//------------------------------// // "Nopony ever tells me anything..." // Story: New Moon // by Majestic_Donut //------------------------------// Hello! I woke up today and my tummy felt funny. It did that little wiggly thing it does when I want food. I think Tia said the term is called "hungry." Strange word to say out loud. It usually comes out of my mouth as "hungie" without the "r." I try to say it right but my mouth doesn't want to do that. So, "TIIIIIAAAAAAAA, I HUNGIEEEEEE!!!!!!!" Tia always comes really fast when I talk really loud. Oh look! It's Tia!!! She's my sister you know. When I asked her what that is, she said it means we have the same mommy and daddy. When I asked where our mommy and daddy were, she looked sad and didn't answer. So I asked again. Maybe she didn't hear me? She said she'd tell me when I was older... okay? I ate some "toe-may-toes" for the first time today and I do not like them! They taste icky! But Tia insisted that I eat them because "they're good for me." Blech. I want to play now. "TIA!!! PLAAAAY!!!!!" "Not today Luna, Tia is busy with ruling the kingdom. Equestria. Can you say that?" Luna attempted to mimic the word, scrunching her face into a weird duck face as she tried to pronounce the "ques" in "Equestria." It ended comically. "Ee-qwuess-wee-uh... like that Tia?" "Not quite, but close enough. You'll be spending the day with Cady and Shiny! Won't that be fun?" Celestia asked. "But... I wanna be wiff you though..." Luna whimpered. "I know you do Luna, but you'll be with me tomorrow. Today, I need you to be good for Cady and Shiny. Shiny has offered to help play with you, so that will be a new face. Won't that be exciting?" Celestia explained. "Hmm, a new pony to pway wiff does sound fun..." Luna considered. Whine to play with Tia, or play with Cady and a new friend?... "Okay!" Luna decided and agreed to stay with Cady and Shiny. This could be fun. I wonder what this new pony will be like. I hope he's fun! "Okay Luna. Now remember, be good for Cady and Shiny!" Celestia reminded. "No being fussy or whiney. Say what you need calmly, don't just cry or scream your demands." "I know Tia! I'll be good!" Luna said in her squeaky little voice. Once Tia had finally left, along with leaving instructions in the events of an emergency (like if Luna's horn ring falls off because she outgrew it again and does stuff), Luna turned to face Cady and observe the new pony next to her. He just a little shorter than Cady, but maybe that was because he wasn't an alicorn like Tia, Cady, and I. Can he have fun? "Shiny catch meeee!!!!" Luna cried as she proceeded to leap onto the bed nearby and leap on his back in a feat of parkour that would make the best so proud. "ACK!!! Hello Luna," Shiny said as he picked her up in his magic and brought her around so that she was facing him instead of on his back. "So, you're the little filly my little sister saved from Nightmare Moon," Shiny said before noticing Cady motioning for him to stop talking. "Um, I mean..." "Who's Nightmare Moon?" Luna asked. "That's a question to be answered at a later time! For now, all you need know now is that Twily and Shiny are siblings! That means they have the same mommy and daddy," Cadence interjected before Shiny could answer that question. "Like Tia and me? Do you know where your mommy and daddy are?" Luna asked Shiny. "Well of course! Why wouldn't I- oh..." Shiny started before realizing Luna's perspective. "..." "..." "Who wants to color?!" Cady said to break the awkward silence that had formed. "MEEEEEE!!!!" Luna said, quickly distracted from her internal questioning of why she didn't have parents. Cadence proceeded to pull out the paper and crayons while Shiny and her shared funny looks and silent gestures in a conversation Luna couldn't understand. Why are they acting so funny? Now they won't look at me. Is it something I said? What's going on? Ooh, crayons! I think I'll draw... me and Tia! Luna processed within herself before succumbing to her foalish desire to color with crayons. Hmm, how do you draw a white pony on white paper? I guess I could outline her in grey and not color in the inside. I'm blue! My favorite color. Tia has a lot of colors in her mane, I'll need pink, blue, and green... Luna planned within her mind as she grabbed the colors she needed from the crayon box. Tia is really big and high, so I think she should fill most of the page. Should I make the sky and the sun? Maybe some grass too! Need more colors. While Luna was drawing, Cady and Shiny had a nearly inaudible conversation. "You can't say things like that to her! Not yet," Cady said. "You mean neither of you have told her yet?" Shiny asked. "No, not until we think she's ready to hear it. Luna doesn't need to know something so dark about herself so young! It could scar her for life to find out so young that she tried to murder her sister and overthrow the kingdom!" "So when will she be ready to hear it?" "I don't know, maybe never?" "That... doesn't sound like a good idea." "Well-" "Cadyyyyy, Shinyyyyyyyy, will you color wiff meeee?" Luna asked. "Of course Luna, one second!" Cady said. "At least for now, we're not telling her anything. She is a foal after all." "Okay, I'll watch what I say until you or Celestia let me know she knows," Shiny promised. Cadence and Shining Armor went and took whatever remaining crayons were left in the box (Luna had decided to use nearly all of them in her drawing) and began their own doodles. Cadence drew a bunch of hearts all over her page while Shining tried to draw his mare-friend (emphasis on "tried"), which was hard to do while Luna was using the pink for Celestia's mane. He decided to draw Twilight too just cause. "Hey, I think I know that pony!" Luna said, noticing the purple unicorn in his picture. "Yes, you met her briefly when you were a tiny foal," Shiny explained. "But I still am a tiny foal..." Luna retorted. "I know, I mean an even tinier foal," Shiny explained, giving Luna a gentle head rub. "Oh. Look what I'm dwawing!" Luna exclaimed as she showed him her drawing. A vaguely pony-shaped blob with pink, blue, and green spaghetti on it's head and a tiny blue barely pony shaped scribble in a field of blue and green snakes... "What is it?" Shiny asked. "It's Tia and me of course!" Luna exclaimed, offended that he didn't see it. "Oh, it's so cute! I love it. Looks just like you two," Cady d'awed. "No it do-" Cadence shot him that look again, "I mean, it looks great!" "Thank you!" Luna said as she continued adding more colorful scribbles to her drawing. She began drawing Celestia's cutie mark when she realized for the first time that she didn't have one. "What's this picture on Tia's butt? You have one too, and you! Why don't I have one?" "That thing is called a cutie mark. It represents the pony's special talent. Tia's special talent is raising and lowering the sun in the sky, mine is spreading love, and Shiny's is magnifying spells, like shield spells or telekinesis," Cady explained. "Well, what's my special talent?" Luna asked. "Well... we don't know yet," Cady lied. Cady, Shiny, and Celestia all knew Luna would someday wield control over the moon, but Luna still needed to discover that gift naturally. "You'll find out someday." "... Doesn't Tia also waise and lower the moon? Why isn't her cutie mark a sun AND moon?" Luna asked. "Um, that's a question to be answered another day heheheh," Cady replied nervously, knowing hiding Luna's past would only get harder with time. Sweet mother of Celestia please tell her sooner rather than later! She's too inquisitive for her own good... "Hmph, nopony ever tells me anything!" Luna complained. Noticing the growing frustration in Luna, Shiny decided it was his turn to initiate a distraction technique. "Ponyback ride?" "Yaaaay!!!" Luna agreed ecstatically as she was lifted onto his back and he ran in circles around the room before tossing her in the air dramatically and onto the bed for a safe landing. "Weeeee!!!! Again!!!" Luna cried. So he repeated this a few times, running around in circles and then tossing her onto the bed until he got tired. Obviously, Luna was not tired at all and wanted more ponyback rides. "Are we done now?" Luna asked sadly. "Yes, we're done..." An out of breath Shiny replied. "Aaaaaaaaw..." Luna pouted. "I believe it's lunch time anyways, do you want some hay and cheese crackers Luna?" Cady asked. Luna thought it over before coming in with a counter offer. "Can I have a cookie?" "Not now, no. You need to eat your lunch first," Cady calmly explained. "Pwetty pweeeaaaase?" "No, Luna." "Pweeeeeeeaaaase?!" "Luna-" "I JUST WANT COOKIES!!!" "LUNA!!! Remember what you promised Tia?" Cadence said firmly. Luna proceeded to cry. "Here Luna, just eat your hay and cheese crackers. You'll feel better," Cadence sighed. Luna begrudgingly accepted her tiny cracker sandwiches and ate in silent denial that she was just told "no" to cookies before lunch. After a few minutes of munching and filling her empty stomach, Luna did calm down a little bit. "Was that so bad?" Cady asked. "N-no... Can I have a cookie now?" Luna asked quietly. "Will you be sweet and patient and not scream again for what you want?" "-sniff- I'll be good, I promise..." "Good," Cady said as she got Luna a cookie. "One cookie, okay?" "Okay!" Luna said as she took her cookie and ate it happily. Once she had finished her cookie she asked, "Can I have another one?" "Luuuunaaaaaa..." Cady groaned. "So, that's a no..." "Correct. Back to drawing?" Cady asked to try and divert Luna's attention away from the cookie jar. "Okay!" Luna replied, happy to take the bait and be lead back to the colors and paper. Meanwhile, Shiny was just in awe of how well Cadence was handling Luna and her outbursts. Dang, I would've caved... he thought to himself. Lots of colors and scribble filled pages later, Luna was sleepy, though she refused to admit it. "I'M NOT TIIIREEED!!!!" Luna cried. "I DON'T WANNA TAKE A NAAAAAP!!!" "Luna, you are definitely tired! You're grouchy and you can barely keep your eyes open. You need to sleep for a little bit," Cadence explained. "NO I'M NOT!!!" Luna protested, physically holding her eyelids open to avoid proving Cadence right. "Luna, you'll feel a lot better if you just take a little nap," Cadence insisted. "BUT I DON'T WAN TOOOOOO!!!!" "Luna, lower the volume! I can't understand you when you scream like that," Cadence commanded firmly. "I'm not tired... I wanna keep playing..." Luna said more quietly, hiding a yawn behind her hoof. Luna struggled to even stay standing and not fall asleep on the floor. "Come on Luna, just lay your head down and close your eyes. We'll see if you don't fall asleep soon," Cadence said. "Hmph, I accept your challenge," Luna said resolutely. However, the moment her head hit the pillow she was out like a light. "Phew, I'm glad that's over with!" Cadence sighed in relief. "I was worried I might have to call in... you know who (Cadence wasn't sure if Luna could still hear her) to get her to go to sleep." "I think you did a fantastic job," Shiny exclaimed. "You really think so? I didn't like that I had to raise my voice with her a few times. Was that okay?" "Of course it was! It was what she needed to listen to you. You showed her you were the leader, not her, and that she needs to respect and obey you. Between you and me, I think you'd be a wonderful mother," Shining praised. Cadence turned to hide her blushing face as she responded, "You really think so?" "I know so. You were always so great with Twily and foals love you! I'm not dating you just because you're pretty you know," Shiny explained. "Hmm, what other reasons did you have in mind?" Cadence asked. "You're smart, beautiful, kind, amazing with foals, the best mare to have ever graced my life with your presence-" "Oh please, you're being too kind," Cadence said, blushing and smiling even harder at the deluge of praises. "Humble," Shiny finished. About a half hour later, Luna woke up to the sight of Cady and Shiny kissing each other for a long time. "Eeeeeeww!" Luna gagged. "Whoops, look who's awake heheheh," Shiny said nervously as he and Cady broke their kiss. "How did you sleep, Luna? Feeling better now?" Cady asked. "A lot better! But one question: who is Nightmare Moon? I think I saw her in my dreams..." Luna asked. Cue massive but hidden panic from Cadence. "U-uh n-nopony important! That is a question for Tia to answer okay?! Yes." "But-" "No buts! Thank you. Tia will be picking you up soon for dinner so we need to clean up now, okay?" Cadence asked pleadingly. "O-okay..." Luna said, confused as to why everypony seemed so stressed out over the mention of this "Nightmare Moon" pony. She helped clean up the crayons and put away the drawings in a small box to keep for later. Celestia came to pick Luna up and asked the obvious question. "Did she cause you any trouble? I thought I heard some angry screaming a few times throughout the day." "Nothing we couldn't handle, right Shiny?" Cadence nudged. "Of course, Cady," Shining corroborated. But then Cadence leaned in to whisper quietly in Celestia's ear, "Meet me in my study tonight after Luna is in bed! We need to talk. It's about... her.” Celestia nodded subtly, hiding her concern from Luna and then took Luna for the rest of the day. After dinner, playing with blocks, and a bedtime story, Luna was finally laid down to sleep for the night and Celestia went to meet Cadence in her study. Several hallways and a couple turns later, Celestia arrived at her destination and knocked three times on Cadence's door. The door cracked open and Celestia let herself in. Upon entering, Cadence was standing in the middle of the room, waiting for Celestia. "What's going on? What happened?" Celestia asked. "I think Luna knows," Cadence said enigmatically. "Knows what?" Celestia asked a little impatiently. "About Nightmare Moon. She said she dreamed about her during nap time," Cadence explained. Celestia took a step back. "Wait, what?! How is that possible? I thought her memories got regressed with her age." "It seems like they did. But it looks like her memories are also returning with her age," Cadence speculated solemnly. "So, does this change when you tell her?" Celestia sighed responding, "I was going to tell her before Nightmare Night, I just wasn't sure how soon before Nightmare Night... I may need to tell her tomorrow..." "She's barely even two yet, do you think she can handle this information?" Cadence asked with concern. "It may not matter if she's ready or not. We don't have to tell her everything in detail, perhaps just the most pertinent information, before she gets her two cents in..." Celestia resolved. "Weren't the Elements supposed to purge her of her?" Cadence asked. "I honestly don't know how the Elements are supposed to work anymore. First they regressed Luna to a foal, then they didn't remove Nightmare from her completely! I'm at a loss Cady, I really am!" Celestia groaned. "Well, at the moment, it doesn't seem like Luna is getting any ideas from her past, so I think we're safe... for now. But I agree, you need to tell her sooner rather than later about Nightmare Moon for the sakes of everypony in Equestria," Cadence comforted Celestia, giving her a hug. This dream is funny... where am I? I think we're on the moon... Who are you? I think my name is Nightmare Moon... My name is Luna. I feel... sad. I just wan fwiends... I can be your fwiend! Weally? Yeah! Yaaaay!!! A new fwiend!! I love new fwiends... Me too! Unbeknownst to anypony else, Luna continued to dream of her new little friend. What she doesn't know... well, nopony knows what will happen next.