Eternally Loved

~7 years later~

“Are you ready?” The yellow coated pony asked. Her mane was a curvy mixture of pink and peach colors and she had a bright purple eyes that sparkled a little in eagerness.

“Ready.” This time coming from a white coated pony that was next to her, she had a mane and tail that was two shades of blue and a pair of light-blue eyes, both holding a look of determination in them. She also wore a hairband that matched the light blue in her tail.

“We might not make it back. Are you still sure you want to do this?” She asked, giving one last chance to turn back. They only had one chance at this and if they weren't careful, well... they didn't know what would happen.

The blue-maned pony gave a look over the small pile of brush that they were hiding behind, looking across the field at the sleeping white form and nodded.

With that they both slowly crawled out from their small hiding spot that was out of view and approached the white monster that was laying in the grassy field. They had no choice but to cross it in order to get close. Some may have thought that the open field was quite peaceful looking and safe, the colorful flowers and the occasional trees blowing in the breeze. But what they didn't know was that one of the most powerful beings in the world rested among them.

Each step was taken slowly, making as little noise as possible so as not to be caught. This was a risky plan to begin with but they had the element of surprise on their side. The wind was blowing along the grass, masking their steps, and as long as they didn't make too much noise they would be able to approach unnoticed.

A twig that had been lying on the ground snapped as one of them stepped on it, causing them both to freeze and stop all movement, waiting for any movement from the sleeping figure. They stayed still for about a minute until they were sure that it had gone unheard, looking at each other uneasily before continuing.

After a few more steps towards their goal they had finally crossed most of the open field and were now in striking distance of the white beast. They gave a look of finality towards one another and gave a small nod of agreement, and with a loud cry jumped as they pounced on the monster.

But right as they leaped into the air one of the white beast's eyes opened and her muzzle scrunched up, failing to hold in her smile.

“Gotcha!”

She quickly spread out her wings and caught them as they landed into her wings, folding them around the two, the momentum making the large white alicorn tumble over. The two fillies squealed out and tried to squirm away, but they found themselves trapped under the two white wings.

“Awww mom. How did you know!” The yellow coated filly whined and then started giggling as the white goddess ducked under her wing and started nipping at her playfully.

“Well Dawn, I would say it was because I was never really asleep, but even if I was, your 'battle cry' would have woken me anyway.” She said, grinning at the little yellow, pink and peach alicorn.

“You were awake the whole time?! Ohhh...” The blue-mane alicorn filly groaned.

“Sorry Dusk, but you are both a thousand years too early to pull a fast one on me.”

“I don't need a thousand years, just you wait, next time we’ll get you.” Dawn said prodding against her barrel with a hoof, causing her to laugh and roll around, taking Dawn and Dusk with her.

“Okay, Okay, no more, you win!” She called out as Dusk joined her sister and was now tickling and poking her to the point of tears in her eyes.

“Victory!” They both shouted out in glee.

Celestia laugh warmly as she sat up and lower her wings a little to give the two fillies some room to get out. They stayed laying in her wings though, it was a habit they picked up when they were still foals. She would curl them up in her wings and hold them against her when they would cry, and it would always stop their tears right away.

After a full afternoon of playing in the garden behind the castle, they had expelled much of their energy and had to take a small break. Both letting out a cute yawn as they snuggled into her wings. She love her little fillies as much as she loved Luna. They alone made it more than worth the trouble that came when the true came out.

Things actually went as good as they could have hoped went the truth became known. When they first made the public announcement as to their new relationship and of her sister's pregnancy, quite a few were upset, calling them sick and disgusting, some even wanted them to step down from the throne for this. But as they were the ones in charge of moving the sun and the moon, they couldn't really just kick them out as they were important to Equestria and its harmony.

Still a good number of ponies did find it distasteful and crude, many of which were upper class ponies that argued that they should marry into one of their families instead. But after we explained how we couldn't love a pony that wouldn't last as long as we, a few managed to understand and get past how wrong it was.

It wasn't until somepony made the mistake of walking up to Luna and demanding that the pregnancy be terminated, scaring her half to death in fear for her unborn foals, that Celestia got enraged for one of the few times in her life.

After ponies saw the holes burned through the thick stone walls of the throne room from that day, many of those that still disliked the thought caved and gave up.

In the end they were able to keep their stations as the two rulers of Equestria as no one could think of a good reason as to why this would affect their duties as princesses. And when Dawn and Dusk were born the next year they were both given the title of princess as well since they were both alicorns. Luna and her named them for what they truly were, the accumulation of both the day and night.

They did want to be married, though it was still technically against the law to marry in the family. But they decided that they shouldn't push their luck, they could work towards that once things settled down after a few centuries.

In raising both of her foals, Celesta found that she loved being a parent. For most of her life she cared about other ponies and treated them all with love, but to actually have foals of her own made her realize just how much she wanted to be a real mother.

And she cherished each and every moment with them.

“Mom?” Dawn asked quietly from under her wing.

“Yes honey?” She said, coming out of her thoughts.

“When did you know you loved mother?”

The question caught her of guard somewhat, but her memories of her past filled her thoughts as she thought of all her moments with Luna. “I have loved your mother for a long time... Since I was even your age.”

“Since you were still a filly?” Dusk asked, to which she nodded.

“But how did you know you loved her?” Dawn asked curiously, causing her to smile a little at the thought.

“I knew that I loved her for many reasons. When she was around it always made me happy, being able to do things together with her made me happy, even seeing her happy made me happy. I would always be looking out for her and I enjoyed being there for her when she needed me.” As soon as she said that, her face fell into a frown which didn't go unnoticed by the two. “But it took me a long time to finally tell her how I felt, and I wish I would have told her sooner.”

“Sooner?” Dawn asked, tilting her head to the side.

She nodded slowly. “Because I couldn't bring myself to tell her how I felt, I almost lost her forever... And I wasn't there for her when she needed me...”

She couldn't keep from choking up at the end a little from what she could have lost. She worked everyday to make up for what happened because of her hesitance, but it would never be enough in her eyes. She could never replace the time wasted, she could only make sure that she didn't make the same mistake again and help her keep her daughters from making the mistake as well.

“So I want you both to always remember, that no matter how somepony might react to your feelings, you must never hide them away... Because not only will they cause you pain for every moment you leave them unheard, but you may end up hurting the one that you tried to protect by keeping them secret.”

As she said that last bit, a tear fell down one of her white cheeks as she thought about Luna and all the hurt she caused because of what she hid away. But she was brought out of it as she felt her to fillies move under her wings.

“Don't be sad mom.” Dawn said, as she started to nuzzle against her neck, unsure of how else to make her mom feel better.

Dusk also nuzzled her, holding her tightly beneath her wing. Celestia couldn't help but smile through the tears as the two tried to comfort her and gave each of them a little nuzzle of affection back as she let out a little sigh of happiness.

“My little fillies.” She said quietly as she held them close. Content with just holding her little children under her wings.

“You know, my faithful student once wrote to me, 'Being a good friend means being able to keep a secret, but you should never be afraid to share your true feelings with a good friend.'” She quoted from one of her student's letters.

“What does that mean?” Dusk asked, look up at her with big adorable eyes.

Celestia's smile widened a little as she took the little filly along with her sister up in her forehooves. “It means that you should never leave your feelings bottled up inside of you. It is better to let them know and be turned away then to live your whole life wondering what could have been. And if they truly care about you, then they will always be there for you, no matter how big the secret is or how much it may change.”

They both seemed a confused at what she said but nodded anyway. She smirked at the two.

“It means, little ones, that you can keep your secrets; but you shouldn't hide who you are and how you feel inside to the ponies close to your heart.”

She laughed as both of the fillies' eyes grew to saucers and they both made little oh's as they finally took in what was the most valuable and costly lesson she ever learned in her long life. Ever since that day she has learned how to let her emotions show every now and again. After all, if she couldn't show her feelings to her own children, then who else?

“You both mean the world to me and your mother... Don't ever forget that.” She said holding them tighter and tucking her wings around them like a blanket. They both snuggled closer to her happily under their mom's soft wings.

They stayed like that for a while until Celestia's head lifted as she heard the sound of beating wings. She looked up to see, though she already knew who it was.

“So where are our two precious little ones?” Said the blue alicorn as she touched down in front of her, a slightly worried look on her face but not a fearful one as she knew that their mom was watching them.

“Here mother!” They both answered as they poked their heads out from behind her large white wings, smiling at her as she landed. Luna gave her wings a few extra flaps before folding them at her sides.

“Luna.” Celestia said with a little smile of her own at her sister. The dark blue alicorn walked up to them and nuzzled both fillies before giving a loving nuzzle to her as well.

“When are you going to teach us how to fly mother?” Came from Dusk as she looked at her own wings sadly. “We want to fly with you and mom, right sis?”

“Nuh uh, I want to learn how to do magic first! Like turning rocks into cake and making things float around like you both!” Dawn said looking up at her.

“You will learn soon. Your wings are growing in quickly so we believe it will only be only a year or two before we can start teaching you how to fly.” Luna said, running a hoof through Dusk's blue-shaded mane.

“And as for your magic-” Celestia added in, looking down at Dawn. “- I'm not sure about turning rocks into cake, but you will begin learning basic magic around the same time. I promise we will teach you both when the time comes, but until then you will just have to have patience and wait.”

They groaned at the news of having to wait and pouted adorably as Luna sat down next to her love.

“Our night is coming. It will be time to raise the moon soon.” She said looking into the amber sky and west towards the setting sun.

“Can we play a little longer?” Dawn asked hopefully.

“We don't see why not?” Luna said, smiling at the pair.

They both let out a cheer but Celestia spoke up. “I don't know Luna. Its getting late...”

“Mooooommmmmm~” They both whined in unison as they looked up at her, giving her their big eyes attack. She imminently caved to it but held back so as not to give in right away. Luna held a hoof to her mouth and silently laughed behind it.

“Hmmm.” She hummed and looked off as if debating it, trying to keep from letting her smile give her away. Both of the fillies waited on her next words with baited breath.

“Well... I guess... you could play for a little while longer...”

Almost as soon as the words left her, they wiggled out of her grasp and took off across the field, saying something like 'thanks mom' before disappeared into the garden.

“So much for me then...” Celestia said with false hurt as her ears fell.

But they perked right back up as Luna took her fillies' place and snuggled into her sister. Celestia took Luna in her hooves and wrapped her wings around the blue alicorn, smiling as she held her close, her sister leaned back into her and pressed against her neck. They didn't say anything as they laid down together in the grassy field, as nothing had to be said.

As the two lovers were laying together in the wide field, Dusk and Dawn were running through the flowers in the garden chasing one another and laughing happily as they played, both enjoying their time spent outside of the castle. They hated how boring it could get living in the castle walls and how stuffy it felt, but out here they were free to play and enjoy the fresh air.

As they raced along the rows of hedges the white filly stumbled over a rock that had been sticking out of the ground. She let out a short yelp before she tripped and tumbled forward, hitting the ground head first.

Her sister immediately skidded to a halt and came back to check and make sure she was okay.

“Are you alright?! Should I go get mom?” She asked worriedly as Dusk sat up, barely holding her tears in from the pain. She could see the red mark on her muzzle from where it hit the ground.

Seeing that her sister was hurt and wanting to make her happy again she nuzzled her cheek, trying to make her feel better. Though it did help in calming her sister down, it also made a light blush appear on her white cheeks.

“Does it feel better?” She asked, concerned as she drew back to see if it worked.

Dusk just nodded and blinked away the tears in her eyes. “A little.”

Dawn smiled and gave her a quick peck on the nose. When they would get hurt sometimes their mom would kiss it to make it feel better, she didn't have big wings like her mom but she did what she could to make her sister feel better and make the pain go away.

“Ewww sis, gross!” She groaned, rubbing the front of her muzzle with a hoof as the yellow filly moved away. “Why did you do that?”

Dawn just look back at her sister and grinned.

“Because I love you, silly.”

Dusk's face lit up with more red than the sky that the sunset brought and Dawn giggled at the face her sister made. But she didn't laugh long as she took off down across the garden.

“Now catch me if you can!” she cried out as she dashed away.

Dusk stood up and took off after her, her embarrassment gone and pain forgotten as she chased her sister down, also laughing now.

“You're gonna get it when I catch you!”

And they chased each other through the garden as the day touched the night.

And the sky glowed.