her eyes.
“Tia, you didn’t have to make this for me,” Luna states in a modern dialect.
“I wanted to make something you would enjoy. Why wouldn’t I give you such a meal?” Celestia briefly teases her sister before beckoning her to enjoy the food. A fork levitates into the air, stabbing a piece of the green food on her plate. Luna takes a gentle bite, the smile on her face widening by the second.
“So, why didst thou want to meet?” Luna asks with a pleasant tone, enjoying her food to the fullest. Her eyes are centered on Celestia rather than any star. For a moment, Luna is giving Celestia her full attention. Celestia can’t help but enjoy finally having this moment with her sister.
“Well, I just wanted to talk. Get to know you a little better,” Celestia responds with a chuckle, disregarding her own food for now. Luna looks at Celestia with a confused expression, clearly not understanding the princess’ statement.
“Get to know me? Sister, you know me better than anypony else. Why would you need to know me better?” Luna asks before taking another bite. Her confusion only shows how she has not noticed Celestia’s insecurities recently. That… That is the part that hurts the most. Luna decides to spend her time away from society and even her sister, completely clueless how it affects Celestia. The smile on Celestia’s face fades away…
“Luna, you do nothing but avoid sharing your life with me. You avoid the outside world like the plague and spend as little time with me as possible. Many times, you reject my offers to spend time together. The truth is that I don’t feel like I know you at all.” Celestia can’t help but feel some words catch in her throat. Regardless, the words were delivered correctly.
Luna’s eyes widen at Celestia’s statement. Her fork floats in the same spot for nearly a minute… The princess of the night looks like a thousand thoughts are flying through her head and not a single one stays long enough for her to form a sentence.
“Alright. I… I apologize for making thou feel like that,” Luna responds quietly, placing her fork back down on the table. “I do admit that I have… avoided you. That’s merely due to my own mental discretions, not a fault on your part. I run away because I’m afraid. It’s unnerving to see that the world has changed so much, yet… you haven’t changed at all.” Luna’s eyes look down towards the floor, a sorrowful stare communicating all of her feelings in an instant. “I never meant for this. What would you like to know?” Luna asks Celestia with a monotone voice, trying her best to open up. Celestia can’t help but feel regret for pushing her sister like this, but it’s undeniable that this may lead to good change. Luna finally seems open enough to talk…
“Well, what do you like to do now? With your free time, I mean. You’ve clearly changed after your banishment, so I would love to know what you’re up to.” Celestia’s eyes focus on Luna, ready to hear anything Luna may tell her. The warm light of the fire bounces off of Luna’s fur, giving Celestia a full view of the range of emotions on her face.
“I… I like to play video games sometimes. Although I do not let this compromise my royal duties, I like to indulge in it from time to time when I have the spare time,” Luna explains with a hoof in the air. She gently bites her bottom lip for a few seconds before taking a deep breath, communicating just how nervous she is to Celestia, whether she wants to or not. “I especially like games such as Minecraft, Team Fortress 2, and the Elder Scrolls series. Although, those are far from the only games I play.”
Princess Celestia can’t pretend that she understands what her sister is talking about, but seeing Luna passionate about something is really nice. It’s more engagement than what she’s had in the last few months. To her, this is a breath of fresh air and she is all for it.
“What exactly is Elder Scrolls?” Celestia asks with an amused tone, wanting to learn more about Luna’s hobby. The alicorn of the sun has barely paid attention to what video games are, but the prospect that Luna enjoys it makes Celestia focus her attention on the upcoming explanation.
“Well, it’s a game series about a fantasy setting. Ponies primarily use swords, magic, or bows to fight, and you can form meaningful connections with other characters. It’s played as a role-play game set in the world of Tamriel.” A cocky smile comes to Luna’s lips, followed by a stifled chuckle. “Although, the history of that series is something that would take hours to talk about. Possibly days.” Taking a small bite of her salad, Luna turns her gaze to Celestia, giving her a smile. “The topic of conversation isn’t something thou has to pretend to be interested in.”
“I am interested,” Celestia responds with a reassuring tone, holding her hoof in the air. “I want to know more about you. Although, I’m a little surprised you said you are into video games considering all of the books next to your nightstand.” Celestia can’t help but notice that her words once again seem to confuse her sister. Princess Luna raises her eyebrow as if Celestia said something completely unheard of before.
“Books?” she asks quietly, tilting her head. One of Luna’s ears moves to the side out of pure confusion until a look of realization finally comes over her. “Oh. You mean the video game cases. Those weren’t books, dearest sister. Though, I do not blame you for thinking that considering the dim lighting in my room.” Luna laughs at Celestia’s mistake, a look of pure cheer on the alicorn’s face. Something that Celestia hasn’t seen in a long time… Every part of this dinner has gone surprisingly well. A part of Celestia’s mind can’t believe that Luna is finally sharing these things with her. And how good it feels… It has been so long since she has been able to bond with Luna. Seeing her sister smile and laugh like this almost makes the princess’ heart skip a beat. The way Luna’s eyes sparkle and how passionately she’s able to talk about these subjects just makes Celestia want to talk for hours more.
An even bigger part of Celestia’s mind knows that this can’t be the last time the two of them spend their time together…
