Fluttershy sang quietly to herself as she fed Angel his dinner. She was so excited for tonight she could hardly wait! She had taken a few naps during the day, but now that it was nearing nighttime she couldn't sleep at all. Fluttershy just knew that tonight would be full of wonderful occurrences and splendid surprises. Maybe she could even see the nocturnal animals like owls, badgers, and the sacred Silver Deer. Fluttershy's wings flapped at the thought. She simply couldn't wait.
Applejack paced back and forth. She wasn't too keen on staying up all night, but she didn't want to let Princess Luna down. She raised her head towards the heavens, basking in the last few rays of light before the sun was fully set. She sighed. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad. She could learn about the specific plants that only blossomed during the night, like the Luminous Crescent and Satin Star Leaves. Applejack couldn't help herself; she smiled and shuddered with excitement. If she could learn about those special plants... oh Celestia she would love the night. From after that thought, Applejack couldn't wait for the night's lesson.
Twilight glanced at the darkening sky. She was very intrigued by the stars and planets. She hoped Princess Luna would teach her about astronomy. Twilight could barely contain her excitement. She swept her eyes over the book she was reading. It was about astronomy, but Twilight had the feeling it couldn't compare to actually witnessing the sights in real life. She closed her eyes and smiled. The night would be amazing.
Pinkie Pie tried to stay calm. She knew she couldn't be as loud as she normally was, since it was nighttime and all sensible ponies were asleep, but it would be super duper hard. Pinkie Pie sighed and gazed out at the stars. The luminescence they produced made the grass shine, and the grass waved in the soft wind, as if they were dancing. Pinkie Pie opened her window and let the cool air wash over her. Yes, she finally decided, there were multiple ways of having a party. There was the crazy happy fun way, and the melodic, calm, and peaceful way. Pinkie knew she would like the night's version of a party just as much as hers.
Rainbow Dash groaned. Why did she ever agree to stay awake all night? Come on! It was nighttime! Everything would be dark and she wouldn't be able to see where she was going. Dash stepped outside, and instantly the cold breeze shifted past her, ruffling her feathers. She noticed some white flower petals drifting along in the wind. They definitely contrasted with the night sky, but it was a beautiful contrast. Dash followed the movements of the petals and saw how they twisted and turned gracefully in the air. She wished she could fly like that. It looked so beautiful. Dash looked up and closed her eyes. The moonlight washed over her, and brought with it the wonderful sensation of excitement. She leapt upwards and twisted gracefully in the air, creating a total different look that she had when flying in the daytime. Sure, Rainbow Dash could fly super fast, but sometimes, the epic coolness was being able to look graceful and feel so calm and carefree, not having to rush. Dash instantly knew she made the right decision.
Rarity looked up at the moon as she walked towards Twilight's. She couldn't believe she was actually going. There would be nothing to her interest. The night was dark and empty, and while there were pretty lights being shined down from the moon and stars, that did nothing for Rarity except help her see. Why couldn't there be any pretty physical things in the night? Rarity grumbled. All the grand things couldn't been seen in the dark. Rarity was almost to Twilight's when she noticed something sparkly dotting the road in front of her. It was a silver glittering thing, glowing in spots. Oh, how spectacular! Rarity bent down to get a closer look. It was star dust! Rarity had seen this stuff on the road to Twilight's all the time, but had always thought they were just clumps of dirt. Rarity realized that star dust, like regular stars, could only be seen at night. Rarity smiled widely, and after concluding that the night did hold beautiful things, she galloped the rest of the way to Twilight's.
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Once everypony had arrived at Twilight's they all walked outside. “Princess Luna?” Fluttershy called out in her soft-spoken voice. Princess Luna appeared in a flash of moonlight. “Good evening ponies. I’m so glad you’ve arrived,” Princess Luna said with a smile on her face.
Princess Luna led the six ponies to a lake. “First thing I will teach you ponies is the enchanted plants that exist only in the nighttime. Watch closely,” Luna turned toward a pale yellow bulb sitting atop a green stem. Princess Luna lay down in front of the flower.
As the seven ponies watched, the flower started to illuminate, and slowly opened up. Applejack gasped. “It’s a Luminous Crescent! I thought these were extinct,” she whispered, entranced by the pure beauty of the flower. Princess Luna laughed quietly. “It is definitely not extinct, Applejack. Ponies just never see it because it is only visible during the night. During daytime it closes up and looks like a dead flower. The moon’s soft glow is what keeps this flower alive, not the harshly bright light of the sun, no offense to my sister. This flower is very delicate,” Princess Luna explained. The ponies all gasped together.
Rarity leaned in closer to the flower. “It’s so beautiful. It’s a shame it can only be viewed at night,” she said sadly. Princess Luna smiled. “There are many wondrous things in the world, Rarity. You just have to know when to look for them,”
Rarity smiled. Princess Luna led the ponies closer to the lake. " While we're here, I'll show you the Night Fish, even though tonight's lesson is mainly about plants. You'll want to watch out for these fish, they can be mean. Their scales reflect the moon. These fish are very smart, and love playing tricks, so it'd be best if you don't lean too far over the edge, Rainbow Dash," the princess said with a small smile. She continued, "During the day, these fish stay well hidden in underwater caves, which is why no pony else has ever seen them," Twilight was furiously writing all this information down, trying to get every word. "Shall we move on?" Princess Luna asked. The ponies nodded.
Luna walked towards the Everfree Forest. She stopped at the edge and gently muzzled a branch with silver star shaped leaves on it. She breathed on the leaves, and they shivered and started to radiate pale light. Twilight gasped. "Those are Satin Star Leaves! I've only seen pictures!" Princess Luna said, "Pictures can not completely grasp the wonderful splendor of these leaves. What I find most intriguing is that these leaves exist for one night. Then they fall off, break into dust, and are replaced by regular leaves in the morning. Then at night, the regular green leaves follow their relatives' example and fall off, leaving room for the next batch of leaves and thus continuing the cycle," Everypony gazed at Princess Luna with admiration. That princess knew everything about the night.
Luna looked at the ponies and blushed when she noticed them all staring at her. "Ok ponies, this is the end of your lesson for tonight. I haven't even begun to show you all the wonderful plants here in the night, but if I showed them all to you, there would be no time for other things, so I show you my favorites. Tomorrow night I will show you the magical creatures of the night, like the Night Fish you just saw. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night, ponies,"
Twilight said, "We thank you, Princess Luna. You are a wonderful teacher, and we can't wait to learn more,"
And the ponies all went their separate ways for the night.