"Celestia?" I asked my sister quietly.
"Yes, my dear Luna?" She responded pleasantly.
"Do you ever feel envious of our subjects?" I asked as I stared at the many families of ponies below.
"How so?" She inquired, turning her head to face me.
"Their ability to just be treated normally, have friends, family, and lovers?" I turned back to her waiting for a response.
"I try not to think to far into it, but it is a price I am willing to pay in order to assure harmony in Equestria."
I nodded disappointed.
"Isn't tonight the night that the moon-bloom opens?" She asked cheerily, obviously trying to take my mind off things. It was only a few hours before the moon would be risen, and the flowers would complete their annual cycle. There was a downside however. The plant only grew in places like the Everfree forest.
"I'm going to make sure the gathering locations are still secure. We wouldn't want anyone getting turned to stone by a cockatrice."
Celestia sighed, and she nodded before going back to reading.
I jumped out the window, gliding towards the Darkwood forest. It bordered Equestria, making the chances of dangers lurking there much higher. I soared over the purple trees, watching the forest for nothing in particular. I had a strange feeling as if I was being watched. I took a dive towards the first site. It was an open field with many of the flowers closed buds. The coast was clear, and I was sure that Celestia would be fretting. I took to the air again and flew over the swamp that hid the budding moon-bloom so well. I veered to the left, heading for the cave that was just outside of Equestria in no man's land. This area was notoriously dangerous. Many attempts had been made to settle the area, but eventually it was deemed unfit for pony life.
As I came in, I extended my wings to slow the decent. The cave was about 10 meters away from where I landed. For some unknown reason, the cave's entrance prevented almost all plant life besides the moon-glow from surviving. There were many theories as to why this was, but none of them had been proven as of yet. I would have to go through the cave on hoof, as the moon-bloom was in the depths of the cave. I walked down the large cavern carefully. Even I was at risk in these parts. The cave grew dim as I proceeded. I used my magic to light my horn, and the cave was illuminated by a light blue tint. I was suddenly aware of a rather large cloaked figure standing next to where I had just arrived. I quickly turned to face him, my horn at the ready.
"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded angrily. A deep laugh echoed throughout the cavern as the figure sat down.
"As perceptive as always I see. You haven't changed at all, Luna."
His words startled me. I had no recollection of him at all.
"Who are't thou to to challenge me, princess of the night?" I demanded.
"You don't remember me? That hurts Luna, it really does. Maybe Tia can jog your memory aey?"
No one had heard me call Celestia that in in over 1000 years, and still only a select few had at that. The figure was undoubtably a stallion, and a large one at that. He was actually taller that me. He tossed a book to me before he suddenly vanished in a flash of purple light. I caught it and read the title. It was a biology book, and I opened it to see wether it had anything in between the pages. This where it gets weird. The word water, or H2O was highlighted. Nothing else of significance was prevalent. He had said that Celestia would understand, so I decided it was time to get her input.
I immediately took off for the cave entrance, knowing that my sister would be alarmed at my prolonged absence. I vaulted myself into the sky, using my magic to increase my speed heavily. I used my wings to break as I landed on the balcony. Celestia was reading a letter, presumably from Twilight.
"Sister, I must speak with you." I said urgently.
"Is there a problem with the sites?" She asked worriedly. I placed the book on the table ahead of her using my magic.
"A cloaked stallion confronted me at the cave just past our border. He referred to you as "Tia" and gave me that. He said that he was hurt I didn't remember him. Do you know who he is?" I explained rather inefficiently.
She looked through the book with a puzzled expression, until she found a page I hadn't noticed. It was a blank page with only a drawing of a drop of blood and a tear pressed together to form a heart in the center of the page. Suddenly her eyes widened.
"That's not possible." She said before she turned to me.
"Our parents exiled a stallion, a friend of ours, with this exact cutie mark when you were only a filly! He was practicing a form of dark magic, manipulating bodily fluids of the living. He claimed the research was purely medical, but dark magic is still dark magic. Our parents took pity on him and exiled him instead of death as most dark art users face. It was the lightest punishment allowed by law." She said shocked. That still left out how he knew my childhood name for Celestia out, but it seemed that was all that she would say.
"You should raise the moon, we need to get to that cave."
As I waited in the cave, I saw the flowers I had grown so fond of bloom. They would be coming soon. I hoped the two sisters would allow me to return to my homeland, as I had been banished from it so long ago. It was interesting to see the princess of the night after such a long time. When I had seen her last, she was a mere foal. Now she was a beautiful alicorn. While I had the ability to do almost everything she could, there was a certain gracefulness to her that I knew I could never achieve. I looked at the bioluminescent flowers surrounding me, deciding that the shock on my old friend Celestias face would be worth what I was about to do. I used my magic to pluck each and every flower, making them orbit around the cave, save for one spot where I would hide in darkness. The magical load I used for hovering was nothing compared to the massive magical storage capacity I had developed over the years. The sound of hooves against the cave floor alerted me to a presence against the cave floor. Luna was the first to enter the cave, and at the stunning display caused her to miss a jut in the cave floor. Before she made contact, I used my magic to catch her in the vines that were strewn throughout the cave. Celestia followed thereafter, and she got straight to business.
"Why, and how, are you here Tearheart?" She asked angrily, causing me to smirk before extinguishing the light of the flowers with my magic. Using a simple teleportation spell, I was next to Luna before they both illuminated the cave with their horns.
"What, no 'Hello'?" I said sarcastically. Luna gasped and turned, putting her horn at my throat, charged and ready for business.
"Luna, it's a little presumptuous to threaten my life. I was only here to ask if I may enter my homeland of Equestria." I said with a cold calmness that shook her up. Celestia was the one that replied.
"Why should we say yes? You could have met us outside if your intentions were as such!" Celestia exclaimed angrily. I just sat there, coldly staring at her angry eyes when I felt a warm touch at my side. I quickly realized the source of the heat was Luna's body pressed against mine sleepily. Both I and her sister looked at her surprised. She suddenly realized what she was doing before starting back.
"I-I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me!" She stuttered, blushing in embarrassment. I didn't say anything. It felt good to feel a friendly touch after so many years, but I wasn't going to admit it.
"Tearheart, how are you alive?" Celestia asked in a curious voice. I chuckled.
"The medical research I conducted yielded breathtaking results. I could easily live beyond even you, or even expand others lifespans." I said as a matter of factly. Luna had a shocked expression that showed a torrent of emotions. Celestia just shook her head with a smile.
"Good to see you again, old friend." I was surprised that Celestias mood changed so quickly. I looked at her puzzled before I lifted my hood.
"Much has changed since you left." She said, and I noticed her glancing at Luna quickly, obviously still puzzled by her sisters actions.
"I'd assume so. But does this mean you'll be allowing me to return? In order to keep my body alive, I will technically be using dark magic, even if it isn't being used for nefarious purposes." I said, knowing that what I just said was likely to change her opinion.
Celestia sighed before she looked up at me.
"So be it but I am fearing what will happen when word of an age defying unicorn gets out." She said laughing. I smiled, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Luna raise the corners of her mouth.
We had decided to return to Canterlot on hoof, as Tearheart was a unicorn. As we reached the first site, many ponies stared at the massive stallion that we were escorting. While he was only a small amount larger than me, it was unheard of for unicorns to reach our size. I was so perplexed by the onlookers that I didn't notice that I had been pressed against Tearheart the last few meters. He didn't say anything, and Celestia was on the other side of him. I debated on wether or not I should move away.
The night was particularly cold, and I started to shiver about halfway between the first and second gathering points. As if he could sense my body temperature, he used his magic to wrap his cloak around me, pressing our bodies together further and warming me quickly. Celestia gave me a curious glance, but she said nothing. I silently noted to thank her later. As we reached the second site, the many ponies stared at not only Tearheart, but me as well. It was at this point I realized how intimate the two of us looked. I blushed and froze in place, which didn't help with the stares. Tearheart stopped quickly, turning his head to face me and raising an eyebrow. I quickly continued walking, but at this point Celestia had moved to my left side. I knew she would want to talk as soon as Tearheart had been taken to his quarters. We walked the rest of the way in silence, although we hadn't said much on the journey anyway. When we finally reached the castle, a group of guards were waiting for us.
"Would you three take Tearheart to the quarters? He is a guest of mine." Celestia said gracefully.
"Yes your majesty." Said one of the guards.
I felt the cloak being lifted off of me, and soon Tearheart was walking away with the guards. Celestia took to the sky, gracefully landing on the balcony of her bedroom, motioning for me to follow. I did just that.
"What has gotten into you, my little sister?" She asked with knowing eyes. I shrunk back a little.
"I don't know what your talking about." I replied a little to hastily.
"Luna, I'm your sister. I know when your hiding something. It's okay to console in others from time to time."
I sighed, nudging her with my head.
"He's the first person, other than you or Discord, to have the ability to live as long as me. It gets lonely, watching everyone die before your eyes, and he is talented enough to have broken that cycle." I paused for a moment before I continued.
"And..." The next words were stuck in my throat.
"Yes Luna?" Celestia urged me to continue.
"I think... I may have... Feelings for him." I said quietly. Celestia looked at me amused.
"I had gathered that much on the return home. Tearheart seems to enjoy your presence, if that consoles you." I looked at her in shock. Was she encouraging me?
"Do you mean?" I couldn't finish the sentence.
"It is your choice to make Luna, not mine." She said smiling, as we walked out of her room into the hall.
I sat in my new quarters wondering what to do. In the forest, I had a plethora of plant and animal life to observe. I decided to look out the window towards the ongoing festival. I started to watch the families, looking for patterns amongst them. I searched and studied for what seemed like hours, but I could only come up with one constant: happiness. I heard a knock at the door, and used my magic to open it.
"Tearheart?" I recognized Luna's voice, and I heard her walking up behind me. I moved a chair next to mine using magic, and motioned for her to sit. She nervously did that, and I felt she was looking at me expectantly. I turned my head to face her and she blushed.
"Hello Luna." I said, if only to cut the silence. She sighed in relief.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" She asked, staring at the ponies below.
"Yes, after such a long time, I had forgotten what these festivals looked like." I said, a little lost in thought.
After a while, I noticed that Luna had gone silent, and was gazing somewhere longingly. I followed her gaze to a large area where young couples were snuggling together, sleeping, or just talking.
"Now what's over there that's so interesting?" I jested playfully, causing her to blush.
"What do you mean?" She asked, trying to fool me by turning her face away to hide her blush. I got out of the chair and nudged against her neck. She got the hint and made room for me to sit with her. When I was situated she leaned against me, and before long she was asleep. I watched as the different stalls of the festival closed, until eventually, the last stall closed. A few hours later, the sun started to rise. I covered Luna's eyes from the sun, and shortly after Celestia was at my door with a knock. I opened it using magic again, not wanting to awaken Luna.
"Tearheart, you wouldn't happen to know where Luna is-" she stopped as she saw Luna.
"Well that answers that question." She said humorously. I was surprised at her reaction.
"She's a full grown mare, I trust her decisions. There's no need to look so surprised." I looked at her expectantly waiting for a better explanation.
"Luna hasn't been the same since she came back from the moon. I thought I alone could provide her the companion ship she needed, but I was wrong. Then you came along and filled this need on your own accord. To tell you the truth, I'm relieved to see that the two of you are getting along so well." She said with an exhausted smile.
"Then it looks like this is a benefit for everyone." I said neutrally. Celestia nodded before walking back out the way she came.
I looked at Luna's side, its rhythmic rise and sink with each breath. Her beauty was mesmerizing. She started to shift in her sleep, and I could feel her heartbeat increase rapidly. I quickly nudged her soothingly with my head. I pulled her in close to me and soon her breathing shortened and her heartbeat steadied. Her head was on my chest as she woke up, so the first thing saw was my face. She turned bright red when she realized what had happened.
"Good afternoon, Luna. Celestia wanted to speak with you earlier, but she decided that it was best not to disturb your sleep." I said to her mischievously. She looked worried.
"She saw us?" She said upset.
"She said that she trusts you that you have made the right decision." I told her. She sighed in relief before getting off of me.
"Thank you for last night." She said blushing with a small smile.
"T'was my pleasure." I replied with a smile at her embarrassment.
"If you don't mind me asking, were you having a bad dream?" I asked carefully. She looked a little alarmed.
"How did you know?" She asked.
"Intuition." I replied slyly. She raised an eyebrow as we went into the hallway. There were two guards waiting for Luna.
"You are dismissed." She said quickly.
The two guards eyed me nervously, and I nodded to them in greeting. They still were unsure of me, but they obliged.
"Did you have any particular reason for coming to Equestria?" Luna asked with a smile. I did, but I preferred to keep my business quiet.
"Nothing in particular." I said being deliberately vague. Celestia came from around a corner, causing Luna to bump into her.
"Sorry sister, I didn't mean to run into you!" Said Luna worriedly.
"No worries Luna, did you sleep well?" Celestia said teasingly, causing Luna to turn bright red.
"Tia!" She said in exasperation, causing Celestia to chuckle.
"I'm teasing you Luna, although I wouldn't recommend going outside, the press is dying to know more about Tearheart here. Shining armor even had the guard enforce a distance limit. Quite the uproar you two have caused. I even received a letter from Twilight asking if we needed help with something." Celestia said rolling her eyes with a smile.
"What do the papers say?" Asked Luna intrigued.
"Why don't you read them for yourself?" She said before the daily paper appeared before us. I used my magic to read it.
Mysterious Stallion Visits Canterlot!
Yesterday evening, an enormous stallion was seen with the princesses heading back to the Castle by locals. The stallion appears to have some sort of intimacy with Luna, princess of the night, but so far nothing has been confirmed. As of yet, we have no positive evidence of this having to do with the complications at the third moon-bloom site.
That was the end of the article.
"Well what's done is done." Luna said with a sigh.
"I can bypass the press, if thats what your worried about." I said, causing both Luna and Celestia to look at me questioningly. I rolled my eyes and used my magic to teleport to the other side of Luna in an instant. They both looked impressed.
"Thats all very well, but can you do it more than once?" Luna asked, obviously expecting a no. I teleported four times in less than 10 seconds, and then went right back to my original place beside Luna. Both of them had their mouths hanging open. I chuckled before explaining.
"It gets boring when your all alone. I ran into discord and we made up a game called chaos ball. It is playing catch with a mobile sphere of chaos, a moving magical sphere. Apparently I was the first person other than him who was able to keep the chaos sphere as a sphere. Needless to say, my magic is much stronger than before. I have near limitless reserves within me. That is part of why I am so big, my body is so saturated with magic, it continued to grow in order to store it." As I said that, their eyes widened.
"You never cease to amaze me old friend." Celestia said wile shaking her head back and forth with a smile. She walked off and Luna nudged me. I looked at her curiously.
"Yes Luna?" I asked curiously.
"How did you feel about the article?" She was looking down to her left, and I suddenly realized what she was hoping for. She wanted a hint as to how I felt about her. I thought about my words carefully.
"I don't see a problem with it. They are intuitive enough to figure out the truth on their own, and want to know more. It means the pony-folk of Equestria are smart, curious, and have initiative. If anything, it is a good thing." I said smiling. I saw the corner of Luna's mouth go up to a small smile, and I knew she had understood.
"They won't leave without a photo at the very least." She said pouting. I thought about what she said, and decided that I should ask the captain of the royal guard before doing what I was about to do.
I waited as I saw Tearheart thinking about what I had just said.
"How did you feel about the article?"
He asked me. I was a little confused, but I tried to answer honestly.
"I am happy that for the first time in a while, I am in the news for something positive." I said while looking at him.
"Wait right here!" He said before running to the nearest guard and whispering something to him . The guard nodded and walked around the corner, Tearheart close behind. After about five minutes, he came back around the corner with a grin on his face. Suddenly a letter materialized before him, and he quickly opened it. I managed to get a peek at the paper, but all it had said was: Yes,
Celestia
"Lets go!" He said, nudging me with his head as we went back from where we came. As we climbed the stairs to the upper floor, I wondered what Celestia could have possibly approved of. I expected us to go into his room, but we passed the guest rooms without a second thought. Thats when I saw the doors to the veranda.
"Oh" I said dumbly, finally understanding. He looked at me with concern.
"Is this a problem?" He asked worriedly.
"No!" I said shaking my head back and forth.
"It was just a surprise was all." I said, trying to hide my blushing face. I felt the warmth of his body pressed against mine as he draped half his long cloak over me, as he had done in the Darkwood forest. I nuzzled his neck as his horn glowed a deep purple, as the doors to the veranda opened. I quickly heard the chattering of the press die down.
"Ready?" I heard him whisper into my ear, and I nodded. We walked out onto the veranda together, and immediately we were bombarded with a torrent of flashes and cheers from the many cameras. I sat down on the edge of the veranda with Tearheart, and after about a half an hour of me resting my head on his shoulder did some of the press start to leave. A few reporters stayed, but there was always a couple trying to get an interview with Celestia, it's just now they wanted it with me instead. Before long, I began to dose off, and I felt that I was being coaxed inside. I gladly obliged, trying to keep myself from falling by leaning on Tearheart. I felt myself being raised into a bed. I heard him leaving, and the idea of that alarmed me for some reason.
"Please don't go." I said in a tired voice. He chuckled before he came over and nudged me to one side of the bed. I felt him lay next to me, and I moved closer, nesting my head in the crook of his neck, and before long, I was asleep.