Why did I act like that?
Twilight couldn't help but feel terrible about last night. She shouldn't have treated Luna like she was Nightmare Moon; it was rude and totally out of line. She made it a personal mission to find Luna and ask for forgiveness.
She had spent a few hours last night trying to find where the princess ran off to. After failing to locate her, Twilight remorsefully sulked back to her room. She spent a few minutes pacing across the room, going over their short conversation in her head.
Why am I so bothered by this? She asked herself. Sure, she was a little harsh, but it wasn't completely out of hand.
Twilight wasn't able to sleep very much. Whenever she closed her eyes, a pair of foggy silver eyes pierced her mind like a thorn. She tried thinking about other stuff, but they always came back before she even knew she was thinking about them. The more she analyzed the mare's perspective, the more she felt like a foal.
Luna may be a princess, but it was now obvious that Luna felt alone and ashamed, and Twilight only made it worse.
Her body shivered with regret. If she could take it all back, she would. She had misjudged a pony, and she promised herself to never to it again. This thought didn't help ease her mind overnight, and to keep her busy, she decided to read some magic books, hoping inspiration would come immediately. It soothed her thoughts to think about something ordinary, and not about Luna.
Twilight yawned, her eyes beginning to flutter as her head slumped on her forearm. Almost asleep, Twilight's head slipped off her hoof and landed straight on her book with a thud, snapping her back to reality. She groaned and rubbed her head, cursing at her own stupidity. Knowing she was too tired to continue her study, she closed the book and packed it back into a bag.
Twilight hopped into bed, the mattress springing back up lightly. She was able to get comfortable almost instantly.
When sleep finally came, her dreams took her back to the lovely moonlit garden.
~*~*~
Luna galloped into her private bed chamber, telling the two guards outside to keep everyone out. She had composed herself while rushing through the palace, but now that she was in her room all alone, a new wave of tears sprung from her eyes. She wasn't bawling; it was a gentle stream of tears. Every now and again, a convulsion racked her body.
Remaining quiet, Luna slowly got up on her bed and crumpled down on top of the covers. Her tears had finally stopped flowing, leaving her eyes moist and vision unclear. Although she had to sniff back tears every few seconds, it seemed that she was finally getting herself under control. She took a deep breath, and let it out gradually.
Now what could she do? She couldn't face Twilight again; not after that depressing experience. Luna dreaded the thought of Twilight hating her for what she did, but she knew she warranted it. Her thoughts unintentionally returned to her mascaraed as Nightmare Moon, the wicked mare of darkness that nearly left the world in never-ending night.
Luna had told Twilight that all she wanted was to be loved. For the longest time now her self-esteem had been so low that she did not consider herself worthy of love. Why would she? She didn't deserve to be absolved by anypony for what she did. Before she was banished, she was angry that her sister was the receiving end for all the love their subjects brought forth, even though every night she lit up the sky with a concerto of color and sparkles. She had long since pushed off that anger, and replaced with cold, lonely acceptance.
She closed her eyes and took another deep breath, gaining more and more control over her body. Resting her head on a soft pillow, Luna actually started to feel a little better. Sometimes crying helped improve her mood when she felt alone. In her bed, she rested her head on a pillow with a heavy sigh. Slowly, she let her eyelids droop.
She saw Twilight's eyes staring at her inside her mind. Her violet gaze piercing into her soul; it made her shutter.
"Forgive me, Twilight. Please." She said aloud, begging the mental picture of Twilight.
"I forgive you." She imagined Twilight saying.
The thought was enough to set her mind at ease, for now. She sighed peacefully as she drifted off to sleep.
~*~*~
Celestia's morning sun brought life to the city. The dew on the ground far below Twilight's window made everything shine and sparkle. She saw shops getting ready to open, fillies heading off to school, and hundreds of ponies walking every which way. The city buzzed like a beehive.
Twilight knew what she wanted to accomplish at present. Today wasn't about magic, Celestia, or even herself. No; today was about Luna.
The palace was the best bet in finding the Princess. Twilight remembered seeing the pony beside Princess Celestia the day before, so chances were she'd be there again. After all, as a Princess it was as much her duty to be seen as it was Celestia's.
Leaving her bags behind, Twilight began walking towards the palace. While on the street, she saw many ponies she recognized from when she lived in Canterlot. She waved to some, and even stopped and conversed with a few. It made her giggle how much more social she was compared to last time she was here, before she lived in Ponyville. She kept any dialogue short and sweet however, and was quickly back on her way.
As she neared the huge palace door, she spoke to one of the guards. "Can you let me in please? I need to speak with the Princess."
"The Princess currently has guests, madam. She is too busy to speak with anyone." The guard stated frankly.
"The other princess," Twilight explained, "Princess Luna."
The guard looked down to her, casting her an odd stare. After a few seconds pause, he finally approved. "Okay fine. But do not disturb Princess Celestia." The guard grunted.
The palace doors swung open. The main throne room was practically empty except for Princess Celestia, and three ponies she was talking to. She could hear a conversation going on, but they were too far to make out what they were saying.
Twilight exhaled a sigh of relief as she peered beside Celestia and saw Luna sitting. Even from a distance, she could tell Luna was staring back at her.
Twilight cautiously approached the throne. Celestia looked up and caught a glance of her.
"Ah, Twilight Sparkle. Welcome my faithful student." Celestia said smiling, sweet as honey.
The three ponies Celestia was conversing with turned around to see who had intruded on their conversation. Twilight mentally gasped as she came face-to-face with the three judges of the Aura Bloom.
"Good morning Princess." She returned to the Princess, and then turned shakily to her judges. All she could muster was a nervous smile, but she knew that it wasn't enough; she felt like a complete idiot.
Madican chuckled warmly. "Well, well, if it isn't Miss Twilight Sparkle. A pleasure to meet you, my dear." He bowed slightly, which Twilight got the feeling was all he could muster. The other two judges shared a glance, obviously oblivious to who the newcomer was.
Twilight was shocked Madican knew who she was. It was a silly thought really, of course someone so powerful could find a simple name. Besides, Princess Celestia probably mentioned her.
"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Twizzle." Twilight said shyly, feeling her cheeks start to burn. It's not every day you meet someone so famous!
Celestia took a few steps towards her. "How can I help you, Twilight?" She asked lightly.
"Actually Princess, I was wondering if I could speak to Luna." She stated, looking over to Luna, whose gaze had returned to the ground. Twilight hoped that Luna would be willing to speak with her after what happened last night…
Celestia gave a quick glance to her sister then back to Twilight. "Oh, then by all means." She gestured over.
"Thank you, Princess." She bowed thankfully, and then began to walk carefully over to Luna. The lunar princess stood up on her hoofs, and began to walk away. Casting her gaze aside, she noticed Luna was headed towards a room almost concealed by plush curtains. She figured that Luna was leading her to a place where they could talk in private, so she instantly began to follow. To took a slow, nervous breath, feeling the butterflies in her stomach. She felt as if she was right about to compete in the Aura Bloom.
Luna led her down a hallway and up a set of stairs, not making a sound the entire way. The tension for those few minutes was tangible; Twilight could feel it pressing down on her chest. She was scared to even cough for fear that it would make the situation more awkward.
Finally, the two came to a balcony that looked out over Princess Celestia's garden. It was breathtaking, but not as nearly as much as the garden from last night.
After a few suspenseful moments, Luna finally turned to face the purple unicorn, her eyes still not making contact with Twilight's. "You wanted to see me, Twilight?" The princess asked carefully.
It was time to set things right. "Hi, Luna," Twilight remarked, nodding respectfully, "Thank you so much for seeing me. I thought you would be mad at me after last night."
The ears on the silver-eyed pony perked up. "Me mad? At you? That doesn't make any sense, Twilight. If anything, I'm the one that is deserving of the anger." Luna's cheeks lit up a rosy red as she let her gaze travel nearer towards Twilight.
"You did nothing wrong, Princess. I was out of line yesterday, and I came to apologize. I was judging you for what Nightmare Moon did, not for what Princess Luna did." Expressed Twilight remorsefully, drawing out certain words to give them more meaning.
"But I am Nightmare Moon. My body may have changed but I am still the same mare." Luna responded sullenly.
"No." Twilight stated boldly. "You are not the same mare. I can see it when I look in your eyes."
At the mention, Luna looked up to meet her stare. They held eye contact for a few seconds, Twilight noticing that the mare's eyes sparkled angelically in the sun.
"I see a soft, shy pony inside there, Luna, who only wants a friend. I don't know where Nightmare Moon went, but she is no longer a part of you. I'm sure of it." Twilight assured.
For the first time since Twilight had ever seen her, a small yet noticeable smile crept onto Luna's lips; her eyes softened as her eyebrows inclined. "You really mean that, Twilight?"
"I do, and you know I do." Twilight returned the smile, taking a few slow steps closer to Luna. "There's only one more thing I need to ask."
Luna leered at her questionably. "What Twilight?"
Twilight put a hoof on Luna's left shoulder. "Can you ever forgive me?" She caught a whiff of Luna's scent, the same smell as the flowers in the lunar garden; a sweet, enticing aroma that left a sugary flavor on the back of her tongue.
Luna lit up even brighter, her eyes wavering. "Yes, I do. Of course I do. Do you forgive me?"
Twilight leaned forward. "Yes." She said truthfully, after the briefest of hesitations.
Both ponies blushed lightly as they shared a hug, rearing up on their hind legs.
"Friends?" Twilight whispered.
The word melted into the Princess's ears. Luna hugged Twilight tighter, a single tear forming in her eye. "Friends."
~*~*~
Luna had never been so giddy in her life! She had never had a friend before; usually only her sister, Celestia, kept her company.
"A friend…" Luna recounted in her head. "She called me her friend."
A few hours had passed since the unforgettable scene on the balcony, a moment that has left a permanent mark on Luna's life. Luna quickly discovered she had no idea how to treat a friend though; she had never had one before. Twilight eased her mind by informing her that she had studied vigorously in the art of friendship, and it should be no problem.
They took a walk outside the palace into the paved city streets. Many of the ponies that crowded the walkways stopped and gasped as they realized a princess was walking near them. Beside a courtesy nod every now and again, Luna kept her attention fully on Twilight.
Luna listened for hours with interested as Twilight indulged her of her life in Ponyville, only talking when she had a question, like what it felt like to live in a tree, or how was it living with a baby dragon.
With each passing minute, Luna lit up a little bit more, until they found themselves laughing together at the simplest jokes. It was the best Luna felt since she returned from being trapped in the moon.
She likewise informed Twilight about her life in Canterlot, some of the duties as princess she must perform, and the boring meet-and-greets she had to attend.
"You don't know what it's like, Twilight!" Luna giggled. "One day a week the palace doors open, and any commoner can just stroll right in. An endless line of ponies wanting us to answer their questions, help them solve their problems, or talk about the most random things!"
Twilight smiled apologetically. "That does sound pretty boring. I kinda know what that's like. The same thing happened when I tried to spend time with Princess Celestia at the Grand Galloping Gala. Ponies swarmed all around Celestia and I wasn't able to spend any quality time with her."
By this time, their walk had taken them to the very boundaries of Canterlot, where few ponies could be seen in sight.
Luna could only hope that her new friend was having as good of a time as she was. This ran through her mind several times during the evening, but each time it managed to be quelled by a quick glance at Twilight's sparkling purple eyes. Twilight's eyes and smile were genuine; there could be no faking happiness. Luna knew; she had tried in the past.
The both sat on a bench near a gurgling creek inside one of the many public parks within the town. The setting sun shrouded the region in delicate, orange twilight. The two ponies watched as the last sliver of Celestia's sun disappeared over the horizon. The sky lit up deep purple, complimenting Twilight's entire appearance.
Twilight must have seen her staring. "What is it, Luna?" She asked curiously.
"Nothing really," She laughed nerviously, "Just noticing how much you resemble the sky."
"I could say the same about you, too!" Twilight nudged back.
Luna nodded. "Maybe we're not so different after all." She blushed lightly recounting what she had accomplished today. She had actually managed to make a friend, one that use to be her enemy no less! Truly anything was possible in this new door they had decided to open together.
Luna closed her eyes and lowered her head. "…And a new moon decided to rise." She whispered under her breath, letting magic flow through her horn. So focused her positive energy as invisible tendrils soared to the sky. Gently, she pulled the moon into view. Though she had done it thousands of times before, this time felt different. She opened her eyes curiously to note her handiwork.
Twilight gasped beside her, mouth gaped open. "It's amazing, Luna."
Luna looked from her to the moon, shining bright in the sky. It sparkled with a purplish hue, and it was definitely bigger than any other night. The stars around it seemed to spread out, as if to not to hog the spotlight. Luna was amazed that she was even able to pull something like that off.
"D-Did I do that?" Luna gasped.
"You sure did. You're a very talented pony, Luna." Twilight complimented. "How did you do it?"
Luna felt her face burn up. She shrugged unconvincingly. "I don't know."
She did know. She had a little more inspiration that night. The two ponies sat quietly enjoyed each other's company.
~*~*~
Twilight was walking back to her room. It was getting late, and the previous night had left her sleep deprived. Still, her friend Luna had managed to keep her awake, and that was reason to celebrate. The day went better than Twilight could have dreamed! Luna and she had connected so well; the spark was almost instantaneous. She had this feeling that it was impossible to ever be bored around Luna.
She didn't want to think about what slacking off all today will do to her performance in the Aura Bloom. She promised to make up for it by researching heavily tomorrow. She didn't even know what she wanted to do yet for the competition and it was only six days away!
She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts. Tonight, she would sleep peacefully knowing that she had made things right with her new friend.
Twilight unlocked her bed chamber door with magic, the locks quietly clicking out of place. The door swung open and she closed it quietly, letting her body weight lean against the surface. She stood there a moment, reflecting on the high points of her day…
It was fascinating to hear Luna's account of the daily activities as a princess: The meetings; the appointments; the long hours; the weekly meet-and-greets. She was expecting a Princess's job to be all glamour, but it was actually an immense about of hard work. She was glad she was able to steal Luna away from all that for a few hours. It did her some good.
It did me some good, too, Twilight thought warmly, nestling herself within her enormous bed. She had made a friend unlike any of the friends she had in Ponyville. Just imaging being beside Luna was enough to increase her heart rate.
"Wait, a minute…" She sat up in bed.
Twilight knew an abundant amount about friendship. Over the previous year, she reported weekly to Princess Celestia noting her findings in her research on the colorful subject. Through all her study, through all the experiences, she had no explanation for her heart thumping hard in her chest.
This never happened when I was in Ponyville..., She thought, holding her hoof over her chest, taking note of the rapid successions.
As an intellectual, she tried to answer the problem logically. "It could be the altitude." She noted, knowing that Canterlot was much higher from sea level than Ponyville. Perhaps the air outside was having an adverse effect on her bodily functions.
"It could be the food." She was no longer accustomed to the food here; maybe she was having some sort of allergic reaction. The upper-class food she ate today was far different from the simple meals she had in Ponyville.
"It… Could be Luna." She was hesitant to think that, mostly because she had no idea what that would mean. Her expertise in friendship shed no light into this territory.
Tomorrow, she would go to the library and try to find a possible explanation of her symptom. She nodded her head, her mind now at ease.
Slowly, Twilight drifted to sleep, wondering if Luna was thinking about her too.