The 100 years spent looking for a way to bring Night back from the moon.
Luna was summoned home in a flash of light and before she knew it she was back from the moon. She was on the outskirts of a Canterlot, she could tell by the large castle in the distance and all of the clear white stone used in a majority of the buildings. It was midday by what she could tell from the position of the sun. Though Luna was happy to feel its warmth on her fur. Although it was nothing like the pale moonlight she was used to. She found the sun bearable to be under, and she felt proud knowing she’d changed.
“Sister is that…You?” A warm voice called. Luna looked around her and saw nothing. Until she was eclipsed by a shadow from above.
“Celestia, it has been too long,” Luna said with a soft smile on her face. Celestia landed directly in front of Luna and looked her over.
“You’re not hurt anywhere are You? I am so sorry I did that to you, It was a mistake…” Celestia cried out as she hugged Luna. Her wings wrapped around the lunar princess as tears fell down her face.
“No sister we art fine, how did thou know where we were?” Luna asked, hesitating to return her sister's hug.
“When we used the magic to… cast you away, I had tracking magic to know when you came back. You came back 100 years early and I'm just glad you're back” Celestia said, releasing her sister and looking her in the eyes.
“Well, Thank you for coming to see us, but…” Luna looked around the hill she was on.
“But what sister? Is something wrong?” Celestia asked, tilting her head.
“Where hath thy beloved gone? Surely he would be with us?” Luna said, now walking around the hill.
“Sister, were you expecting another to come with me to see you? If so I apologi-” Celestia began her apology but was cut off by Luna.
“My Night, my beloved from my time on the moon.” Said Luna anxiously. “He was there before us, and although a Pegasus on the moon is strange, so was he” She giggled before continuing her search.
This caught Celestia off guard when she heard her sister say her ‘Beloved’. Luna had been missing from Equestria for almost a millennia. Unless her tracking magic was wrong and she was late to see her sister. No that wasn’t it Celestia thought, she said her beloved was from the moon.
“Sister surely you jest, I don’t believe I sent anyone else to the moon” Celestia said concerned. Luna hadn’t stopped looking around and was actively using her magic to scan the area for Night.
“Well at least that answers a few of my questions, but I will need you to help me get him here please, if you would” Luna said, now turning to face Celestia at the top of the hill.
“Lu-Lu please at least rest first before-” Celestia was cut off by Luna walking up to her.
“Sister we beg thee, we will rest much easier knowing our Night is safe, he hath suffered enough alone.” said Luna pleading. Luna didn’t want to leave him alone, not again. Not after everything he had told her about his time on the moon before her.
“Ok, I’ll try, but if-”Celestia was cut off again as Luna lunged to hug her sister.
“Huzzah, praise thee sister, we thank you so very much!” Luna exclaimed. Celestia was skeptical of her sister's demeanor towards this ‘Night’. She wanted to chalk this up to her sister coping with the loneliness. However Luna’s tone gave way to a glow Celestia couldn’t have imagined on her sister's face.
“Alright here I go” Celestia said, igniting her horn. As Celestia cast her magic, a loud ricocheting sound could be heard. The magic that was heading skyward towards the moon was now heading back towards the hill. Celestia quickly canceled her spell and looked at Luna bewildered at what she just saw.
“Uh sister, what art thou doing?” Asked Luna.
“Uh, I don't think the moon is accepting or responding to my magic anymore.” Celestia said, turning to Luna. Was it her or did Luna suddenly look a little taller?
“Hmm, perhaps we shall have to see what the castle archives hold. Let us go sister. I wish not to spend too much time away from him” Luna said, flapping her wings and taking off towards the castle. Celestia hesitated before following suit behind her sister. She would need to have her sister's head checked just in case.
“There's no way somepony else is up there, my poor Lu-Lu must have hit her head” Muttered Celestia. She had prepared for this moment for centuries. Celestia was ready to reinstate her sister, and give her the respect she deserved. She would not hurt her again, and no pony would take her sister from her.
Upon arriving at the castle there were many confused looks towards Luna. Most over the centuries had forgotten about the Lunar Princess. Others believed her to be a myth used to make Celestia seem less all powerful. Yet here a night sky blue alicorn walked through the castle.
“Sister, I had somepony prepare your room next to mine. Also I will meet with our advisors so that we can get you reinstated.” Said Celestia. She was going through all of the things that she wanted to happen so her Sister could once again rule at her side. Though if Celestia knew any better Luna seemed to not care much.
“Sister we shall be in the Library, please let us know when we need to resume our duties. We thank thee greatly” Luna said bowing. She then walked off to find the royal archives. If anywhere had a spell to help her bring Night home, it was there.
“Oh, Umm Yes. I will do that and welcome back sister.” Celestia said, sighing. She figured their relationship would take work but she did not expect Luna to be so aloof. Yes, she may have banished her 1 and only family member left to the moon. But it was so she didn’t have to kill her, if she could have done so in the first place. She would have Luna’s head checked first and foremost. If this Night character was real he would need to be investigated.
“Alright I’ll go see the doctor, then the advisors, then I’ll invite my Lu-Lu for dinner” Celestia mumbled to herself. She was going to mend her relationship with her sister no matter what. She was also going to make sure she got whatever she needed. If that included helping Luna find her imaginary friend on the moon, then so be it.
With Luna reinstated as the Princess of the Moon, she was back to where she was 900 years ago. Former power included but this time she did not seek to pony please those around her. Before her banishment all of the fuss surrounding her would have irritated her to no end. Though after her time on the moon she wasn’t really bothered by it. She didn’t have time to be bothered by it really. She had a promise to keep to her one and only and she was going to keep it. Over the past 50 years or so Luna had been in and out of every library in Canterlot.
Luna would perform her duties at night. During the day Luna would cut back on her sleep to read what she had on banishment magic. This worried Celestia as her sister's obsession with going back to the moon almost scared her. Celestia had just gotten her sister back and she was already planning to go back to the moon. The doctors that checked on Luna, well the ones Luna didn’t fling out of her room. Would say that she was perfectly healthy, and showed no signs of head trauma. Though when they heard her story of the Pegasus on the moon, they reconsidered.
“Luna, it is almost time for your shift~” Celestia said, yawning. She was standing outside Luna’s room trying to get her sister's attention. When no reply came Celestia knocked again and waited. At the 5 minute mark Celestia ignited her horn and slowly opened her sister's door.
“Luna are you o-” Celestia paused. She saw Luna’s room and it looked like a tornado came through it. There were books, loose pages, and inkwells all over the room. At the edge of it was Luna seated at her desk fixated on a piece of paper. Celestia didn’t bother her sister immediately, and opted to see what her sister was doing in this mess.
Reading some of the covers of the books Celestia saw; Magic: Banishment and its rules, Teleportation Magic: Long Distances, and The Mare in the Moon, A book for fillies and colts. Celestia understood the first 2 but, why the third one? Celestia had become increasingly worried as she had not found anything on this Night, Pegasus. She was worried her sister was losing her mind slowly over a pony that didn't exist.
Luna, hearing the shuffling in her room, finally looked up from her writing. “Oh, Hello Sister, is it time we trade shifts?” Luna asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Yes it is, I am sorry for the intrusion. You were not responding so I was worried.” Celestia said, placing one of the books on Luna’s desk.
“We forgive thee sister, we apologize for worrying you. We feel we are close to a magic to bring our beloved home” Said Luna stretching her wings.
Celestia winced hearing Luna say ‘her Beloved’. She was hoping her sister would grow out of her fantasy of her imaginary friend on the moon. Yet this delusion stood the test of time so far. Celestia however was anything if not patient and could wait until Luna gave up on this ‘Beloved’ of hers.
“That is good to hear sister. Now I am turning in for the evening. I love you” Celestia said. She gently hugged Luna and left her room.
“We love you too sister. We shall raise the moon in a moment” Luna said. Using her magic she tidied up the mess of loose papers. She was happy to have finally made a breakthrough. She found the spell her sister used to banish her, and began to analyze it so that it was no longer a conditional spell. Luna found out from her sister that one could only return from banishment if the conditions for return were met. However, what if there were no conditions for return and one was left stranded? A question Luna had been working on for years to little results.
“We shall get thee home, no matter what” Luna mumbled. Walking out to her balcony, Luna raised the moon. She stared at it longingly wishing her mate, her Night was beside her.
Tonight was the night, it was the day that after a century Luna had been looking forward to. She had finally found a way to get herself to the moon and back and bring along her mate. Luna was ecstatic to see Night again. She promised she would be back for him and tonight was the night she made good on that.
“Sister, is everything ok in there? You haven’t been out much here recently and I am growing worried” Celestia called from outside Luna’s room.
“Yes sister, we are fine, just a little tired. We thank you for worrying.” said Luna. Luna was preparing for when her sister went to sleep. Luna was tired of having to see doctors who thought she was imagining Night. They all said the same thing,
“He doesn’t exist. You made him up to cope with the loneliness.” Those words made her sick and they made her angry. No-pony believed her and she was ok with that. She was used to it and knew the feeling all too well. Luna didn’t care though, she knew Night would understand her even when no-pony else would.
“Ok well, I am done for today. Tell me if you need anything, "said Celestia.
“Goodnight sister, may thou dreams be blessed” Luna called out as her preparations were finished. She waited for her sister to walk away before she walked out onto the balcony of her room. Luna raised the moon and watched as the sun fell below the horizon in response. It was time for Luna to get going. Luna had completed all of her duties for the evening so that she could be free and unbothered.
“My Love, I am coming for you,” Luna said proudly. She ignited her horn and cast her magic to lift up everything she was going to need. Luna then flew off of her balcony and back to the hill she returned on. She landed on the hill, and gently set down the materials for the spell. She arranged the items as necessary; a ruby to her left, sunstone on her right, and a phoenix feather. Luna was grateful for Celestia’s pet and friend, Philomena who understood her need for a feather.
“Finally, it is time,” Said Luna, looking at the moon. Luna ignited her horn levitating what she had with her. She spoke the spell she made, and was blinded by a white light. As she emerged from the white light she saw the familiar grey rocky landscape. Within the landscape she saw the forest dew colored Pegasus. Luna saw her one and only, the only pony who really saw her, the one who listened to her. She saw the tears on his face and her heart sank to her stomach. Yet she smiled when she noticed he was looking at her.
“Did thou think I would leave my beloved alone, come I have much to show you my Night'' Luna said beckoning him to her. They entered the door of light wings wrapped around each other, ready to head back home.
The Lunar Princess and the dew colored Pegasus emerged from the door of light early in the morning. Luna had gotten back early enough to lower the moon so that Celestia’s Sun could be risen fully. The two shared their first sunrise together as a couple. Night felt another tear fall down his cheek as he looked upon the sun in the sky. How long had it been since he had seen a sunrise?
Wiping away his tears, Luna kissed Night’s cheek, “Shall we go to the city now my Love?” Luna asked gingerly. Without a word he nodded and the two took flight towards the city gates.