Night Shift Mother's Day Special

Not By Lawra. Because she's lazy.

Edited By Lawra. Because she's not THAT lazy.

Luna smiled to herself as the telescope began to orient itself as she had directed with the attached computer. It had been a challenge to read the human script in order to operate the device much less type with fleshy digits, but she had managed it without anyponies help. It should now be tracking the planet Mercury. Seeing the telescope finally dip to point just below the horizon she sighed angrily pushing her hair out of her eyes awkwardly with a hand.

"Guess it has not risen yet." She grumbled. It only seemed proper that the first object she would view with the gift of a computer controlled telescope Ami had given, should be in the Senshi of Mercury's honor. But it seemed that she'd have to wait another hour for the opportunity.

Picking up a book on this solar systems planets she walked inside from her backyard in the suburb of Tokyo. Her figure shimmered briefly as she released her human form happy to get back onto four hooves. Fluidly switching from holding the book with disappearing hands to her horns telekinesis she began flipping through one of many books she had purchased on celestial objects she couldn't help but sigh. The humans of Earth took such a great interest in the Night. Cataloging such an amazing wealth of information that it would overfill all of Canterlot's many libraries just in information regarding the Night. The lack of interest by her ponies still bothered her but in time they would come around to seeing its beauty with as much fervor as humanity. Still, at least she would never be as lonely and depressed now as she was before the incident with realities now reconnected and transit possible once again.

Feeling the telltale magic signature of an incoming teleport she picked herself up and casually walked over towards the room they put aside for such transitions. "Hello sister. How was the last day of Court before our little vacation."

"Exhausting." Celestia offered yawning walking towards her sister before gathering her in a brief embrace before moving past her and into the kitchen. "You did restock our selection of the Earth spirits yes?"

"Of course sister. Was court so terrible?" Luna empathized following after her.

"I had to assure a great many of them that the Sun will still rise each morning with me away." Celestia proclaimed tiredly collapsing into a comfortable pillow on the floor just outside the nicely stocked kitchen. "A different parade of ponies asked me the same question a dozen or more times today. And each time I had to smile and repeat the same assurance."

Luna smiled to herself happy that she at least could avoid such blowhard nobles and self inflated egos with her much smaller and more rarely called Night court. With a well practiced set of telekinetic manipulations she opened the refrigerator in the kitchen and pulled a freshly opened bottle of wine from it before floating it and a goblet over to the table pouring it half full and placing it in front of her sister. "I believe this one should be adequate. It is from somewhere called Callyfernia."

"Thanks Lulu." Celestia beamed before taking a sip and physically unwinding muscles relaxing from their rigid state. "Ooh. This is tasty. We'll need to import some of these grapes. Maybe send some vinters to study the method of production." Celestia proclaimed. Rapidly finishing off her glass before filling another halfway.

Luna grimaced. "Sister. Please do not try to arrange another 'kidnapping' like you did that pastry chef. I do not need to hear you exclaim once again 'Twenty layer cake how can this be! I must have this for dessert daily!'"

"That was a misunderstanding! I was simply offering him a better paying job. And a statue in his honor. And his choice of land grants. And a noble title." Celestia finished affronted.

"You also told him that he would be most unwise if he did not take your generous offer. It did seem slightly threat-"

"Dearest little sister, I have had a thousand years to practice giving offers to the peasantry, I know how to speak with them." Celestia said cutting her sister off from bring up the embarrassing incident. "Not to mention that I have slightly more experience with humans going back millenia."

Luna shrugged and rolled her eyes. While it was always entertaining to needle her sister when she got like this her expression turned sly, it was better to pull the carpet out from under her rather then let her speak from a position of experience. "Speaking of humans and their traditions...where is your gift for tomorrow?"

Celestia stopped mid gulp on her second goblet of wine. "Gift?"

Luna cackled inwardly. "Did you not read the cultural primers Lautia had prepared for us?"

"She sends us over three hundred page pamphlets every week." Celestia whined. "As if I need to know the results of some human television dancing competition. What? Did I miss something important?" Seeing her sisters self amused expression she groaned. That was the same expression had destroyed solar systems, led to wars, strife, and suffering on a massive galactic scale. At least that's what Celestia had told herself while they were growing up together. "What? What did I miss?"

"Tomorrow will be Mother's Day." Luna proclaimed with as much seriousness as she could manage.

"And that is…" Celestia trailed off hoping for her sister to explain.

"It 'tis the day one is expected to provide their Mother a gift for the burden of their births and rearing to prove their love for them. This can take many forms. A card, candy, and flowers are the traditional tokens. But this is seen as unoriginal by some. Something more...interesting and personal in regards to their relationship is considerably more valued."

"You wouldn't happen to have anything I could make use of dear sister would you?" Celestia asked with a pleading expression.

"I have some candy or cards we could both give to Mother if that is what you desired. But as for something personal? Now Tia I thought you wouldst have considered and carefully planned that for the past months as I have?" Luna asked as if scandalized.

"Of course I have!" Celestia proclaimed. Jumping up back to all fours, wavering briefly as the wine made itself known. "I just need to go...pick it up from the human craftsman whose services I retained. I simply forgot to check the human calendar. I'll just be going to pick it up right now." Celestia asserted making her way over to the front door to exit their house.

"I believe thou are forgetting something." Luna mocked flicking a wing casually.

"Oh very well." Celestia groaned, a bright light obscuring her form as she made her way towards the door. Four legs giving way to two, and soft footfalls replacing heavier shod hooves.

"And don't forget the outer raiments Tia. You never remember them!"

"I remembered them just fine this time!" Celestia shouted back door opening after Celestia's hand awkwardly fidgeted with it for a moment before she succeeded in getting it open before slamming the door behind her as she exited their home.

Luna could only smile. Her sister was skilled in many things. But her lies were as transparent as glass. "As if she could best me. I have the best gift." Walking into another room she made sure her gifts were wrapped and bagged properly. Pulling out her best one she smiled. A mother/daughter retreat to a nearby hot spring that had been described as being legendarily luxurious and pampering. Both of their manes would be 'as lustrous as silk and beaming in health'. And better still she'd have all that time with her mother to herself without an older sister trying to monopolize her.

Xyz

"What am I going to do Luna? She's going to disown me! I know it." Celestia proclaimed hand on her forehead as the two made the short half block walk to the house their mother was staying at.

"Tia please. I don't think that's going to happen." Luna sighed. While her prank had been entertaining at the start her sisters nature had caught up with it and it was now nothing but a annoyance. Whenever her sister thought she had been beaten she acted like a distressed filly for days at least when in private.

"I got her all the things you said were boring though! The only personal thing I could think of to get her were these!" Tia sighed jerking up a large shopping bag for emphasis.

"Are you asking for me to provide comfort and wise words? Is that not more your domain then my own?"

"Stupid human traditions. Stupid hands." Celestia grumbled continuing to complain. "The bag is digging into the fleshy parts again Luna. Why do humans have such weak anatomy on their digits? I can't even grab it with my teeth cause I get weird looks. Stupid earthlings."

"Tia not this again." She was thankfully spared more of Tia's annoyances at every little thing as they had they had made it to their destination. Thinking her sister would knock and announce their presence she sighed when she looked back and saw her sister staring down at her shoes a near petulant expression on her face. Groaning, Luna knocked on the door herself put her best winning smile on her face.

The door opened to my mother's current incarnations mother expression brightened a bit but remained slightly guarded. "Greetings grandmother." Luna greeted slightly awkwardly with a bit too much forced formality while Celestia stayed silent only politely nodding.

"Oh Luna, Celestia, you two don't have to knock just come in. Ranma and I were just finishing getting ready. We're going to go out for lunch. I'm sure she would love for you to join us."

"Is a meal at midday a normal part of the holiday?" Luna asked. Nothing in Lautia's briefing had included that tidbit. Copious information had been included about gifts however. Also included had been essays about how figures one might consider as mother's or in a motherly role should also have been given gifts was seeded deeply throughout. The artificial intelligences transparent attempts at getting gifts for herself had resulted in both sisters giving her some flowers and a gift box of chocolate which had pleased their old foalsitter immensely oddly enough.

Drawing her attention back to the present, Luna grabbed Celestia's arm and pulled her inside before Nodoka noticed that she was lagging behind.

"Mom I don't know about this skirt, it's a little long. Makes me look blocky." Ranma fretted walking into the room. Long red hair cascading down behind her past her knees. A bright white fitted blouse clung to her taller form that their mothers present incarnation had taken after merging with her past self's memories. Though the effect of a younger and less confident bearing and tone of voice didn't make them instantly reconnect to the Euryphaessa of their memories. "Celestia! Luna!" Ranma exclaimed darting forward enveloping both of them in a hug in turn. Both alicorns in human form unconsciously nuzzling their mother in an equine nature belying their true species. "I didn't think either of you were here."

"It is a vacation weekend. We didn't plan to see you. We were just going to relax but Lautia gave us important information on a human holiday so we have brought thee tribute!" Luna trumpeted excitedly pulling up a bag she was carrying.

"Happy Mothers Day!" Celestia shouted her worries forgotten in her mother's presence.

Ranma's expression flickered for a second before her smile grew even warmer. "Thanks. I really didn't expect to hear that I guess." Turning her attention to the bags. "Oh you didn't have to get me anything. Unless it's chocolate. Chocolate would be good." She giggled.

Luna and Celestia both first presented Ranma with a bouquet of flowers. Luna looked on Celestia's Earth roses with a snort. "These are Equestrian Daylilies." Luna offered smugly turning to Celestia who looked at her with a scowl. "They taste nearly as good as they smell if you wish to eat some of them while they're fresh."

"Err. Thanks. Maybe later." Ranma replied taking them from her younger daughter. "They smell great."

Both daughters then proceeded to throw copious amounts of chocolate their mothers way which could not have made her more happy. A few of which might have been opened and quickly consumed while Nodoka was not looking.

"I hope you will also enjoy this." Luna proclaimed handing Ranma a pass to a hot spring resort. "I thought it would be nice." She added, leaving unsaid that it would be time that she would be able to spend alone with Ranma without Tia getting in the way.

"Thanks Lulu." Ranma beamed taking the gift. "Though getting a time when we're both free will be hard. But it'll be a great weekend."

Celestia fidgeted a minute after as Ranma looked curiously at the last shopping bag she had been nervously playing with since they had expended their bountiful chocolate bounty upon her. Gathering herself Celestia handed over the bag. "One of my favorite memories when I was a filly was running through your gardens." Celestia volunteered as Ranma opened the bag out of which hundreds of packets of seeds for various plants spilled onto the floor. "These are all the species I could obtain...on short notice, I thought maybe you'd like to start a garden again? I could help get them started if you'd like?"

Ranma looked on the seeds with a palpable sense of dread and hesitation. "That's a lot of work." She sighed "I'm not sure if I'm really going to be able to do that kind of thing anymore."

"Oh." Celestia lamented with a frown. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize. It just always seemed to be your special talent. And I just thought it'd be nice to work with you on something like that. I'll bring those back and get you something else."

"You don't have to do that," Ranma stopped Celestia from retrieving the packets, staring at the seeds. Picking up a packet, she closed her eyes briefly in concentration. "Thank you Tia. It'll be a lot of work, but maybe we can do something with them."

"Oh yes, whenever you have the time." Celestia beamed looking up towards her mother relieved.

"As if you've gotten your hooves dirty in millenia." Luna interjected and lightly elbowed her sister's side. "She'll leave all the work to you, Mother. Don't trust her."

"That's a lie! I've helped hundreds of farms in Equestria with all manner of problems."

"And when was the last?" Luna asked giving Celestia a moment to recall one. "That is what I surmised."

"Do not claim victory simply because one doesn't instantly spring to mind, I am a very busy mare with many subjects who consume the majority of my time…"

Not the Author notes

Sorry not a chapter again, just a quick little thing for Mother's Day because a certain someone was bugging me. Don't worry, I've turned him into a pony, you won't hear from him again.