"-suffice to say, while the Dragon Lord put up a harrowing fight to the bitter end, he was no match for my quick reflexes, nor the valor of Equestria's mightiest battleship!"

"Did you really come close to losing your leg, Auntie-Celly?"

"Quite so! Nearly took my leg off on the first bite! Lucky for me, he bite down even harder on a nasty cavity that my spur conveniently lodged itself into! It was a ghastly sight to behold! Why, it was so horrific, I believe Lord Darkon's folly inspired some of Dragonkind's first dentists! As many Dragonlord's that followed soon held proper dental care in high regard!"

Luna rolled her eyes as her dear sister Celestia hammed up her retelling of the skirmish at the Firestorm Bay, much as she had done throughout the entirety of this hike through Canterlot forest. Adorned in military regalia, Calvary boots and a articulate saber, Luna maintained a high level of self-regard for her attire for this particular outing with Princess Flurry Heart, while her sister adorned herself in her old sea-faring Captains Uniform, a long overcoat, a regal cutlass and a pair of swashbuckling thigh high boots.

Most unbecoming given their current surroundings, yet Flurry Heart was ecstatic the moment she spotted the outfit standing on display in one of the palaces many hallways and excitedly asked Celestia if it still fit! Despite the pants being rather tight around the hips, it still fit her sister like a glove.

Or at least, the gloves did. Celestia should really consider passing on desert more often.

"I bet you would have looked so cool with a peg-leg, Auntie-Celly!" Flurry Heart piped up excitedly, her Mary Janes clicking against the dirt path as she practically ran to keep up with Celestia's long strides. Even the two soldiers who were chosen to escort Flurry Heart almost had to maintain a brisk jog to keep up with their VIP's.

"No doubt about that!" Celestia chirped happily in response. "Yet a refined Captain would prefer to keep all her limbs intact, would she not?"

"Aye 'Aye, Captain!" The two soldiers accompanying them in the hike playfully saluted in agreement much to Flurrie's delight.

Luna herself was not easily perturbed by such unusual outings. However, Today marked an drastic change in Flurry Heart's demeanor. During every visit, the little filly followed Princess Luna like her own shadow. Whether it was marching alongside the castle walls under the persona "Agent Flint Jaguar" or mimicked her sword-play during fencing sessions with the Elite Night Guard. Yet today, it seems her favorite Aunt was now Luna's dear sister, Celestia.

After spending so many hours leading Flurry Heart around the castle or it's grounds, Luna couldn't help but feel that ever so familiar nip of jealousy. Celestia's joyful yet boisterously hammy retellings of previous adventures ensnarled the little fillies attentive eyes and ears the entire day, even the usually square-jawed and vigilant soldiers accompanying them couldn't help but be charmed by their Sun Goddesses cheerful and upbeat display of theatrics.

Luna quietly pouted and bit her lip.

Today was a day for Flurry.

And if Luna couldn't obtain Flurry Heart's attention through her usual means, then by mother's name, she shall take a page out of Celestia's own playbook!

"Oh, how triteful Dragon Squabbles were." Luna stated abruptly, catching her sister off guard, as her tone was unusually higher pitched and playful then usual. "Unlike the theatrics of the pirates that roamed the high sea's during the Artistic Crystal Pony Resonance! Oh how boisterous the captains of such vessels became! Ironbeak the Bleak! Gertrude the Prude! Desmond Dog the Hog-!"

"-Oooh! And Vince the Pince!" One of the soldiers happily piped up. "My pappy always told me the Pirate Captains in those days were practically required to have a rhyming name!"

"That they were!" Celestia laughed aloud. "That lot were some of the most colorful group of miscreants who ever dared to threaten the safety of our Kingdom's trade routes! Why, Findler the Swindler conned Luna and I out of our own ship once!"

"Quite a cunning little colt, he was! Not even a Mustang, and he was already commanding a Stormbreaker straight out of my finest fleet! Thank mother he couldn't multitask! Even after his apprehension, I couldn't help but admire his sheer tenacity!" Luna joyfully sneered, finding herself having fun in her shot at theatrics.

And Flurry Heart, on the other hand, was having an absolute blast.

"Wow, Auntie-Celly! I bet no pirate ever bested you!" Flurry Heart cheered, gazing up at Celestia in admiration.

"No Pirate but one!" Luna admitted proudly, much to Flurry's dismay. "In fact, this pirate came very close to besting the both of us! Derrière du Cheval!"

"The pirate whose name did not rhythm?!" One of the soldiers gasped aloud.

"The one and only!" Luna triumphantly announced. "A fiendish swine, even amongst murderer's and thieves! That Griffon bested the combined efforts of the Griffon and Crystal Empire! All thanks to the Legendary Alicorn Amulet that granted him near invulnerability and powers no Griffon nor anypony else should ever possess! Celestia was disarmed of her blade by his quick reflexes, so It was up to I alone to put a stop to his rampage and end his reign of terror once and for all!" Luna stopped at the foot of a creaky wooden bridge, standing tall with her hand on the hilt of her ceremonial saber as Flurry Heart and even the soldiers smiled in awe. "It was quite the eventful showdown! His ship was listing..." Luna stopped herself, shaking her head. "Simply telling the story would not do my triumphant victory justice. Why... a Reenactment would have to do!" At her finishing statement, Flurry Heart's grin spread from ear to ear.

"I remember reading about that in school!" Flurry Heart exclaimed happily. "The Grand Canterlot Theater would be packed to the ceiling with Ponies who traveled all over Equestria to watch Celestia take the stage!"

"Oh Flurry Heart, it's been half a Millennia since I last partook in such a display-" Celestia started, but bit her lip when her words almost deflated Flurry's smile. "-However, this cutlass is anything but for show!" Celestia leaned forward on her toes and straightened her uniform, resting her gloved hand on the hilt of her blade.

"That's the spirit, dear sister! You can play yourself, while I play the dreaded Derrière du Cheval!" Luna barked with a sneer and a passing wink to Flurry Heart as she unsheathed her saber and leveled it close to the ground. "I hope you're skills with that cutlass have not degraded in the last Millennia!" Celestia cocked an eyebrow at Luna with enthusiastic mirth. She wasn't oblivious to Luna's hint of Jealousy, that was certain, nor was she going to pass up an excuse to draw her own cutlass with such a packed crowd. Smirking in reply, Celestia drew her blade loudly.

"Most unbecoming of a lady to disregard her weapon as nothing but a trophy!" Celestia chirped, tongue in cheek. "Where should we start, Luna?"

"Mademoiselle! You confuse me wihz somepony else, no?" Luna pouted in a stereotypical French accent, causing Flurry Heart to laugh aloud. Celestia quickly understood what Luna intended. She was going to play the part of the dreaded Pirate Captain himself, most likely to appease Flurry Heart. Not that she was offended, her effeminate caricature of the Griffon was too endearing to protest

"All zhese years 'ave taken their toll on your senses!" Luna leapt to the center of the bridge, pointing her sword at her sister with a cocky smirk only a Saturday-morning cartoon villain could possess. "Why, Celestia! Goddess of zhe sun! What would your flock tink of a blind leadehr?" Celestia chuckled in response, stepping forward cautiously, knowing full well where this fight was going and who Luna intended to win over today, as she still had a bitter memory of her defeat at the dastardly pirates sharp talons.

However, even her most painful memories found their place in the reenactment theater. And unlike her bitter past, the Allicorn was going to continue her own ham-fisted delivery with a dash of humor and perhaps a little grace.

"You flatter yourself, you fiendish swine!" Celestia chirped, jabbing her sword closer as her stance shifted. Flurry Heart gasped in awe as the two sisters circled one another, each ready to strike. "A Griffon so detested even your fellow compatriots have turned on you! What would your hollow words mean to your crew? Let alone an Alicorn such as I?" Celestia thrust her cutlass forward, which Luna swiftly dodged with a back flip over the railing, landing in the creek below. Despite the mire and weeds now ensnarling her once pristine boots, Luna held her head high and remained in character, readying her battle stance as she jabbed her sword forward.

"You will need to be much quickehr zhen zhat, mon'amie!" Luna snickered, quickly glancing at Flurry Heart, who jumped for joy at her Auntie's display of Acrobatics. Furrowing her brow with a confident smirk on her face, Celestia followed suit. Spreading her wings wide, Celestia glided down to the creek, gracefully skidding atop the damp rocks.

"A pleasant show of acrobatics will do little to impress me, Cheval!" Celestia snarled playfully, leveling her Cutlass as Flurry cheered on. "A display of childish gymnastics to retreat from battle is still the act of a coward!"

"Oh' hohoho!" Luna laughed, her flamboyant caricature of Cheval causing the soldiers at Flurry's side to snicker loudly. "Zhose words amuse moi, Sunbutt! Zhe chatter of your noblhes and generals did little to 'alt my rehign!" Luna raised her saber high. "Zhe amulhet granthed myshelf incredible powher bheyond zhe 'ilt of my sabher! Slaying an Alicorn will vehry well be a walk in zhe parh! But oh... where are my mannehrs? A lady must 'ave a chance to defhend 'erself! No matther 'ow slim 'er chance of survival, no?! EN GARDE!!" And with that, they were off, swinging their blades to and thro. Celestia's skill at the sword was uninhibited by her long absence from war or the theater and she was finding herself parrying and thrusting her saber with relative ease. Circle strafing, Luna took every chance she could to catch a Glimpse of Flurry Heart enjoying the show.

"Go Cheval!" She yelped cheerfully. "Go Celestia!" Smirking at Flurry Heart's contagious optimism, Luna continued to ham up her performance despite her horrific attempts at the accent. Side-stepping and splashing water onto her breeches, Luna dodged a powerful parry and nipped at her sister's side with the tip of her Saber. While not inflicting any damage, Celestia grunted in faux pain and returned the favor, which Luna reacted with twice as much stagecraft. Ducking low, Luna quickly countered and sliced low, missing Celestia's leg as the blade sliced at the water. Despite that, the Alicorn gasped in pain, falling to one knee.

"NOW I 'AVE YOU!!" Luna howled, reeling back her arm for a dramatic blow. Her target being the hilt of Celestia's cutlass. "PONIEHS FAR AND WIDE WILL KNOW MY NAME-!!" Celestia put on a pained expression as she leveled her sword, much to Flurry Heart's surprise and horror as Luna closed in. "FOR MY NAMHE IS DERRIERE DU CHEVAL, ZHE GREHTEST PIRATE WHO EVEHR SAILEHD ZHE HIGH-" Luna's words caught in her mouth as her boot slid underneath her on a patch of smooth stones. Eye's widening, Luna shifted her stance fruitlessly as her tread's failed to find any traction and within moments she found herself flailing back, her feet kicking up a surge of water and muck as she fell into the weeds. Celestia blinked several times before getting back on her feet, shaking her trailing overcoat as she failed to suppress a giggle. Luna's saber landed harmless in the stream thereafter, stabbing deep down into the creekbed.

Luna herself let out a strained squeak as she blinked several times in the mire of the creak, the cold shock of the stream soaking her once pristine uniform now wearing off and the Princess of the Night soon realized that the shock and awe of her adoring crowd turned to now badly suppressed snickers and the high pitched cheers of a happy little filly and two sets of clicking Mary Janes accompanied by a crescendo of clapping.

"Why, dear sister, rushing ahead of the script, are we?" Celestia giggled as Luna's cheeks soon turned pink with embarrassment. Pushing herself up, Luna shook her head, her mane thoroughly soaked. Her rosy cheeks soon grew inflamed as Celestia brought her thick heel down on her sister's chest, pushing her back into the stream.

"Thee shall lay before thy goddess, ungrateful cretin!" Celestia hollered, continuing the theatrics much to her sister's embarrassment, now taking on the roll of the Princess of the Night, enacting revenge on the mightiest Pirate who ever sailed the high seas! "Ponies wilt frolic in the streets knowing they has't nothing to fear, for the mighty pirate hath been defeated! thou has't bested mine dearest sister, but thee hath failed to gaze thy footing!" Luna pushed back against Celestia's boot as Flurry Heart hollered in delight, grinding her teeth as her sister thrust her sword into the sky. "Long liveth the sun! Long Liveth the night!"

"I did not sound like that!" Luna muttered, pushing at her sisters ankle with growing embarrassment.

"Nor did Cheval! You quite underperformed his colorful character!" Celestia giggled. "Although you played his acrobatics to a tee! Quite embarrassing, slipping on his own tail with the entire Equestrian fleet watching. I say we put on quite a show for the little filly, even if we did rush to the ending and changed roles rather too quickly, no?" Celestia winked playfully, finally taking her boot off Luna's chest and offering her hand. Luna sighed, offering a wry smile in return before taking hold of her sisters hand and climbing back onto her feet. Luna shook herself off as the two spread their wings and rose sharply into the sky before gently gliding back down onto the bridge.

"You were amazing, Auntie-Celly!" Flurry Heart yelped, practically zipping to her aunts side to hug her leg. "The way you swung your sword here and there and every and how Cheval slipped, it must have been the greatest sword battle ever!"

"I'm glad to hear our show was well received!" Celestia chuckled, patting Flurry Heart's head. "However, I believe somepony else could use a bit of cheering up, something tells me Luna didn't plan to slip into the stream." Luna sighed, turning her gaze to the treeline, suddenly growing aware of how cheesy her performance and pouty attitude was in hindsight, especially now that her once regal uniform was soaking wet and clinging to her frame.

"You played a great Cheval, Auntie Luna!" Flurry Heart praised, stumbling forward with glee on her face. "His voice was so funny, did he really sound like that!?"

"I may have taken some liberties, little one, but I feel I portrayed him with a little dignity." Luna smirked, giving the little filly a wink as her sister approached her soldiers, who saluted on reflex and did little to hide their enthusiasm for the show. "I hope you don't tell your mother about our little show we put on for you today, she worries enough as it is these days."

"Awww..." Flurry Heart's ears drooped. "I bet they would have loved to hear about it, though!"

"I'm sure your father would love to, but for your mothers sake, she isn't too fond of me carrying a saber in your presence as it is."

"But that's why you're my favorite!" Flurry Heart pouted, folding her arms, giving Luna a moment of pause.

"You're favorite?" Luna asked curiously, her cheeks returning to normal. "But you've been praising my sister all day-"

"-And she looks so cool in her uniform, but you look cooler!" Flurry Heart piped up fondly. "You carry a sword everywhere, you've taught me how to parry, you lead our armies into battle, you are the coolest Aunt ever!" Luna couldn't help but smile at the little fillies enthusiasm, her nagging thoughts of jealousy disappearing just as quickly as they had come. "And you put on one heck of a show!"

"I did, didn't I?" Luna smiled, kneeling down to let the filly give her a warm hug.

"Do you feel better now?" Flurry Heart asked cheerfully. Behind them, Celestia froze in her tracks as a loud CRACK pierced the silence of the forest beneath her feet. Looking down, Celestia yelped loudly in surprise as her legs burst through the planks and she plummeted into the creekbed, sending water and muck into the air along with a shrill shriek of genuine surprise.

"CAPTAIN-I MEAN, PRINCESS CELESTIA!!" The two soldiers cried out in terror before diving into the creek after her, tossing their rifles aside as they waded into the weeds to rescue their princess. Snickering loudly, Luna cast a playful gaze down at Flurry Heart.

"Why, I feel much better now, little one." Luna snickered as she watched her dear sister Celestia flail in the mud as her security detail tried in vain to help their goddess. "Lay off the cake, fatty!"

---

Another commission from  Jaredwolf nearly 10 years back, this time after he spent more time working in Daz Studio as the posing and detailing has gotten much better. I don't recall the story I wrote for it being as long, either! It was fun to proof-read and touch up once again!