//------------------------------//
// A Troubled Evening 
// Story: Many Moons Ago 
// by GrapeVino 
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A summer’s day was often appreciated in Ponyville and Canterlot. The ponies would all thank the pegasi for doing their jobs, clearing the skies, with the occasional bout of rainfall. And what’s more they would thank Princess Celestia, during the Summer Sun Celebration, for raising the sun every morning to be higher in the sky than any other time of year.

Summer was generally a happy time for everypony, and it had been even more so since Night Mare Moon’s defeat, followed by her return as Princess Luna, royalty once more. Slowly, but surely, she was being accepted by the public again. 

The past year had been a good one, and yet Princess Celestia still found herself restless on the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration.





Luna’s job of bringing out the moon came later and later every night during summer, and she always found herself with more and more free time. Due to that she had been rather productive today, or at least she thought she had been. After a late breakfast Luna had found herself in the library once again studying the history of Equestria that she had missed in her time away. After that she had mingled with some of the residents of Canterlot; though they were fewer than the ponies that wished to meet her sister, she was still grateful that anypony was willing to see her. A quick lunch with Celestia and she was meeting with Twilight Sparkle and some royal advisors in preparation for the Celebration tomorrow morn. After all she had never attended it before, and needed to know how to act, and what would be happening. After Twilight had offered so kindly to help, she couldn't say no. The day was finally reaching its end; already well into the evening at 8:30pm, yet the sun still lingered nearing the horizon. Princess Luna woke up with a great yawn from a daytime nap. After meeting with Twilight, Luna had only saw fit to get some sleep in her chambers before the night, and inevitable sunrise.

Luna savoured the feeling of refreshment from her sleep for a couple of seconds before getting herself tidied up and ready for the celebrations. It was surprising how much her bed-head showed in a flowing mane of ethereal stars, but it was fixable none the less. She walked out of her chambers rearing and ready to go, anxious to bring out the moon. Though it was a celebration of the sun the moon still had to be out. What’s more, everypony would be enjoying it, and the night sky, for once, since they all stayed up to see the sun rise.

Luna wondered over to her sister Celestia’s room with a sense of excitement about her. She even noticed one or two guards loosen up a little on the way there at the sight of her high spirits.

“Tia! Greetings, it is almost time for celebrations, let us spend this most wonderful of nights together!” Luna said with a smile as she approached her door.

“Tia, hello?... Are you there?” She tapped her hoof on the ornate door and still received no response. “I am entering sister, if you wish the contrary then speak now”

Luna pushed open the door to find the room empty and somewhat messier than usual.

“Hmm, that is odd. Wouldn’t she be preparing around now?”

A little bewildered Luna closed the door and turned back into the corridors of the castle, and found a guard dressed in ornate gold armour through the next set of doors.

“Pardon me, but dost thou happen to have information regarding the whereabouts of my sister?”

“I am afraid not Princess. All I know is that Princess Celestia left her chambers at around 7:30 without any word of what she was doing. My apologies your highness,” The guard replied in a disciplined voice.

“There is no need to apologise. Art thou aware as to whether she had any obligations?”

“So far as I am aware, Princess Celestia had completed all of her royal duties before she vacated her chamber your highness,”
A puzzled look crossed Luna’s face as she put her hoof to her chin.

“My thanks, at ease.” 

As Luna walked through the castle she pondered where she could be on the eve of such an important event. Last time she had checked it was very uncommon for her to ignore royal duties, and further more she was aware that she had often refused meeting with her subjects in favour of dealing with the matters of Equestria. It was awfully odd indeed.

Luna checked near to every place she could think of in the castle. Eventually she discovered that she had flown off into the horizon off the castle steps, thanks to one of the guards again. For a minute she felt clueless, but slowly it came to her. They were sisters after all, and Luna started remembering how, in the early days, Celestia would always find some place with a view when she was troubled. Now that she reflected on it, Celestia had been a little distant at lunch.

Luna looked with determination to the sun gently touching the horizon, and took to flight with a mighty beat of her wings sending her soaring into the warm winds of dusk.

She felt the air rushing through her mane and took to the first place she could think of that made sense. There was a lovely café that Celestia had taken her to once or twice; the most notable thing about it was that it had a fantastic view of Canterlot. It seemed a better place than any to start, and soon enough she had it in her sights.

Luna made an effort to land with grace as not to scare anyone, and to make sure no pony caught wind that something was wrong. She tucked in her wings and made her way up the marble steps to the gilded entrance of the café. Luna spotted a banner across the café reading ‘Open all night for the Summer Sun Celebration’, below which was a quaint sign hung modestly above the door reading ‘The Griffins Lookout’. It almost looked out of place, being so small and undecorated against the backdrop of the café itself which was composed almost entirely of pristine white marble. Luna had never taken the time to ask, but she imagined it was from some forgotten time when the café wasn't so grand. 

Luna stepped inside the café and took a look around. One or two ponies seemed a little frightened, but they all bowed none-the-less.

“Princess Luna, how may we help you today?” A colt that Luna knew to be the owner of the café stood forward and spoke. He had an expertly styled mane, which had the colour of dark coffee. His coat was also brown in colour, but this time more like that of fresh cocoa beans. His cutie mark, unsurprisingly, was a steaming cup of coffee.

“Ah, Rich Brew, we are pleased to see thou again, but we are afraid we cannot stop for long, we are searching for Princess Celestia. Has she been here?” Luna had been learning to control her volume since Nightmare Night, and she was getting good at it, but she was still having trouble not using the royal ‘we’ when in the presence of her subjects. Especially when nervous.

“Actually, she was here a while ago, your highness. She stopped by for a cup of tea and sat on the balcony for a while,” Rich spoke with grace. He seemed used to speaking to royalty and the like.

“When did she leave? Did she speak of where she may be going?”

“Hmm, Princess Celestia left around eight if I’m not mistaken, but I am afraid she didn’t say anything about where she was off to, your majesty. She was surprisingly quiet while she was here. I attempted to give her another cup of tea with no charge, but she just smiled and paid me anyway,” Rich’s eyes seemed to trail off into thought as he said the last few words.

Luna sighed.

“Our thanks none-the-less, Rich. If thou would excuse us we must be going. enjoy the celebrations”

“You too your highness, but if you have some time later tonight come by and I’ll brew you some of the strongest coffee you’ve ever had. We just got a new shipment of beans in.”

“That sounds wonderful. We may take advantage of that offer later, but for now, farewell.”

Luna took to the sky once more when outside the café. She made a mental note to come back for that coffee, later, if the situation permitted.

Though she hadn't found Celestia at The Griffins Lookout it gave her some ideas of what was happening. Whenever Celestia had a problem she would always find a view, but she had a tendency to find places where you could see more and more the larger of an issue she had. It was almost as if she tried to gain perspective on the situation by having a larger perspective of the world around her. Luna didn't think Celestia knew about it herself, and she had been doing it for years. If she had moved on from a view of Canterlot it must have meant that whatever she’d been thinking of was something that was troubling her very much indeed.

Luna thought for a while, and looked to the spires and towers of Canterlot. Though all of them were great in size, none would provide a better view than The Griffins Lookout. At this point Luna got significantly more worried. Celestia had left Canterlot. She was sure of it. She would usually be able to spot her in a second; at any time of day or night Celestia would always have a small crowd following her. It was almost 9 o’clock and the sun was nearly completely set, Luna couldn't just turn up to the Celebrations without her. She had to find her.

Then, while gliding over the mountains, she saw it. A rocky outcropping on the forested slopes. Luna had a quick look around, from there Celestia would be able to see all of Canterlot, Ponyville, and one or two towns in the distance. It was perfectly placed, this had to be where she was. Luna made a beeline straight toward it without a moments hesitation.
As she closed in on the outcropping she saw how densely the forest surrounded it was, only a Pegasus would be able to get to it, without difficulty at least. It was secluded, and hard to reach. This was bad.