Remember the Moon

by Leviathan

The Soul of an Artist

I dwelled in the library, alone, throughout the Night, contemplating the decisions I had made. My tale had brought up more bad memories than anything else. It was quiet, the shelves of books stretched onwards giving an illusion of grandeur and endlessness. In reality I would likely finish off the remaining novels within the year. The torches provided dim light leaving the expanse of the arcane library dark and cryptic. The pile of books next to me were esoteric and ancient. Not quite as ancient as me, but ancient. Nothing you would find a modern pony reading.

Night, which always reflected my passion, lay starless and black before me. I usually took solace in the heavenly canvas, knowing that I could express my deepest feelings upon it in beautiful art and imagery. At this moment. however, the very thought of its chilling darkness left me indifferent.

I searched through the vast array of books not truly appreciating their glory. My mind was occupied by thoughts of my subjects. It was not only the fact that they did not love me but they did not trust my authority either. It would be foalish of me to think that they saw me as equal to Celestia. They bow in my presence, naturally, but they never take their eyes off of me for a moment.

They do not trust that I can protect them or that I am even willing. They do not trust that I will not betray Equestria again. They do not trust that I will lower the Moon to make way for the dawn. They do not trust that I love them. They do not trust me, the Princess of the Night!

Some tremble at the very sight of me, petrified with fear. I find it to be infuriating. Any attempts I make at earning their trust are short-lived. My addresses, whether they be cheerful or not, always seem to scatter my subjects.

It is hardly any different with the nobility. The Night court is often awkward and full of pompous ponies who agree with anything I claim. They fear I shall bring my wrath upon them if they do not agree with me! Citizens hardly ever come to present their problems to the court fearing that I will unleash some sort of divine retribution.

Celestia says it is just a phase the kingdom is going through. She says that Equestria needs to adjust to the return of the Moon. She may be right, or maybe the kingdom does not want to adjust. The whole of Equestria has prospered without my presence for a thousand years so what’s the point of me?

I love my sister and I realize the effort she is making in trying to help me fit in, but I am not a foal. I am not Princess Luna. I am merely Luna. I do not expect my subjects to trust me, they have no reason to. I have done my best in trying to accelerate their credence of me, but to no avail. I shall not stop trying, though.

A solution must exist. They always do. Celestia thinks it is mad for me to spend my time searching for a solution when one is destined to appear. I prefer not to think so fatalistically. I will find a way to gain the trust and faith of my subjects by any means necessary. It will have to be through something other than the use of my diplomatic abilities however, as they are quite lacking.

All I am capable of doing is raising the Moon. A feat which is not so unique. In my absence Celestia was able to do this. The only other thing unique to me is my mind. I was endowed with a great intelligence that allows me to read over 30,000 words a minute (and comprehend them fully) and perform complicated mathematical equations mentally. These are hardly attributes that garner the respect of modern ponies, though.

Maybe this filly, Rainfall, could help me. She fears me, but is still courageous and curious enough to approach me. Perhaps I could inquire with her as to what I should do to make the situation I am in less...abhorrent. She could tell me what I was doing wrong, even steer me in the right direction.!

Yes, Rainfall would be perfect. Maybe I could even befriend the young filly along the way. That would be nice. It has been a long time since I had felt the pleasures of friendship. I looked forward to that...warmth. It might even improve my social skills which had been less than commendable since my return from the Moon (obviously).

Celestia does her best to interact with me, fill the void left within me, but her schedule is hardly flexible. She is incapable of understanding the loneliness I feel in my self-appointed exile, but she truly does try to be my friend. She suggests I go to Galas and other such events in attempts to improve my image. I listened and attended them at first but most of the time they only served to make me seem uptight and pretentious.

I am not the kind of pony who enjoys parties. They are drab and tacky in most scenarios and the ponies are hardly any better. The mares and stallions there are usually pompous and conceited. I would much rather talk of history and science to scholars rather than listen to bombastic foals chatter on about the ‘hardships’ of their lives.

So I keep to my library trying to find a way to befriend the ‘common’ pony. I have read through countless works on socialization, but most of them are outdated or non-applicable. Others of this genre don’t take into consideration the formally evil nightmare ponies who turned away from malignant thoughts.

In the end though, I will discover the factor needed to gain the respect of my kingdom and the warmth of friendship.

___

It was early dawn. The library was oblivious to this fact. The Royal Library was too deep inside the construct of the castle to feel the warmth of the morning. I had spent my Night within the library, reading in the shadows of the past. The only time I broke away from my studies was when I needed to lower the Moon and make way for the Sun.

I had rested very little since my return to Equestria, instead using my time to dogmatically study the world through books. If I am to earn the love of Equestria than I must remember one thing. Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.

I saw Rainfall heading towards me, she was rather early. She was practically dashing. Her white coat was slightly damp, it must have rained. “Hello young one; you are quite early.”

“I-I just wanted to catch up on some reading before we talked again Princess. I didn’t really expect you to be here so early...” Her voice trailed off. Well, as long as we were both here I might as well continue my tale from the previous day.

“Indeed. Let us continue with my tale-”

“Wait, Princess Luna! I have a question!”

“What is your question?” My voice came out sharper and harsher then I meant it to. I really hated being interrupted. I really should just use my pokerface when I deal with others.

“Oh, it’s nothing, never-mind Princess...” The young filly was a bit taken aback by the serrated edge of my voice.

“No, please ask your question. I did not mean to convey such an unpleasant tone and apologize, I just resent being interrupted.” Patience was never my strong suit.

Rainfall’s mood brightened up a bit after my apology and she proceeded to stand up tall, and ask me a question, “What was it like in the Moon? Or on the Moon? Or on something in the Moon? However you were trapped there.”

“Please display patience, Rainfall, I will get to there eventually.” I gave her a small smile, hoping she wouldn’t pick up on my hypocrisy. “For now, let us pick up where we left off.”

___

Equestria was at peace. My sister would make the Sun rise and set and I would do the same for the Moon. It was a golden age. The ponies, no longer troubled by the chaos Discord created, were able to live their lives in relative safety without having to fear change. Not to say the world was boring, change was present of course, there just wasn’t so much of it happening all at once in a bizarre order. The seasons regularly gave way and people knew what to expect year round. The changes we experienced were orderly, a controlled chaos as it were.

The people worshipped Celestia. They prayed to her, thanking her for the warmth and crops that her sunlight provided. I hardly ever received as much thanks as her. The people bowed and rejoiced at the sight of my dear sister, calling her names such as, “Goddess of Light” and “Beacon of Hope.” The sound of her very name brought joy to those who heard it.

I was not so equally loved. The people bowed and showered me with praise, but it was all hollow. They did not appreciate my Night. They did not appreciate my Moon. Some even felt I was unnecessary. They criticized my graceful darkness as an icy smog that passed over Equestria and left nothing but bereavement in it’s wake. To them my wondrous Moon was just a mirror that gave a mirage of light. The stars were just miniature copies of the Sun, that tried to imitate it’s glory. They did not fear me as they do now, but to them, I was little more than Celestia’s shadow. I walked at her flank and was seen as more of a subordinate than an equal. This did not please me.

My bitterness remained in incubation. It grew out of my envy for the love my sister garnered. At this time I held no plans of creating an eternal night, I was simply hurt by my subjects blatant disregard of something so exquisite and artistic as the Starry Night. It made me miserable, I wanted to cut off my right ear! I let none of this show outwardly, though; one of my many 'talents' is my ability to equip an excellent pokerface.

Princess Celestia was completely oblivious to my feelings, naturally. She was caught up in running the government. She held courts during the day, held parties and events, established guilds, and still managed to listen to the needs of her people. I was in charge of all of those things at Night. Everypony slept at Night however, and I was usually just left to explore the castle grounds.

When Discord reigned he conjured up a castle in which he could reside. He placed it within the city of Canterlot, which had been a simple trading center previous to his reign. Shortly after erecting his castle he named it the capital city. Surprisingly there was nothing abnormal about it. Well not at first glance anyways...

After the imprisonment of Discord Celestia and I took over the castle. In those times I took to trying to discover secrets about the castle in which Celestia and I resided. She, being caught up in running government, never thought that there could be secret passages in the halls of this castle. I, having an abundance of free time, actively explored the grounds. I stumbled upon many secrets.

Secret passages where everywhere, some of them not even leading anywhere! At one time I found a passage in the kitchen that was activated at the pull of a lever disguised as a torch holder. The passage led to a room full of bobble-manes, yes, bobble-manes.

Another passage I found was much, much stranger. It was at the top of one of the many watch towers and could be activated by stepping on a panel on the floor. Once pressed this caused the wall to recede and reveal another watchtower. The insane part is, however, that this particular watchtower was on the other side of the castle grounds!

It was quite remarkable really. My escapades became a nightly event, after I finished engraving my artistry on the sky of course. One day I came across something incredible! Something that rivaled even the enigmatic Elements of Harmony! It was a rather odd thing as well.

___

I stopped my tale there and spoke to the filly, “Let us continue tomorrow, young one. I’m sure you would like to finish the literature you came here for.”

“But why!?! It sounds like your getting to something good! Can you please keep going Luna, P-l-e-e-e-a-a-s-e.” Rainfall was practically groveling at my hooves.

I felt a small grin begin to form on my face as I crafted a reply that I felt was sure to make the filly laugh. “My dear: the Sun will rise and set today whether I finish my story or naught. However, the Moon may not descend if you continue to defy me.” The young filly’s eyes grew wide and she stood there for minute before the entirety of my joke dawned on her.

With a small pout she looked at me and said, “Okay Princess, I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that she trotted away.
“Goodbye, Rainfall.”

It was cold and quiet. The young filly had left the Royal Library long ago. A messenger came to me. He alerted me that Princess Celestia was lowering the Sun to make way for the pulchritude of my Night.

I walked down the corridor towards the balcony that connected Celestia and I. The balcony from which we controlled the movements of the Planets, and so much more. The corridor itself was covered in artwork that mirrored our dual-personalities.

One of the large passage’s walls was decorated in the brightest shades of red, reflecting the effulgence of the Sun. Shimmering gemstones aligned the wall that, after time, faded from their bright red hue to a glimmering shade of yellow. Torches were absent from the wall as it was bright enough all on its own. This wall represented Celestia, naturally.

My wall was much darker. There were royal shades of black aligning the expansive mass, that would slowly fade into purple, then dim to a hue of blue that was reminiscent of indigo. Specks hid on the walls ranging from small to large, but all gave off the faint flicker of distant stars. This served to illuminate the hallway in an eerie glow that would provoke only the soul of an artist. Small swirls of a blueberry-type dye passed through the design in random patterns, adding to the resplendence of the mural and accentuating the other hues of blue.

These walls were not here by Discord’s creation. No, my sister and I had installed them ourselves, each of us pouring our soul into the design, doing our best to project our intellect and soul onto the canvas.

I walked along, steadily heading towards the silhouette of my sister illuminated on the dimming twilight. Creeping up to her slowly, I awaited the falling of the Sun. She did not notice me standing behind due to her intense concentration and my uncanny ability at creeping. I just stood behind her waiting for her to turn around until-

“Ah!” Celestia fell back a step with a shriek. “Oh, Luna, it’s just you...you frightened me.” She inhaled deeply and attempted to regain her composure. “You must really work work on your approach. You may just scare me into bringing the Sun crashing down.” She gave me a wry smile.

“It is not exactly difficult to sneak up on one so oblivious as yourself. How has your day fared thus far, dear sister?” Chatting with Celestia was always a nice addition to my otherwise, boring life.

Celestia looked deep in thought for a moment before she answered, “My day was fine, did you leave your cave today?”

That’s how she had described the Royal Library since my return. She was not thrilled by my apparent disinterest in all things social. Perhaps if she knew how hard it was to gain another’s trust she would sympathize. At this time however she was incapable of understanding my dilemma. “I did not leave the Royal Library today, sister. There was a document I had to investigate to ensure it had some validity.”

“Do you never let yourself have any fun?”

“Perhaps I enjoy reading, or is that too far-fetched?” I curled my snout at her.

“At the speed you read you’ve probably read our entire library twice over! All I’m saying is you need to interact a little, so that everyone will get used to you again. Come to the party I’m hosting tomorrow evening and get to know some of the ponies there.”

My mind was racing with ideas as to how I could avoid the party. I did not want to be caught in a situation where, once again, I would stand in Celestia’s shadow. I struggled, normally devising lies came easy to me, but the sudden suggestion came as a bit of a shock. A clear and rather simple idea had just emerged in my head. “I cannot attend your party, Celestia. I have a prior engagement which demands my full and undivided attention.”

Celestia bore a hurt expression. “Doing what exactly?”

“I am enlightening a curious set of ponies. I have been teaching ‘these’ ponies various bits of history from my era as to stock and broaden their minds.” Every lie is somewhat rooted in the truth.

Celestia eyed me suspiciously and proceeded to say, “So you’re teaching a class.” I gave a slight nod. “Very well then. You’ve just squirmed your way out of yet another party. Goodnight Luna.” She began to trot away.

“Every Night is good, Tia. Sleep well.”

Celestia stopped in her tracks. She turned around and trotted back up to me. "There is a party the day after tomorrow though." I was about to protest before she cut me off with. "And no excuses! You have to socialize somehow, after all. Whatever plans you have...you'll just have to reschedule them." She turned and walked away.

Many faces were made at Celestia's back on that evening. Many, many faces indeed. At least I would be free of attending some boring event the next day.

I silently thanked the young filly, Rainfall, who had helped me avoid attending a party. I also knew my sister’s persistence as well. It was more than likely that she would ask me to attend this party and others as well in the nearby future. I would have to come up with a way to avoid all of them, but for now I averted my attention towards the sky.

I loved the sky so much. It was an article unto which I could express myself. And, oh, did I express myself that Night...

First, I brushed over the sinking twilight engulfing it all in a shades of blue, hues of indigo, and shadows of black that none could ignore. Next, I brought on the lighter cover of azure which blended into the blue seamlessly. Afterwards I added the slightest hints of ebony, dotting it here and there for affect. It was a glorious sight to witness. The vividness of the colors swirled endlessly giving the illusion of miniature twisters. The night was not yet complete, though. I added in a color, that I had created myself, and which can only be described as, “Midnight.” It evoked feelings of calmness and peace in those who witnessed it.

Next I added the stars. My guardians of darkness as I liked to call them. They twinkled brightly when placed on the veiled silhouette of nightfall. I arranged them in patterns one could only dream of. They sparkled as if fracturing the light of the Sun itself. The prize of my collection was, however, the North Star. It shined brighter than any other in the sky. It’s gleam guided weary travelers to their destination, an affect that was completely accidental. Satisfied with my stars I moved on to the grand ‘attraction.’

The Moon. I let it rise slowly, as if it were a fragile object. It reflected the light of the Sun in a dim fashion which truly encapsulated the wonder and glory of the evening. In it’s ascension it was perfection. It was not only a representation of beauty, but a representation of what I strived to be. It sat there, surrounded by loving and adoring subjects. It garnered the attention of the stars and the sky, and for a short time was the center of the universe. That is all I ever wanted.

To be loved by my subjects, to have them appreciate the Night, to have them know I am trustworthy. I lay on that balcony throughout the Night watching the sky as it changed and evolved. I wonder if I can do the same...