"Sister? we have returned from the socialization as you asked," Luna said with her new, more gentle voice.
"I'm glad, did you meet any nice ponies?" Celestia asked her smaller sister sincerely. For a moment Luna remained silent and a small spark showed in her eyes before she answered.
"Not particularly," Luna said, her cheeks flooding with bright red blood.
Celestia smiled slightly and continued, "well you can always go back whenever you want, I'll be here if you need me for anything."
"Thank you sister, we shall retire to our bedchamber now." Luna said, her face quickly turning away from her bigger sister as she trotted towards her room. A loud squeak came from the hinges as it slowly shut behind her.
'What had happened? Why did we lie to our sister?' Luna asked herself as she reviewed the recent conversation in her head.
'well there are certain things that our sister doesn't need to know,' she answered herself, and she knew it to be true. But it hadn't been a small fabrication, or stretching of the truth like she did sometimes, it was an outright lie. But Luna couldn't let her sister find out ehr true feelings, and she had to know Fluttershy's true feelings for her.
Ever so cautiously Luna allowed her magic to snake towards the dreams of the sleeping, especially in Ponyville. There she found her object of affection, Fluttershy. Her dreams were, predictably, mostly filled with visions of various animals and getting to care for them. Luna seamlessly injected herself into Fluttershy's dream sequence, Fluttershy simply fell over as she saw Luna.
She wasn't happy to see Luna. Fluttershy must have still been terrified for her life and it felt like a stab in the heart. Hurriedly Luna withdrew from her dreams so as not to cause anymore distress.
"Well, now we know what she thinks of us..." Luna said, her heart throbbing painfully. "No, we will not give up! We will change so she likes us more, and she will eventually love us." Luna put one hesitant hoof in front of the other as she walked to her door. The moment before she opened the door, it seemed to open of it's own accord and there stood Celestia.
"Sister, there is no need for you to lie to me," Celestia stated with a comforting and soft voice.
"We are sorry sister, but at this point we need your help," Luna replied, her voice dropping lower in volume.
"I know sister, and I will help you in anyways possible. But the first thing we have to work on is to make you stop referring in the plural sense. Instead of saying we try saying I," Celestia began.
"I think I get it, like that?" Luna asked, her voice shaky."
"Exactly sister, but the real problem between you two, is that you aren't very confident yet. Nor have you showed your kind and understanding side, this is what you will have to do next." The older sister stated without hesitation.
"But how do I do that?" Luna asked, still uncomfortable referring to herself in the new way.
"You know how sister, you just choose to feign ignorance, I have already prepared a chariot for you."
Luna's cheeks developed the looks of red apples before she sputtered out, "th... thank you sister, I shall depart.
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Luna's chariot descended from the clouds over the small village of Ponyville. Her eyes darted towards her left as something came into view, a rainbow maned pegasus pony. "Ah, Rainbow Dash, if I am not mistaken?"
"What are you doing here princess?" Dash asked over the wind.
"I have come for a visit to... a dear friend" Luna hesitated for a fraction of a second before continuing more softly.
Dash said nothing as her she leaned slightly and turned out of Luna's view.
"Now I just have to figure out exactly what I am going to say to Fluttershy when I do see her again." Slowly something was awakening in Luna, a part of her brain she hadn't used in well over a thousand years. A part that allowed her to truly understand another pony on a level that was unrivaled by every other pony, excluding her older sister.
This was one of the perks of being an Alicorn and it did come in handy occasionally. Only at this point did it stop being useful, it became a curse. But she wouldn't allow her mind to think of the implications of what she deduced.
The chariot landed softly and immediately Luna jumped out before galloping through the small surprised crowd towards Fluttershy's cottage.
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Luna's hoof knocked authoratively on the wooden door of the small cottage.
Fluttershy smiled slightly, her eyes closed as she opened the door cheerfully. "Who is it?" she asked her eyes opening. Immediately Luna smiled back as Fluttershy's eyes opened wider and wider, so it really was true then. Luna's mind reeled back to only a few minutes ago, the conclusion she had come up with, Fluttershy would never love her.
Before Fluttershy could say anything Luna turned around and flew off, a few tears falling as a loud bang broke the quiet air, teleporting the goddess away.
Fluttershy frowned as she said quietly to herself, "But, princess I just was surprised to see you, I wish you were still here..."
Luna's anguish was so powerful the tears were coming easily now and the sky was slowly beginning to darken. The moon was rising and beginning to cover the sun. A painful memory penetrated the darkness, a memory from when she was still a young filly.
=======
"Sister, you must always keep a hold of your emotions, especially those of grief or anger, for these can and will control your powers if you let them. It is a difficult thing but you must always look out for the greater good of this land. But more importantly, look past the surface of what seems to be, and find what really is." Celestia said in a strange echo that only a memory could have.
=======
Look past what seems to be, Luna thought as she took a few deep breaths allowing the sun to begin shining again. It was desperate, and probably a lie but Luna had to know the truth. Again a crack erupted around her as she teleported to Fluttershy's cottage once more.
Immediately Fluttershy ran out of the cottage towards the goddess of the night stopping a few feet away. "Princess Luna, I'm so sorry," she said apologetically.
"Sorry for what? I am the one who should be apologizing for acting the way I did and allowing my emotions to gain the advantage," Luna replied quickly.
"I know you think I hate you, and I don't," Fluttershy explained.
"I know this fair Fluttershy, you fear us, I mean me," the dark maned alicorn responded.
Fluttershy remained silent for a while looking at Luna, their eyes met and Fluttershy smiled brightly. "But, I'm not afraid of you, I actually..." her voice trailed of to near silence.
"You don't fear me? then why did you go wide eyed when I approached?"
"Because, I like you," the shy pink maned pegasus said quietly.
Luna's head and memories were cast into a new light in an instant, why Fluttershy had become unconscious in her dream when she had intruded. "Pray tell, how much do you like me?"
"Um... a lot," Fluttershy answered with a shaky voice before she took a step towards the princess. She smiled as her nuzzle found it's mark on Luna's.
Luna stood dumbfounded as her cheeks blushed bright red. "Fluttershy, I do not know how to say this."
Fluttershy smile was nearly blinding, "then don't say anything at all."
"No, we... I must say this... I love you." the goddess of the night admitted as she continued to nuzzle Fluttershy.
"I love you too Princess," Fluttershy said happily. "Would you like to stay the night?" Fluttershy kindly offered.
"Very much so," Luna said before kissing Fluttershy.
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There is at least one more chapter coming after this one, unlike others, I will say what happens after they find out they love each other. And after I finish the 2nd chapter/ finish the story, I might revisit the end of this chapter in a clop chapter. :)
