//------------------------------//
// An Evening Dialogue 
// Story: Clair de Lune 
// by SPark 
//------------------------------//

	"This night of thine is lovely, Luna."

"I thought of thee when I fashioned it," said Luna, her face still, peaceful and unreadable.  

Twilight smiled at her, though the smile was a little bit sad.  "I'm glad," she said simply.  For a long time after that there was no sound but the gentle night breeze stirring the leaves of the trees below the high balcony of Twilight's tower.  Both alicorns sat side by side, looking up at the stars, half-obscured by branches, in silence.  This was not one of those nights where Twilight got out the telescope and the notebooks and studied the sky.  Nor was it one of the nights when they spoke about the theories and realities of astronomy, and how Luna's nights were made.  This was a night to simply sit together, and be friends.

Eventually Luna said, "I am glad of thee, Twilight.  Thou hast done much for me.  From great things to small."

"You have... I mean, thou hast thanked me a lot already, Luna.  Thou needst not thank me again.  Anyway, I haven't been able to do everything.  I know thou dost want... more than I can give thee."

"Hush.  I have said we shall not speak of that.  I do not need thine apologies, Twilight.  Thou hast done naught to shame thyself in this matter."	

"But..."

"Nay.  Things are as they are, Twilight.  Many things may change, but a fish cannot fly, nor doth a bird swim."

Twilight smiled a bit, and it was warmer this time.  "Actually, there are birds that swim.  And fish that fly, come to think of it."

"Oh?"

"Yes.  I can show you some illustrations, if you like."  Her language slipped as her enthusiasm for the natural world once again got away from her.  "Flying fish aren't true fliers, admittedly, they just glide, and there is only one species I know of, but there are a lot of kinds of penguins, which are birds that can't fly at all, their wings are entirely adapted to swimming.  So you see, fish do fly and birds do swim."

"I should like to see these flying fish and swimming birds.  Yet... that changeth naught, Twilight," said Luna with a gentle smile.  "For a fish that doth fly is surely born with its wings, and likewise these penguins of thine are hatched thus, I am certain.  Creatures are as they are.  Thou art born as thou art, and I likewise."  Luna nuzzled Twilight gently.

Twilight sighed and leaned against Luna's side.  "Yes.  Y- Thou art the Princess Luna, and I... I am the straightest pony ever.  But oh well.  I always kind of figured I'd be a spinster, all alone with my telescopes and my books, anyway.  So it figures that the pony who likes me best is one I can't like... like that."

"Ah Twilight.  I am most certain that there shall be a stallion for thee someday, one whom thou canst share thy nights with in all possible ways."  Luna's smile was peaceful and genuine.  She'd had a lot of time to come to terms with this particular issue.  Twilight was not the first straight mare she'd loved in all her long years, though in the past she hadn't used the word "straight".  Whatever the name was, the situation hadn't changed in several thousand years.  It never would change.  "Until then, thou canst share the stars with me, and I shall fashion nights of beauty and wonder for thee."