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// 10: Filly Tales [Dark] [Slice of Life] 
// Story: Thirty Minutes Shy 
// by Esle Ynopemos 
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((Prompt: How the moon got her spots/How the sun got her fire.))

The little yellow filly crawled into her bed and burrowed snugly into the soft cloudy fluff. She was Mommy's good little girl, and she went to bed when she was told. She looked up and smiled as her mother tucked in the corners of her cloud.

“Mommy, can you tell me a story?”

Mommy smiled. “What kind of story would you like, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy looked out the window. As it always had, the moon seemed to contain the face of a stern mare glaring down at her. Fluttershy shrank deeper into her bed. “What are the spots on the moon, Mommy?”

*

Luna—no, that was her old name. That was the weak name that let others just ignore her. Nightmare Moon paused to examine her reflection in the glass. Though it was cracked and scarred from the recent battle, the window still showed her face to her.

She frowned. Imperfections; little spots and blotches marred the perfect black and silver of her face and helmet. She raised a hoof, and found that these spots smeared and rubbed off quite easily, leaving a red stain on her gilded horseshoe. Blood.

She looked up at the moon, and saw that it too was no longer the perfect white it had once been. It too was speckled and scarred now, reflecting her just like the window.

*

Mommy glanced out the window. “Those spots are kisses left by the moon's lover, sweetie.”

“Oh. Okay.” Fluttershy relaxed just a little bit. She felt the warmth of her blankets, and they brought out a quiet yawn from her, but they also reminded her of something. “Um, can I ask you one more, Mommy?”

“Of course, honey.” Mommy nuzzled her on the forehead.

“Why is the sun so hot?”

*

The Everfree was burning. Her sister may have been banished, and the threat of eternal night dispelled, but that did not put the fires out. Trees blazed orange. Thatched roofs turned into bright red cinders and flew away. It seemed like even the stone itself of their shared palace had lit up like a match, spilling coils of black smoke into the cloudless blue sky.

Celestia looked up. Her sun sat shrouded in the smoke, glowing a dull hazy orange. No longer was it the brilliant star it had been, shining like a million-faceted jewel upon the land. Now it was just one more fire, hanging in the smoke-stained sky.

*

“The sun is so hot because she loves everypony so much.” Mommy kissed Fluttershy on the cheek, and opened the firefly lantern to let the light out. The glowing bugs whirled around one another as they buzzed out the window to join the stars. “Goodnight, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy smiled and shut her eyes. “Goodnight, Mommy. I love you.”