Renaissance of The Moon

by Habanc

Chapter 3

"Oh! I think I get it now," Luna claimed. The setting sun was playing a dance of gold and orange on the sky, as the two mares walked over a bridge towards Fluttershy's house. The house cast a long shadow upon them in the waning sun.

Fluttershy, on the inside, was about to explode with happiness. This slumber party, unlike her previous with the "Cutie Mark Crusaders", was surely looking up. It was the first one she'd ever hosted with another equine, at least personality-wise, of the same age as her. Her new friend certainly seemed to enjoy being around her, and the pegasus was sure they'd make this one a success.

Also, on a more personal level, Fluttershy was proud of herself. This was the first friend she'd made on her own in a long time, not aided by the whole "Elements of Harmony" thing. Actually, on second thought, she hardly made any other friends in her whole life. Only a few ponies even tried to approach her in Cloudsdale, and only a slim fraction of those got to know her on any personal level.

As she approached the dimly-lit red door, Luna turned to face her. "Fluttershy, I'll be in the house in a second. I just have to go do my duty and raise the moon. It'll only take a few moments." Her blue mane rippled a bit in the breeze, her equally blue eyes gazing into the Fluttershy's own, filled with excitement and wonder.

"Oh... Oh sure, Luna!" Fluttershy told her cheerily. Her hopes rising once more, as the alicorn's gaze had confirmed her hopes. "I'll go inside and make some tea." She concluded, going inside.

She exhaled in delight as soon as she closed the door behind her. This is going to be SO fun! She thought. Fluttershy continued onto her small kitchen, it's old, cast-iron stove and oven adding a rustic touch. Turning on the stove and setting a kettle over the flames, she heard a small cough coming from behind her.

Whipping around, she saw it was her bunny, Angel. He gave her a huge smile, before repealing it and replace it with a quizzical look. She had to admit, that mischievous little rabbit knew her well.

"Oh Angel, I just made a new friend today." Fluttershy responded sweetly. Instantly, she felt compelled to share her feelings. "We're going to have a sleepover, and it's going to be great!" Her tone was brimming with expectation and delight. "It'll be just the best. We're gonna tell stories, laugh, braid tails... Maybe we'll even play 'Shhh!'" Giggling, she noticed that Angel had dropped into a sulky composure. His shoulders sagged, his ears flopped down. The bunny even dragged his carrot behind him by the stem. He started out of the room, eyes drooping.

"Aww..." Fluttershy said, catching up to him, "Angel, you know you're my favoritest bunny ever." He didn't even turn around, continuing on in his melancholy march. She flew over him, landing in front of Angel, blocking his path. Placing her head on the same level as his, Fluttershy stared at him, her pupils big as saucers. A small smile crept up on his face.

Noticing a crack forming in his sullen attitude, Fluttershy scooped the rabbit up in her forehooves, nuzzling him gently. Angel tried his best to resist, but within seconds he couldn't help but hug the yellow mare, his tiny arms going halfway around her neck.

"Don't you worry." Fluttershy told him, as she put the white animal on the floor, "Now, go get ready for bed. It's almost nighttime y'know." Not bothering to wait for a response, she headed back for the kitchen.

The kettle was just beginning to whine, steam starting to show from the covered spout. Daintily gripping the covered handle, she set the kettle to the side, and turned the stove off. Just as she finished filling the teapot, Fluttershy heard the door open and close.

"Sorry I took so long, Fluttershy. I also wrote a letter to Celly so she wouldn't worry." Luna called out, unaware of her friend's exact location. Fluttershy took the tray in her mouth, rounding the corner towards the door.

Luna spotted her instantly as she entered. "There you are! For a second I thought you went upstairs or something." Realizing Fluttershy couldn't speak with the tray in her mouth, she chuckled, "Her, let me take that for you."

Her horn light up blue as her telekinesis took hold of the tray, as they both walked over to a green couch in the corner of the room. Luna placed the tray on the wooded coffee table in front of it, before sitting down on the simple, yet comforting furniture piece.

Fluttershy joined her, her ears suddenly perking in excitement. "So, what do you want to do first?" She asked, her manners coming into play as Luna was, after all, the guest.

"I don't know, I've never done this before? You have, right?" The blue mare looked at her. "By the way you explained it, I think you must have had some great slumber parties in the past."

"Well... No." Fluttershy confessed, "My last one was actually a disaster."

"Oh..." Luna said, her eyes dropping to the floor in disappointment.

Fluttershy giggled, "Would you like to hear about it? My friends all loved hearing the story."

"Oh sure!" Luna replied eagerly. "You did say storytelling was a part of having a sleepover!" Her eyes glaring at Fluttershy in curiosity. She took her tiara off, trying to get comfortable, letting her hair run loose.

"Well, it all began when I brought Opalescence back to Rarity's house..." Fluttershy started, retelling a tale she had on numerous occasions.

-~-

"Wait, wait!" Luna gasped, trying to control her laughter, "Are you telling me that the three little fillies broke your table, and then tried to fix it to find their cutie marks?"

Fluttershy giggled a bit, reminiscing in the image of Applebloom and her friends creating something that did not look like it's former self. "Oh yes," she giggled once more, "I had to get Applejack to fix it for me the next day."

Luna burst out laughing, almost falling off the couch, "That is so cute!" she exclaimed. Her sides heaved before she could contain herself, "So what happened next?"

"I suggested that we play a game." Fluttershy responded. The alicorn's eyes lit up at the mention of it.

"Ooh! What game?" She asked.

A rare, playful glint appeared in the pegasus' eyes, unnoticed by her still-giggling friend. "You want to play?"

"Would I!?" Luna gleamed.

"Okay... It's called 'Shhh'" Fluttershy replied, trying her best to keep a level face.

"What's that?" The alicorn asked, cocking her head to one side. Her expression was clueless.

"Well... It's a game about who can stay quiet the longest. Sound fun?" Not waiting for an answer, she continued on as Luna's look went from clueless to utterly lost. "I'm the world champ y'know. I bet ya can't beat me!"

Fluttershy stuck her face a little closer to Luna, before taking in a huge breath and slamming her mouth shut, her cheeks puffed out.

For a second, the princess was mystified. Then, she squinted her eyes in competition, before following the mare's actions.

For a few seconds, both of them sat there on the couch, facing each other. They looked like enormous squirrels, cheeks as if full. Soon enough, both of them started to shake. Luna's face twisted with effort, as Fluttershy's eyes widened.

At nearly the same time, both exploded with laughter, giggling like fillies on a winter morning. "Hehe, Fluttershy, you should have seen the look on your face!" Luna exclaimed, falling on her back.

"Oh, haha, I couldn't!" Fluttershy responded between laughs, "I was too busy try to not laugh at yours!" She collapsed, toppling off the couch with a thud.

Luna scrambled over to the edge of the couch, where the until-recently quiet pegasus had been. "Fluttershy, are you okay?" She asked with concern in her voice.

Fluttershy, who was sprawled on the run below, picked herself. She rubbed a hoof on her forehead, touching it gently. "Oh yes, I think I'll be fine." Hey eyes scanned the scene, noticing the tray, which had not been touched. "Care for some tea?"

"Sure!" Luna replied, as Fluttershy poured some of the steaming drink into her cup. She grasped the cup in her magic, bringing it to her face. She blew on it carefully, before taking a sip. "Mmmm..." She murmured, relishing the taste and comfort of the warm brew.

"I heard that some famous musician is coming to Ponyville next week." Fluttershy said, before taking a sip of her own. "My friend Rainbow Dash can't stop talking about her. Actually, both Rainbow and Pinkie Pie are going to the performance. Ooh... What's her name!" Fluttershy racked her brain for answers. "DJ Pon four or something like that."

"Oh yeah?" Luna responded. "I wonder what music she plays. I don't know what DJ means, but I've heard the Canterlot Orchestra once when they played in the castle for Celestia. I liked it." She began to pretend to play a violin, the imaginary instrument being played slowly by a bow made of air.

Fluttershy giggled, "Oh no, it's not classical. Rainbow let me listen to some of her music. It had a catchy beat to it... and some sounds used were nice, but..." The mare tried her best to compliment it, but she smirked as she realized it was futile, "It's just very loud, very strong and really fast at times. I'd rather listen to my birds' melodies any day... Just don't tell either of them I said that."

"Well, I think I'll have to listen it sometime, can't hurt to try, right?" The words came out of Luna's mouth before she knew what she was saying. 'What's this?' She thought, 'A day ago, I would have just disregarded it. Now, I've decided to listen to some music that sounds, well, not like something I'd prefer. Although, the openness feels... Nice.'

"I guess not," Fluttershy replied with a smile, "Come on, let's go see if I can find my picture book of all the different baby animals I've met. They're really cute."

"Okay!" Luna said, head picked up in interest, as she followed the pegasus.

-~-

Luna took a deep breath, watching the faint glow along the horizon begin to grow. She wished that the night would've never ended, being one of her favorites in her whole thousand-year-plus lifespan. She was a stranger to this harmless fun that she had with Fluttershy during their slumber party. Most of her life had been dictated by drawing up legal codes, planning economic budgets and deeming where the country's governmental power should be exercised.

She was the mastermind behind all of the Equestria's basic foundations of government. Viewing the problems her subjects faced as a big puzzle, Luna did enjoy creating new solutions, but she left the presentation to the aristocracy to her older sister, Celestia.

Celestia was charismatic and could woo any crowd if she so desired. She was like a real estate agent, selling a house that was built from Luna's blueprints. Before the navy blue alicorn thought to participate in politics, Equestria was a loose confederacy of feudal kingdoms. Constant strife between these princedoms were uncontrollable, Celestia's poorly drawn-up laws and regulations being easy to find loopholes in.

Luna, distraught at the chaos, put her creative mind to work. Just like the night sky, she worked around problems like arranging her constellations. She wiped the slate clean, disregarding all progress her sister had made. Starting from scratch, she built the basic system of the aristocratic-dependent Oligarchy that had been in place until now. Although it was fun, Luna always knew the risks involved. One slip up, and certain ponies would be at each other's necks by the following morning.

This is why the previous night had such an experience for her. Never before had she felt so carefree, like the binds of royalty had disintegrated into stardust. She never felt the urge to act overtly proper around Fluttershy, the understanding in her voice and eyes telling Luna that she wouldn't mind however the princess acted.

Sighing, Luna dropped her leer at the rising sun. It wasn't worth trying to bring back the moon, because Celestia would send guards for her and probably search for her herself. Luna may as well accept it and enjoy the rest of the day with her friend.

As the alicorn walked away from the clearing she was in, a faint breeze carried a melody through her ears. It moved it a range of ups and downs, the notes rising and falling like the waves on the ocean. It spoke of sadness, the dramatic lows basically spelling out "regret". Often, the sounds rose to a cheery high, speaking of joy. Just as the music were to reach it's highest potential, with the tempo rising, in a blink of an eye the notes dropped by octaves.

Even Luna couldn't help but shed a tear. It were as if the most beautiful day appeared, only to have it ruined by the worst of storms. As the sounds began a succession of deep chords, it began to change once more. The tempo was slow, but began a steady rise in tone. But, unlike the sunny notes beforehand, the melody was drawn out, notes as long as eternity, even more depressing than the quick descent only played seconds before.

Trying to triangulate the sound, Luna crept through the undergrowth, as the sound grew louder and louder. Little thorns pricked at her coat, but curiosity was an anesthetic to her menial pains. Although she couldn't pick out what instruments were played, this music was beautiful, even if it was sad. Like in nature, some of the most desolate, most melancholic locations held unfathomable emotion and grace.

Soon, the ferns and bushes began to thin out, leading into a gray area between the forest. Small saplings grew, with long grasses and flowers along the ground. As Luna walked through the softer grass, it led to a rocky clearing, with a sole sapling growing on it's exterior.

"Fluttershy, what is this?" All ranges of birds were sitting on the young tree, and glanced over to the alicorn as she entered. She had spoked quietly enough to not scare them, but got the pegasus' attention nonetheless.

Fluttershy normally would have squeaked in surprise if an unknown pony had entered, but Luna's voice broke through her concentration while still keeping her calm. As she turned to face her, Luna could see the anxiety in her eyes.

"The Apple Harvest Celebration is only a few days away, and Applejack asked me to perform with the Aves, my ensemble of birds here in the forest." She fidgeted her hooves on the ground nervously, "Umm... This is the only time they have available to practice, so... I'm sorry I had to leave the house, Luna."

Luna chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, "Don't worry, it's fine." Her voice turning more considerate, "Besides, it was wonderful." A few of the birds puffed their chests out at the comments, proud for being commented on their musical abilities.

"Oh..." Fluttershy was taken aback, "Thank you." She was about to turn around, before stopping. " I just can't get rid of the feeling that something is missing." A look of fretfullness was on her face.

"May I ask who wrote it? I'd love to hear the Canterlot Orchestra perform it. It was so emotional, like a spectrum of feelings." Luna replied, trying to change the subject slightly. "It was sad, but nonetheless beautiful."

Fluttershy lightly flipped a few strands of hair out of her eyes, the morning breeze gaining a little speed. "Well, I did..." Fluttershy peered into her eyes, as Luna felt the gaze reach into her soul, "They say the best music comes from the heart."

Both her heart and stomach did a flip, as Luna knew what she was talking about. "I'm..." She started, trying to sound as reassuring as possible, "I'm so sorry."

"No no... It's okay. My fillyhood in Cloudsdale wasn't the brightest," Fluttershy said, zoning out, lost in memories. "It got to a point where I just rejected other ponies in total, and that's sorta why I'm so..." Tears began to form along the ridges of her eyelids.

Luna could only take a few steps towards her, before placing a hoof on her shoulder. Fluttershy sniffed loudly, a single tear streaming down her cheek. Her face was a mix of sadness and depression, and a few touches of anger thrown in. She slammed her eyelids shut, her brow wrinkling as she tried to bite back her feelings.

Unknown to seeing this strength of emotion in others, Luna tried to replicate what Celestia had done for her. "Shhh..." Luna replied, her own voice shaky. She wiped away the single tear still lingering on Fluttershy's face, but she could tell more were coming.

Without warning, the pegasus wrapped her arms around Luna's neck with alarming speed. At first, Luna was shocked by how suddenly it happened. But, within a few seconds, she had her own hooves around Fluttershy's back. The princess rubbed her back in a slow, calming manner, trying to comfort her.

By then, the yellow mare's single teardrop grew into a constant stream of moisture, most of it ending up on the princess' shoulder and mane. She let go a fury of sobs and sniffles, as she hugged Luna even tighter.

As if by sheer coincidence, Fluttershy's rhythm of sobbing matched that of her custom-made melody. The teardrops were sprinkled in like high notes. To Luna, it seemed as if the mare had poured all her anguish and grief into her sole piece of work.

Fluttershy buried her snout into Luna's mane, the sobs still coming out between gasps for air. The normally calm equine was now a raging torrent of despair. Luna said nothing, letting her friend cry on her shoulder. It pained her to watch, she never knew the pony had such pent up sorrow. Fluttershy always acted immune to any serious negative emotion; anger, frustration and dismay never lasting for more than a second.

Now she knew why. All the room for containing her true feelings was taken up by her memories of her younger days. A simple mask is all she wore, a thin dam that was now bursting over Luna's shoulder.

With the new epiphany rapidly making sense in her mind, Luna too felt the tears coming from her eyes. With so much she had seen in the world, and from the rocky satellite orbiting it, the alicorn knew exactly how she felt. After all, she had been locked up in the moon for a thousand years, regret and remorse eating at her soul like a virus since the second she became trapped in Nightmare Moon's grasp.

Until now, she really hadn't known how badly she had been cut by her banishment to the moon. Nightmare Moon had plunged an invisible dagger into Luna, who only now had figured out how deep it went. The new-found feelings from within her heart were pouring out now, in the form of blue teardrops, containing emotion darker than the night itself.

"Shh..." Luna whispered in Fluttershy's ear, her voice shaking. The pony in her arms was still shuddering tremulously, but it didn't matter. Luna had to help. If there was anypony to help the pegasus with her internal grief, the alicorn knew it was herself.

"Don't worry, shh..." She continued on, as moisture rolled down both their faces. She nuzzled her quickly on the cheek, exchanging teardrops. Luna drew her mouth closer to Fluttershy's ear than previously before, taking a deep breath between her own sobs. Tears squeezed out of her eyes as she shut them closed.

She began to move her lips, barely reaching a whisper. Although Fluttershy didn't know it, the words were meant for the both of them.

"It'll be okay."

Comments

[misterquark]

Man, this is one awesome read. I am a huge fan of Luna and Fluttershy. I just got done reading the third chapter, and I was blown away at the growing relationship between the two. I cannot wait for more!!!

Great story... btw... The pic, fluttershys arm is kinda weird. :/

[Habanc]

132

Just noticed that, lol. Oh well, it still matches the scene.

[Comet]

it's so beutiful

[SureFreeD]

Why did I get a boner?!
What the hay?!

This...
That was...
How did you...
I'm actually crying, that was so beautiful. Your depiction of the music as it wafted through the forest, exercising an irresistible tug on the ears, expressing the widest range of emotion, is exactly what music should be. Bravo!

[StormHoof32]

*sniff* bravo. im crying right now. that was beautiful!!!