ACT TWO
Naturally, Twilight had to get back to the palace where she told Spike everything.
“...And she just told you to leave?”
Twilight nodded, “She said she had no child, and she sounded really disturbed, and she looked as if she had been on her own for quite some time now.”
Minuette, Lemon Heart and Twinkleshine, couldn’t help but overhear as they were working…
“I’m not surprised.” said Minuette “I don’t know if I should be telling you this, but Luna Light disowned a lot of ponies in her life.”
“What?” Twilight asked sounding shocked.
“Yeah,” replied Lemon Heart, “It all seemed to happen ever since we all made up with Moondancer, or something or other.”
Now Spike looked concerned. “You mean you all knew of Moondancer’s disowning and you never told us?”
The trio felt awkward, and Twinkle nervously explained, “Yeah… you see, Moondancer knew you were all busy and stuff, and she didn’t want us to tell you. You know Moondancer; she doesn’t want you to know.”
Now Twilight didn’t know whether or not to be betrayed slightly, but she was so confused and concerned. “Why would Moondancer not want me to know?”
This time, the trio refused to tell.
“Come on, we want to know.” said Spike.
Twilight would have ordered them to speak up, but did not wish to abuse her authority. “If you don’t wish to tell me, I understand, but I really want to know why.
Can’t you at least tell me as a friend?”
The trio really wanted to tell, but they promised Moondancer they wouldn’t, and they didn’t want to betray her either.
“I understand.” said Twilight, and she began to walk off.
“Twilight…?” said Spike, but she had already walked out of the room, and he would have followed her, but he was still needed to help with the setups.
As Twilight walked down the hallway…
“Your majesty…” said a royal guard “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.”
Twilight looked at him, and he looked at her almost with looks of regret of what he was about to say.
In almost no time, Twilight was practically hammering her hoofs at Moondancer’s cottage door, and Moondancer opened it. “Twilight, what are you doing here? I was just heading to bed.”
“…Moondancer, I know.” Twilight said quickly “I know about your mother now.”
Moondancer gasped, feeling as if the other three ponies had betrayed her, but Twilight quickly stated, “Our friends didn’t tell me, it was one of the guards who overhear their many conversations who told me, and he promised nothing.”
Realizing she was cornered, Moondancer let Twilight in, not wanting to discuss it in an open doorway.
The truth was Luna Light was one of many creatures who loathed and despised Twilight Sparkle, and also felt she was unworthy of being ruler of Equestria.
Moondancer explained to Twilight, ever since Twilight never showed up for the original party she had planned when they were young, which led to Moondancer becoming standoffish, it was there that Luna began to have distaste for Twilight as well.
“It wasn’t just that you didn’t show up to my party…
Mom had high hopes for me. She thought I was worthy of being Celestia’s apprentice, but she chose you instead, and that angered her more… even me slightly.
Ever since my father died when I was little, Mom and I both wanted to make it big. So I chose to study hard and work my way to the top, and mom did the same thing, but when you became Celestia’s student, we both fell on hard times.
For all those years we devoted our times to remain distant, standoffish and remain embittered to friendship.”
Twilight understood now, remembering how hard it was to win back Moondancer’s friendship.
“I’m glad we were able to make up,” said Moondancer “But my mom wasn’t…”
She remembered a flashback to her mother finding out.
“You reconciled with Twilight?! How could you do this to me… your own mother?”
“But I don’t hate her anymore. She apologized, and she’s shown me how good friendship is. We don’t need to hate it anymore.”
All that resulted in Luna demanding she leave.
“Get out!”
“What?”
“Get out… out of this house, and out of my life! I never want to see you again… you… you, worthless weakling!! I DON’T WANT TO HAVE ANY AFILIATION WITH ANY CREATURE ASSOCIATED WITH TWILIGHT SPARKLE!!”
“Mother… you can’t mean that!”
“I SAID OUT!! And never call me “Mother” again! You are no daughter of mine, and I’m actually glad your father isn’t here so he can’t see what a disgrace you’ve become!
GET OUT!!!”
So Moondancer left in tears, and she hadn’t seen or spoken to her mother since.
Twilight felt low and miserable for her friend now, “Oh, Moondancer!”
Moondancer hung her head low. “I know she was cruel, and hard on me, but… she’s still my mom, and I guess I really miss her. I tried to reconcile with her, and she brushed me off every time. And worse…”
She recalled one time, not too long ago, she was walking down the street and saw her mother walking down the street with grocery bags. She offered to help, but instead Luna called for the guards “Get this stranger away from me!”
The guards, knowing nothing of the situation, didn’t even give Moondancer a chance to explain, and took her away, threatening to arrest her.
Luna would continue to deny any relationship or affiliation with Moondancer to anyone, and wasn’t hard for her to keep this charade up because she had very little interactions with many ponies, having kept good on her threat to have no affiliation with anyone who supported Twilight Sparkle, or was even the least bit affiliated with her.
…That was all there was.
Moondancer sighed, “Part of me knows I should just let go of my mom, but part of me still wants to make right with her.”
Twilight felt more struck than she did. How could some pony cause this much misery and suffering just because of her resentment. “How can your mom hate me that much?” she wondered “I know I missed your party, but we made up for it, and I can’t help it if Celestia chose me.”
“It won’t matter much.” said Moondancer “Mom’s made her decision, and she won’t change her mind.”
“Seems I’ve heard that before…” Twilight hinted at her, and the two friends held in a laugh.
Twilight had decided, “I’m going for it. I’m going to try and help your mom.”
Moondancer opened her mouth to protest, but Twilight insisted, “I managed to convince you to change your ways, and I can’t stand to see you unhappy at Hearths Warming, or any day for that matter.”
“But Twilight, what can you possibly do?” asked Moondancer, “My mom doesn’t want anything even remotely to do with you.”
“Well so did you, and that didn’t stop me from trying.”
It was clear now that Moondancer wouldn’t convince her to stop. She knew her friend-- once she was determined, she wouldn’t take “No” for an answer.
Of course, being late and all that, she had to wait until morning, and of course she still had to tend to her duties.
-Assigning the guards and sentries
-Checking reports and documents
-Reviewing written in suggestions and requests
…Being Princess was really strenuous work; she hardly found time to eat a simple egg-sandwich for breakfast.
At least the decorations were coming along nicely and the main hall was looking glittering and beautiful as ever, ready for the gala the night of the twenty-fourth, which was less than two days away, and that would be the night her friends from Ponyville would arrive.
“Looking great, ladies.” she said to the trio of decorators.
“Oh, don’t thank us just yet,” said Twinkle. “We still have to set up for the fireworks show.”
“Not today…” said Twilight “You’ve all worked hard enough for now. Take the day off.”
The girls felt flattered, “But what about the show? It must go on.” protested Lemon.
“Ah, come on…” said Minuette. “A fireworks show is a piece of cake. “We’ll just move all the crates into the field, and then set up the show tomorrow. It’ll all be ready on time.”
Agreeing to some much needed time off, the ladies excused themselves and headed off.
“You sure that’s a good idea?” asked Spike.
“Positive, and besides, it gives me extra time to put my own plan in action.”
“Oh, right… the whole Luna Light, Moondancer thing.” said Spike. Naturally he had been told of Twilight’s plot to get the two back together, and while Spike did feel sorry when he heard Moondancer’s story, “Are you sure it’s a good idea? From what you’ve told me, Luna Light has a big hate for you.”
Twilight insisted she was going through it, “If I can show Moondancer the joys of friendship, I can help her mom too. I’ve already sent her an invitation to the gala.”
Spike immediately sensed disaster there, and before he could open his mouth, the royal courier came in with a single returned letter. “I’m afraid your invitation was refused, your highness.”
He recounted on how he delivered the invitation in person to Luna Light, and she angrily slammed the door in his face and demanded he leave.
“I would have told you so.” remarked Spike.
Twilight took it surprisingly unsurprised. “I expected she’d behave like that. I was testing her to see just how much of a boost she needs.”
“A boost?” asked Spike.
“I need to dig a little deeper into Luna Light’s feelings.”
Spike protested, “Twilight, as your advisor, and someone with experience beforehand, I advise against this. We’ve got enough things to do today as it is.”
He showed her his long list of chores they had yet to accomplish, and that was just one page--there were others underneath.
Twilight put her hoof down, “I realize that, but I promise you we will finish them. I’ve had busier schedules anyway. This is more important to me as a personal reason, and while royalty would put this aside, I can’t ignore the call of a pony in need.”
Spike knew he had lost her, especially when after she teleported off just like that, and he could only sigh, “Ladies and Gentle-Stallions… the ruler of Equestria.”