"These wheels provide not enough friction to stand on them without falling.", Twilight complained as I once again picked her up.
"Twilight, there is no scientific excuse. I'm heavier than you, I have a much higher center of gravity, and you can distribute your weight on four legs instead of two. So the fact that I'm standing and have to pick you up every few seconds only shows us you haven't the best sense of balance, but that is something we can work on."
I was happy we found a pair of skates that strapped well enough to my shoes. I held on to Twilight to prevent her from falling again right away.
"Look how well Luna is doing, despite being much bigger and heavier.", I told my marefriend.
"Hey!", Luna shouted while she rolled past us.
"... but she has still that slender, beautiful body.", I added.
"Much better.", Luna replied.
"Well, she is cheating.", Twily huffed. "If I had wings to provide me some lift every time I struggle, it would be much easier for me too."
I looked over to Luna, despite using her wings now and then to stabilize herself, she looked very elegant in her movements. I was smart enough not to tell Twilight that she probably was just a little clumsy.
"Luna is having fun, and that's what counts.", I whispered in her ear. "I haven't fell in love with you because of your sense of balance." I kissed her cheek.
"Can you just hold on to me for the rest of the time we're doing this? I don't like to fall all the time."
"Sure, honey." I held on to her while we slowly skated along the track. I began to hum and bent down towards her.
"Don't worry, I've got you
nothing will ever harm you.
I'm close by, I'll stay here,
through all things I will be near.", I whispered in her ear.
She looked up to me with a warm, loving smile.
"This is really fun once you got the hang of it.", Luna shouted as she drove by us again. "Ohhh, you two look so cute together, you are such a pretty..."
Distracted by us, she tripped and fell to the ground right in front of us. We fell too as we hit her and we ended up in a big ball of interlinked arms, feet and hooves.
It took us a few moments to untangle ourselves. "Well, I stand by my statement.", Luna told us. "This is fun and I'm thankful you introduced me to it. I'm sure I will come here again in the future." Her horn emitted a faint blue glow. "Oh, it's almost time to raise the moon."
We hurried to get the skates off and to leave the building. Once outside the glow of her horn increased in intensity until it was almost to bright to look at. I followed Luna's gaze and saw the moon rise quite fast until it was completely visible. It came to a halt in a beautiful night sky. Then about hundred new bright stars lid up above us. It was a breathtaking experience.
"That was so incredible to watch.", I told Luna. "And it is connected to our next activity."
Twilight led us through the streets of Canterlot until we reached a big round building with a dome on top.
"What is this?", Luna asked.
"It's an observatory. Ponies come here to watch and study the night sky.", Twilight explained. "I have been here quite often before."
"Ponies come here to do this?", she asked skeptically.
"Yeah, it is very popular. You will see why once we are inside.", Twily said and led the way.
After we had entered, I saw the night sky projected onto the inside of the dome.
It was pretty obvious how much my marefriend loved to explain everything. "This projection is possible thanks to some small telescopes connected by magic. Instead, the projection can be switched to a larger telescope to look at parts of the night sky in detail."
I saw a large number of bed-like objects in various sizes, ponies laid upon them.
"Here, protected from wind and temperature, ponies can lie as long as they want to watch the stars and the moon.", she ended her monolog. We followed Twilight to one of the larger 'beds' in the middle of the room, we passed families, kissing lovers and single ponies on our way.
"Would you be so kind and explain us some of your beautiful night sky?", I asked Luna and pointed towards the bed before us.
"With pleasure.", she replied and laid down right in the middle of it.
We laid to both of her sides and watched the sky above.
"I create several constellations every night.", she started to explain. "But there are a lot of single and paired stars too, like these two stars, slowly encircling each other, they represent my parents..."
She explained the sky for about an hour. It was fascinating, and there was so much stuff even Twilight doesn't seem to know before.
"I have a question.", I carefully told Luna. "But you don't have to answer it."
"What is it?", she asked a bit confused.
"How... how did it feel it to be trapped in the moon?"
She went silent.
After a few seconds, I spoke up again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."
"No, it is okay.", she interrupted me. "I want you to know, I just thought about how to explain it."
She used her wings to draw us close to her.
"Luckily I wasn't conscious most of the time, a thousand years of that would have destroyed my mind for sure. I was a part of Nightmare Moon, who was a part of the moon. So I was just a tiny piece of the moon. I can't describe to you how lonely it felt, the times I was self-aware I just wanted one thing more than anything else.", she paused and drew us even closer to her.
"I just wanted to die.
I wanted to vanish from existence.
The feeling of complete loneliness was to much for me to endure."
I felt her body shaking and saw tears run down her cheeks.
I brought up my hand and wiped away a tear. "You don't have to be alone ever again, you have friends now, you have us now."
She hugged us so hard, it was starting to feel painful, but we both just let it happen.
"Maybe we should move on the the music bar we picked as our final destination.", I suggested. "I think we all could use a drink right now."
"I think that's an excellent idea.", said Luna and wiped her eyes. We all stood up again and I straightened my dress.
"Mommy, mommy, look it's the moon princess. Can we talk to her?", a little light blue filly with a white mane shouted very excited.
"I don't think we should disturb them, Electra. She is probably busy.", her mother answered.
Luna had heard them talking and addressed the filly: "Have no fear, come to me and tell me what you want."
Happily the filly approached her, her mother followed her a bit embarrassed. "Hello Princess Luna, I'm Electra. I just wanted to tell you how much I love love love your moon and the stars, they are so pretty. I try to come here every night to watch them."
"That's right.", her mother added. "She refuses to go to sleep before we watched your night sky."
Luna leaned down to her. "I'm very happy you like my night so much, Electra.", she said and smiled. "What is your favorite color?"
The filly thought about it for a second. "Orange."
"Look up to the sky.", Luna told her. We all looked up and saw a new shining orange star appearing. "This is your star, and it will appear in the night sky for the next week. When it fades, I will visit you to talk about stars for a while."
Little Electra threw her front hooves around Luna's neck and hugged her crying. "Thank you, thank you, Princess."
Luna wrapped her wings around the little filly. "You're very welcome, Electra.", she said in a warm motherly voice I hadn't expected from her. "Every friend of the night is a friend of mine."
Her mother had tears in her eyes, and I had to wipe away some myself.
"We will have to go now, but we will meet again soon. Bye." We left while Luna waved goodbye to them.
"Thank you so much princess!", the mother shouted after us.
Luna's face was full of joy and she had a warm, happy smile on her face. "It is so rare to meet somepony who loves the night as much as little Electra does."
"That was one of the sweetest things I ever saw.", I told her. "But I'm pretty sure if you go out more often, you will find there are a lot of ponies loving the night, and you."
"That may be true.", the princess answered. "Maybe I have to rethink some of my beliefs."
I decided to make use of her euphoric mood by asking her: "Would you accompany us to the Gala tomorrow? We always will be close by; we can have fun there together as well."
"Okay, being there with you should make the Gala bearable. I will rescue both of you from total boredom tomorrow by coming with you.", she said laughing.
"It's a deal.", I answered.
...
A few minutes later we entered the music bar, our last station for tonight. We had decided for it because Twilight had recognized the name of the performer playing tonight. She had heard her playing in Ponyville before at a little open air festival. We searched for a free table and ignored the stares our unusual group received from everyone in the room. Once sitting we ordered some drinks, wine for Luna and sweet cocktails for us. We arrived at the perfect time. Octavia was had just finished setting up her cello and started her show with a love song. Our order arrived just moments later, and we were sipping our drinks while enjoying the music.
After six songs she did a little pause, giving us the opportunity to speak again.
"I never had imagined you could use a cello to do such modern songs.", I told them. "In my world, it is used for old classical music."
"Itsch wunderfulll isn't it?", Twilight said grinning.
I looked at the three glasses before her. "Twilight, slow down. These drinks taste sweet, but I believe they have a pretty high alcohol content. I haven't even finished my first one."
"There is nothing wrong with getting a little bit tipsy.", Luna said and had rosy cheeks as well.
"Seeee, I agree with the pretty plincesss.", Twily showed a big grin towards Luna. "How isss the wine, Lulu?"
Luna blushed at the nickname Twilight gave her. She had two empty glasses before her. "It is delicious. I would give you some to try, but my glasses are empty.", she replied to Twilight's question.
"I schink I will taste schome anyway.", Twilight said licking her lips and she drew Luna into a deep kiss. I saw Luna's wings unfold a bit as she reacted to the surprising kiss.
"You're right. It tastes delischious.", Twilight said with a huge smile after breaking the kiss.
"I think we should leave now.", I said. I wasn't a jealous girl, but this was a bit to much for me.
"Maybe your right.", Luna agreed her wings still raised half way.
...
We left the bar just as Octavia started to play her next set of songs. I held on to Twilight since her walking got a little clumsy.
"Could you do me a last favor?", Luna asked timidly while we walked towards the castle. "Could you sleep in my bed tonight?"
I looked at her questioning, still a little mad.
"Just lying in it together, after the things we talked about I don't want to feel alone tonight.", Luna told us. I remembered her comments about being trapped inside the moon. "You can lay in the middle.", she continued. "Nothing will happen, I promise. I just... don't want to be alone."
I saw fear in her pleading eyes. "Sure.", I answered with a warm smile. "Who knows if I could lead Twilight alone to a hotel anyway."
"I'm totallllly onehundredperschent able to walky alone.", Twilight protested and stumbled a bit, but I could keep her from falling.
...
It was quite a big bed we were laying in. Twilight already snored softly next to me, while me and Luna looked at each others face, still awake.
"I have to thank you two so much for what you did today.", Luna whispered. "I was trapped so much within my old bad memories that I was afraid of letting others getting close to me."
"I know how this feels.", I replied. "Maybe that's the reason why I like you so much. Somehow I feel we are alike." I giggled softly. "Of course we look as different as it is possible."
"I know what you mean.", she said and used her hoof to brush through my hair. "I feel it too." She sighed.
"I think we should get some sleep as well. We will attend the Gala tomorrow.", I said yawning.
"You're right. Let's sleep now. It is okay that I hold on to you?"
"Yeah, it's fine."
She used her hooves to draw me close to her and kissed me on the cheek. "Good night and thank you for all you did. Sleep well."
We both closed our eyes and enjoyed the warm feeling of each other while we drifted to sleep.