11.Memory
“What’s the first thing you remember?”
“I am not certain that I understand thy question Twilight Sparkle.”
“What’s your oldest memory? The thing furthest from the present that you can recall?”
“Pray-tell what has inspired this sudden interest in mine recollection?”
“I was just wondering… I think mine is… is a soft red blanket and the smell of… cinnamon, maybe.”
“That seems rather unclear.”
“It’s pretty foggy… what about you?”
“…Tia… Tia teaching us – me – to fly… I did not know our dam and sire… nor can I recall ever seeing any others of mine kind…”
“Luna… are you crying?”
12.Insanity
Luna had once read that a form of madness was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result each time. If that was the case then she was undoubtable insane. Time and time again she fell in love, and every tale ended in heartbreak: what else could be expected from the love-life of an immortal? She knew that Twilight would be no different – that she too would be lost – but that didn’t stop Luna from loving her with every fibre of her endless being. If the cost of love is sanity, then so be it.
13.Misfortune
Twilight was a luck pony – very fortunate indeed. She had so much to be grateful for: like the fact that she most definitely was not in love with an unreachable goddess – yes certainly very lucky; and that said goddess wasn’t in an emotionally weakened state in desperate need of comfort, and guidance. It was also a good thing that Twilight was a brave pony and that, if she did happen to have feelings for somepony, she would have no problem confessing to that, completely hypothetical, pony. Twilight huffed in annoyance, “Yes… so very, very fortunate.” Even the bookshelves seemed unconvinced.
14.Smile
Twilight Sparkle possessed a vast arsenal of expressions and Luna liked to think that she – and she alone – was familiar with all of them. Her favourite was most certainly the unicorn’s impressive range of smiles. There was the half smirk of intellectual satisfaction; the wild grin of new discovery; the filly like glee of success or accomplishment. It occurred to Luna, not for the first time, that a many of these were most often brought on by the unicorn’s studies. But there was one that belonged solely to her: that gentle little glance that overflowed with immeasurable and unwavering affection.
15.Silence
Silence. Broken only by the breathing of two beings and the beating of two hearts. Warmth. Brought by the midnight wing draped across her and the soft body she leaned into. Beauty. Shown in the stars of the night sky that had been so painstakingly, so masterfully painted by the only thing that could surpass their majesty. Then, though the warmth remained and the beauty was unyielding, the silence was scattered, destroyed, and forgotten. Not a soul wished for its return.
“Luna, you know that I love you, right?”
“Indeed. And, as always Twilight Sparkle, samely do I love thee.”
16.Questioning
“Why me?” the question had caught Luna quite off guard so her only response was an intelligible tilt of the head.
“You could have had anypony you wanted – hay! You could have had any horse, dragon or gryphon for that matter – so why me?”
“I… I do not know…” the goddess frowned at her weak answer “Does this make thou question mine sincerity?”
“What? No!” Luna detected a trace of guilt in the denial.
“Twilight Sparkle, I do not know what drew me to thee, but truly, I would sooner return to the moon than see thee doubt my affections”
17.Blood
Red… so much red.
Twilight entered the throne room with the intent of interrupting Night-court and whisking away the reigning princess for ‘personal matters’, but the sight that met her cast all thoughts of intimacy from her mind. Scattered throughout the room were the corpses of at least a dozen of the lunar-guard, but what called her attention was the indigo mare laying at the steps to her throne. In a flash of light she was right there pulling the larger pony to her.
“Luna! Luna look at me!”
“…immortal… will survive… foalish assassins… but… mine guards?”
“I’m sorry Luna…”
18.Rainbow
“Art thou familiar with the tale of the birth of rainbows?”
The unicorn with whom Luna was sharing her cloudy perch frowned, “What, like how spectra is made? Because the factory keeps that classified.”
“Neigh, I speak of the origin of colour. Wouldst thee be interested in hearing such? ‘Tis no more than mare’s tale but ‘twas mine favorite as a foal.”
A nod of encouragement.
“Alicorn blood.”
“WHAT!?”
“Mine dam’s finale gift to a dying world.”
“Just a story… right?”
“I do not know. Tia says ‘tis but a tale, but Discord once spoke of the grey before harmony.”
19.Gray
“‘Tis not so!”
“Yes it is!”
“I am the goddess of the night and I say it is not!”
It was the sight of her faithful student and her beloved sister shouting, horn-to-horn that greeted Celestia as she entered the throne room, though – judging by the mischievous glint in her sister’s eyes – their exchange was only serious to the unicorn.
“Princess! Please tell me what colour is this.” Twilight the waved a magically grasped parchment at the solar goddess.
“Grey? Specifically damp-ash.”
“Neigh! ‘Tis dark-white!” it was the unicorn’s indignant groan that finally sent Luna into a fit of giggles.
20.Confession
“I miss my brother.”
“Ah yes, Captain Shining Armour, good soldier – he would die for his nation.” Luna wondered if that sounded like the praise it was.
“…Would you? I…I know you’re immortal and all… but if you could die would you? For Equestria I mean?”
“The things for which I would forsake mine eternity are very few, but yes, mine home is indeed counted among them.”
“And the rest? You said that there is a few…”
The alicorn gave the contemplative pause before answering “Mine land, mine sister… and thee.”
“Me?”
“Is one’s love not worthy of one’s life?”