//------------------------------//
// Luna's Wish 
// Story: Make a Wish 
// by Perpetual Lurker 
//------------------------------//

One Thousand Years Ago...






Princess Luna stood on a ledge of stone
Gazing out at all of her great domain.
High up, upon the mountain of her home
She watched the sun set far beyond the sky.

'Tis time, she thought, as the sun's rays vanished,
And soon she once again began her spell.
Eldritch magics flowed throughout all the air, 
As Luna's horn shone bright as any star.
She focused just beyond the horizon
And made the great, white moon to rise.
Set in motion, the moon was now on course
Until the time came for it to set down. 

Down along the mountain's slope she flew,
Towards Canterlot, where home's comfort waited.
Once bathed in darkness, the city awoke.
Lights appeared in every single window,
Welcoming their Princess back to them.

"Princess Luna approaches! Raise the gate!"
The guards called out as she reached the castle.
Luna could have simply entered above,
Through the balcony of her own bedroom, 
But she preferred that her presence be known
To all.

Guards and servants all bowed as she approached.
In return, she smiled at them as she walked by. 
The vaulted halls inside were bustling
With ponies making their preparations
For the night's planned food and festivities. 
It was only a small, private event,
But to Luna it was more important
Than even the Grand Galloping Gala. 
She needed to prepare for the banquet,
For a Princess must look their best, of course,
Especially when meeting with old friends. 

Once in her room, away from the noise outside,
The Princess gazed at a mirror on the wall.

Too plain, this simply shall not do, she thought,
Examining the image before her.
She donned a fine dress, soft white like the moon.
Much better, she thought, turning to her mane.
It was simple, compared to her sister's.
It did not flow with a life of its own,
But that did not matter at all to her.
She simply tied it up behind her head,
A style Celestia could not achieve. 
Lastly, she opened a jewelry box,
And took out the ornate necklace inside. 
It was made of gold, intricately etched.
In the center was set a bright white gem,
Shaped like the crescent moon on her flank. 

Now that her preparations were complete,
Luna made her way to the banquet hall. 
Again the ponies bowed, again she smiled,
And soon she reached the doors of the great hall.
A touch of magic, and the doors swung wide.

"Presenting her Ladyship, Mare of Night,
Regent of the Moon, Princess Luna!"
A young page announced to those in the room,
Which Luna saw was only one pony. 

"Come now, I think I can recognize her.
She is my only sister after all,"
Celestia said with a small chuckle.
"Besides, formalities should only start
Once the both of us are in attendance."
She never had cared for such things at all,
Preferring to keep events quite simple.
That included her choice of her clothing. 
She wore no dress, only her tiara,
As well as a necklace just like Luna's,
With a bright sun shaped gem set inside it.

"Dearest sister, will our guests arrive soon?"

"I do hope so," Celestia answered.
"At least one of them can't stand being late,
And he's rubbed off a bit on his partner."
As if on cue, the page spoke up once more,
As two ponies approached from the hall door. 

"Presenting the esteemed proprietors
Of Equestrian Clocks and Carriages,
Mister and Missis Tick Tock and Quicksilver!"

The first pony was a simple stallion,
With a slender build, a plain maroon coat,
And an extremely well kept jet black mane.
His mark depicted a group of four gears,
All interlocked to turn in unison. 

His wife was a strong looking pegasus,
With a bright silver coat like her namesake,
And a freely flowing windswept white mane. 
Her flank was adorned with several white streaks,
All intertwined in a swirling pattern. 

Both wore similar necklaces of gold, 
Just like those worn by the two Princesses. 

"Welcome, dear friends!" Celestia called out,
Galloping over to greet her guests.  
"You have, as always, arrived right on time."

"Of course we did!" Tick Tock replied gruffly.
"Punctuality is-"

"Quite paramount,"
Quicksilver said, finishing his sentence.
"Must you always say that, even to friends?
No need to brandish our slogan at her."

An awkward silence fell over the two,
As they glared intensely at each other. 
It lasted for what seemed like forever
Before the couple burst out with laughter.
Their laughter was extremely contagious,
And Celestia soon joined in herself. 
Even Luna couldn't help but chuckle. 

"You see? That would be why I love you so.
You always keep me honest," Tick Tock said. 

"And you make sure that I am never late," 
Quicksilver said, giving him a quick kiss. 
She then turned to their hostesses. 
"It has been many years, Celestia.
You hardly look to have aged but one day!
Except for your mane, of course. Is that new?"

"Only somewhat," Celestia replied. 
"It just started doing this two years back,
and it's nigh-impossible to manage,"
She glanced down at her bright pink mane and tail,
Both flowing in some invisible wind. 

"Well, I think it suits you just perfectly,"
Quicksilver said. "And as for you, Luna,
Still antisocial as ever, I see."

"It is nice to see you too, Quicksilver,"
Luna said back, smiling at her friends. 

While they were still short a few more ponies,
With Tick Tock and Quicksilver at the table,
The celebration began in earnest.
They talked of their successful new business:
Timely transport across Equestria, 
All kept synchronized by finely tuned clocks
Crafted by Tick Tock, a master watchmaker. 
Quicksilver was their first carriage driver, 
The combined strength of her wings and her legs
Allowed for the fast transport they strived for.

Before their story could continue, though,
Catching up on the past was put on hold,
As the next guest had arrived. 

"Presenting the esteemed Doctor Bright Wing!"
The page called as the new pony entered. 
True to his name, he was a pegasus stallion
With a bright green coat and a sky blue mane.
He wore a heavy cloak, covering his wings,
As well as yet another gold necklace,
Its gem shaped like a mortar and pestle. 

"Bright Wing! Thank goodness that you could make it!"
Tick Tock shouted to his friend. "You're late, though.
Seven point five minutes to be exact.
Given how far you were traveling from,
I expected you six minutes late instead!"

"You can't get the timing right every time,"
Bright Wing said, sitting down at the table. 
"Nopony's perfect. Nopony at all."

"Just where have you been, all of these past years?"
Quicksilver asked the older pegasus.
"You couldn't even show at our wedding,
And all you sent in writing was 'abroad.'"

"I've been all over the world, Quicksilver,"
He answered, staring off in the distance.
"Collecting herbs, studying new techniques.
Learning medicine from the very best."

"Well, I hope that all of that was worth it."

"It actually was... for the most part."

"Do take off that stuffy old cloak, my friend!"
Celestia said to brighten the mood. 
"I made sure that this place was warm enough."

"I'd really rather not, Celestia."
He answered, pulling it tight around him.

"Come on now! This is a happy evening! 
I can't have a guest looking so drab!"

"No."

Luna noticed him shift as he refused,
And saw something quite strange about his shape.
While the leftmost side of his heavy cloak
Held the shape of a pegasus's wing,
The rightmost half hung on his side, empty.

"Sister, you really should not push him so.
There are things that he would prefer we not see..."

The group fell silent, figuring it out.
No one had the heart to ask what happened,
And Bright Wing seemed unlikely to tell them. 
Luckily, the melancholy soon broke,
As a sixth pony appeared at the door,
Having materialized with a flash.

"Presenting the est-"
The page was cut off by the young pony,
Who whispered something to him, silently.
"Presenting... Star Swirl?" the page said, confused.

"Star Swirl!" the group called out in unison, 
Getting up to greet their final member. 
She was a small, dark blue unicorn mare,
With a long, wavy, silver-gray mane
And a mark of a swirling galaxy. 
She wore neither clothing nor jewelry,
Carrying only a small saddlebag. 

"I missed you all so much!" the mare shouted,
Giving each friend a hug as they approached. 

"I see you've mastered teleportation,"
Luna said as she held Star Swirl tight. 
"You would make your great-grandfather quite proud."

"Well, no. Not exactly," Star Swirl replied. 
"I missed. I was aiming for past the door.
I really am just awful at that spell."

"Now why, exactly, would you aim for there?"
Tick Tock asked the mare. "You were still quite late."

"It's that... announcement all of the guests have.
I had hoped that I could have just skipped it.
I hate all those titles and accolades.
I'm just Star Swirl. Nothing more, nothing less." 

"Now that we're all here, let us begin,"
Celestia announced to the ponies.
"Page, please leave us. We need our privacy."
The page nodded, leaving the banquet hall,
And Luna closed the two doors behind him.
"I'm sure you're all wondering why we're here.
Ten years ago tonight, we all first met.
A week later, we found the Elements,
And using them, we defeated Discord.
For that great day's tenth anniversary,
We shall hold a nation-wide festival!"

"That sounds incredible, Celestia!"
Quicksilver exclaimed, the others nodding. 
Luna, however, was only confused.

"Sister, this is the first I've heard of it.
Just how long have you been planning all this?"

"For several months, I have been preparing,
But almost everything is in place now."

"And you did not care to tell me of this?"

"There was much to plan, and so little time.
You sleep through the days, and I through the nights,
Limiting our time to work together.
Working with you would slow everything down."

Is that all I am to her? Luna thought.
Just a hindrance, something to slow her down?
She would have said something quite indignant, 
If not for a smile from Celestia.

"Besides, I did not want to ruin the surprise."
The white pony's horn glowed with strong magic,
And an illusion swallowed the whole room.
The six ponies found themselves standing on air,
And below them lay an expanse of trees.

"Celestia, what are we looking at?"
Bright Wing asked as he stared below his hooves,
Rather pleased to at least pretend to fly.

"Below us is the Everfree Forest,
The yet untamed heart of Equestria,"
Celestia explained to the others.
"That is, it was before my work began."
Several acres of trees vanished below,
And in their place stood a mighty castle.
"This, Luna, is going to be all yours.
I think I would call it Midnight Castle, 
Though you can name it whatever you like."

"Sister, this..." Luna could not find the words.

"It's not done yet, but it's habitable,"
Celestia said as her spell faded. 
"The dedication will be very soon,
At the beginning of the festival."
The Sun Princess smiled at her sister.
"Did you think I do not know how you feel?
Here in Canterlot, you are never seen.
The ponies must first know their of their Princess,
Before they can come to fully trust them.
That will be rather difficult from here.
A new city will form around that place,
And you can protect it as I do here."

All Luna could do was hug her sister,
Struggling to hold back her tears of joy.

"And don't think that I've forgotten my friends,"
Celestia said to the group as a whole.
"The Equestria that we have today
Would not exist if not for all of you,
And you should all be honored together."

"And what do you mean by that?" Star Swirl asked. 

"None of this peace would exist without you,
And this festival is in your honor!
Tales of the Elements of Harmony
Should not simply be forgotten legends.
The story of all of you, their bearers,
Should be immortal, so none shall forget!"
With another burst of yellow magic, 
A curtain on the far wall opened up,
Revealing a massive stained glass window.

"That's simply beautiful!" Bright Wing exclaimed.

"It's..." Quicksilver said.

"Us..." Tick Tock finished.

Star Swirl only stared at it silently. 

The window depicted the six Bearers,
All standing together against Discord,
A bright beam of light turning him to stone.

Luna smiled, feeling quite nostalgic. 
She already knew what was coming next,
As this was the original reason
That the group had been called back together. 

"It has taken a long time," she began,
"But Equestria is fully repaired.
All of Discord's magics have been undone,
And the land no longer needs tight control.
You stood beside us in our time of need.
There is not another group of ponies
That we would rather have at our sides now."

"We offer you positions and titles,"
Celestia said. "Places in our courts."

"But what about our business?" Tick Tock asked.

"You can expand it to its potential!
From Equestrian Clocks and Carriages,
The Equestrian Transit Ministry!
What do you say, my friends? Do you accept?"

The married couple looked at each other,
Reading their partner's expression and eyes.

"Of course we do!" the two said together.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world, either,"
Bright Wing said, "I planned to settle down soon,
And this would be the best way to do so."

"Isn't this simply amazing, Star Swirl?"
Quicksilver asked, giddy with excitement.

"No, it isn't," she replied. "I decline."

"What? Why?" Tick Tock asked her, looking concerned.
"You deserve this, same as the rest of us!"

"And that is precisely the issue here!"
Star Swirl snapped, backing away from the group.
"I don't deserve it! I haven't earned it!"

"What in the world are you talking about?
You stood with us against Discord's chaos,
And you bear the Element of Magic!"
Celestia said, the others nodding. 

"And what, pray tell, did that do to earn this?
Or have you forgotten all the details?
All of that happened ten long years ago.
I was just a small, helpless filly then,
Just barely having earned my Cutie Mark. 
You said that the Element of Magic
Is the 'spark' that ignites the other five.
That is all I am, the spark, the catalyst. 
Contributing simply by being there.
I was just the child you protected,
Forming our group through no action of mine."

"Star Swirl, I-" Luna began, getting cut off. 

"I am not finished yet!" the mare shouted. 
"Thanks to the Elements of Harmony,
And Star Swirl the Bearded's great legacy,
I've been given praise and expectations,
Things that I didn't earn and can't live up to! 
I am expected to be great mage,
Solving everything by waving my horn. 
I'm not even that good at magic! 
My talent is simply astronomy,
Not the study of spells and enchantments!
I will earn my own place in this wide world,
Not have it given to me by mere chance!"
Star Swirl opened her bag magically, 
Retrieving a familiar tiara. 
"All I really want is to start over,
To be remembered for my own few deeds."
She tossed the tiara on the table, 
And started for the banquet hall's great doors. 
"I value our friendship ever so much, 
And I enjoyed our time here together,
But I can't pretend to be what I'm not.
I only ask for one simple request:
Please remove me from that stained glass window.
Let the ponies forget me and my deeds,
So that I may make my mark on my own.
I do hope that we can all meet again.
Just as friends, not as rulers or great heroes."

With that, she opened the doors and left them,
Each pony just staring in stunned silence.







And so it was quickly decided:
Qucksilver had then withdrawn her credit,
After seeing Star Swirl deny her own. 
Her husband soon followed, Bright Wing as well.
The window would be completely destroyed.
In its place, a new one would now be made,
Depicting Celestia and Luna
Turning Discord to stone all on their own.
They still accepted their new positions,
But there would be no grand ceremony. 

With the new, revised festival plans set,
Luna had retired to her chambers,
Her heart and mind heavy many doubts. 

Will I be remembered for my own deeds?
She wondered, gazing into her mirror. 
Soon, I will move in to my brand new castle.
If I am not notable in their eyes,
The ponies will not ever follow me.
They will stay in Canterlot when I leave, 
For Celestia is the one they know.

She began to devise a way to sway them,
To remind the land that she was there, too. 
A way to give an incredible gift,
To all.

She moved to the window to see her sky,
And an idea dawned on her for her gift.

They do not care for my dark sky at all,
Seeing more beauty in a sunny day.
For them, I shall create a wondrous sight,
The likes of which have never been seen before!

Pouring over ancient books and dank scrolls,
She devised what would be her greatest spell. 
She would reach out to space, beyond the moon, 
And bring a piece of it down close to them.
Comets were rare, and very far away.
This would be closer and brighter than them all!

Luna lowered the moon that night content
With her great gift of light to the whole world.
As her mind began to wander in sleep,
The doubts began to creep back in her mind.
She wondered if the comet was enough. 
The next night again she read the old books,
Looking for something grander to create. 
Something that she could add to her one gift.
She found many spells, ancient spells, dark spells. 
Spells of terrible, nightmarish power. 
These were absolutely useless to her.
They could only ever take, never give. 

To give... The power to give... Luna thought.
A new idea dawned upon the Princess. 
An answer that had been there all along. 







The first day of the festival had dawned,
And all of Canterlot celebrated.
Ponies gathered in the many stone streets,
Dancing and singing, having a good time. 
As usual, Luna slept through the day,
Preparing for the night's presentation. 

Luna rose as the sun began to sink,
And donned all of her royal attire:
A tiara, jeweled shoes, and her necklace. 
Tonight was the night she made herself known
To all. 

Midnight Castle was announced at sunset,
To much applause from the ponies below.
Standing beside Princess Celestia,
Luna began to cast her spell of night,
Raising the moon once the sun had lowered. 
Once again there was applause from below,
As the traditional spells had been cast,
And the crowd began to leave and disperse.
Luna was nowhere near finished, though. 

"Wait! Do not leave yet, for we have just begun!"
She called in the Royal Canterlot Voice. 
"We have prepared a great gift for you all!"

"Sister, what is this?" Celestia asked. 

"Am I not allowed to surprise you as well?"
Luna replied, turning back to the crowd. 
"Turn your eyes skyward and behold my gift!"
Her horn shone bright against the black night sky,
But the light was soon drowned out from above,
As a new white light appeared from the dark.
A comet, larger than any before,
Began its trip across the sea of stars. 

"Luna, this is simply magnificent!"
Celestia said in awe at the feat. 
"I cannot think of a more fitting gift."

"But I can, dear sister. It is not complete."
As Luna spoke, another light appeared,
This time from the gem hanging on her neck.
"This gift shall not simply be magnificent,
This gift is perfect, impossible to match!"
She closed her eyes, tightly concentrating. 
The the gem's light grew, as did the comet's,
Luna's new spell resonating with it.

"Luna! You must stop this folly at once!"
Celestia shouted, seeing the spell. 
"The Elements must not be used this way!"

"No! The power of Generosity is mine!
I shall wield it in any way I see fit!
With this I escape the shadow of the sun!"
Luna's eyes snapped open, glowing bright white. 
"Ponies of Equestria! Receive our gift!"
We grant you all of your deepest desires!
Simply wish, and it shall be reality!"

"Enough!"
Celestia shouted into the sky. 
A blinding yellow light filled all the air,
And the comet vanished into nothing. 

"Celestia! Must you always upstage me?"
Luna asked, starting her spell once again.
The Sun Princess looked away from her
And spoke in a quiet, sorrowful tone.

"Does Generosity give for itself,
And not for the betterment of others?"

The words struck Luna like a heavy blow,
And she staggered, the glow gone from her eyes. 

"No... I only wanted... I wanted..." 
Luna's necklace clattered to the cold ground,
Vanishing in a small flash of white light.
In its place sat gray sphere carved of stone.
Luna fell to her knees, staring at it.

"Fear not, good ponies! Your Princess needs rest!
All shall be well once she has taken it."
Celestia said, addressing the crowd. 
Without turning, she then spoke to Luna,
Her voice flat and cold, without emotion. 
"Your comet has been sent a great distance,
As far as my power could transport it.
It may yet return, eventually,
And the damage to you has now been done.
You need not ask for forgiveness from me.
I am sorry for driving you to this,
Keeping you in the shadow of the sun..."
A single tear fell from the white mare's face
As she turned and walked into the castle. 

Luna lay in silence under the moon, 
As the ponies returned to their own homes,
To sleep away the night she created
For all. 

Not a single wish was granted that night.