It was good to be out in the fresh air again. Luna stood on the observation deck of Canterlot Castle’s tallest tower, looking out over the night-blanketed reaches of Equestria. Everything had changed; nothing had changed. A different castle, a different home, different ponies. How many years would it take to get used to this new world imprinted on the shade of what she once knew?
Empty shops with lights on low mirrored her own white stars in yellow. From the largest mansions to the coziest homes, lights dimmed and darkened as far as she could see whilst ponies went to sleep through the night. Rather than the bitterness and jealousy of her younger years, the midnight mare felt… empty. Long would be the task of ridding the world of the taint left by her darker influences.
She was not alone in her desolation. A familiar sun-sky blue form dotted her sea of stars.
Royal-weary hoofsteps sounded behind her.
“Sister, who is this pegasus that seems so troubled as to be flying at night with such adamant frequency?”
“Ah yes, that is Soarin’, one of the Wonderbolts you love watching so much. He is a restless one,” Celestia mused.
“His ever-seeking spirit troubles me. Is there naught we can do?”
“You needn’t worry about him, Luna," the elder sister said calmly. There was a sincerity there that put Luna at ease, which was no mean feat. "He's certainly met his match, though I'm certain neither of them know it yet.”
The dark princess recognized Celestia’s subtle, but characteristic trouble-making spark. The night-maned moon couldn’t help but smile.
“Oh Tia, what hast thou done this time?”
Celestia winked. “Ponies must be careful lest they fly too close to the sun.”