Luna had hesitated, and Comet had taken notice. As an actor, he was quite keen on being attentive to detail, and the mood of Princess Luna had not escaped him. The only problem here now was daring to voice his opinion, for he didn't want to appear rude or invasive.
"If its something private, I can be discreet, though your secrets are your own and nopony elses," Comet said confidently. Sitting down on a chair,he added, "I've got good script writers... most of the songs are complete adaptions, the melody for the final song was done recently. Don't be afraid to tell me something because you're worried that you'll force us to change anything. We will if we think its a better story. I just want input about, well, you."
Luna was quiet for a long time. "Immortality is cruel, in a way. You grow, you learn, you live. And you keep living. There are times when you are afraid to make friends, I know very well that the bones of some of the first friends I ever made have long been turned to dust." Her voice was quiet now, her tone serious and uncharacteristically morbid. "You become afraid to love, afraid of what other ponies might think. But you crave it. Immortality and love simply cannot go together, it's something many do not think about, the full effects, I mean." She said. "There are times I almost want to give it up, but my job is far too important, and I would never give that up. And I do not know what would happen if I were to suddenly relinquish my power. Would I merely become mortal, or would two thousand years catch up with me as I turn to dust and blow away in the wind?" She asked. "Celestia was reminded of my absence every day for a thousand years every time she raised the moon, I cannot do that to her again."
Comet nodded understandingly. He seemed to grow silent when she spoke of the bones of her best friends. Deep in thought. "Did you ever have a loving relationship to another pony? Not to say that this story played out like that, but did you have one… or can you mention a friend?"
Luna shook her head. "When I was young, there were stallions I had an eye for. Stallions even now that I would like to have known more about. But as I began my training, and as Celestia began hers, I think there was a mutual understanding that this was something we simply could not have. But that doesn't mean the feeling was not there. Nor does it mean we didn't want it."
"Alright, well... my great-great-grandfather would have been disappointed that there never had been something like that in your life. As I said earlier, in the gaps of the story artists love to dwell. I should send you some of the various ways you have been portrayed. Those immediately after the war weren't too kind, its only in the latter half of that millenium that you became an object of mystique, and I rather hope that the Luna here will be a good catharsis for the lingering Nightmare Moon worries. You know, make Luna relatable. A pony with feelings and a heart that could be broken as well."
Luna smiled mischeviously and looked at him. "Do you want to know a secret? Something that very, very few ponies know? Something that I've never even told Celestia, although I think she suspects it."
"I shall go into the grave without letting it be known." He said with a smile. "You can count on me not saying anything Luna, I'm used to keeping secrets from just about everyone about the show, even between people on the same staff as myself. If its something you'll only tell me, then your words won't leave this room."
She sighed a bit, and even looked a bit nostalgic. "Although I would never act on this, circumstances as they were, I had a crush, a long, long time ago, on the most unlikely stallion you could possibly imagine. Although I continue to this day to be disgusted by the path that he chose to take, I must admit... he was cute. Perhaps even still is." She said evasively. "Although my position prevents me from relationships, it doesn't stop my heart from beating, or from yearning. Even for ponies like him," she said with amusement, although was careful not to give his name. The papers would have a field day with that. With that, she rose, much to Comet's protest.
"Wait just a moment, your Highness!" He exclaimed, and Luna turned to look at him.
"Are you sure you're alright? You looked as if you became very sad there for a moment."
"I'm fine," Luna assured him, and headed back towards where Painted and Gluon were working. "I have many ideas for how I may be able to assist your production, unfortunately most of them are fairly elaborate or time consuming or will require a great deal of magical expense. Some a combination of all three. For now, however, I shall be more than happy to help you in setting my story straight. Even if Rope Thresher never really existed," she said.
This led about a groan from Painted Wings. "And it was such a moving story, I'd rather hoped it was real," she said wistfully.
Luna just gave a smile as she rested on a cushion. "I will tell you of my experiences as best I can. Are you sitting comfortably? Good. Then let's begin."
All three members of her audience leaned forward, curious as to just how well the real story would fit with the one they had prepared.
Coincidentally, as Luna was at that moment thinking about her sister, her sister was at the same time thinking about Luna.
***
"That's enough for now!" Announced a guard, which was met with a collective groan from the line leading into the Council Chambers. "Audiences will resume in thirty minutes!" Celestia had quietly excused herself from where she was working, and made her way out the back towards her private room. She had been seeing ponies all day, everything from zoning ordinances to disciplinary actions, and she was tired, hungry and slightly irritable.
"Are you sure you're alright, my Princess?" asked her escort.
"I'm fine, Celestia assured her worried guard, who had taken notice in her unusual silence on that particular day.
"You've just been very quiet today, are you worried about Luna? She's a big mare, i'm sure she can handle being out on the town."
"It's not that," Celestia sighed. They were in her private chambers, she had a thirty minute lunch break and had spent most of it staring out the window. "I am not worried about how Luna responds to my little ponies, I am worried about how the ponies will respond to Luna. There's a very hgh probability that many will not trust her yet."
The guard frowned. "I'm sure she's alright. You have nothing to be worried about."
"Yes, I know. But I know here better than anypony else does. When she gets an idea in her head, she can quite often take it to the extreme. I just hope she can rein it in."
The guard snickered, quickly covering his mouth with a hoof, but the princess still saw it.
"What amuses you?" Celestia asked.
"You're a pony, and you said-"
Celestia glared at him.
"TWELVE YEARS DUNGEON!" Celestia demanded.
The guard turned white. "No, wait, I didn't mean-"
Celestia smirked. "See, I can be funny," she said, and disappeared into her private room, leaving a terrified guard behind. "That wasn't funny..." he muttered.