Winter Warden

Luna brushed a bare hoof over the polished, gleaming surfaces. Every curve flowed like water, accentuating her own figure if she had been wearing it. For months, it had been gathering dust in the corner while the moon princess did her best to ignore it. That was after the months that she had "forgotten to move it into her chamber, and it had gathered dust in the hall where Celestia had presented it to her.

It was not that she did not appreciate her sister giving her gifts. They had worked so hard to make amends, and the younger sibling did not question the older's love as she once had. She did not even disapprove of the quality of the work. Not a soul would say it was anything but beautiful, sparkling like a gemstone on its ponyquin. It was just too... similar. Care had been taken to make it unique from the... previous suit of armor she had worn, but it was still too close.

What would ponies see if she were to present herself, decked head to hoof in sparkling, almost iridescent armor? Would they stand in awe? Would they flee in terror? The thought caught in her throat and threatened to choke her. Her horn glowed, and she nearly gripped the suit and hurled it over the balcony again, but again she stopped herself. It was a gift from her sister. She knew why Celestia had had it made. She knew of what had transpired in her absence.

The pony looked up at her moon. Fat and giddy, it floated in the sky, not halfway through its longest journey of the year. She bit her lip. If she let fear control her every step, she would never move on. Maybe tonight was the night.

~

I appreciate everyone's patience while I soldiered my way through school this semester. Suffice to say, it was quite the challenge, and I was not able to get any of my own work done aside from the Academy. With the holidays upon us, it's time for a break, to reflect, and to prepare for the coming year. I still have a backlog of work to post, so there's more to come. I hope you look forward to it.