It was dark. Very dark. But Luna was used to it by now. Even before being trapped in this inky black void she was used to the dark. She had the job or ruling the night, protecting the dreams of her subjects and ruling alongside of… well, more like “in the shadow of” her sister, Celestia. Luna was jealous of her sister, she raised the sun, was beloved by all who knew her and could do no wrong. How she detested Celestia. That seething envy and burning hatred from the long shadow casted by her radiant sister is what made Luna transform into a monster of eternal night.
How Luna wished she could take it all back, be given a second chance. Make up for the pain she inflicted onto her sister and do whatever it takes to earn her forgiveness. But that was not meant to be. This was her punishment for her sins, thrown into the abyss with no hope of returning to the land that she knew and the sister she loved.
“Please…” Luna pleaded. “Please let me go… I’ll be a better pony, I swear it. Please, let me see my sister once more…” But like the countless times before, nopony answered her pleas.
“PLEASE! SOMEPONY! ANYPONY! HELP ME!” Luna cried. All of a sudden, she saw something she hadn’t seen in over 1,000 years.
Light.
It started as a small hole puncturing the endless space around her and soon more holes opened up, shattering the veil of darkness that enveloped Luna for so many centuries. Six ponies were enveloped in a wondrous glow before her, two pegasi, two earth ponies and two unicorns, they were wielding the Elements or Harmony. Luna’s breath caught in her throat when she locked her eyes onto one particular pony.
She was a unicorn with a purple mane and coat, her cutie mark looked like vibrant red and white stars in the evening sky and her eyes, sweet Celestia her sparkling eyes conveyed a wisdom beyond her years. Luna felt flush and her heart started pounding like a drum. Did this pony hear Luna’s cry for help? This pony was her savior, her hero and to top it all off, this pony was-
“Beautiful…” Luna whispered.
In the darkened halls of Canterlot Castle a lone figure trotted on hoof tip, making sure not to make a sound. Eventually this pony ducked into a room and closed the door as quietly as she could behind her. Breathing a sigh of relief, the figure’s horn glowed and suddenly the room was filled with light. Princess Luna’s eyes darted around her chambers, making sure everything was as she left it and that she really was the only pony in the room. Eventually she deemed herself from prying eyes and threw herself onto her bed. Her horn glowed again and the drawer of her nightstand opened.
She pulled out a small notebook with her cutie mark on the cover, a larger book and a heart shaped golden picture frame. She set the frame in front of her and opened the larger book. The book in question had a heavily worn spine and certain pages had folded corners or were marked by paper tabs, of course Luna has read this tome so many times that she could recite her most favorite chapters from memory and flip to those pages with her eyes closed. She opened the book and began reading one of her marked pages.
One way of learning isn’t better than another. Having a different technique certainly doesn’t make you dumb. After all, everypony is unique and individual.
Luna’s heart swelled with joy and her cheeks pinked, as they did when she read one of Twilight’s passages. She hugged the book to her chest and sighed dreamily, “Such wisdom beyond her years.”
Luna then turned to the notebook by her side and flipped to a blank page. She levitated a quill and inkpot to her and began writing.
Dear diary: It’s that wonderful time of year again. Soon the anniversary of my return to Equestria will be upon me. It’s a day I always look forward to, but of course you know that, I tell you this every year. Not only is this a day of celebration of being reunited with my dear sister, but it’s also the day I fell in love with the most incredible pony I’ve ever met
Luna gazed at the picture in the golden frame and felt the heat rise in her face and chest. “Oh Twilight Sparkle… I’m such a coward.. You’re in my thoughts every waking moment and have been in my very soul since that fateful, wonderful day. And here I am, unable to tell you how I really feel about you, that I love you with all my heart.”
Luna thought back to her first Nightmare Night, she had meant to tell Twilight how she felt that very evening, but of course her subjects reacting to her in fear pretty much killed the mood. Since then Luna has been trying to work up the courage to speak with Twilight on a more personal level. Luna was never really great when it came to things like intimacy, so most of her time was spent fawning from afar in vain hopes that Twilight would make the first move. Which has been, if it were not obvious by now, a fruitless venture.
Luna sighed and laid her head on her pillow, gazing lovingly at the framed picture of her hearts desire. “Oh Twilight, how I wish I had the courage to tell you how I really feel about you…”
“Um, sorry I appear to be interrupting something.”
Luna was so surprised by the new voice that she leapt straight into the air. “Ce-Celestia!” Luna cried out before landing on her bed with an audible thump and hiding her picture of Twilight under her pillow, placing her elbows on top and resting her head on her hooves with a smile that was practically begging the daytime diarch to just forget everything she heard and never bring it up again.
“Haven’t you heard of knocking!? I mean, uh, what brings you here at this hour sister?”
“I was just coming to say goodnight, but then I heard you swooning over-“
“Swooning!? Pff, I wasn’t swooning, I was just, uh, rehearsing lines! Good night Celestia!”
Luna’s picture frame leapt out from under her pillow surrounded by a golden magical haze as Celestia levitated the heart shaped object before her. She raised an elegant brow in confusion. “Wait? Luna, do you have feelings for Twilight?”
Luna’s blush was so red it practically dyed her fur crimson. “W-well, the thing is sister, I-I um…”
A mischievous grin spread across Celestia’s muzzle. “Aww my little sister is growing up so fast! She has her first love!”
Luna held a hoof to her lips. “Shhh! Celestia keep it down! I’d rather not let the whole castle know about this if that’s all the same to you!”
Celestia gasped, “Oh you’re right! We certainly wouldn’t want- ALL OF CANTERLOT TO KNOW THAT YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH-!”
Luna tackled her sister to the floor, using her hooves to keep Celestia’s lips sealed shut. “Art thou mad sister!? Thine Canterlot voice will surely expose mine secret! What will our subjects say when they hear their Princess has no desire to be with a stallion?”
Celestia waved a hoof and rolled her eyes. “Oh please Lulu, nopony cares about that stuff anymore.”
“They? Don’t?”
“Noooo! Sure, they might have cared a thousand or so years ago, but times have changed. In fact I know of an adorable earth pony and unicorn couple in Ponyville that are down right precious and they’re so in love. It’s rather heart warming really.”
Luna bowed her head slightly and tried to hide behind her mane. “So… you don’t care about me… liking mares? And wanting to court Twilight Sparkle?” She asked with a squeak.
“Well I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting you to want to date my former student, but I have no qualms with your choice or the fact you like mares. You’re my sister and I love you all the same.”
Luna's dread seemed to evaporate before her. How could she ever doubt her sister? Luna wiped a small tear from her eye. “I love you too, Celestia.”
The two sisters shared a hug, Luna squeezing Celestia tight as all of her fears and anxieties melted away in the Princess of the Sun’s warm and loving embrace.
“Besides,” Celestia said with an impish grin. “I would love to share stories with Twilight about when you were a foal.”
Luna’s pupils contracted to the size of buttons. “You wouldn’t dare…”
“Oh come on Luna! Where’s the fun in you dating somepony if I can’t embarrass you a little? I would show baby pictures, but we didn’t have cameras back then. OOH, maybe that portrait of you from your first birthday is somewhere in the cellar?”
Luna’s magic enveloped Celestia’s body as she levitated her sister out the door. “Good night sister, we wouldn’t want you to be tired for your royal duties tomorrow!” Luna slammed the door and slid to the plush carpet in a huff. “Ugh, great. Now Celestia knows about my feelings for Twilight. How long will it take before she sticks her nose in this again I wonder?”
Luna levitated the heart shaped frame over to her and gazed in adoration at the mare behind the glass. What should I do? You’d know, wouldn’t you Twilight? You’re good at coming up with plans. Luna placed her treasured frame back in her drawer and trotted to her balcony to begin her nightly duties.
“What am I going to do?” Luna said as she anxiously trotted back and forth on the path of a more secluded part of the Canterlot gardens. “Should I confess to Twilight my undying adoration and love? Or do I stay quiet? But Celestia already knows and who knows how long she’ll wait before spilling the beans. Still, I suppose I should count myself lucky that only Celestia knows of this.”
“Wait, was I not supposed to hear this princess?” came a male voice.
Luna nearly jumped out of her fur and felt a chill run through her body. Over at a nearby bench sat a lone bespectacled unicorn stallion with a cool grey coat, darker grey at the hooves with a short ,curly, royal blue mane. He was wearing a black beret with a sun pattern on top and a blue vest. An issue of ‘Astro Colt’ was suspended in his magical grasp.
Luna tensed up. “How long have you been here?!”
The stallion fished out a pocket watch. “Um, about twenty minutes give or take, fifteen of which was spent listening to your monologue. Honestly I wasn’t sure if you were talking to me or if you were rehearsing lines for a play. But then you started talking about Princess Twilight and – GAH!”
The stallion was wrapped in Luna’s magic and was shaken violently. “You- you weren’t supposed to hear that!” Luna cried in desperation. “Please! You can’t tell another living soul about this! Please, please, please I beg of you!”
The stallion raised his hooves defensively. “Calm down your majesty, I would never consider saying anything to anypony. Matters of the heart are private.”
Luna took a deep breath and released her magical grip. Her muscles released the tension building up in her body and sighed. “I apologize for how I reacted sir. It’s just… this is very sensitive and I don’t want too many ponies to know about it.”
The stallion dusted off his lapels and adjusted his glasses and beret. “Oh, no need to apologies prin-“
“I mean, I haven’t even the slightest idea what I should do and it’s completely driving me mad!”
“I understand, it can be really scary to admit your feelings for somepony.”
“She’s so wonderful!”
“I’m sure.”
“And so nice!”
“I’ll bet.”
“A brilliantly shining star. She saved my life you know? Oh, listen to be prattling on like a school filly.”
“Sounds like your heart is quite set on her.”
“Yes… but what’s the point? I don’t think I could ever compare to her, I don’t even have the courage to share my heart with her,” Luna buried her face in her hooves and gave a low groan.
The stallion looked at the moping princess and rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes conveying the message ‘should I really?’. He placed his comic in his saddlebag and sighed, “Um, Princess Luna. Would you… like some advice?”
Luna’s ears perked up. “Advice?”
“Yeah. I mean, I already know your, um, secret. And this really does seem to be bothering you. So If you want, I can give you some advice that I hope will help.”
“I’d… I’d like that very much my good stallion. Thank you, mister…?”
“Oh, you can just call me Wit your majesty.”
“And what’s your advice Mr. Wit?”
Wit patted the space next to him on the bench and Luna trotted over, after getting comfortable in her seat, Wit took a moment to articulate his thoughts and said, “Well for starters, you’re not giving yourself enough credit.”
“Really?”
“Of course you’re not, you’re magnificent! You’re the princess of the moon and one of the rulers of Equestria! Any stallion- er, mare in your case, sorry, would fight tooth and hoof for your affection. I think the fact that you chose her makes Princess Twilight one of the luckiest ponies in the world.”
Luna smiled. “Thank you Mr. Wit. You are most wise in this matter.”
Wit scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Think nothing of it Princess. I just try my best to be of help.”
“If I may ask a favor of you?”
“Sure thing, what do you need?”
“I would like your help in… wooing Twilight.”
“W-wooing?” Wit stammered.
“Yes. I’m still too scared to tell Twilight my feelings, so I want you to help me win her affections.”
“Um, are you sure I’m the right pony for the job? Isn’t there literally a princess of love you can talk to?”
“You mean Twilight’s sister in-law?” Luna said flatly.
“Ok, strike that idea.”
“Please Mr. Wit, I don’t have anypony to turn to. I know I’m asking for a lot, but I can really, truly use your help. Please say yes.”
Wit looked at Princess Luna and after a few moments of contemplation and ‘sad puppy dog eyes’ Wit shrugged his shoulders. “Well, it’s not like I can turn you away princess.”
Luna gasped, “You mean?”
Wit nodded, “Yep, count me in.”
Luna wrapped Wit in a bone-crunching hug. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Let’s get started right away!”