The night was young and bright, shining an illustrious silvery white light across the vast stretch of land. The middling breeze of the wind was cool; it nipped at her ears, and the strong redolent scent of freshly wetted grass hung in the air and filled her nostrils with a certain serenity she had not felt in many years.
Princess Luna settled comfortably on the wetted grass with a contented look strewn across her wearied countenance. It was peaceful here; there were no signs of ponies in the distance, granting her the reprieve of privacy; no duties, no responsibilities, and most importantly, no nightmares. Only her taking in the refreshing breeze on her lonesome. Princess Luna could mellow out and not have to stress about her nightly toils, at least for tonight.
As the lunar princess watched the stars glimmer and twinkle from far away, a niggling pit of concern began to bubble in her stomach, and her smile shifted to a troubled frown; a part of her felt guilty and selfish for shirking off her duties for a personal night off, and she thought once or twice about standing up and begin delving into dreams, ridding her little ponies of any nightmares that may skulk in their sleep.
Luna let out a long, suspiring moan, shaking her addled head in confusion; she was agitated and indecisive. On the other hoof, Luna has not been getting enough respite in her bedchambers; when she would lay her frazzled head on a soft pillow, a sudden summons or emergency requiring her aid tore the sleep-deprived pony princess away from the rapturous lull of sleep. Luna knew if she did not get some time to herself, she would keel over from fatigue.
In the end, common sense won. A pony as important as she must have some rest, and that led to her coming to the plains near Ponyville. Luna knew that all she needed was one night and she would be back in full force. Although the concern of nightmares invading her ponies' dreams still tugged at her, the alicorn was able to remain finely rooted to the earth. Hay, she thought of sleeping there!
As she continued to watch the stars, there was an odd smell pervading the air, and the sound of hoofsteps thumping on the ground alerted the princess. Was there a guard who saw her leave and followed her, to suggest she return to the castle? Perhaps an ailing citizen who should be resting in their home? Why, of all places, would there be hoofsteps other than her own tonight?
By the stars, what is it now? she thought gloomily at having her precious time alone intruded upon. Then she shook herself and admonished her grousing; she was being churlish. Whoever it is, she would not act rude or gruff, even when the desire had begun to mount.
Princess Luna lamented in tense silence, her ears and wings drooping, veering her wearied gaze at the pony obtruding her alone time. Her cyan eyes widened and tipped her head to one side in puzzlement. Staring at her with a grayish-violet coat and mane, intense turquoise eyes that shimmered in the moonlight, and in a basic frock was Maud, the eldest sister of Pinkie Pie.
What is Pinkie's sister doing here late at night? Luna wondered.
Princess Luna had seen Maud Pie on occasion, especially in her dreams where the alicorn would make her nightly patrol for invading nightmares. She knew Maud could handle herself; there was a time the young mare had a nightmare about the threat of losing her pet rock Boulder and she easily bested the nightmare before Luna could rush to her aid.
Luna wondered why a mare like her would be far out here alone, not that she could accuse, and she thought that she should ask. Besides, Maud was just standing there staring at the alicorn with that blank, unreadable expression.
"Greetings, Maud Pie," Luna said with a muted yawn. She strained to keep her voice from sounding raspy, and she was mindful of steadying her words to stop them from slurring from lack of sleep. "Pleasant night, yes?"
Maud Pie didn't say anything back, at least not readily. She just stared. Princess Luna was beginning to feel awkward lolling on the soft, swaying grass in the presence of Maud; she circled a hoof on the grassy earth gingerly.
Is she afraid of me? Luna thought with an ache in her heart.
When she returned to Equestria shortly following her defeat, many ponies still feared her, even when the threat of Nightmare Moon had vanished. She was generally accepted after some time, but she would be lying if she did not still feel self-conscious about ponies being scared of her.
Sadness began to well inside Princess Luna; the cold darkness of loneliness gripped her. Is... Is Maud scared of me?
"Maud," she began warily, "do you know who I am?"
It was a few seconds until the mare opened her mouth. "Princess Luna of Equestria, an alicorn that was filled with spite and envy because no pony ever stayed awake to view your beautiful night, transforming you into Nightmare Moon, an evil alicorn bent on bringing about eternal night until you were defeated twice," Maud explained in a single breath, making Luna flinch at the blunt honesty. "I know who you were before and now."
Silence filled the air again until Luna asked, "What brings you here, Maud?"
"Nothing special," Maud replied listlessly. Her tone was dull and uninspired. "I was looking for rocks to take back to the crystal cave."
Luna was perplexed. If Maud was out collecting rocks, why would she appear here, on a vast plain with ne'er a rock in sight? If anything, Maud should try her hooves in Ghastly Gorge or Rambling Rock Ridge when foraging for rocks and their ilk.
So why is she here?
"Do you...understand that no rocks are present on these plains?" Luna asked the mare.
"I do," Maud answered lamely. She turned her stony gaze at the vast outstretch of land. "I've already scoured this land and picked it clean of any valuable rocks."
"Then why are you here, if you do not mind my asking?" Luna inquired. She had hoped she was not being too standoffish.
"I changed my mind, opting for a nightly stroll, and then to see you," Maud said, causing Luna to tip her head in confusion. "I saw you fly down here."
"Why me?" she asked, puzzled.
"You looked troubled and fatigued."
Princess Luna went rigid with disbelief. How could have Maud seen through her guise? She has good eyes, the alicorn thought with admiration.
"It must be hard, like an igneous rock," Maud said as she went on. "Heat and pressure can cause it to change, or even shatter with enough force; I've done it many times. You are like that rock, and the pressure is cracking your surface, revealing to me what's hidden beneath. Being a princess is tough, isn't it?"
Luna could only stare at Maud's rock analogy and, surprisingly, found her head nodding in agreement. Maud was right that pressure played a role in Luna's current deprived state. The stony-eyed mare's adroitness and wise words seeped into Luna's head like honey; it enticed her, and she found herself confiding in this peculiar mare.
"I...am troubled," Luna muttered as she gave a long-exhausted blink, turning her bleary gaze to the ground. "I feel guilty as well; I am shirking my duties for a night of self-relief. I know I should not be resting while ponies out there could be having nightmares that I can expunge, but..." Luna's voice trailed off.
"But what about you?" Maud finished, voicing what the alicorn failed to express. She stepped to Princess Luna until she stood next to her. "It may be your duty now, but your health should come first before all else. What good would your help be if it was whittled down to an extremely breakable rock, like a mica? To be shattered before you can be of any relative use?"
These were the most words Luna had ever heard Maud utter. She was even more astonished at the mare's wizened words as if she had gone through many hardships.
"You are right," Luna told Maud with a slight dip of her head. "I suppose I should cease torturing myself."
Maud nodded as she sat next to Princess Luna. The alicorn could feel their coats brushing; Maud's felt shockingly soft to the touch, and though she smelled of earth, there was a pleasantly sweet scent now that Luna was so close; Maud gave off the paltry scent of sweetmeats or candy.
Color me impressed. With delving into chasms deep within the earth in search of rocks, I thought she would feel tougher and more rigid, Luna thought as she glanced at Maud. I can feel her muscles rippling under her coat, akin to a battle-hardened warrior; very strong indeed.
"Are Pinkie's dreams pleasant?" Maud asked suddenly, tearing Luna from her thoughts. "Had she experienced any nightmares recently?"
It was common for an elder sister to worry about her younger kin, Luna knows. Despite her blank and ambiguous exterior, Maud's feelings were like any pony else, if they could break through the stone walls.
"I do not believe your younger sister has been affected by a nightmare in quite some time," Luna told Maud. She strained to witness any tension leaving the mare, but Maud gave nothing away. "She is very positive, and I am sure if young Pinkie Pie was accosted by nightmares, she would merely giggle and laugh them away without my aid."
"That's good," Maud murmured. Luna thought she detected a sigh of relief escaping the mare's lips, but it was too subtle to be sure. "In a way, I should not have asked. It feels like I'm treading on her hooves."
"Nonsense," Luna retorted hotly. "It's your job as the elder sister to worry and care about your kin."
"I know," Maud agreed. "Pinkie worries me sometimes, and she has a way of hiding what may be bothering her. I asked because I assume you could see what lies within her dreams. But as you say it is my job to worry about my sister."
Luna placed a wing on Maud's back. There was a slight tension in her shoulders and Luna thought she shouldn't have touched Maud, but to her relief, Maud did not shift away and let the alicorn's wing rest upon her.
"The moon," Maud uttered.
"What about it?" Luna asked curiously.
"I possess a few small chunks," Maud answered. "There was a rumor about moon rocks a long time ago. I was curious once, so I sought to sate it."
Luna's interest peaked. "And what is this hearsay?"
"That the moon is made up of cheese."
Luna stared at Maud for a moment before a snort of amusement threatened to escape her lips. "You are humorous, Maud," she murmured with a chuckle.
Maud shrugged. "I'm a stand-up comedian," she told the lunar princess.
"Indeed. So," Luna went on, "you were curious if pieces of the moon were truly made up of cheese, and therefore, edible?"
Maud nodded in agreement; the stone-like expression in her eyes unchanged. "It tasted nothing like that at all," she told Princess Luna, prompting the alicorn to glance sharply at her.
"Maud, did you truly consume rocks from the moon to sate your inquisitiveness?" she asked, her tone brisk and reproachful. "Such a canard should have been ignored."
"I had," the mare said. "The taste was sharp and acrid; I expected the tang of salt instead."
Princess Luna huffed. Was Maud so foolish? "Why would you eat it?"
"I grew up eating rocks," Maud answered with another shrug. "I always wanted to taste moon rocks whenever the chance could rise, and I had." There was a pause until she continued. "I won't be doing that again."
Despite Princess Luna's annoyance, she had to fight back a giggle of amusement. Maud was an odd one, even odder than Discord, but she liked her enough.
She even came over to see if I was doing well, she added warmly. She made me laugh, casting my niggling doubts away with hardly an effort.
"Thanks, Maud. You may be odd, but I like you."
Maud glanced at Luna, her eyes turquoise eyes shimmering like diamonds in the moonlight. "You're odd too," she commented.
Luna gasped and shoved Maud playfully. "How dare you say such words to your princess?!" she retorted in mock anger. She settled down and shook her head. "Any pony ever tell you how your eyes glow like...like a, um..."
"Yooperlite? Yes," Maud answered, causing Luna to gape her mouth in silence. "I was also told my eyes are so beautiful that they can relieve stress." There was a pause until Maud said, "Your eyes are very reminiscent of a lapis lazuli."
"What type of rock is that?" Luna asked.
"A metamorphic rock, specifically the gemstone form of lazurite, and it is blue like the sky," Maud explained expertly. "It's often referred to as extremely beautiful and desirable by rich individuals."
"And you are saying my eyes are like that gemstone?"
Maud nodded. "Yes. Your eyes are very beautiful."
Princess Luna felt her coat heat up with embarrassment. She thought back to a time when she was complimented on being beautiful, but no memories stirred.
Strange... When was the last time a pony referred to me or an aspect of me being beautiful?
"Thank you for your kind words, Maud," Luna said with a murmur, shuffling her front hooves on the earth as a scarlet blush appeared across her face. "I do not hear such praise often."
"That's a shame," Maud commented. "When are you returning to the castle?"
The moment of embarrassment had passed, and Luna began to feel unsure.
"I...do not know," Luna said. She gazes up at the moon and felt relief wash over her. "I might sleep right here; I do not want to go back to the castle tonight. There is a certain peace that instills my mind and heart with a gentle solace I had not felt in many, many moons." Luna began to chuckle. "I fear that if I attempt to find respite in my bedchambers, I would be interrupted by some pony rambling about a problem or another."
"Then sleep here," Maud suggested. "If you want, I can sleep here too."
Princess Luna was perplexed at Maud Pie's offer. "Would you not sleep in your chambers?"
"Whether I sleep outside or inside, it does not matter," Maud answered. "This place feels nice and homely, especially at night. And I came here to offer you some comfort; I will stay with you, under the stars, for the night."
Something surged within Princess Luna's heart, making her hooves tingle and her coat warm. Underneath that cold exterior is a pony that cares about others and Luna couldn't be happier. This mare had assured Luna's decisions and comforted her when the princess needed some guidance.
Perhaps this was an opportunity to begin something special, but Luna was frightened by Maud's possible answer; that the mare would say no and leave Luna in an unhappy state. But on the other hoof, if Maud does agree then Luna could have a somepony she could confide her troubles in, and one that would stay with her whenever she needed it.
I want Maud to be my friend, Luna thought with a mounting desire. A niggling voice in the back of her head told the mare that it might not happen. I will not know for sure unless I present the question.
"Princess Luna, please calm down."
Luna nearly jumped out of her coat at Maud interrupting her thoughts. "What do you mean?" she asked warily.
"You were fidgeting. You must have something on your mind."
"I do," Luna said with an anxious glance at Maud. "I was wondering if you desired to be friends with me."
"Sure," agreed Maud.
Luna was stunned. Maud had accepted her friendship so readily.
"Are you sure?" she asked, wanting to be sure she had heard right.
"Yes," replied Maud. She tilted her head to one side with a curious glint in her eyes. "Is it so surprising?"
Luna waved her hooves quickly. "No, no, not at all! It was just...a little fast."
"I have little friends, but I would like to be yours."
"Of-of course!" Luna stammered. Her excitement bubbled inside her. "Thank you, Maud. I... I appreciate your wise words in dealing with my plight. It was very welcome."
"You're welcome," Maud responded dryly. She veered her stony gaze toward the vast plain horizon. "We should sleep now. You and I both have things to do."
Princess Luna nodded in agreement. "Indeed." A blissful night under the twinkling stars with her new friend is just what Luna needed.
With her mind now clear of guilt and doubt, Princess Luna leaned against Maud and lowered her head on her hooves. Maud copied the princess, and the two new friends close their eyes and dreamt the night away.