The clock in her room ticked away. Tick, tock, tick, tock There Luna sat, alone at the royal table. Her dinner of collard greens with tomatoes sat upon it. She stared at it, at the meal she herself had cooked. It was dull and lifeless, just like her mood. Tonight was the eve of her 2000-year birthday. What a cause for celebration! Two millennia upon this world! Surely somepony would congratulate her...but alas, there she was alone once again. Slowly she replayed a flashback of recent events in her mind. The demonic entity that was known as Nightmare Moon no longer possessed her. Holding the daylight...no, her own sister hostage! How could she have been so driven by vengeance? How could anypony forgive her for her misgivings? What right did she have to hope for a new beginning?
"Princess Celestia told me tonight is your birthday! I came soon as I was prepared," said a rather hyperactive voice beside her. Princess Luna looked up in shock. "How did you-I-what?" The princess was at a loss for words. Somehow before her in her private dreamscape realm bounced a rather cheerful looking earth pony with a set of three balloons as a cutie mark.
"I think we may need some more balloons and confetti! The other guests will be here shortl-," the familiar pink one began before Luna cut her off. "What are you doing in my realm, earth pony? Furthermore, who are you?" Luna's voice shook the dreamscape. Ever undaunted the hyperactive pink one responded: "Oh right we met back when you were Dark Snooty, I forgot! My name is Pinkie Pie, and I am here to celebrate your birthday! I heard from Princess Celestia that you were feeling down about tonight and being alone made you really sad. So I came here to help you!"
Completely taken aback and still unconvinced, Luna scuffed a hoof upon the darkened clouds they stood upon. "Why in the name of my sister would you wish to cheer me up? Do you even realize who I am," Luna sighed, darkness slowly clouding her eyes once more. "What I did?" Without missing a beat or stopping for even a second Pinkie Pie responded with a definitive, "nope."
"Then you should know! I committed trea-BANG," began the astral alicorn before being cut off by a loud Bang from Pinkie's handy-dandy party cannon. Looking the princess in the eye, Pinkie Pie said, "You don't understand your majesty, I know all about the taking over Equestria shtick you attempted one thousand years ago, Celestia knows Twilight has told me the tale many many times. In all seriousness" her voice dropped to a sinister silkiness, "I simply don't care." Pinkie punctuated that last remark by running around placing balloons that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Luna stood shocked, could this all be a trick? A cruel joke by her sister perhaps? Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared beside her and admired her handiwork. Balloons, streamers, and a glorious chocolate cake on a wooden table all were set up.
She turned her head towards Luna and spoke softly in a very uncharacteristic manner, "Nopony is perfect, princess. We all have our flaws, our blemishes. We all mess things up from time to time. Be it from jealousy, rage, clumsiness, or simply not paying attention. What you did was indeed horrible, but as far as I personally can tell, your sister and Ponyville are willing to give you that second chance. Dashie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack may not be truly on board just yet, but here is the thing: I am."
Luna noticed the dark colors before her eyes slowly begin to brighten as the Element of Laughter continued, "If it wasn't for my friends I would...not be here. I suffer from my own sadness and during those times I have come close to simply wanting it to end. My friends were all there for me so I never feel sad and alone. Everyone needs a friend princess. Given what you've been through; your isolation and the desolation you have found yourself in, it is easy to understand why you feel the way you do."
The mare of the night opened her mouth to speak, but one uncharacteristically deadpan glance from Pinkie Pie caused her to close her maw. Pinkie Pie slowly broke into the same smile she always seemed to have as she exclaimed, "and that is why I am here to celebrate your birthday. I came to make you smile, I came to be your friend."
Once more Luna opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted and startled by a loud door buzzer. "Wha-," she began. Pinkie Pie was standing in front of a door that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, talking to a bunch of ponies from all trots of life. The startled alicorn saw pegasi, unicorns, and even earth ponies enter the door. Among those she recognized were, the Wonderbolts led by Spitfire and those strange ponies from nightmare night; Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity.
As the dreamscape filled, it appeared as if all of Ponyville and Canterlot was there. These random guests after placing their gifts on the table Pinkie had set up, proceeded towards games that had been set up in the main area. The music got underway as Vinyl Scratch began rocking her epic dubstep groove and the dance floor...wait...dance floor, Luna thought, where did that come from? It was true, an enormous barn-sized dancefloor had appeared and was flashing so many spectrums of the rainbows as the squares lit up to the beat vinyl was blasting.
Luna found her head bobbing to the beat and her front hooves tapping unbidden by her. Before she knew it she had found herself out in the middle of the floor dancing the night away. Wha-how did-, her thoughts were a jumble of shock and uncertainty. Out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie appeared before her and was shouting, "Didn't I tell you? You needed a party for your birthday!"
The princess of the night let out a small chortle, "perhaps you were right pink one. Maybe I just needed to -BANG" Once again, the epic sound of the handy-dandy party cannon filled the air as confetti rained down upon all the party-goers. Luna couldn't help it, she began laughing; not a forced laugh but a natural laugh of joy, alongside all of those at her party. Suddenly, that laughter died and fear clouded her eyes once more, as Luna's eyes beheld her sister, Princess Celestia enter in through the door to her dreamscape.