This story is a series of oneshots exploring the romantic pursuits of Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna. More or less, deleted scenes in the show.
This story is a series of oneshots exploring the romantic pursuits of Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna. More or less, deleted scenes in the show taking place during or after certain episodes.
p.s. -- unlike the other stories in the Project series, this one will not focus on Season One, due to lack of Moonbutt.
Where Demons Hide -- Friendship is Magic, Part Two
Prologue Where Demons Hide Friendship is Magic, Part Two
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
How many ponies could say they had saved the world? Not many. It was an extremely rare occurrence, one in a billion, to have the chance to do so, let alone the task of actually accomplishing such a feat. Then again, Twilight Sparkle was not the type to boast or brag about her achievements...
..but in exchange for this crazy adventure, she had earned five irreplaceable friends, and Equestria had their Princess back. Everypony won in the end.
Welcoming Luna back and tossing away the previous horrors of Nightmare Moon wasn't easy for the nation to do, but they would adjust eventually. They had to. Twilight didn't doubt it in the slightest, especially when she witnessed the defeat. It was heart-shattering, actually.
She could remember having so much fear, seeing that villainess standing before her--
--then seeing that frail Princess, crying with joy because she was free from what haunted her.
It was world-stopping.
Twilight never even dreamed that she would see something so dramatic in real life, the way it all changed in less than a blink of an eye. The legends were proven true, but light was now shining it's way through. Such an amazing, beautiful, strange and unique twist of fate. Princess Luna was a name and a title nopony had ever heard of before, but now, it was almost like everyone in all of Equestria and beyond was looking into foreign past records, looking for some of sort stories regarding Celestia's lost sister.
Most had assumed Luna was dead, and in a way, one could say that she was.
But now, she was more alive than ever.
Remarkable was the only word that had come to Twilight's mind when she had watched the reuniting scene of Celestia and Luna. Then, when they all came back to Ponyville, seeing the starry-eyed and hopeful yet anxious and nervous gaze in Luna's eyes...
...it was quite the predicament to dwell on.
A thousand years, gone.
The miracle of magic had turned Luna good again.
Twilight Sparkle was a pony who did not have a huge sense of pride. Yet, when she saw Equestria's newest Princess, she'd be lying if she said that her heart didn't soar with joy. It was good to know that she had done such a good deed.
She couldn't tell the future, but from here on out, it looked pretty bright.
Chapter One Constellations & Candies Luna Eclipsed
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The night was strangely calm, especially for an evening such as this one. Any holiday celebration often usually dragged on late into the early morning hours, but Nightmare Night was meant to be celebrated underneath the starlight. Yet, strangely enough, in a certain small town, it was all still.
Luna stared up at the statue of her former demonized self, and released a sigh.
It was almost something to look back on and laugh at now. Jealousy fueled an alter ego, now here she was, her normal self again. Granted, a thousand years was such a strange and cruel punishment, but she wouldn't deny the fact that she was taught an irreplaceable lesson -- and that was bottling everything up sometimes wasn't the best result. Yet, here she was now, isolated from the town. She figured that this was the best apology she could give Ponyville now that she had settled the troubled waters. True, they had accepted her now and all was well, but Luna needed time to think. About what, she wasn't exactly sure.
She just needed a few moments, and then she would head home to Canterlot Castle...
A slight rustle in the branches and bushes alerted Luna from her silent trance, and she glanced over her shoulder to see a familiar face.
When the pony came into full view, Luna spoke up, with her tone of voice firm and bold.
"Good evening to you, Twilight Sparkle. May I question why you're out so late in the night?"
"Well," Twilight gave a halfhearted shrug. "I - I just wanted to make sure you enjoyed yourself, despite everything. I know that this holiday didn't exactly start off right for you, but I'm glad to know we got everypony back on track. At least, I think we did. I mean, I hope-"
"You ramble far too much," Luna mused.
Twilight blinked slowly, and she slightly tilted her head to the side. "I noticed you're quite blunt," she retorted.
Luna had no response; instead, she simply bestowed a small, ever-so-sly grin.
"Um, a-anyway," Twilight cleared her throat. "Seeing how Nightmare Night is technically over, I was wondering-" She levitated a decent sized pouch out from under her costume. "Perhaps this seems even a bit foalish to ask to a Princess, but in honor of tonight, would you like some of this leftover candy? I'm not a big sweet eater, and-" She stopped herself. "Sorry. I'm rambling."
"Now, now, I never said I found it as an annoyance," Luna said.
"Oh," Twilight murmured. "So-"
"-if you have any chocolates, prepare to have them disappear in only a few minutes," Luna replied.
A gentle laugh slipped past Twilight's lips, and she approached the Princess of the Night, sitting down next to her on the grass. Twilight untied the bag, offering the sweet treats to Luna, who took a few pieces, but didn't open them just yet. Instead, she twisted the wrappers, and looked up to the night sky thoughtfully. Her lips were pursed, her wings were a bit frazzled and her mane was shimmering in the pale light of the midnight hours.
"Might I ask you a question?" Luna said.
"Of course, Your Highness," Twilight replied.
Luna grinned, and looked at the mare sitting next to her. "Please, fair Twilight Sparkle, call me Luna," she assured. "If I am to make friends with my subjects, then you may use casual terms whilst speaking with me."
Twilight returned the smile. "Then, just Twilight is fine," she said. "My full name isn't necessary."
"Fair enough. Even if your full name rolls off of the tongue quite nicely," Luna mused. "Anyhow, my question-" She kept her gaze up, gazing at her masterpiece of a sky. "-you are showing me kindness. Why is that exactly?"
"What are you talking about?" Twilight said, in genuine surprise. "Why would I have any reason to not be kind?"
Luna raised an eyebrow, glancing briefly to the pony sitting next to her. An awkward silence formed between them both, a heavy pendulum of suspenseful confusion swinging in the air. It was a few moments, but finally, the Princess let out a long, deep sigh, shaking her head. "Do you forget so easily?" she inquired. "You are the one who has defeated my demon, the terror of this evening, Nightmare Moon. Yet, now, you see the Princess, and you wish to be companions. It puzzles me so."
Twilight brushed her mane out of her face. "Well, think of it this way," she declared. "Everypony deserves a second chance. I think that's all you need to realize. Besides, we all know the story of Nightmare Moon, but now, if they see the real you, maybe things will change."
Luna opened her mouth to speak, but she shut it almost immediately.
Then, she just had to say the question now itching at her mind.
"The real me?" she questioned.
"I think you're going to have to figure out the answer to that," Twilight said. "Because I think I'm starting to figure it out. Hopefully." She tore open a small bag of sour candies, and ate a few of them as she gazed up at the evening stars. "You do an exceptional job at what you do, by the way. The star patterns are so intricate and elaborate."
Luna smiled bashfully. "Your compliment is appreciated," she replied.
And so, on this crisp autumn evening, in wake of the celebration, the two ponies sat together, making their small, average talk about things normal ponies talked about. The weather, the economy, family lives, it was simple yet intriguing. As Luna conversed with Twilight throughout the night, she realized something: that this mare was not like any other. She couldn't put her hoof on it just yet, but she could tell that Twilight Sparkle was not a name, or a pony, to forget. Luna desperately wanted to know how, and why, this pony was so approachable and kind ... and quizzical. Within every moment she spent with Twilight, Luna either pondered a question to herself or answered one asked by her acquaintance.
Before these two would part for the evening, both of them began to think that this was the start of something new, something grand and something indescribably serendipitous.
