It was early evening. The party was over. Celestia had just lowered the sun. Luna raised her head, and her horn began to glow. She summoned the crescent moon and sent it up. Then, she summoned all of the stars. The stars swirled around her, twinkling gently. She was an artist, and the night sky was her canvas. Slowly, she sent the constellations to their places in the galaxy. Then, to commemorate the royal birth, she decided to paint the northern lights across the sky. The path of light shot upward, rippling like a river of color as its hues changed from green to purple to pink to turquoise. She imagined ponies looking out their windows in awe at her creation. Then, she decided that every year, on Neoma’s birthday, she would create the same light show.
Neoma’s cries roused Luna from her thoughts. She sighed and walked into the nursery. She and Phoebus had decided to let Neoma sleep during the day as they did, so that she could be awake with them at night.
"Hello, my sweet one," Luna whispered to the filly, gently scooping Neoma up in her hooves. Neoma stopped crying immediately and smiled up at her mother. Luna fed her daughter, then kissed her all over, making the foal giggle. The blue alicorn reveled in the newborn filly’s milky-sweet scent as she carried the filly over to the window and held her up so that she could see the sky.
"Do you see those lights, Neoma? I made those for you." Neoma gurgled and chewed on Luna's starry mane. Luna chuckled and moved her mane out of the foal's reach. Someday her daughter would understand. For now, though, she had to get Neoma back to sleep. Cradling the filly in her hooves, Luna began to sing:
“La la lu,
La la lu,
Oh, my little star sweeper,
I’ll sweep the stardust for you.
La la lu,
La la lu,
Little soft, fluffy sleeper,
Here comes a pink cloud for you.
La la lu,
La la lu,
Little wandering angel,
Fold up your wings, close your eyes.
La la lu,
La la lu,
And may love be your keeper.
La la lu,
La la lu,
La la lu.”
Neoma yawned and fell asleep peacefully within seconds, lulled by Luna’s soft, gentle voice. Staring down at her filly, Luna felt her heart melt as Neoma lay nestled in her hooves. She had never felt such a powerful love for anypony. She knew that if the situation ever arose, she would give her life for her foal without hesitation.
A few months later, Luna sat in the floor, playing with nine-month-old Neoma. The turquoise filly was fascinated by the silver toy moon and stars that littered the carpet. Luna chuckled and levitated the toys, then swirled them around Neoma’s head. The foal cooed and raised her front hooves toward her toys, eventually standing on all fours to try to reach them. Luna lowered the silver trinkets and moved them just out of Neoma’s reach. The little filly whined a little and looked at her mother inquisitively, then slowly moved her left front hoof forward, then her right. She stood with her legs splayed out for a few seconds, clearly wondering what to do next. Finally, she moved her left hind hoof forward, closely followed by her right, then she repeated the motion more confidently. She was walking for the first time. After taking her first five wobbly steps, Neoma lost her balance and fell forward, then began to cry softly.
“Awww, mommy’s so proud of you, my little new moon!” Luna said, picking up her baby and cuddling her close. “You’re walking!” Neoma’s tears were quickly replaced by a wide smile and her little giggle that always turned the imposing ruler of the night to mush. Luna kissed the filly’s forehead and rubbed her cheek against Neoma’s velvety coat. The foal’s entire body was as soft as an average alicorn’s muzzle, and Luna loved to cuddle her.
"Happy birthday, dear Neoma. Happy birthday to you!" Neoma giggled as everyone finished singing, Phoebus tickled her and everyone clapped and blew their party horns.
"Blow out your candle, sweetie," Luna said, pointing to the pink and purple birthday cake on the table. Neoma stared at the flame of the single candle on the cake, and her parents blew the candle out for her. Everyone cheered again.
Pinkie Pie had outdone herself with Neoma’s first birthday party. Balloons, confetti, and streamers were everywhere. The cake was three tiers high, decorated with silver stars.
"Okay, who wants cake?" Luna's horn started to glow, and she magically cut the cake into a bunch of pieces.
"The birthday filly gets the first piece, and her auntie Tia gets the second," Celestia teased, kissing Neoma’s cheek.
"Ha ha, very funny, Tia," Luna said with a chuckle, rolling her eyes. "I think my adorable niece should get the second piece." She leaned over and repeatedly kissed Summer, who giggled and waved her hooves.
"Me wuv Auntie Woona!" Summer squealed, giggling. "Auntie Woona tickle!"
Luna distributed a generously large piece of cake to each guest. Immediately, Neoma smushed cake all over her face, laughing.
"'Noma funny!" Summer giggled. "’Noma cake!"
"That's right, Summer," Celestia said, grinning. "Neoma’s covered in cake!" Chuckling, Luna grabbed a napkin, wiped her daughter clean, and fed her the cake. After they had all finished eating, Neoma spread her wings.
"Phoebus, I think she's going to try to fly!" Luna gasped. "Watch her carefully, don't let her fall!" Neoma flapped her little wings a few times, then, slowly, she began to rise from her high chair. Luna watched with bated breath as Neoma hovered over her chair for a few seconds, then she caught her daughter in her hooves as the filly began to fall.
"What a brave filly!" Luna praised her foal, cuddling her. "Your very first time flying. Mommy and daddy are so proud of you!" She kissed Neoma’s cheek and sat the filly back in her high chair. Tears pricked at her eyes. Her baby was growing up so fast.
“Mama?” Neoma said as she looked up at Luna curiously and pointed to her. Luna’s stomach jumped and her jaw dropped.
“Wha—what did you say, sweetheart?” Luna gasped, her eyes widening. Neoma smiled and babbled happily for a few seconds before looking up at Luna inquisitively.
“Mama?” the filly squeaked again. Luna burst into tears of joy and hugged Neoma tightly.
“That’s right, sweetie,” Luna whispered, dropping a kiss on Neoma’s forehead. “I’m your mama.” Neoma pointed at Phoebus and giggled, stretching out her hooves for him to take her from Luna. Smiling, Luna gave Neoma to Phoebus, and Neoma grinned up at him.
“Dada?” she asked him, giggling.
“That’s right, Neoma, I’m your dada,” Phoebus said proudly. He tickled Neoma’s tummy, and the filly squirmed and squealed loudly, laughing so hard that her little body shook.
After the party, it was time for Neoma’s crystalling ceremony. Luna, Phoebus, Celestia, and Sombra traveled to the country of Crystallia, formerly the Crystal Empire until two years earlier, when the then-Princess Cadance had met with the Equestrian parliament and asked for her country to join the Equestrian Commonwealth, which consisted of seventeen other overseas nations and territories over which Luna and Celestia ruled. A few of these countries had become the sisters’ realms through conquest, but most had petitioned to join the Commonwealth. After becoming part of the Commonwealth, Crystallia had become ten times more prosperous under the two sisters’ reign, and Cadance had abdicated the throne and relinquished her titles of princess and empress, instead becoming prime minister. Any parliamentary decisions still had to be formally approved by Luna and Celestia, and the two princesses were still Crystallia’s heads of state. The relationship between Equestria and Crystallia, as well as the relationship between Cadance and the two sisters, remained warm, loving, and familial, so Neoma’s crystalling served as a formal display of loyalty, submission, and respect to Celestia and Luna, and to the Equestrian crown, from the Crystallians.
Luna and Phoebus exchanged smiles as they chose the most flawless shard of crystal they could find and prepared to give Neoma the traditional Crystallian gift of love. Cadance, Celestia, Twilight, and Luna touched their glistening horns together, and a huge crystal heart appeared, floating above them. A bright flash of light filled the castle as the crystal filled with love from Neoma’s family.
"Citizens of Crystallia," Cadance began, "today we welcome the newest member of our great royal family to our beautiful nation. It is my most fervent hope that everypony who is here will share my delight in introducing Princess Neoma to the world. Long live Princess Celestia! Long live Princess Luna! Long live Princess Neoma!”
“Long live Princess Celestia! Long live Princess Luna! Long live Princess Neoma!” the crowd cheered.
That night, Luna lit up the sky again, just as she had done the year before. This would become an annual tradition, so that all of Equestria could celebrate the birthday of their littlest princess.