//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - The Summer Sun // Story: Moon and Stars // by keelekingfisher //------------------------------// Luna staggered through the entrance hall of the castle, her silvery armour heavy on her exhausted body. It was close to noon, now, and all the younger Princess wanted was to fall into her bed and sleep the whole day through. But first, she walked through to the pair’s shared planning room. Her sister sat, half-armoured, looming over the map table with a look of deep concern on her face. “Tia,” she said, making the white alicorn look up. “We have defeated the tatzlwurm that was plaguing the eastern reaches. By thine leave, we would like to rest.” A long, thoughtful pause. “Luna, have thou attended to Brookside this night?” Brookside? No, that village lay on the southwest edge of the Everfree, far from where Luna and her companions had been hunting. “No, sister. Why, is there something the matter?” Celestia studied the map for another long moment, and turned to Luna. There was heartbreak and frustration in her eyes. “It is gone.” “Gone?” “Gone. Again, the Everfree has expanded overnight. The survivors tell us of dozens of timberwolves pouring over them an hour after sunset.” She looked away from her sister, tears in her eyes. “We weren’t there for them.” “Oh, Tia.” Luna walked closer, and laid a comforting hoof on her sister’s shoulder. “Do not be upset, you needed your rest. We merely wish that we could be in two places at once, to protect everyone.” “Yes,” Celestia agreed quietly. “To protect everyone.” Luna lay on her favourite couch, one floor below her bedroom, almost at the top of the castle’s tallest tower. She was lying with her chin and her forehooves resting on one of the armrests, looking out of the glass door of the balcony at her night sky, horn gently aglow. The last few nights had been quiet, so she was calm and comfortable and warm, Tiberius sat at her side on the couch, nibbling rapidly at some little treat. Her regalia was discarded messily on the rug beside her, and her mane was even more ethereal than usual thanks to the long bath she’d treated herself to. The knock at the door was a familiar one, and she didn’t let it interfere with her mood at all. “Come in, Twilight.” She didn’t turn her head to the door as it opened smoothly. It was shut gently, with the faint hum of magic, and a set of hooves padded softly over the hardwood floor, onto the expansive rug that depicted old-fashioned patterns of the type woven by peasants. “Make yourself comfortable.” In the corner of her eye, she saw a pair of saddlebags lowered to the ground beside the paired couch, facing Luna’s, and a set of hooves climb onto it. Tiberius hopped down from Luna’s side, scampering across the rug to sniff Twilight, climbing onto the cushions beside her once he was satisfied with her identity. Twilight stared out at Luna’s sky as the stars drifted gently into their place, gently petting Tiberius with a free hoof. “You’re making the sun.” Luna nodded, pleased; normally, when she painted the sky, she didn’t create constellations, preferring to let the people find them for themselves. This, though, was an exception. “It’s my sister’s cutie mark.” She moved one last, bright star into position, before deciding that she was satisfied with what she’d created, and she lay on her side to look at Twilight. “Good evening, Twilight, thank you for coming to see me. How are you? Is the family well?” “Yes, Princess. We’re all so pleased about Shining Armour’s promotion, we all went for a big dinner a couple of nights ago.” Shining Armour, the new Captain of the Royal Guard. Some would accuse the Princess of nepotism, two siblings holding such high positions in her regard, but Shining Armour was the most qualified candidate for the job. “Good, I’m glad. Tea?” Twilight nodded, and Luna levitated the steaming pot she’d had prepared a little while earlier, pouring two cups and sending one to Twilight. Luna’s sister had always been more enthusiastic about tea, but Luna certainly didn’t mind a cup now and then, when she needed to relax. They sipped in almost silence for a few moments, Tiberius sniffing at Twilight’s cup for a second before deciding against stealing anything, before Luna brought up the topic at hand. “I have a request for you, Twilight.” “Anything you want, Princess!” Twilight shot up straight, like a Guardsmare at attention. “This isn’t an order, Twilight, or a lesson, this is a request. A favour I’m asking you not as a ruler, or a teacher, but a friend.” “I understand Pri- Luna.” Twilight relaxed a little, and Luna smiled. “Thank you. So, I’m sure you know that it’s the Summer Sun Celebration soon. And it’s a very special one, the thousandth I’ve hosted since Celestia left.” That got Twilight’s attention - she’d never heard Luna mention her sister by name before. “It was always her favourite celebration, so I want to make this one special for her. This year, we’re hosting it in Ponyville. Do you know the town?” Twilight paused for a moment while she wracked her brain. “It’s an earth pony town, south of Canterlot, on the edge of the Everfree Forest. It’s an old settlement, but it’s still very small. I don’t know much more, Princess, I’ve never been.” “That’s still more than most ponies know about places they've never been to before.” Luna smiled. “My sister and I spent a lot of time around there, before we built the castle here, so I thought it was fitting. But, more importantly, I’d like you to help the ponies there organise everything.” “Me?” “Yes. Between you and Spike, you’re absolute masters of organisation, and I think the town would probably benefit from some assistance with the inevitable influx of tourists. Plus,” Luna dropped her voice slightly. “You know how I like my festivals better than most. Would you be willing to do that for me, Twilight?” “Yes, Princess! I’d be happy to!” Twilight almost leaped off the couch, startling Tiberius and almost spilling her tea. “Oh, I’ll have to send a telegram to Ponyville to ask if they have any inn rooms. Do you think the people there will have a checklist ready already?” “Well, about the rooms, I know for a fact that Ponyville’s public library has a residence attached, which is currently lacking a librarian.” It took a moment for what Luna had said to sink in, but Twilight beamed when it did. “Yes, I thought you'd like that.” “Thank you so much, Princess!” “I will say,” Luna said. “And this is me speaking as a Princess, you are going to take some time off while you’re there. It’s a lovely little town, and if you keep working all the time, the stress is going to turn that lovely mane white. So, by royal order, you’re going to relax. Take walks, go to cafes, talk to locals, anything other than stressing yourself. Understood?” “Yes, Princess.” “Good. And thank you, Twilight; I’m looking forward to this festival even more than usual now.” “Here’s the keys to the library,” Luna levitated them into Twilight’s saddlebag. “I’m told it’s called the Golden Oaks and it’s rather hard to miss. And your allowance.” She floated a little pouch of bits into the same bag. “As always, if you need more, just have Spike send me a letter. Within reason.” She added the last part with mock severity, knowing that Twilight was far too sensible to spend frivolously. “I take it you’re all packed up?” “Yes, Princess!” At a glance, she could tell that those saddlebags were loaded with books over anything else she might need. “I’ve sent the trunk with the other stuff to the station already.” Always, she could rely on Spike to be the sensible one. The balancing influence to Twilight’s overenthusiastic bookishness that had got her into sticky situations more than once.  “Thank you, Spike. And, of course, your tickets.” She floated those over as well. “First class, but it’s only a short journey. I think they’re including meals on that train these days, so you can look forward to that.” “Do you think they’ll have a gemstone option?” Spike asked, making Twilight shake her head in amusement. “I’ve procured a map of the town from the archives for you, too. I think it’s a few years out of date, but it should help you find where you’re going in general. Now, as I understand it, all of the festival preparations are being done locally, by residents, so everything you need’s there. It’s all being run at the moment by the mayor, miss… ah, Mayor Mare. I assume she’ll be at the town hall, so I’d speak with her. Just tell her your name, she knows you’re coming.” “I will. Thank you, Princess.” “Goodness me, I’m fussing again, aren’t I?” Luna smiled, before pulling the pair into a hug. “Thank you again for doing this. Have a safe journey. And Spike, if you need anything at all, you know how to get in touch with me.” Luna watched them with a smile as they left the castle’s foyer, and watched them for a moment longer as they walked across the lawn, Spike perched on Twilight’s back as she trotted cheerfully. Then, her smile faltering a little, she walked deeper into the palace, Guards saluting smartly as she passed. It was late morning, which made it late for Luna to still be up. She was moving in the direction of her tower, but in a rather scenic way, passing the back door to the throne room to offer Raven a sympathetic smile as she dealt with a noble petitioner. Then she passed the main dining room, where a group of off-duty Guards dropped their cards and scrambled to get their helmets on as she passed. She put them back into a state of nervous ease with a waved wing as she passed, and emerged into the kitchens. “Good morning, Knead.” She greeted her long-suffering head chef. “I don’t suppose you’ve got some supper I could snap up?” “There’s half of a blueberry pie in the fridge, Princess. I could warm it up for you?” The old earth pony offered. “No, no, that won’t be necessary. Thank you, though.” Bless, he knew just what she liked. She took the tin in her magic, and trotted up the spiral stairs to her tower, holding it steady as she did. (No, Luna didn’t strictly need half a pie. She wanted it, though, and there were few ponies who’d tell the Princess that she couldn’t have what she wanted.) She discarded her regalia by the door as she entered her quarters, and drew the thick curtains shut over every window at once as she ambled to and fell onto her favourite couch, drawing her hooves up beneath her. The little chink of sunlight that worked its way through the balcony’s curtains was just enough to see the sweet mouthful of pie she took. She closed her eyes, already half-asleep, and took in the fact that she really was alone. “I miss you, Tia. And I hope you’ll be home soon.” She told nobody in particular. “I’m sorry for what I did and what I said when you first went away. I hope that you can forgive me. You’d like the new castle. And there’s so many new kinds of tea for you to try. You’d like Twilight Sparkle, too; she really reminds me of Starswirl. But better with people. I hope that she makes friends while she’s away, she deserves it. And she’s putting together this year’s Celebration. I just know that, with her in charge, it’ll be the best ever. “I hope it’ll be enough to bring you home.” Luna wasn’t much of a worrier. She was typically of the belief that things worked themselves out and, if not, there was an alicorn about to fix them with vigorous applications of magic. She’d stopped worrying, after the first year or so, about Sunset Shimmer’s study in distant Zebrica. And she was hardly worried at all about Twilight Sparkle to the south in Ponyville. Yes, she’d never been away from Canterlot without any sort of supervision before, but Ponyville was a small, pleasant town, attended by the Royal Guard and perched on the edge of the Everfree Forest, one of the most dangerous areas in Equestria. No, Luna wasn’t worrying at all. And she was very preoccupied with not worrying after a long night of frustrating negotiations with the nobles of Canterlot, her court extended for a good few hours after it normally ended because, apparently, a group of nobles calling themselves the Organisation of Concerned Canterlot Citizens were absolutely outraged that she would not be personally raising the sun in Canterlot on this year’s celebration day. Stupid arguments like that gave her the worst headache, and the negotiations had ended very bluntly before Luna had called off all further appointments for the night and retreated to her tower. Then, somepony knocked on the door of her chambers, and she couldn't help but groan. She wanted to shout at them to go away and leave her to her worry-free night, but that wouldn’t be befitting of the Princess, would it? So she returned her tiara to her head, straightened her back, and turned to look sagely at the book she’d been half-reading for about an hour now. “Enter.” She proclaimed as imperiously as possible. The imperious façade dropped the instant she saw the pink-furred pony enter the room, shutting the door behind her and dropping into a low bow in one smooth motion. “Your majesty.” “Cadance!” Luna discarded her book and walked over to embrace the young noble with her wings. “Well this is just the loveliest surprise. Come in, come in, make yourself at home.” After the long, welcoming hug, they both took comfortable seats, Luna beaming at the pink pegasus. “What brings you to see me, hm?” “Well, auntie Luna, I’ve got good news!” Though there was only one alicorn in Equestria, Cadance was one of a number of ponies who held the title of ‘Princess’, a holdover from the many fiefs of pre-unification Equestria. Strictly, she was the Princess of the Crystal Empire, a very distant descendent of the Princess Amore by Luna’s reckoning, but that was not the most impressive title given the absence of the Empire from the world for a long while now. Technically, though most of the Princes and Princesses still held their land and had only sworn fealty to Luna, none of them held any real power. Though many had been ‘adopted’ into Luna’s family (Prince Blueblood of Canterlot, for example, was considered one of Luna’s nephews), Cadance was the only one who could call her ‘auntie’.  “Oh but where are my manners, my dear, would you like something to eat? Some tea? No, no, you’ve got something to tell me, go on and tell me.” Luna loved Cadance’s visits, but they didn’t come that frequently; the pegasus was still a young mare, with a lot of life outside of being royalty. But these days, she was still the closest thing that Luna had to family. “I’m getting married!” Luna blinked for a few moments. “Married?” Cadance nodded, smiling broadly. “It’s not going to be for a long while now, but I wanted you to be the first to know!” Luna’s face split into a huge grin, and she lunged forwards to hug Cadance again. “Oh, this is fantastic! I’m so happy for you! Oh, we’ll give you the finest ceremony in years! Who is the special somepony?” “Shining Armour.” “Twilight’s brother and my Captain of the Guard, that Shining Armour?” Luna looked down at Cadance, who nodded shyly. “Well, he kept that one quiet.” “Well, he thought it might make the accusations of nepotism from the nobles even worse.” “That is a fair point. Oh, but I’m over the moon!” Luna smiled more widely than she had for a long while, feeling almost giddy. “We can have it right here, at the castle! A proper royal wedding!” “Please don’t tell anyone though, auntie Luna. We don’t want to do it quite yet.” “Oh, yes, of course,” Luna calmed down a mite. “My lips are sealed.” She paused for a moment. “Will you let me officiate it though?” Cadance laughed. “That’s what I came here to ask you!” “Oh this has made my week! Have you told Twilight yet?” “No, actually. Where is she? Shiny and I would love to tell her.” “Ah. Well, she’s actually in Ponyville at the moment, preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration. I could send a letter to Spike for you, if you like?” “We think it’d be better to tell her in person. But we’ll do that as soon as she’s back!” “Make sure you do, you know she hates to be left out! And let me finally get you that drink.” Luna’s relationship with summer was that of tense acquaintances, rather than friends. She thrived at night and in the cold, so the achingly long days and painful heat (only compounded by her dark fur) were miserable for her. It was, she knew, how most ponies felt in winter, so it was only fair, but the summer days sapped her of all energy and left her with the desire to do little but lie down and read in the coolest part of the castle she could find. Well, the second-coolest place - the last time she’d napped in the kitchen’s fridges she’d been picking her own fur out of her meals for weeks.  Her mood was lifted, somewhat, by how much the ponies of Equestria enjoyed the summer. She’d sit under a parasol on her balcony and watch the many ponies picnicking in the castle’s gardens, or fly out to take in the many festivals that lined the streets of Canterlot. There were plenty of opportunities for fun to be found when she went looking, and on the days she was most down, she’d simply walk to the sweet shop a few streets over from the castle to buy an ice cream and talk to any foals who wanted to see the Princess. She was certain that it was good for the shop’s business, too. And the other thing that increased her enjoyment of summer was the memory of her sister. She had loved the summer, and that was why Luna always held the Summer Sun Celebration at summer’s peak, in only a few more days. It was a celebration for her sister, more than anything, and so one that was special in her heart almost more than any other. “I do hope you like this.” She told nobody in particular. “I know that you always enjoyed hosting the Celebration yourself, but I hope that it’s up to your standards under my supervision. “ The sun was setting through her window, and she could just about see a shift in its blemishes. For an instant, just long enough for her to notice it but not long enough to turn her head, it formed a face, a face that stared right through her. But when she turned to it, it was gone, and she merely winced and turned away from the bright sun. It gave her hope, though - could that be her? Was her sister watching down? And did that mean that she’d return this year? Luna suddenly found herself excited, and eager for the day of the Summer Sun Celebration to begin. Would the people of Ponyville mind overly if she were to arrive early, just to make sure that everything was progressing as it should? Oh, but then again, Twilight might be upset. This was her first time working alone, and if Luna were to suddenly appear and take over, that’d make her student think that she wasn’t doing a good enough job. And Twilight already had moments of lacking confidence, so she certainly didn’t need anything like that. There were only a couple more nights until the day of the celebration, so Luna could wait. She smiled for a moment in the direction of the sun, and returned to her book, fanning herself and mentally rehearsing her speech for the festival. It was very early morning when Luna prepared to attend the festival. Her chariot waited patiently on the balcony as she went over her last few preparations. One of the Guards had delivered her list of tasks (mostly related to dealing with the ever-awkward nobility of Canterlot) to the ever-faithful Raven Inkwell. She’d personally spent many an hour polishing her regalia and grooming herself to look perfect for her arrival, and her speech, though only recorded in her own mind, was one of her best yet. So she stepped onto the balcony, shutting the door behind her, and took a step up onto the chariot’s platform. She adjusted her wings and her legs before she sat down on the cushion - this journey would be well under an hour, but she still found it uncomfortable to stand still on such a small platform for that long. “Whenever you’re ready, gentlecolts.” Luna instructed the thestral Guards in dusky, purple armour. They were both sizeable, large-winged stallions, and took a glance backwards to confirm her safety before lifting off the balcony, bringing her lurching into the sky. The chariot’s enchantments did most of the work bringing it airborne and, perhaps more importantly, keeping it horizontal despite logic dictating that it would tilt down underneath the Guards. Still, it was quite the feat of athleticism for the Guards, and she knew that it was a job that only went to the especially strong flyers amongst them. Despite it holding a place of some honour for them, it was certainly a job she didn’t envy, even for only a short trip like this. “Might I have your names, good sirs?” She made a point of meeting every single one of her Guards, but there were a lot of them, and she had a lot of names to remember. She certainly hoped that they wouldn’t be offended.  “Helm Heart, ma’am.” “Midnight Sun, your majesty.” They were both trying to hide their slowly increasing exhaustion, which made Luna smile. “Well, thank you both ever so much for this. I know that it’s a hard task. I’m granting you both a few hours of leave during the Celebration, make sure you relax and enjoy the festivities.” They thanked her politely between their pants, and, satisfied with that, Luna turned back to the surroundings she was passing through. Canterlot’s great mountain was rapidly shrinking behind her, and the clear sky gave her a fantastic view of the gentle, rolling hills of the Canterlot Plains to her right at the vast Saddle Lake to her left, both gently lit by the moon and stars above. Ahead, she could already see the many lights of Ponyville, the small town (barely even a suburb of Canterlot, in truth) coming alive in preparation for the great Celebration. Luna’s chest puffed out in pride at the thought of her current personal student being at the heart of this incredible logistical endeavour. Twilight had only sent a couple of letters in the time that she was away, but she was sure that was just because of her busyness. She hoped that Spike, ever the voice of reason, had forced her to take some time off, even if Twilight just used that time to read a novel instead of some dry non-fiction: Luna truly worried that the poor unicorn would come to some real grief from pure and simple stress. She’d hoped that, by giving the student this job, it would drag her away from the castle’s library for a while, and force her to interact with other ponies. When the gentle wind blew the right way, she could just catch the shouting of the crowd below as they slowly dipped into the town. She could feel her cheeks burn; she loved these ponies, of course, but always felt like huge celebrations like this were too much for her. Still, to her relief, this crowd was much smaller than last year’s had been, mostly the clearly down-to-earth residents of this little town, with just a few sophisticates from Canterlot.  “Announcing her royal highness, Princess Luna!” A mare’s voice bellowed, and the crowd’s cheering reached a fever pitch as Luna’s chariot gently touched down in the clear plaza, right in front of the town’s impressive town hall, decorated with banners depicting shining suns and Luna’s own moon cutie mark, one big banner across the front of the town hall reading WELCOME PRINCESS LUNA in fine calligraphy. “Well, this is a wonderful welcome!” Luna beamed as she stepped off her chariot, letting the Guards pull it away and listening to the coordinated chorus of a number of songbirds. “Thank you all for welcoming me to your beautiful home, and I’m glad that I can share this very special day with you all.” The crowd fell quiet, letting Luna indulge herself with a heartfelt speech. “As I’m sure you all know, this used to be my sister’s celebration. Until she left, it was her duty to raise and lower the sun, and I the moon, so this was always her favourite time of the year. Indeed, long before the Summer Sun Celebration, the summer solstice was her birthday, just as the winter solstice is mine. We didn’t have calendars back then, you see.” She quipped, raising a couple of laughs. “This is the thousandth time that I’ve stewarded this festival on her behalf, so I hope that she’d be proud of what I’ve turned it into. Anyway, I have rambled for quite long enough, let's get to the main event of the day, shall we?” She closed her eyes and focused intently on the most complicated magical process she’d ever performed, that grew no easier after doing it every single day for a thousand years. The moon, always more cooperative, responded willingly to her magical beckoning, and dipped below the horizon. The sun, her sister’s sphere, was much more reluctant to follow her orders. She had to practically drag it up from behind the horizon, straining to the point of almost dizziness, before it finally obeyed and rose elegantly above the horizon, to the cheers of the assembled crowd. Luna cracked open her eyes and beamed at their whooping and cheering, before bowing her head slightly. “Friends, welcome to the Summer Sun Celebration.” No matter how much she complained and worried, Luna knew that it was all worth it for the festival itself. For hours, she got to enjoy herself amongst her ponies, in a relaxed, festive environment. She signed many an autograph and took a number of photographs with her subjects, but after that she was free to behave like any other pony. She ate excessive amounts of sweet food, played sideshow games with groups of foals, and even refereed an impromptu game of hoofball. It was a simpler, more folksy festival than the sort that the elite of Canterlot preferred, and she much preferred a Celebration like this. It was when everyone was leaving the impromptu match when Luna finally spotted a pair of violet blotches amongst the crowd, and trotted over to greet them after what felt like an age. “Hello, Twilight, Spike. I must say that I certainly made the right choice in sending you to organise this festival - it has been the most wonderful in a great many years.” “Princess Luna!” Twilight started to bow, but then decided against it. “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it.” “I have, my dear, and I still am.” She glanced around for a moment, the large crowds still milling around well into the afternoon. “Although I wouldn’t mind getting away from the crowds for a few minutes. Care to join me?” They both nodded, and she crouched for a moment to let them climb onto her back, Spike sat in front of Twilight, before she set off into a gentle flight. “Have you enjoyed the festival, Spike?” The young dragon had probably not seen a celebration on this scale before, never mind the fact that he hardly ever left Canterlot. “Yeah! But I think I might’ve eaten too much ice cream…” The little dragon sounded tired, and Luna smiled. “Well, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed yourself. Did you convince Twilight to act sociable?” “Hey!” Twilight protested as Spike giggled. “One of the ponies from town threw her a party to say welcome! She decorated the library and everything.” “And did you go?” Twilight nodded slowly. “It wasn’t really my sort of thing… but the ponies were nice.” “I’m glad.” In truth, as Luna pulled down to the edge of a beautiful orchard on the edge of the town, she was overjoyed: Twilight had always struggled with that sort of thing. No, she’d never be a social butterfly, but the Princess had been hoping that this would pull her out of her shell a bit. She set down on a rolling hill, just beneath an old apple tree, beside a dirt path that led to a squat farmhouse. “You don’t think the ponies who live here will mind if we sit here for a moment, do you?” “You’re Princess of Equestria, will they even say if they do mind?” Twilight smirked as she climbed off Luna’s back, lowering Spike gently off her back. “Well, the position does have its perks.” Luna conceded as the three settled into the grass. The long, late afternoon light warmed them as Twilight cuddled up to the Princess’ flank, Spike sitting down and leaning against her like a pillow. Luna gazed into the orange sky for a few moments as she searched for the right words. “Thank you, Twilight. For this festival, this wonderful celebration. It truly is the best I’ve attended for a very long while. I know that Celestia would’ve adored it.” Twilight hesitated for a moment, and Luna could feel her legs tense slightly. “Um, I hope you don’t mind me asking this, Princess, but I found a book at the library in town, and I wanted to ask you about it.” Luna nodded encouragingly, though Twilight’s clear hesitation gave her pause. “It’s called the Tale of the Two Sisters,” Suddenly, Luna’s heart was in a vice, and she could feel her body tense. “It doesn’t mention any names but, well, I could make the connections, and I… Is it true?” Luna didn’t need to ask for any details. She knew the book immediately, though she hadn’t heard of it for a long, long while. “Mostly, yes. My sister did… refuse to lower the sun. But it wasn’t because she was evil or any such nonsense. She cared so, so much, too much, and the world was dangerous back then. There were always monsters, no matter how hard the Guard and I tried to control them. She truly believed that she was doing the best thing. It broke my heart that I had to do what I did.” “Are the Elements of Harmony real, too?” Spike asked with childlike curiosity and lack of tact. Luna had to smile. “Yes, they are. Ancient artifacts, representing the things needed to form a true friendship; Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, and the spark of Magic that appears when they’re all together. They first appeared when the ponies first united to drive out the Spirit of Disharmony, and Tia and I used them. Then, I used them to stop her. They burned that strange, hopeful rage out of her, and she went away to think about things for a while. A very long while, I suppose. I know that she blamed herself, even though she shouldn’t, and I hope that she’ll be free of guilt when she does decide to come home.” It was a lie, and Luna wondered why she was lying without really intending to. Because it’s the same lie you’ve been telling yourself this whole time, the little voice in her head informed her. “I’m very sorry, Princess.” Twilight almost whispered. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” Luna was crying. When had that happened? “Oh, don’t worry, Twilight.” She wiped her eyes with a fetlock. “It sometimes strikes me just how much I miss her, that’s all. And it has been a very long time since I heard of that book.” Luna draped one wing over Twilight and Spike affectionately. “Thank you again for sharing this wonderful festival with me.” “Uh, Princess Luna? I don’t mean to interrupt…” Luna practically leaped up at the accented voice right behind them, and turned to see a freckled, orange pony with a blonde mane, holding a hat respectfully in front of her chest. “The mayor was lookin’ for Miss Twilight, and I saw you flying off this way. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Twilight leaped up with a gasp. “I promised the mayor I’d help organise the fireworks!” She chastised herself. “Go on, then, I’ll look after Spike.” “Thank you, Princess!” With her horn aglow, Twilight teleported down the path a ways before setting off at a gallop. Her teleportation had improved rapidly, Luna noted with some pride. “I’m sorry, my good mare, I’ve just planted myself on your land, haven’t I?” “Don’t apologise, Princess. Um, your majesty.” The mare bowed. “I’m just honoured you’ve come to our li’l town.” “Please, you don’t need to bow to me.” Luna could feel Spike falling asleep against her side. Knowing Twilight, she’d been awake since early in the morning, and Spike had been the same. Luna cuddled him closer to her side with one wing, content to let him sleep. “And yes, it has been a long time since I’ve been to Ponyville, but it’s always been a beautiful town. May I ask your name? And is this your farm? It’s very scenic.” “Yes, ma’am! I’m Applejack, and this is Sweet Apple Acres, been in the Apple family for over a thousand years!” “Sweet Apple… oh, you make that wonderful cider, don’t you? I always get a few barrels for the palace.” Applejack smiled and nodded, blushing slightly. “And of course, I imagine that you were responsible for much of the wonderful food today. It was truly fantastic.” “Well, thank you, your majesty. Um, if I may?” “Of course, speak freely, always.” “Thank you kindly. I just wanted to let you know that your student, Miss Twilight, she’s a real good sort. She seems pretty stressed a lot of the time, but she’s kind, and real smart. You should be proud of her.” Luna could feel herself swell with pride at that praise. Yes, Twilight deserved it, and she was immensely proud of the young mare. “Thank you, Applejack. Yes, I’m very proud of her. She’s created the finest Celebration for a long time, if nothing else.” Luna stood, and levitated the now-sleeping Spike safely onto her back. “And speaking of the Celebration, I should be getting back to it before sundown.” The Princess spread her wings, flapping them experimentally. “Can I offer you a lift?” “What, on your… oh, no, I couldn’t possibly, your majesty!” “I really don’t mind. Twilight does it all the time.” Applejack hesitated for a moment. “Ah, phooey, not like I’ll ever get another chance to ride on a Princess’ back, is it?” “That’s the spirit.” Luna beamed. “Come, climb on, I promise it’ll be a nice ride.” There was a fantastic show of magical fireworks to close out the Celebration, and the various vendors and organisers began to pack up their things as Luna chattered to a group of fillies and colts at the town’s park, answering their strange questions and telling them some of her favourite stories about ruling and old festivals. After she finished the story about the first Wonderbolts show, complete with her own magical sparks to represent the fireworks, the foals were all tired, and their parents began taking them home, bowing and thanking the Princess. When the last of the foals had run off, Luna stood, stretching her wings and casting her eyes around the ever-shrinking festival grounds. At one end, close to where the fireworks had been launched from, Twilight and Spike stood, among five other young mares. One was Applejack, who kept glancing over to Luna as she made to walk over. She already had her hat off respectfully when Luna reached them. “Twilight Sparkle.” Luna boomed. The other ponies, who had been chattering, fell silent and bowed their heads. One, a yellow-furred pegasus, tried to hide behind Applejack. Luna was silent for a moment, before she broke out in a grin. “Thank you for organising this wonderful festival for me. Am I to assume that you are all the ladies who helped with the many aspects?” They all nodded and mumbled affirmingly. “Well thank you all. This is, without a doubt, the finest celebration I’ve attended for a long while. Would you like to join me on my flight back to the castle, Twilight?” Twilight paused for a moment, glancing between the other mares, and Luna knew that look. “Can I talk to you, Princess? In, um, private?” Luna nodded politely, and led Twilight as they walked away from the other group. They slowly began to chatter again as the Princess moved away from them. “You want to stay, don’t you?” Luna asked bluntly, knowing that there was no point in beating around the bush. Twilight nodded shyly, almost ashamedly. “The library’s beautiful, and this is such a sweet little town, and all the girls I’ve met are so sweet and… and they’re my friends. Friends like I don’t think I’ve ever had before. I-I know that I should continue my learning, but-” “Twilight, you are a grown mare. A young mare, yes, but plenty old enough to make your own decisions. If you want to stay here, then you may. You can continue your education with experimentation and the books in the library here, you’re a dedicated enough student that I’m not worried about that at all.” “Really?” Twilight looked up at her with wide eyes.  Giving a matronly smile in reply, Luna conjured her magic and brought an object all the way from Canterlot, lowering it for Twilight to take in her magic. It was a journal, much like the one she’d used to write to Sunset Shimmer, but its details in silver rather than gold. “I know that you and I can speak well through Spike’s letters, but this is tradition. And that little bit more personal.” Luna winked. “Oh, thank you so much, Princess.” Twilight leaned in to nuzzle Luna. “I really... The girls are all so nice. I feel very at home.” “I’m glad, Twilight, I really am.” Twilight paused for a long moment, looking up at Luna. “You planned this, didn’t you?” “I didn’t plan it, it was just… one of the many factors in my decision to have you organise the Celebration. And I’m glad it all worked out.” Luna grinned, blushing slightly. “I do have a few requests, first. Number one, you’ll write to me often. Keep me abreast of the progress of your research, and always ask me if you need anything. Number two, tell your parents of your decision, they deserve to know where you are. Number three, visit often. Or I’ll visit you, and I’ll be sure to tell your new friends plenty of embarrassing stories.” That made Twilight laugh. “And number four, bring Spike over, so I can say goodbye to the both of you.” “Spike!” Twilight shouted, and the little dragon toddled over. “Did you ask her?” He asked Twilight, and she nodded. “I just wanted to give my favourite dragon a goodbye hug before I leave you in your new home.” She leaned in to hug the both of them, feeling warm and happy and slightly tearful. “Do come and visit me again soon. And both of you, be good.” “We will, Princess.” “And don’t go into the Everfree alone, it’s dangerous.” “We know, Princess.” “I’ll stop being a mother hen now.” She released them both from the hug. “Go on back to your friends.” “Thank you, Luna. We’ll visit you soon.” And Luna watched them both walk into their new life, immensely proud and suddenly feeling very lonely.