/ A Slight Change / Story: Rising Hope / by Ultimus Pendragon /-/
"Sister. . ." a voice called, though faint and far. It almost seemed detached from whoever was speaking. It sounded urgent, or. . .playful?
The thought was dismissed to the back of her mind as she walked out to the balcony to admire the sun. It was so far but easily able to be seen, a beacon in the sky, in a way.
"Sister. . ." the voice called again, only more pronounced. Luna.
Sighing and taking a seat on the balcony, she thought for a moment before speaking. "Hello, little sister. What can I do for you?"
Luna walked in front of her sister and took a seat as well, she was closer to the railing then her sister as her back touched the warm pillars. At least her flank was was warm. "It isn't what I need, it's more so what you need, and you need it now," Luna took to a condescending tone. For being a few decades younger, the lunar princess definitely has some grit.
Celestia, after rolling her eyes and looking at the ground for a second, took to her daily task of improving her efficiency with her magic. Channels the glow of magic to her horn, she focused and blurred the world out. The sounds, smells, sensations, she toned them all done, and in a second, everything went silent, the only sound being her heartbeat and the hum of her magic. Both sounds tried to overpower the other, but after a little bit, she took hold of both in the metaphorical sense and melded them together until there was silence again.
"Oh my goodness, why do you insist on doing that every day?" Luna groaned and nudged her. "You do know Alicorn magic is infinite, right?" Celestia snorted after hearing that. Her sister thinks highly of them, which she should in a way but she is thinking too much highly of them. Another lesson.
"It is not, Luna," Celestia clicked her tongue, intent on setting her straight. "Nothing ever is, and it is that mindset that will lead to mistakes. I do this because it helps, bit by bit to lessen the strain of magic that all Unicorns experience, and we are no different."
Her thoughts on this did not waver, even in the face of family.
"Well I know you have more important things to attend then. . .this. Like preparing for the Day court. And then you have 3 meetings, an appearance at the library to commemorate the new wing, then help prep for the party tonight and-"
"Luna," Celestia said, staring with a half-lidded stare, shaking her head. Luna looked suprised but continued with one last piece.
"And visit young Twilight and her friends in Ponyville. . ."
"I'm aware of the day's activities, just because I don't say anything doesn't mean I forgot. I appreciate your help with this but worry about your daily routine, I have it under control." Celestia said, patting her sister on the head.
"Of course, sister," Luna looked dejected, and Celestia saw it from a mile away. Ever since her transition from Nightmare Moon and back to herself, she's fallen out of touch with some things but it's dedicated to helping, often where it's not needed at all. But that was a different matter. This was about her.
The pair talked for a while before having to go their separate ways for the day. While Luna was more outgoing in more areas then her, one thing she was more than the pair would both admit is being reserved. In the line of work she Luna are in, that is definitely something that is needed, not only for the greater good, but for herself as well.
'Some things can't be unseen. . .or undone.' Celestia thought, observing the various guards at their posts, unmoving as ever. Walking down the hallway to her bedchambers, she dismissed the two guards from their post. Walking inside and paying no mind to her decor, she trotted over to a collection of snow globes from a good friend in Yak-Yakistan. They were admittedly, very important to her. So much that she protected them with an enchantment that prevented it from moving unless she actually moved it.
And that she did, removing the middle one from it's row to reveal a small button.
Celestia shuffled back and forth, trying to see if she really wanted to do this again today, but like with her magic training, this was also a thing of habit. But everyday, it got more difficult to do so. It gave her headaches to even think about it, it made her tremble, and she could easily dispose of it. . . but it's a reminder that she said she wouldn't let be forgotten.
Even at the price of her own sanity.
She pressed the button, and with a few clicks, behind her a small pedestal Rose from the ground, a glass case protecting what was inside. She slowly turned and slowly put a hoof on the case, the tapping of her hoof 9 times over and over against the glass being the only sound for a while. Sweat began to drip off her forehead as she felt a pit in her stomach at the trouble this one thing caused. It. . .was unnatural to have something like this, so easy to use but devastating and in a way. . . elegant.
She tempted herself to take it out of the case and get a closer look. But she always said she would, only to never do it. Maybe out of fear, she might. If none of the guards could help, if Luna was gone.
If she had no magic. Just maybe she would, then.
"No. . . just try again tomorrow. . ." she decided to put it off for the 100th time, like every other day. She was the only one who knew, she would try and count Luna but, in her eyes, she still was a foal, and this is something she would never dare as a sister to let her sibling go through. She would stomach it, and do it gladly. However, for how much longer, she was unsure as she shook her head back and forth and tried to muster up the courage only to fail and start crying.
She always figured she could break this trend, the only question was how. How, without letting anyone know that pain and find out her worst secret. She was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Doing her best to recompose herself, she wanted to be down with the day to be over with and it just started.
"I suppose this is my burden, and mine alone," Celestia hmmped. Then she giggled, then chuckled, then burst into laughter like a mad pony, her laughs only echoing inside her room, she swung her head back and forth, sometimes slapping the floor with her hoof or involuntarily shaking and falling like a goat when she tried to get up. Her head thrummed to life with headaches but she didn't care. Not even when she was coughing and hacking did that stop her.
For a few minutes, this was all she did, her mind swimming before she suddenly quieted down and stared at the floor again. With all of her laughing, she moved her mane in such a way that she she uncovered something she wanted to keep hidden.
A scar, long healed the best it could be, but not completely as the marks from the stitches were barely visible, yet the entire stich was a tad darker compared to her coat.
Celestia instantly became irritated, stomping the floor where the reflection of her scar was with so much force, it made a small crack on the floor. Then, after realizing what did, she frowned and groaned. This was going to be a long day indeed.
"I only hope that I don't lose face when I go to visit Twilight." Celestia relented, standing up and going to fix her room the way it was before she came in.
This was wrong. This was wrong and she knew it, but she needed to know. Duncan can be mad later, she figured. All that mattered was making sure he was known about to who it was important to and also uncover some answers for herself. Twilight, over the past few days had been studying the human, trying to learn as much as she can, as the books provided did not provide much meat on the subject of Humans. She yearned to understand them in the best way possible, and also find out exactly why things went the way that they did.
But she was his friend, she told him herself, and she wouldn't feel comfortable with just selling him out when's he not ready for anymore interaction then what he already deemed manageable. It's true she doesn't know what Celestia might do when she sees Duncan, but it'll have to happen if he wants a chance to join his people.
"But he said he might not want to do that either," Twilight was torn over the letter she was pretty much done with. She just had to get Spike to send it, but with him siding with the girls, he may try and look at it and not send it if he finds it. "Mmmm. . .maybe this is something I should save for just in case," she tied the letter up with her magic, putting a seal on it and stowing it away for later. This would be. . . difficult but for the sake of a friend, she'll wait.
"Hopefully this won't be a long process," Twilight continued on her studies while trying to cast Duncan to the side, for now.
"Come on, now, put your back into it!" Applejack urged Duncan as he was slowing down. "You gonna let Rainbow Dash beat you?"
"As if!" Rainbow called back, smirking before resuming what she was doing. "He can't beat me at this, I got too much practice!"
"Doesn't mean anything, you still can lose!" Duncan yelled back, continuing his charge. The pair were trying to land rotten apples in their own separate bucket, at first it was fun, now it was war. "Besides, I'm 5 more ahead of you, you should be hurrying up!"
Rainbow's eyes narrowed as she galloped around, trying to spot any rotten apples on the trees at Sweet Apple Acres, so far, if Pinkie Pie's count was right, Duncan had 45 to Rainbow's 40. Even though she can run faster, how is he getting more then her?
"Duncan's going for another one!" Rarity cheered, seeing the human leap up and snatch two rotten apples at the same time, landing on the grass and turning around almost instantly and bolting back to his bucket by Fluttershy.
"47!/47." Pinkie and Fluttershy said, Duncan flashing a small smile. This certainly caught his attention and gave him some exercise, though it's not quite the same as hanging with actual people, he still preferred it to not at all. "15 seconds left and the game is over!"
"Huh?" Rainbow asked, shocked. "It can't about to be over, I haven't won yet!" her resolve somewhat refreshed, Rainbow pushed past the burning in her legs, becoming somewhat of a blur before running past a few trees and returning with 7 more apples in her bin by Aj. "Hah!" Rainbow cheered as she dumbed the bunch in, some rotten juice splashing the speedster. "Now I win!~". she sought to do a little victory dance but Pinkie telling her that she not only had 7 more seconds, she was tied, and another apple was a few feet away from them to make it her win made her heart sink.
6.
Duncan and Rainbow began to run, each second feeling like a minute.
5.
The goal was so close she could taste it, not that she wanted to.
4.
Her hoof reached out to grab the apple and hopefully, with some luck, toss it over her shoulder and land it in her basket.
3.
A hand reached out, poised to grab the apple. Rainbow tried to reach but failed as a millisecond before she thought she would have touched it, the apple was gone and accompanied by the sound of Duncan saying "Yeet!"
2.
Her eyes narrowed then widended as she marveled how quick he could move in two seconds.
1.
The apple was slam dunked in as Duncan hopped over the basket and almost Fluttershy, startling her as Duncan rolled on the grass and stopped.
"Time!" Pinkie blew a whistle, the sound being anything but a good for Rainbow. "Duncan wins!" Duncan breathed heavily as the rest of the girls cheered for him. Rainbow was tired too, she couldn't tell herself she didn't get her exercise for the day.
"Man. . ." Duncan breathed, his voice scratching and chest rising and falling a few times per second. "Now that was a exercise. . .good one, guys, oh my goodness. . . I need some w-water," he fell back, his shirt drenched in sweat. He felt so sticky, like a wet cat.
"Here you go," Pinkie handed him a bucket of water. When he pointed to him, she took the hint and poured some in his mouth before he signaled her to stop. When he finished and fanned his hand towards him, she just dumped the whole thing on him as he held up the peace sign and laid motionless.
Rainbow never took loss easy, no matter what it was, she wanted to point his out for cheating but there was nothing that he did wrong. If anything he did everything right now and did it better than her.
She remembered talking to Applejack about her issues with getting mad and how it served no purpose to be that way at all.
Sure, she would be a little sour, but she could recognize when a good time was had by all. She was almost Iron Pony, almost.
"Good job, Duncan," Rainbow lightly thwacked his arm with her hoof, earning an ouch from him. "It's not everyday somepony comes around and is as awesome as me, or sometimes, more awesome. You get this win today," she sat down beside him, catching her breath. "But next time, I won't lose."
"Well, I won't either, so we're at a standstill until then."
Rainbow held Duncan to that, as did everypony else.
"Well what do you think so far, Duncan?" Rarity asked. "Are you getting used to us a little bit since coming here?"
"Hmm," he thought, replaying the difference between today and his first day here. "It's slowly but surely getting there, I'm trying to get used to it that you're ponies and a dragon. But, I wouldn't be against calling you my friends."
"Yay!" Pinkie cheered, playing with a ripe apple before putting it down. "A few more days or so of hanging with us and talking and sharing, and we'll be the best of friends!"
Duncan, contemplating that for a few minutes agreed. He smiled back and sat up, his voice a little scratchy still. "I'd actually like that after a little bit. Thanks for being so patient and understanding." Duncan actually thought to himself that this could work. Then the girls, and Spike did something that he didn't view as necessarily too much, but was still welcome; they all hugged him.
And he didn't shy away, he returned it in kind.