Luna gazed thoughtfully out the window of her room. Her night sky was moonless tonight, but that was only natural; the moon had phases, and tonight it disappeared in its normal act of renewal and rebirth. How appropriate, considering her current position.
No matter her insistence to her sister that she was alright, and that she was handling herself, she felt a disconnect with the world that surrounded her. As if being an Alicorn wasn't enough of a difficulty in and of itself. Having the best parts of all three pony races was a great advantage, but it made it difficult to socialize with the regular, more common races of ponykind. Being royalty only made it worse, since nopony would speak casually, as a friend, to royalty. At least, not if they wanted to remain on the outside of dungeon bars.
However, that was not the main difficulty she had. Being an Alicorn was problematic, certainly. But her sister, Celestia, had no difficulty in making friends. In fact, her personal student, Twilight Sparkle, was easily her closest (with the exception of Luna, her only family member). No, Luna's troubles came from the simple fact that she was outside of her time.
Even by the immortal standards of Alicorns, one thousand years was no small length. Having been around for so long, Luna knew that so much could change within even so small an amount of time as one hundred years. She had come back to a society that was more relaxed, more casual than that which she had left behind. When she had left (well, "banished" was the proper terminology), public speaking demanded use of the Royal Canterlot Voice, and was usually kept to speeches or reprimanding high officials. Now, her sister held a royal court every week, and often walked among her subjects, speaking to them as though they were her personal family or friends. Though her sister had attempted to explain as much of this new world as possible, most of it still confounded Luna. No verbal explanation could possibly replace a millennium of progress.
Neither did it help that everypony knew the tale of Nightmare Moon, who had attempted to bring forth nighttime eternal out of spite, anger, and jealousy. Those had been dark days for Luna, for she had been unable to see anything worthwhile in life except her ultimate goal. She had told nobody of what she had thought and felt during that time. Not Twilight Sparkle, not Celestia, not even her diary. She had attempted to sit and write about it, but every time she did so, tears threatened to overwhelm her, and she only wound up with blank pages covered in salt water dots.
She bowed her head as she sent a shooting star across the sky. She longed to take advantage of its wish-granting magic, but she did not allow herself such a luxury. She embedded luck magic in shooting stars, so that the common ponies could, perhaps, gain something they longed for. Such was not meant for a princess that could have any material item she wanted at a word.
There is so much I do not understand, so much I must learn... Yet, at least I can record it.
After her foray into society upon Nightmare Night (admittedly not the greatest choice of days for visitation, upon reflection), Celestia had suggested that Luna begin keeping a diary or journal. Luna had been unsure at first, but she eventually decided to keep the small book. It rested on her bed until the sun was lifted into the sky by her sister, at which point she would write an entry, and take herself to bed. Her entries were often notes on modern society mixed in with her own experiences. She only wrote when there was something worth writing, or when her own thoughts forced her to do so.
She felt that the latter was affecting her at the moment. As the first beams of sunlight began to shatter her evening sky, Luna turned to her journal and opened it using magic. She began to write.
September the Twenty-Seventh
I'm afraid, my dear journal, that I have little to report. No notes of any kind, nor unusual experiences... Just thoughts, once again. How strange it must be for a princess to have so little to say.
However, my thoughts and emotions turn to the society I find myself trapped within. Dear Tia, she is doing her best to help me, but she is unable to introduce me to one thousand years of social progress so easily. I think she must partially regret sending me away for so long. I tell her not to apologize, as she has done a multitude of times, for I know she had no choice. I am no longer jealous as I was in my youth. Brash, stupid decisions of a filly seem all the more foolish after one thousand years of solitude.
And yet I cannot help but feel a pang of longing. I have accepted my place as the bringer of the night, but nothing has changed since my time a millennium ago. Most ponies sleep through my nights, and those that do not are often indoors. I do recognize that my night brings comfort to some, however. The sun blazes and burns, and can hurt as quickly as it can heal. My moon is soft, and kind, and provides the sense of shadow and mystery that all lovers wish to have a part of.
I hope to see my only real friend soon. Twilight Sparkle was ever so kind to me on Nightmare Night. I know I can strike a frightening image, but she does not fear me. The others, perhaps, but not her. I am sure you are bored of hearing of her, but I cannot help myself; if a pony has only one friend, are they not likely to speak only of that pony?
I am grateful to Tia for offering me you, my journal. My life may seem complicated, but everypony that tries to help can often make things worse for me. You, though, do not speak back to me, and therefore do not lead me in circles of confusion.
I am ever so gratefully yours,
Princess Luna.
Luna shut her journal, and slipped beneath her covers, ready to sleep away her confusion and escape the garish light of day.