Love of the Night

by Jonny V.

Chapter III

Luna was all smiles at breakfast. Looking at her, her sister Princess Celestia asked “Not that I’m complaining to see a change in your demeanour, but what has you in such a good mood, and where have you been slipping off to at night?” Luna looked down at her bowl of oats, blushing from face to flank, and mumbled “Well, I met this astronomer, and I have been going to visit him in his observatory at night.”
“Oh? you’ve been calling on a gentlecolt? I would like to meet him, to make sure he’s good enough for my sister!” Luna turned an even deeper red, which mixed with her dark blue coat, made her look something like an eggplant with wings and a horn.
“He’s a very busy pony, and sleeps most of the day. His only time away from his work is during the full moon.”
“That’s in a few days, I will meet him then. Until then, please remain in the castle at night. I will send this Midnight Star a message, inviting him here for dinner on the eve of the full moon.”
“But Tia, I’ve never met anypony who loves the night as much as I do until I met him. Spending time with him has helped me adjust to being back in Equestria.”
“Then you may schedule time to speak with him at a reasonable hour. It is unbecoming for a princess to be flying off in the middle of the night. We both have standards we need to maintain; that much at least hasn’t changed in the past thousand years.”
‘But Tia-”
“This conversation is done, there is no more to discuss.” Celestia stated curtly, as she drank her tea.
In a huff, Luna left the dining room. Celestia didn’t even look at her, turning instead to one of her attendants, having him take a letter for her. Hoping that Tia was sending the invitation to Midnight Star, Luna hurried back to her room and scrawled a quick note for Midnight, rushing to the main entrance of the castle to intercept the messenger now on his way.
“Ensure that this note is delivered to the unicorn named Midnight Star.” she commanded
“Yes, your highness.” replied the messenger, before turning and leaving the castle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Midnight Star looked at the door, hoping somepony would knock. “Why do you keep looking at the door? Nopony’s up at night, besides us.” Dusk Breeze asked.
“Well, that’s not entirely true...”Midnight Star started.
“No, I guess Princess Luna would probably be up, but what are the chances she would come to see a couple common ponies like us?” Dusk Breeze replied, half sarcastically.
“Well...actually, she has been coming to see me...” Midnight Star replied.
“She’s been doing WHAT!?! Royalty, here? in this mess of an observatory? Oh, even if you have no shame, I have enough for both of us! Quick, we have to clean up! What if she comes tonight?”
“She’s usually here much earlier. I sure hope nothing’s wrong, she came every night before tonight for about a fortnight.”
“A what? Fortnight? Couldn’t you have just said two weeks?”
“Sorry,” Midnight Star responded bashfully, “I guess Lulu’s been rubbing off on me some.”
“Lulu? Just how much time have the two of you been spending together? Listen, I wouldn’t be too worried, if one of the princesses had been mortally wounded or fallen grievously ill, I’m sure all of Equestria would have heard of it. Unless Princess Celestia was behind it. Maybe Princess Luna’s in the moon again.”
“Thanks Dusky, you always seem to be able to look on the bright side of things,” Midnight star replied sarcastically, “With the full moon coming up in a couple nights, I think I’ll head down to Canterlot and try to get an audience with her. the sky’s too bright to see much anyways.”
“If Celestia’s sent her to the moon, you’ll have a long ways to go for an audience.” Dusk Breeze looked like he was going to make another joke, but decided against it when he saw the glare his friend was giving him. “I’m only kidding, I’m sure she’s fine.”
“I hope so.”
Just then, there came a firm knocking at the door. In his excitement to open it, Midnight Star accidentally used too much of his magical strength, and pulled the door right out of the frame. Standing there, hoof still raised to knock, was not Luna, as Midnight Star had hoped, but a pegasus from Celestia’s royal guard, looking rather terrified about having a door nearly explode in his face. “I bear a message from Her Highness, Princess Celestia, Regent of the Sun!” the pegasus declared, with as much command and decorum as he could muster in the split second he had. Midnight Star was unimpressed. “What message do you bear?” he asked, disappointed that Luna didn’t even send him a message as to why she didn’t come. “Her Highness requests the presence of Midnight Star, the astronomer Princess Luna speaks so highly of, at dinner on the eve of the full moon three days hence.” the guard said, handing him a sealed note
“If Luna speaks so highly of me, then why has she not come to see me tonight?”
“Her Highness the Princess Celestia has asked Her Highness the Princess Luna to remain in Canterlot until after the full moon.”
“Did Princess Luna have a message as well?”
“She gave me this note, to give to you. Princess Celestia requested that I obtain a response from you upon delivery of her message. Will you be attending the dinner?”
“Yeah..yeah, I’ll be there...”Midnight star answered distractedly, already more concerned with the note from Luna than with anything Princess Celestia may have had to say. The guard pegasus turned and left, leaving nothing but the cool night air blowing in through the open doorway. Examining the note, Midnight star went to his desk. “hey, an invitation to a private dinner with the princesses in Canterlot? that’s pretty awesome!” Dusk breeze exclaimed, “I don’t suppose there’s anything about bringing a guest?”
“I don’t know. You check the one from Celestia, if you want. The seal on Luna’s note was a crescent moon, just like her cutie mark. Delicately opening it, Midnight Star read the short note inside “My dear Midnight, my sister has decided that until she meets you, ‘it would be inappropriate for a Filly of the Court to be calling on stallions in the middle of the night.’ Please, come and see me, and try to make a good impression, because I want her to like you; I know I already do, and more. Luna.” Smiling to himself, Midnight Star resolved to dig up his best “Astronomer-y” cloak.
“Hey, this says you can bring one guest!” Dusk Breeze cut through Midnight Star’s thought “Do you mind if I come?”
“No, you’re welcome to be my guest, I would feel awkward if it was just me with the princesses anyways.”
“Awesome! then I’m going to get going, I’ll need to make sure I clear any deliveries I have waiting by then so I don’t fall behind. Later, Midnight!”
Reattaching the door to its frame behind his departing friend, Midnight Star turned to his own preparations.