//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 The night before Hearts and Hooves day // Story: A Moon's secret // by LightShieldtheunicorn //------------------------------// The moon is full and in the center of the sky. The air is cooled by winters hands. Princess Luna stands at the top of the tower on the balcony. Luna knows tomorrow is just another day, however she knew she would get no sleep tomorrow. Luna looks up at the night sky and sighs. She begins walking into the tower shutting the balcony door behind her. Luna then past the bed that was present in the room where' Celestia lays. Luna looks at her and walks by her. A creak comes from a floor bored underneath Luna’s front hoofs. Luna freezes as she sees her sister turn towards her after the creak of the bored. “Sister, I can explain” Luna said not realizing that her sister was still asleep. Celestia groans loudly but does not stir. Luna sighs in relief that her sister did not wake, she begins walking to the door to leave the room. She slowly opens the door and shivers feeling the cold hallway air which was not as cold as outside the castle but colder than the tower room. Luna slowly creeps into the dark hallway and closing the door almost silently behind her. Luna stands for a moment before using her horn to illuminate the hallway. As she walks through the hallway, she begins speaking to herself. “why does hearts and hooves day have to be tomorrow? I mean what’s the use of that holiday anyway.” Luna’s ears go down as a tear goes down her face. “its such a dumb holiday” she gets down the stairs and head towards the throne room. A pony guard in dark amour approaches her. “Princess Luna, the preparations for your departure are done. And as ordered Celestia will not know” Luna nods “good, thank you” she turns around and begins walking out of the hallway that separates the castle from the throne room. But before she can leave the hallway. A Pegasus in gold armor steps in front of her. She looks at him noticing the blue hair and orange coat. The pony jumps noticing Luna. “Princess Luna” he kneels Luna signals him to stand “Flash Sentry, what are you doing up?” Flash stands up “I… well to be honest I was trying to sleep but I couldn’t I’m excited about tomorrow!” Luna chuckles at him from seeing the almost foal like excitement in his eyes. Luna knew why to. Flash Sentry was sent to Canterlot at the request of Cadence she said she wanted to give him a chance to see twilight on heart and hooves day. Flash stares at Luna who’s now chuckling at him. Luna smiles “Flash, how about you take the night off and fly to Ponyville?” Flash face lights up “yes!...um I mean thank you princess” Luna nods as flash walks back the way he came. But before he walks out of the room “Flash, say hi to twilight for me” Flash blushes “I will Luna” he gets out the door and out of sight of Luna Luna sighs thinking of when she was like him full of Love and excitement. Luna thinks to herself ‘That must have been almost 2000 years ago now. I haven’t liked this holiday since him’ she shivers thinking of him. To her not saying his name made her fill less sad. Though her sister never made it easy for she believed Luna should remember him by name. ‘sister always thought she knew best. In a way I guess she might be, but I do not want to feel the sadness of the past especially after I forgave myself for becoming nightmare moon. Bring up him is not going to help my situation’ Luna left the castle as she walked through the court yard she knew her sister would be mad, leaving with saying goodbye but its only for one day so Luna was not to worried about the backlash from her sister. As Luna exited the castle and into Canterlot she felt the breeze and shivered slightly. As she walked through the center of town, she noticed it was decorated for Heart and Hooves day. Luna looks down only wanting to focus on her steps. As she approached the Boutique in Canterlot she sat down awaiting her guards to give her the signal to leave. Even though she’s a princess she knew in order to avoid everypony she had to leave without her guards and silently. Luna wait for what seemed like hours. But just when Luna thought they weren’t coming a Pegasus flies in front of her. The Pegasus bows “Princess Luna its time we have made sure no one who shouldn’t know won’t see you” Luna nods and signals the pony to stand “thank you, I will be back within two days” The pony nods “yes ma’am” Luna flies up and immediately heads out of the capital leaving the Pegasus. Luna flies faster as the streetlights of Canterlot fades away. She stops to catch her breath and looks up at the moon. ‘oh sister, I miss the days of old before my transformation and before I lost my somepony. Forgive me for running away from this, but I have to avoid the past at least for now.’ Luna starts flying again she passes over Ponyville and through the everfree forest. She finale lands at the castle of the two-pony sister. Luna pauses ‘its been so long since I’ve been here not since my defeat as nightmare moon at the hoofs of twilight and her friends. *Sigh* ‘this is the best place to stay, though it’s a constant reminder of everything. My transformation, my liberation, and where I met Light Shield. She pauses as a tear form in her eye. She hadn’t thought of that name in a long time. It made her heart sting. Luna blamed herself for what happened to Light Shield. Luna lies down as dawn approaches, she lowers the moon. Luna began sobbing knowing no pony could hear her. She eventually cries herself to sleep unaware of the dream to come.