Everyone celebrated the return of the night princess, Princess Luna, to her sister’s side as co-ruler after being banished for 1,000 years on the moon from Nightmare Moon’s influence thanks to the Elements of Harmony that were wielded by the Main 6. A few weeks later, she had the majority of her Alicorn magic restored and her mane flow just like her sister but a lingering problem rested in her mind; how much has the world changed since her long absence? Luna wanted to check what the world had to offer and what towns that developed into cities while she was gone. Before she wanted to explore the world around her, Luna needed to confide with her sister before she did anything else.
Luna walked to the throne to talk with Celestia and opened the door to the throne room and had immediately stirred the attention of said sister as she smiled at the night princess that will ask of a request. For Celestia, she was thankful it was her sister and not some snobby, uptight noblepony that still thought Princess Luna was Nightmare Moon and scared him out of his wits. Luna stopped just at the foot of the throne and looked up to her sister to speak her request, to just get it over with and not have it bother her for later as she started her question.
“Sister...” Started Luna, “We are asking thee if We could do some exploring around Equestria, see what has changed in the last thousand years of Our absence if it is no trouble with thou.” Princess Luna said hoping that she would that permission she wanted.
Celestia was caught off-guard with the request her younger was making and what Luna wanted to see the sites as her newfound curiosity had her exploring the castle and Canterlot itself and observing the changes around her. Celestia thought about it for several minutes while debating whether or not she should allow Luna to go see the sites as Luna waited patiently for her answer. It was then that Celestia that gave her answer that would make the night princess inwardly jump for joy her answer.
“Well, Luna...” Celestia began, “I don’t why I shouldn’t allow you to do so. You may go and explore Equestria around you. If it takes you more than a day to do this then I will be more than happy to raise the moon for you.” Celestia finished with a smile. “But, I want you to stay safe and don’t fool around with strangers,” Celestia added, earning an eye roll from Luna.
“Please, We are not a teenager anymore and will be on our best behavior, dear sister,” Luna answered with Celestia giggling as she walked towards the doors of the throne room that Celestia told her younger sister that she should know.
“Before you leave, just take a couple of guards with you. The world is a big place and I wouldn’t want you to get hurt if you ever are threatened.” Celestia added with Luna nodding in agreement facing her sisters’ direction before leaving the throne room.
Accompanied by a Pegasus royal guard and a Bat Pony royal guard along with a few saddlebags of snacks, drinks, and few more necessities, Princess Luna made her way by flying and she along with the other two was high in the air. Her first destination would be Cloudsdale, the flying city made of clouds. Princess Luna flew through the city and was amazed at how all the building could remain in the air. Although, her presence did not go unnoticed as a lot of the Pegasi started to notice the night Alicorn flying through their town and either hid from sight or ran. Though sadly, these actions made her sigh as the ponies here were fully aware of what happened from Nightmare Moon and the Pegasi assumed the worse. However, she did not want to be down in her mood so she left the floating city to her next destination
Princess Luna and the two guards flew over the main locations of the Rainbow Falls, much to the night Princess’s amazement, a strange little town with two rows of buildings (hi Starlight!), Trottingham, Manehatten, Fillydelphia, over a desert where Dodge City and Appleloosa are located, over some rock farm (Pinkie’s home), across the San Palimono desert, Las Pegasus (and Applewood), over the mountains where the door to Tartarus is located, a small town called Sire’s Hollow, then over the skies of Seaward Shoals, Tall Tale, Vanhoover, and Stratusburg. Princess Luna’s and the guards with her also ended up in the borders of Equestria, where she found herself by Griffonstone, the Dragon Lands since she thought of her newfound nephew of Spike, The Badlands, and to the Frozen North where it lies Yakyakistan and to where she found herself over where The Crystal Empire once was a little more than 1,000 years ago. Thinking about The Crystal Empire immediately make her think about King Sombra and what he done to the Crystal Ponies to treat them like slaves and the pony she once loved that turned mad. Hopefully, though which will be soon, the ways of the wicked ways of the unicorn known as King Sombra will stop and Crystal Ponies will not have to live under tyrannical rule and maybe they will be together once more, though Princess Luna could not contemplate on her thoughts for too long since the guards were already complaining about the cold and she had to move.
It took her about two days for the exploration to occur and she and the guards had to stop several times either eat, sleep, or use the little ponies’ room. The groups’ major stops were Trottingham, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, Vanhoover, and Stratusburg and in these stops respectfully, Luna had nervous glances and spooked looks toward her. Mostly because she still spoke in her true Royal Canterlot Tongue, but had to tone down the volume she had of her voice to not spook any pony she might be talking to. But still, she did not have an enjoyable time where she and the guards ended up even though she made an attempt to remain kind to her subjects, but all was for naught. Her stop at Fillydelphia was a curious one, she became curious at the thought of dragons and ponies living in the same city and she wondered how Dragon City within Fillydelphia came to be, but she had to look into the history some other time for she had to leave for the continuation of her exploration across Equestria
On the last leg of their journey, Princess Luna was contemplating how much as truly changed since her absence, she and the guards were flying low over a woods towards Canterlot as Celestia’s sun was dipping down across the horizon to make way for Luna’s moon for night. She was way in her thoughts when all of a sudden some sort of crying caught her attention from the quiet. She stopped for a brief moment, as did the two guards who were not crazy and they realize the Princess could hear it too and they turned to their left to followed the crying until they reached a small clearing. The crying now within range and they could now spot who was the culprit behind the crying, to all their shock it was a lone baby dragon all alone, out of its egg. The poor thing was left alone at the mercy of the outside elements and any predators willing to make a quick snake of the little guy.
Princess Luna sat down and picked up the baby Dragon with her magic to place him in her front hooves to calm him down as the guards had to watch carefully of whoever is spotting them for no predatory ambush as they felt it was right to help protect the baby Dragon as well. The little drake had dark gray scales with a light gray underbelly and could not be more than two to four months out of the egg. While Princess Luna lulled the tiny dragon to sleep, he felt relaxed and smiled up at the night Alicorn which it tugged at her heartstrings. She felt it was the right thing to do was to help this small creature out some more and give him a home and some nourishment then maybe the dragon will grow up to be kind to others.
“Thou two, Get Us a blanket from the saddlebag, We are bringing him with Us. He is alone out here and deserves the kindness of ponies bestowed upon him.” Princess Luna started with a shock to the Pegasus guard and even less so with the Bat Pony guard, but he understood what she was doing and went to grab the blanket from the saddlebag atop his back.
“Here you go, Princess.” He said giving it to Princess Luna and she took it with her magic and wrapped it around the baby Dragon.
“But... Do you know what will happen if you do bring a baby Dragon to Canterlot? Wha the nobles will think if you do? What about your sister, Princess Luna?” Stammered the royal guard Pegasus as he is worried about what will eventually happen the nobles finding out.
“That is what We will be worried about, Our dear guard. Dost thou knowest Spike? He’s a Dragon just like this one but was hatched and given a home, unlike this one he was hatched then eventually had to fend for himself... A mere baby...” Princess Luna said last part with venom, as she knowingly holds a grudge for the parents of this baby dragon that abandoned him. “As soon as We arrive back to Canterlot We will let our sister know, hopefully, she will allow me to keep, or at the very least, adopt him as Our own.” Princess Luna added but the Pegasus royal guard still was not sure but he did not want to see the little guy be abandoned once more and unknowingly have one death be avoided being on his conscience.
“Okay... I suppose that he does come with us. As tough as I might be I don’t want to feel guilty that I was a little responsible in a death that could’ve been avoidable. Come on, let’s go.” Said the Pegasus royal guard taking off toward Canterlot now with the bat pony royal guard Princess Luna following along. The Princess did her best to hold him in place and keep the wind out of his face the group of three flew back to Canterlot.