“Thanks, Luna.” Fluttershy's voice had returned to normal, the tears dried

on her face, “I haven't done something like that in front of

another pony, except my mother.”

“Don't worry,” Luna said, gazing into her eyes, “I needed that too.”

The sun now rose above the treetops, its warm rays lacing the ground

around them. “Let's go for a walk. Even though I don't say it much,

it looks beautiful today.”

-~-

Fluttershy had begun to feel better, as they walked among the deciduous trees

near her house. Her and Luna hadn't barely said a word, both admiring

the scenery.

“Hey Luna,” Fluttershy began, “Do you sleep through the day, or the night? Or

do you even sleep at all?” She'd wondered why the goddess slept the

previous night, when the night was her own creation.

“Well, technically, I don't need sleep,” Luna told her, “But I do enjoy

it... When I was helping Celestia create Equestria, or times when I

got engrossed in painting the night, I wouldn't sleep for years.”

She closed her eyes, memories running through her mind. “But, sleep

is refreshing and it feels nice.” She concluded, opening her

eyes.

“That's not what I meant” Fluttershy said, then realizing she had come off too

assertive for her liking, “Umm, but you don't have to say it... I

mean.”

Luna laughed, “I don't mind. But yes, onto the point,” She glanced up to the sky, as

they continued walking on the forest floor. “I tend to sleep in the

day, so I can enjoy the night... But, since it was a sleepover, I

thought It'd be proper.” She looked back to Fluttershy,

“Besides...”

The alicorn took a deep breath, “Besides, I'd rather not sleep during the day,

if I could spend it with my best friend.” She smiled weakly, not

knowing what to expect for voicing her feelings. It felt so...

foreign to her.

Fluttershy was taken aback for half a second, not expecting such a touching

response. Then, she moved a little closer to her, “Aww, that's

sweet of you. M-Maybe I should stay up for the night more often,

too.” She giggled, as they came out of the trees near the pegasus'

house. “Now, come on. I have to do some shopping today in

Ponyville... Want to tag along?”

Luna let go a sigh of relief, “Sure, that sounds great!” She said

ecstatically, never before going into the town's stores. A rush of

excitement shocked through her body, from her hooves up to the tips

of her wings.

Fluttershy led her friend over to her house, both of them entering. She grabbed the

big gardener's hat from a hanger, handing it to Luna.

“Oh no,” Luna said, “I think I can manage today,”

The quiet mare smiled, “That's the spirit! See, you're getting better.”

She pointed out.

Luna thought for a second, tilting her head. “I... I guess I am.” she claimed,

a bit of confidence rising in her voice. She began to ponder on the

new enlightenment now at her hooves. She'd begun to act weird around

her pegasus companion. She'd started to speak her mind freely,

sometimes not even thinking about it beforehand. The goddess felt

welcome and accepted by her, not overtly trying to be nice or polite

because of her royal status. Luna realized that around Fluttershy,

she could be herself without fear or shame. Something... Something

she even didn't do much around her sister.

Before she could go any further in her thoughtful discovery, a voice broke

through her musing, “Luna... Luna, are you okay? Oh dear.”

Luna shook herself back into reality. “I'm fine.” She smiled, “Just

a daydream.”

“Oh good.” Fluttershy exhaled, “Well, I've made sure everything is okay while

we're gone, so let's go on over to Ponyville.” Her saddlebags that

she had on clumsily sat over her wings, restricting her movement.

“Quickly...” She added in quietly, “Don't tell Rarity, but...

um, these saddlebags aren't the most,” The twin bags sagged and

slumped over to one side, “Comfortable...” She ended with a sigh,

before adjusting them again.

Luna giggled, opening the door as the pegasus followed her out. As the

walked along the dirt path, she slowed down to let Fluttershy catch

up to her.

“Hey, you got to ask me a question earlier, so do you mind if I ask you one now?”

Luna asked.

Fluttershy turned her head to face Luna, her pink mane getting in her face before she

moved in with a hoof. “Sure.”

“Well, I've wondered why you treat me like a regular pony.” She started,

“Most ponies in Canterlot are always bowing, calling me 'Princess'

and doing me unnecessary favors. Meanwhile, you listen to me and

respect me like any other pony.”

Fluttershy frowned, thinking that she may have offended her. “Oh no!” Luna

doubled back, “I really like it... a lot. Celestia is the only

other pony who calls me by my name only, and it's nice to be able to

talk with somepony else who doesn't grovel half the time.”

Her friend's ears perked up, “Oh! Well... I mean, I don't like to talk

about it much... But, I am the element of kindness.” She said,

trying to sound as modest as possible. “When you were hurt, I sort

of panicked and forgot my manners. As time went on, I thought you

didn't mind. After hearing about your business here in Ponyville, and

how scared you were, it was only in my nature to try to help you.”

“I appreciate that,” Luna replied quietly. Her emotions taking over her, she bent

over and quickly nuzzled Fluttershy. Her coat was so soft, even

better than the robes she wore at the spa the other day. A sense of

security once again flowed over her.

The timid pegasus eeped in surprise, bringing Luna back to her

senses.

“Oh!” Luna squeaked in shock of her own compulsive action. She blushed hotly,

the heat so intense, she could imagine her whole coat being red. She

looked up the path, realizing Ponyville was at their hooves.

“Err,” She started, looking at the yellow mare. Her cheeks were still

blushing too, but she seemed to have calmed down. “S-Sorry... Well,

I guess we're here.” The awkwardness in the air was as thick as

fog.

“Y-yes...” Fluttershy said quietly. “Well, come on. I'll show you some of the

stores.”

Luna followed farther behind, her tail drooping a little. 'Luna! What did you do there!' She screamed at herself, within the confines of her own mind, 'Will

Fluttershy even like me anymore... I mean, it was just a quick nuzzle.' Guilt chewed at her, making her itch, 'Right, I better go apologize.'

Now in town, Luna could feel the eyes of several ponies boring into her,

even a few gasps and whispers. It made no difference though, her mind

occupied on more pressing matters.

As Fluttershy approached a small market stall, Luna trotted up to catch her. “Fluttershy,” she began.

The pegasus turned to face her, her eyes revealing no secrets. “Yes?” She asked, in her usual, quiet tone.

Luna rubbed a hoof on her neck. “I just wanted to say I'm sorry about

before...” She trailed off, but blurted out again before the mare

could answer, “Friends don't do that, do they?”

“Luna, it's okay.” Understanding now began to show in her expression. Luna

began to feel better, as Fluttershy continued on, “And no...

Friends usually don't do that, but you've been gone so long, I

couldn't blame you for not knowing. It's fine... I was just startled,

that's all.” A faint blush formed on her cheeks.

“Thank you.” Luna said, heaving a sigh of relief, as Fluttershy turned

towards the stall and began browsing through it's products. The

alicorn scanned the vendor in front of her, various burlap bags

positioned on a red cart. “So...” She continued, trying to break

the mood, “What are you buying here?”

“Oh, just some seeds for my birds. The last Winter Wrap-up brought back

more birds than usual, so I'm constantly running low.” Fluttershy

replied, before picking up a small bag of seeds in her mouth and

placed in her saddlebag, while simultaneously placed a few bits on a

ledge of the cart.

“What's the Winter Wrap up?” Luna asked, mystified. The two ponies walked

up to a small store, a green door in front of them, with an image of

a sewing machine on it.

“Oh,” Fluttershy said, opening the door, “It's just an event in which the

whole town clears the snow and ice to make way for spring. We have to

plow the land, plant seeds, clear the sky, and fetch the birds that

flew south.” She explained.

The pegasus browsed through a shelf of spools of thread, before picking

out a gray one. “Can you hold this?” She asked Luna. “I need to

fix a blanket for Angel. I think he had a dream where he ate a

carrot, and ended up biting his own bed,” she chuckled.

“Sure,” Luna replied eagerly, “No problem.” She lifted the spool over her

head with her telekinesis, as she followed Fluttershy around the

store. The small shoppe was full of various clothing repair material,

but it also had a small selection of saddles and dresses.

Fluttershy had noticed it too, as she made her way over to them. She stopped at

a mannequin, upon which rested a cyan dress, with white and light

yellow curves added in as the skirt swept over the tail and onto the

ground. It came with a set of light blue sapphire studs and a white

gold-chained necklace with the same gemstone on it. On the feet of

the mannequin were four cyan boots with white straps that wound up

the leg.

“Oh my,” she muttered.

“Try it on,” Luna said, encouraging her. “I don't know much about fashion,

actually hardly any at all... But I do know when something looks

perfect for somepony.”

Fluttershy took a second look at it, before turning to Luna, “Oh I don't

know...” she sighed, “It is really gorgeous, but I think... I

think it's too much for me.” Her voice was low, but the goddess

could sense the underlying hope in her tone.

“Now, Fluttershy,” Luna's voice became softer, “It can't hurt to try it

on. We both know that you want to.” The pegasus' expression started

to show a smile forming. “Pleeaaseee,” Luna added in with a smile

of her own.

Fluttershy pouted, playfulness glinting in her eyes, “Oh alright, I'll try it

on.”

“Yay!” Luna squeaked, telekinetically taking the dress and it's add-ons, while

simultaneously pushing Fluttershy into the sole changing room before

she could change her mind.

The blue mare laughed as she closed the door behind her friend, “Now,

don't come out until you have put it on.”

After a few minutes, the door clicked open, as a single, cyan boot-clad

hoof poked it's way out. The timid pegasus lowered her head a bit,

feeling out of place in her elegant dress amongst ponies in their

everyday self.

Luna's eyes lit up, “Fluttershy! You look gorgeous in it!” She took a few

steps closer to her, marveling at how well the blue jewelry

accentuated her eyes.

“I know...” Fluttershy said quietly. Turning around, she examined

herself in the mirror hanging on the door. A smile crept up on her

face. “Maybe I will buy it.”

“That's the spirit!” Luna said, walking with the superiorly-clad mare over

to the mannequin.

Fluttershy lifted the price tag and gasped. “Oh no...” She murmured to

herself, “That's much to much for me.” Her face drooped.

“Let me see,” Luna butted in, determined to help her friend out. “Oh,

this?” The mare giggled a bit. “It's only eight hundred bits.”

“Exactly!” Squeaked Fluttershy, lowering her head as she realized she raised her

voice above her normal level. “That's a lot of money, Luna.”

“Well...” Luna began, “You have been such a help to me lately, and here's finally

somewhere in which I can assist you.” Her horn glowed a bit, a dark

light enveloping it. “Hold on, I've got to get a cheque paper from

Canterlot.”

With a poof, a small booklet and a quill appeared in front of Luna. Fluttershy eyed

it curiously, “What's cheque paper?”

“It's a new form of payment. It's a piece of paper which I sign and give to

someone, and when they turn it into a bank, it's basically a note

saying that I gave that pony a certain amount of bits from my own

depository of money.” Luna was glad she remembered it from her

studies. Teleporting a chest of 800 bits wouldn't be so easy.

“But Luna... I can't accept this.” Fluttershy told her quietly.

“Oh, I insist, Fluttershy.” The alicorn looked into her eyes. “You

have been too kind to me... Kinder than anypony I could imagine, and

you've been patient with my inaccuracies because I've been gone for

so long,” Luna blushed a little at the memory of nuzzling the

pegasus.

“Come on, go take it off and we'll bring it up to the counter,” Luna told her,

opening the dressing room's door.

Fluttershy sighed, “Since I know you won't give up," Then her voice raised excitedly, "Thanks so much, Luna!"

-~-

The sun was setting once more as the two burdened mares approached the

small cottage by the woods. Even though Fluttershy's saddlebags were

bulging, and Luna's horn was glowing brightly as a trail of items

followed her, both were laughing as they entered the rustic

house.

“Honestly,” Luna admitted, “I never knew walking around and looking in stores could

be so fun!”

“I usually shop alone, so it was nice to go with somepony else for a change.”

Fluttershy placed her saddlebags on the floor, as Luna followed suit

and dropped off her train of bags nearby.

The goddess looked out the window, gazing at the approaching dusk. “Well,

I have to go raise the night sky soon.” She felt her heart plummet

as she said those words. She'd probably have to go home to Canterlot

soon. “If you want, you can come watch.”

Fluttershy muffled a yawn with one of her forehooves. “Sure... I'm a little

tired, but I'd love to see it.”

“Okay, come on,” Luna said, opening the door. The yellow mare followed her

out, a little drowsy as she went.

The alicorn led her out into the middle of the nearby clearing, which

gave the best view of the darkening sky.

Luna sat down on the grass and closed her eyes, a breeze ruffling her

mane. Channeling her energy from deep within, she made a mental image

of the night sky in her mind. Opening her eyes again, she focused on

the thought that her mental image would appear in front of them both,

in the sky.

Over the course of a few minutes, the sky darkened, stars peeping out. Just above the

horizon, a gibbous moon shone. The sweeping blanket of the Milky Way

splashed along the dark void of space.

Fluttershy gasped, overtaken in admiration. “I tend to think that the night is

myself,” Luna explained to her, “When it was just me and

Celestia, I spent years pouring work into the sky we see now...”

She chuckled a bit, “I know it sounds cheesy, but I feel like I

poured my soul into it.”

“I've never seen a night so clear as this,” Fluttershy replied, her eyes

huge.

“Hold on...” Luna told her, the alicorn's horn now brightening once more with primal

magic, “I think I can reveal the older stuff I created, stars so

far forgotten that they've clustered together and almost vanished

completely.”

Luna gave a grunt of effort, before a shock of energy raced from her and shot up

towards the sky. It kept going farther and farther out, until it was

smaller than a star.

“Watch,” Luna told Fluttershy, a little winded. As if on cue, the night lit up

like it never had in a long time. Distant galaxies erupted into the

seemingly black void, their colors of light orange, dusty blue and

deep red adding a mix into the fray.

The now endless, infinite number of stars twinkled like the finest

jewelery, each a sparkling diamond. The black abyss the night was

previously known for was now replaced by a beautiful display of

colors and light.

“Luna...” Fluttershy said in complete awe. “This is the most...” Her voice

was searching for the correct words. “This is... I can't find what

to say. 'The most beautiful thing I have ever seen' would be an

understatement.”

The goddess was shocked at her reply. She never knew ponies could take

such delight in her creation. “Re-Really?” She sniffed, overtaken

with emotion.

“Yes.” Fluttershy told her firmly, before looking over into Luna's eyes.

“Thank you so much for letting me watch this.” She said, giving

Luna a hug.

If a pony could ever melt into a pool of happiness, Luna was sure she could now.

Waves of strong feelings overcame her... Ones she was unaccustomed

to. Fluttershy's coat brushed on hers, her pink mane mingled with the

Princess' own, the yellow mare's soft breathing tickling her

neck.

Then, much to Luna's internal dismay, Fluttershy let go of her, stifling another yawn. She laid down on the cool grass, resting her head on her forelegs as she

still gazed at the sky. “I could almost... Fall asleep here.”

Luna's eyes remained locked, still rigid in shock over her flood of emotions.

She dared not to move, still trying to make sense of what she felt. Her

analytical mind raced, trying to solve the gigantic mess of puzzle

pieces laid out in front of her.

However, her heart had already figured it out. As much as she tried to tell

herself it wasn't true, she knew deep down it was. Taking a deep

breath, a single thought floated into her mind.

'I've fallen in love with her.'

Like opening a Pandora's box of joy, she felt like she could do anything.

The single act of admitting it to herself caused her heart to flutter

with bliss. All of her worries, her regret and pain had been erased

by a morphine of pure affection for the other mare.

She finally turned her gaze to her. Fluttershy was asleep, her body

rising and falling slowly, her breathing barely audible. Luna's eyes

softened at the adorable sight of the resting pegasus.

“Oh Fluttershy...” She said in a whisper, “How can I ever tell you?”

With her confession, Luna felt much more open with herself. But, even

though she’d finally come to admit she loved the mare, her shy

personality made it seem impossible to tell Fluttershy the truth.

Realizing that she still needed to be taken home, Luna picked her up as daintily and

gently as she could with her magic, making sure not a limb moved the

slightest. A faint glow of blue enveloped around the yellow pony, as

she began her trip back to the cottage.