Time moved painfully slow in Ponyville. The more Twilight thought about it, the more irritated she became. Eventually, she magically imploded the only clock in her library house for she no longer wished to be reminded of time. The incessant ticking, tick after tock, just reminded her how long she had been separated from Luna. She knew it was just an unnecessary stress, so she took care of it.
In roughly two days' time, Twilight had gone from quasi-competent Aura Bloom competitor to anti-social hermit, bent on sheltering in her house as if sunlight would make her transparent. Her friends knew she was emotionally distressed, but they were still clueless as to why. They all believed that she was still upset about her failure in the Aura Bloom; there was hardly any suspicion that she was aching on a much more profound level.
After running away from Luna, she spent little time in Canterlot. Her things had already been packed and taken out to the carriage runway where she would meet with her friends. Her mentor, Princess Celestia, was there as well.
Twilight was a bit reluctant to face her teacher. She parted with insufficient words, mumbling nothing more than mere courtesies, thanking the princess for inviting her to Canterlot in the first place. Although the whole experience left an abyss in her heart, she was still honored to have been a competitor.
It was no revelation to hear that Princess Celestia was especially perceptive. She knew her student was in pain and tried to comfort her. Twilight was experiencing some very odd emotions; it was as if she didn't want to be comforted. She didn't want to be happy or cheerful, and instead found an almost satisfactory sense in her sadness, knowing that it was the correct and only emotion that she should be experiencing.
Of course her friends had tried to comfort her all the way home, each taking their own shot at trying to cheer her up. Most of it went right through Twilight, but one message did stick, and it came from her most timid friend.
Twilight was sitting on an opposing side of the carriage than her friends. Rarity, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Applejack were arguing quietly, brainstorming on how to raise Twilight's spirit. While they were in a heated discussion, Fluttershy ambled over carefully, her eyes focused on Twilight's, wavering with uncertainty.
The down-trotted unicorn looked up curiously to return Fluttershy's stare. The carriage quieted as the pegasus held back tears. "I don't know what's wrong, Twilight," Fluttershy began solemnly, "but whatever it is, I promise things will get better."
Fluttershy inched closer to Twilight, until the space in between them was indistinguishable from where the rest of the ponies were sitting.
"You may not know this, Twilight, but I was a terribly shy filly when I was younger."
Twilight rolled her eyes, and glanced to the side.
"No, listen. I've faced a bunch of disappointment in my life. Things that most people would shrug off or just ignore left a permanent scar in my heart. It's given me a pessimistic outlook on life and well… left me socially-awkward and shy around most ponies."
Fluttershy was speaking quietly so only Twilight could hear her, pausing every now and then to make nearly-silent sniffling noises. Twilight looked at her friend sympathetically, curious as to why she was telling her this.
"I let my sadness and disappointments affect my life and my behavior. It's something I'm trying to improve but…well, you know… um… I'm not sure how well it's going. B-But what I'm trying to say is…" She paused once more as tears started forming in the corners of her eyes.
"It's ok to be sad sometimes… But don't let it become you." The gloomy pegasus lowered her head to the ground.
"…Don't make the same mistake I did."
Her last words came out in the smallest Fluttershy whisper Twilight had ever heard, but they made more sense to her than the pink-maned pegasus could imagine. Fluttershy's openness with her made the purple mare's demeanor soften.
"I'll be ok, Fluttershy, honest. Thank you." She hugged her friend and they stayed in an sympathetic embrace for a short duration.
Although her words had reached Twilight, it did nothing to repair her dampened spirit. When they finally arrived in Ponyville, night had already fallen. All her friends accompanied her home, but Twilight soon asked if she could be by herself. After pleading for a few minutes, they finally caved in, giving their word that they would stop by the next day.
Two days later, Twilight still felt the same as when she arrived. She hadn't eaten or slept for the entire period. How could she? Whenever she tried to take a bite, her mind forced her into the memory of her first date. Whenever she tried to sleep, her bed felt cold and uninviting. Sometimes when she would almost manage to fall asleep, half-delirious in a sleep-deprived state of emotional coagulation, she would absently reach out to hold Luna, before her eyes would shoot open and realize that she wasn't there.
Spike tried everything to make his companion feel better, evening going out of his way to make her favorite Oolong tea. The amber tea leaves were especially rare around this time of year, but he managed to find some. Regretfully, Twilight drank the tea without much change in her demeanor, and she had thanked him quietly before returning to her bed.
The only sentimental stir Twilight had was when night fell, when she would rush outside and watch the moon rise, knowing that in Canterlot, Luna was eyeing the moon as well. It was the only point in her day that she allowed a small smile to form on her otherwise-emotionless face.
It was mid-morning, so Twilight would have to wait hours until she'd get to witness Luna raise the moon. She knew she wouldn't actually be watching Luna, but it comforted her and gave her something to look forward to.
Four loud beats on her front door broke her train of thought and snapped her back to cold reality. Grumbling silently to herself, she moved to answer it. When she finally opened it, after making sure she didn't look like a complete mess, she saw her friends standing there.
"Hey Twilight. We're just here t'make sure you're doin' alright." Applejack said lightly, though a slight crack in her voice showed the earth pony's concern.
Twilight almost didn't dignify that with a response, but she decided it would've been rude not to answer. "I'll…be fine." She said eventually.
"Now sweetie… We know you very well, so we all know by now that this isn't about that little hiccup in the silly magic competition." Rarity stepped forward. She walked up and put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "You know you can tell us anything; we're you're friends."
Twilight looked into their eyes and saw genuine concern. She guessed if she was going to be truthful, it might as well be now.
"Look girls, you've been really kind to me the past few days and I appreciate it. It's just… I don't think I can be happy without…without…" Twilight's lip quivered as she tried to choke it out. All her friends leaned in in anticipation, Pinkie Pie falling over as she leaned too far forward.
Several moments passed where Twilight couldn't get the last word out. She tried and tried but her subconscious was fighting it… HARD.
"Is it about that colt you were seeing in Canterlot?" Rainbow Dash asked quickly.
"Oh, of course! It simply must be!" Rarity chimed. She swiveled her head back around to face Twilight. "Twilight did he leave you? Are you like this because he broke your heart? So help me Celestia, if I ever get my hooves on the colt that broke your heart, I'D GIVE HIM A REASON TO FEAR THE NAME RARITY!!"
The other ponies backed away in fear as Rarity had her little outburst. Twilight knew it was only Rarity's older-sisterly feelings towards her that made her say that, but she didn't want to know what would happen.
"N-No Rarity, it's nothing like that. I mean, yes it's about the pony I was seeing in Canterlot but, um… well…ugh, It's complicated!" Once again, not able to convey what she desperately wanted to say.
Just as Rarity was about to go off on another tangent, Fluttershy whimpered. All eyes shot to her.
Fluttershy's eyes were set in another direction, facing the road. "Somepony's coming." She whispered apprehensively.
~*~*~
Princess Luna stood there on the cobblestone road, watching her love fade into the distance. A mixture of pure disbelief and bottomless regret inflamed her entire being. After a few moments of blinking away tears, Luna finally collapsed on the ground. A few ponies started to populate the open street as the Aura Bloom's audience was let out. They were still too far to notice the crumpled princess lying halfway in the street.
Tears came in waves as she lost control. She lowered her head to the ground and covered it with her forelegs crying desperately, pleadingly for Twilight to come back. She couldn't accept that this was the last time she would ever see the perfect unicorn.
A puddle of her tears began to form on the pavement underneath her head, wetting her forelegs. She focused to re-stable herself from the convulsions that wracked her body. That's when she felt something soft brush against her foreleg.
"M-Miss Luna, are you ok?" The tiny voice seemed to come from above Luna.
Luna glanced up to see a young cream-colored unicorn filly, casting worried looks down upon her. The lunar princess recognized her as the pony from earlier. Luna was unable to form coherent sentences due to her hysterics, so she remained silent. She did however manage to glance over to notice that the filly's mother was rushing over.
"Harmony," the mother shouted over in concern, "how many times must I tell you not to talk to strangers!" The mother paused and gasped as she got full gloss of the princess.
"Princess Luna!? Oh my, are you alright?" She rushed over and knelt down and placed a gentle hoof on her side. A few other ponies saw the spectacle from a short distance away and began to form a small crowd. "Somepony call the guards!"
Within seconds, several earth ponies sprinted away, while a few pegasi took to the skies to find aid for the befallen princess. It yielded near-instantaneous results.
In the distance, throngs of pegasi guards silhouetted by the night raced to the location. In mere moments, they were already upon the scene, landing near Princess Luna with a loud thud as they hit the ground. Five encircled the princess while two helped her to her feet. "Princess Luna, are you hurt?" A guard asked, his voiced dabbed with unpretentious concern.
After recollecting herself, Princess Luna was finally able to speak. "Thank you for coming in such a manor, sir. But I'm quite unharmed, and I'm sorry to have caused such a false alarm."
The colt breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Equestria. Allow us to escort you back to the palace, Princess."
Luna was about to argue, but the guard cut in before she could have a word out. "We insist, Princess. Princess Celestia wouldn't want us to leave you in this state."
Luna didn't like it, but she understood. Besides, she didn't feel like being alone right then. "Very well." She murmured quietly. As the guards parted the crowd of ponies that had gathered around, Luna caught one last glimpse of the young filly known as Harmony as she was being ushered into a household by her mother.
After making sure Luna was fit to walk, the guards began to march forward, in step with Luna. She made her way down the street past shocked onlookers, who weren't used to seeing a princess in this part of the city, especially at this time of night. With each step, Luna was able to compose herself a bit more. So once again, she was able to think clearly.
An idea flashed into her mind as they passed an archway she knew all too well. Without letting the idea fully blossom, she suddenly shifted direction, and began sprinting through the archway. "Follow me!" Was all the warning she gave her guards, who looked on with horror as they saw their princess running away.
"Princess! Wait for us!" One of them yelled, and they all bolted in her directed.
Luna was now inside a hallway system of a large building. She bolted through hallway after hallway, twisting and turning with precision, knowing exactly where she was going. The guards who were running after her had a very hard time keeping her pace.
She finally found the door she was looking for, and she blasted it open with magic, still at a full sprint. The door itself nearly came off at the hinges.
Luna raced into her moonlit garden, running down the cobblestone path that she set herself. Flowers bent over in the breeze made by the princess hurrying past them. She finally rounded the central fountain and halted before the newest display of her garden.
Her guards caught up to her moments later, panting heavily. "Princess Luna, I don't know what you're doing, but I must insist-"
"Shh." She chided, silencing the guard at once. Luna closed her eyes, and focused on the powerful magic deep inside her. Her eyes glowed bright white as she received the result she was looking for.
The display of flowers combusted into flames, eating away at the small, fragile flowers like they were tinder. The fire licked hungrily at the air, its insatiable appetite looking for more to burn. In seconds, nothing remained but smoldering ash.
Except…
A lone, purple rose stood completely unharmed. Luna's silver eyes glossed over as she approached it slowly. She bent over and gently plucked the flowers from the ground, caressing it in her teeth, not even wanting to leave teeth marks. To her, the flower represented Twilight, and right now she really needed Twilight. As a solemn tear fell from her eye, she then conceded to her guards, nodding at them as if to say she was done here. Her guards got the message, and began to escort her out of the garden.
Back on the main street, it took little time to reach the palace. Once there, she immediately went to her room, clearly in no mood to speak.
Once inside, she forcefully shut the door, as if those outside would do harm to the flower. She laid the rose lightly on her bed before rushing to go get a small vase of water. She looked around her room and could find nothing but a glass pitcher, which she deemed worthy. Filling it with room-temperature water, she put the clear vessel on her bedside table, next to a silver locket. She looked back to the floret resting on her bed, hoping she hadn't ignored it too long. Using magic, she lifted the purple rose into the air and introduced it to its new home.
The rose lulled gently in the vase, its bulb bobbing slightly before resting without a trace of motion. Luna magically opened the locket to reveal a smiling picture of Twilight. For the longest time, Luna merely sat on her bed, her back legs folded up against her chest as she squeezed them with her forelegs. To her, the flower represented her lost love, and she was most certainly not ready to let go.
Eventually, fatigue set in and she slowly burrowed underneath her blankets.
She glanced out her window, peering into the night sky. The stars were dull tonight; their twinkles shown no more passion than Luna did at the moment. With a tear forming in her foggy eye, she turned around to face the opposite wall, shutting her eyes tightly.
For the first time in all of pony history, no moon would rise tonight.
~*~*~
Princess Luna woke up slowly, and with a content yawn, she stretched her limbs. Her eyes still closed, she chuckled tiredly in recollection of her dream.
"Twilight, you won't believe the crazy nightmare I just had." She reached over to grab her partner, but her hooves fell flat on her bed. Her eyes darted open, pawing the empty side of the covers. She quickly took several glances around the room to confirm that she was alone. Suddenly, the events of last night all came flooding back to her. Her previous night's demeanor soon returned.
Slowly making her way out of bed, she stood over her bedside table and leaned in towards the flower, inhaling its aroma. When Luna originally crafted the flower with magic to put in her garden, she imbedded in it Twilight's scent. A light blush formed over her face as ecstasy took over. She felt her legs weakened, but she managed to catch the edge of the bed before they gave out altogether.
She didn't want to leave her room, but she knew she still had obligations. It was the night after the Aura Bloom; most ponies would be leaving the city and there would be many status reports Celestia and she would have to attend to.
Adorning some of her common royal jewelry, she sluggishly exited her room. Her mane was still frizzled and overall her appearance was unkempt. She was beyond caring at this point though, and she made the trip down several flights of stairs towards the throne room.
Inside was a bustle of activity. Several ponies chattered, walking through the hallways in and out of the throne room. Her sister was sitting before her throne. Celestia rarely ever actually sat on it; it was merely for formal occasions. Instead, like any other pony, she sat on her haunches on the ground. Luna slowly made her way to Celestia's side.
Small gasps of astonishment and worry emanated from the few colts Celestia was engaged in conversation with as Luna strode up, eyes on the ground. It made her sister turn and see her, looking as composed as ever. She turned to the ponies she was talking to. "Excuse me, gentlecolts, but would you mind giving my sister and me a moment to talk in private?" The colts shared a nod and began to walk away.
Celestia turned to her sister and ushered her closer to the throne, so they could talk in semi-private. "The night was dreadful without your beautiful moon." Celestia commented.
"I wasn't in any mood to inspire beauty." Luna rebutted. She wondered momentarily if Celestia was mad at her for denying one of her duties as princess.
"I understand little sister." Came her solemn response. The Day and Night Princesses looked into each other's eyes for a moment, before Luna broke the contact.
"How can you? Right now I'm in Canterlot, and Twilight's in Ponyville, and I know in my heart that I want to be with her, but my mind is telling me I need to fulfill my duties as princess and that my pain will pass. How am I supposed to know which side of me is right?" Luna's eyes shut as her head drooped down.
Princess Celestia thought carefully before speaking. After a few moments of pause, Luna felt her sister's wing around her. The feathers brushed against her coat, giving her a warm, tickling sensation. "Luna, do you remember what I said the night you told me about Twilight and you?" She asked kindly.
Honestly, Luna couldn't remember her sister's exact words. She shut her eyes and once again found herself lost in a flashback she couldn't control, standing idle and watching it unravel before her eyes.
The crisp morning air wafted in from the many open windows that complimented the stone hallway. A royal red rug ran down the length of every room, while paintings and sculptures around her gave the space an upper-class charm. Luna hadn't often journeyed to her sister's bedchamber in the tower opposite to her's, but this time she knew that she wanted to speak to her sister in complete private. She had rushed from her own room after Twilight left; the night before had been extraordinary, and left her body tingling.
Through the regal hallways she walked at a brisk pace, hoping to catch Celestia before she left her room. As she neared the doorway, two royal guards stood even straighter at attention. "Princess Luna, how may we be of service?" one asked professionally.
"I was just wondering if my sister was in. If so, I'd like to have a word with her." Luna stated with the same professionalism.
The guard nodded in response. "She is indeed. One moment, Princess."
The colt pegasi knocked three times on the door before opening it. Inside, he called to Princess Celestia to let her know her sister was at the door. "Oh? Let her in." came a gentle, albeit surprised response.
The guards parted as the double doors swung open. Standing inside near her mirror, Celestia threw a curious glace over to her sister. Luna walked inside and shut the doors behind her with magic.
"To what do I owe this unexpected honor?" Celestia chuckled warmly.
Princess Luna took several deep breaths, psyching herself up for what she was about to reveal. On the edge of her mind, she prayed that Twilight wouldn't be mad about this. "I know I can come to you for anything, big sister, but I'm not quite sure how to say this, so I'm just going to give it to you straight."
Celestia raised an eyebrow curiously, stepping a few feet closer to Luna. She said nothing, nodding to encourage Luna to continue talking.
"I…I lah… vvvv…T-Twilight" she finally choked out. She cursed in her head knowing that she probably sounded like the dumbest mare in all of Equestria. She risked a glance at her sister to gauge her reaction.
Celestia leaned back thoughtfully. "You love Twilight… Does she love you back?"
Luna glared dumbfounded at her sister. Of all the responses she expected to face, that was the least likely; instant acceptance. "Yes." Luna purred, letting the word drift off her tongue dreamily. She didn't even have to think about the question before knowing the answer.
Celestia's already-soft features seemed to soften even more, if it was possible. Her eyebrows rose inwardly as she gave a tender smile. "Looks like I wasn't the only mare who found something special in Twilight."
Luna was blushing, now too embarrassed to keep her sister's gaze. Her right foreleg crossed over her left, brushing against it mildly. "It would seem so." She finally replied, managing to develop a tiny smile on her lips.
After a short period of silence, Celestia leaned forward once more. "There's something else, isn't there?" She asked knowingly.
"W-Well she asked me out on a date tonight but I don't…I don't know what to do." Her head slumped.
"Knowing Twilight, she must have already read several books on dating; otherwise she wouldn't have asked you. Allow me to help give her – and you – what you want." Celestia said enthusiastically, putting a hoof on Luna's left shoulder.
"You want to help plan our date? Umm…Ok!" Luna was surprised, but overjoyed that her sister was on board.
"Come, little sister, we can talk of this on our way to the throne room. Our subjects cannot be forced to wait forever." She chuckled with a wink.
Celestia began to walk to the door, but Luna stopped her. "Umm, wait. One more thing…"
Celestia looked down to her sister, nodding. "Anything, dear sister."
"Is…Is this right?" Luna asked, clearly worried. "I-I mean, is this a smart move?"
Celestia smiled. "Sometimes we must forgo logic and reason for matters of the heart, for it is the one thing in this world that is incapable of lying to you."
Luna's eyelids fluttered opened as she returned to reality. She looked up to meet her sister's gaze as Celestia looked down knowingly. "B-But… What about Canterlot? I can't just abandon it again. Not after being gone for so long."
"You and I have different destinies, my sister. I know you can sense it too. You've felt out of place since you've gotten back because your heart knew before any of us that you belong elsewhere. It waited patiently until your passion finally blossomed in the form of a purple unicorn mare named Twilight Sparkle. You will always have a home here in Canterlot, but we both know you'd be kidding yourself if you thought for a second that you don't belong by her side."
How did her sister always know just what to say? Luna melted at the thought of returning to Twilight; to be together once more. "I…I should be with Twilight." Luna finally agreed, hugging her sister close. "Thank you, big sister."
For the rest of the day, and most of the next day, Luna dedicated herself to helping Celestia deal with the post-Aura Bloom madness. Crowds had to be dealt with in an orderly fashion, supply orders had to be confirmed after the massive population nearly sucked the city's resources dry, and there was dealing with the damage done to the Canterlot Stadium. Luna knew Celestia was capable of handling it all on her own, but with her around, the workload placed on her sister would be substantially less, so she stayed in town.
Early on the third morning, two days after Twilight and she had separated, Luna decided that it was in the purple rose's best interest to be planted back into the ground. She weaved through several hallways, knowing the path like the back of her hoof. She opened the door that led to her garden and slowly glanced around, as if she was looking at it for the last time.
Down the path she trotted, suspending the flower in a chrysalis of magic. She finally turned around the bend where the lunar fountain was, and she gasped at what she saw, nearly losing concentration and dropping the flower.
Princess Celestia was eyeing her from across the fountain, standing near the empty patch of burnt ashes. Luna slowly made her way to her sister's side. Both of their eyes were on the patch. "I've arranged for a chariot to take you to Ponyville."
Luna shook her head. "No, a chariot would draw too much attention. I don't want the whole town knowing I'm there. Not yet at least."
Celestia glanced curiously over to her. "How do you plan on getting there?"
Luna fluttered her wings in response. Celestia eyed her warily; she was one of the few ponies that knew that Luna secretly wasn't the most adept at flying. She worried that Luna might not even be able to make it to Ponyville. "Luna, are you sure you want that?" She asked cautiously.
Luna marched over to the bed of ashes, and with a wisp of magic wind, blew them away revealing the soft dirt underneath. Slowly, she dug a hole in the ground precisely where the flower had been before, and planted it back into the soil. The rose itself was special; the magic imbued inside its petals would keep it alive as long as her love for Twilight never faded.
Backing up to admire her handiwork, she gave a short nod as magic erupted from her horn, penetrating the soil at her feet. Up from the ground sprang a whole new patch of the black flowers, though they were smaller than the previous generation. To her own surprise, a small bushel of purple roses stemmed out from where the purple rose originally was; an unintended effect of her magic, but welcomed none the less. The bush of Twilight's flowers gleamed brilliantly against the black canvas.
"I'm sure." She finally responded, in no uncertain terms.
The two sisters shared a long hug. The wind rushed through them as an eerie calm rose. They both felt it; the past thousand years of separation had finally melted away and they were truly sisters once again. "You better visit me." Luna joked.
"You know I will" was Celestia's warm, quiet response. The two parted and Luna's gaze drifted to the sky. It was still too early in the morning to see the sun, though its light began to peak over the buildings casting an orange glow over Canterlot.
"Go get her." Celestia smiled.
On Luna's face was the biggest smile that she's had since her date with Twilight. With a powerful kickoff, and a strong flap of her wings, Luna soared up towards the clouds that hovered not too high above Canterlot. "I'm coming, Twilight!" She yelled to the winds, not caring who heard her. With tears of joy streaming down her cheek, she began the long journey to Ponyville.
One hour into the flight, Luna was already struggling to keep her pace. She had landed for a short rest, knowing that her wings wouldn't support her if she kept up this pace. The morning sun had already risen and reinvigorated Luna enough to push off once again, laboriously flapping her wings as she gained altitude. As long as she stopped for a break every now and then, she should be fine.
Luna wasn't a fast flyer; it was the main reason the flight was taking her so long. A more competent flyer would be able to make it to Ponyville in 30 minutes easily, but not Luna. From the time she was little, her wings had never been very cooperative with her. As a filly, she struggled to do even the most basic tasks such as hovering. For this reason, she had become accustomed to life on the ground; after all, there wasn't much use of a princess in the sky.
Luna gritted her teeth as Ponyville came into view. Her wings complained with each flap, but she ignored them and shook her head at the pain. She noticed that she had slowly been losing altitude over the past minute as her wings began to shut down. "Come on, just a little further!"
The ground was rushing up to meet her. She closed her eyes and pumped her wings trying to gain elevation. Suddenly, her wings locked up in protest about 20 feet in the air, and Luna began to fall.
Her scream pierced the morning calm as she landed hard on a dirt road and skid a few brutal feet before coming to a halt. Her eyes fluttered open in a daze. She took a shallow breath, inhaling dirt the billowed up from her land. It agitated her throat and made her body convulse as she coughed. She gritted her teeth while she angled one of her hoofs under her, and tried to push herself to up to her hooves.
Pain shot through her lower limbs as she collapsed back onto the ground. She struggled to look down at her back legs; what she saw made her groan. They were both wet with drizzles of blood caused from several scrapes. The rocks on the hard ground weren't gentle on her. Making it worse, dirt covered her legs and got into the wounds, making them sting harshly.
She glared forward with concentration, smoke flaring from her nose like an angry bull. With all her strength, she pushed with her forelegs until she was finally in a standing position. Her back legs wobbled unstably, threatening to collapse again.
Before her legs failed her, she quickly summoned magic from her horn and closed the wounds on her legs. The flow of blood instantly stopped, which made her breathe a sigh of relief. She knew some parts of her body would soon form bruises, and she was layered in a thin strip of dirt on her legs and flank. Looking at her now, very few people would recognize her as the princess.
She sighed knowing that it was probably for the best, but she also didn't want Twilight to see her like this. She ambled over to a nearby creek and washed most of the dirt from her body, and as much of the blood out of her coat that she could. A vast improvement, though she still looked a bit travel-worn.
She glanced around noticing she was on the outskirts of Ponyville. Despite her rough landing, she congratulated herself on making it, and the thought of being so close to Twilight filled her limbs with strength.
"I'm almost there, Twilight!" She yelled one again, trotting off into town.
~*~*~
Fluttershy's eyes were set in another direction, facing the road. "Somepony's coming." She whispered apprehensively.
"It's rude to interrupt, Fluttershy. Twilight was just about to explain her complication. Besides, it's probably just a pony heading into town." Rarity argued, glancing over quickly before returning her stare to Twilight. "Now do go on, Darling!"
Twilight took a deep breath in. "O-Ok Rarity, but I'm just afraid that after you know, you'll all treat me different."
"What, do you mean stop being your friends? Ain't gunna happen!" Dash quipped in her normal cocky attitude.
Twilight hoped she meant that, because she was already building up the courage to tell them. "W-Well you see, in Canterlot I made a very good friend; a mare." Twilight began slowly.
"Oh really?" Rarity lit up. "Did this friend of yours introduce you to this stallion you've been so wrapped up in?"
A solid blush started to form over Twilight's face. "No, you don't understand. Um… You see, the mare...W-Was – is, my girlf-"
Fluttershy whimpered even louder, cutting Twilight off. Rarity groaned loudly in protest. "Fluttershy, since you're going to keep interrupting Twilight like that, you must have a GREAT reason." Her voice was rich with sarcastic impatience.
Fluttershy shakily pointed to the road and hid behind her mane. All ponies turned to see what she was pointing at. Twilight's heart stopped beating as time stood still; there, in her own walkway, was the source of her depression and joy. Standing perfectly still as if bolted to the ground, stood Princess Luna, her silver eyes wavering magnificently in the sunlight. Her mane billowed past the arch of her back. It wasn't as immaculate as it usually was; with added flair, the cerulean mane now blew free and untamed.
Tears began to form in Twilight's eyes as she began to get choked up. She was just about to call out to her when suddenly her friends formed a protective line around Twilight, blocking her from Luna. The exception was Fluttershy, who was hiding in a nearby bush.
"Hi, Twilight." Luna mustered up to say, though her confidence had already been shot down by the glaring ponies. The greeting was quiet, yet heartfelt.
"You sure do have some courage showin' back up in this town, Nightmare!" Applejack hissed.
"M-My name's Luna." The mare murmured timidly, taking a slow step back. Her eyes were on the ground, afraid to meet anypony's critical gaze.
"Hope to finish what you started, Nightmare?" Rarity jeered. "Well too bad! Our friendship will always overcome evil creatures such as yourself."
Twilight looked on horrified as her friends threw the insults at Luna. Twilight knew how much that last comment was going to sting her girlfriend. With each step back, the Princess began to resemble the same pony she met on the first day, when Twilight herself was the one dishing the insults. She was scared, frail, and completely unsure of herself.
"ENOUGH!" Hollered Twilight, startling her friends in front of her. She pushed her way through her friends and sprinted over to Luna, the mare's cheeks were already wet from crying. Without even slowing down, Twilight collided into her girlfriend in one of the biggest hugs she had ever given her. The wind created from Twilight's sprint rushed past them both, rustling their manes. They both started crying, whimpering as they held each other, thankful to be in each other's hooves once more. They had completely blocked out her friends.
After a short, awkward few moments, Applejack took a step forward.
"Ahem." Applejack cleared her throat, finally gaining Twilight attention. Both she and Luna were now smiling joyfully, tears still streaming down their faces. She released Luna from the hug and they stood side-by-side, facing Twilight's friends.
"So, ah, Twilight? Is this yur new friend?" Applejack asked curiously.
Twilight was nearly too choked up to talk, but she managed to get out a small phrase.
"Yes, but…"
Rarity looked on cautiously. "But…?"
Twilight knew she couldn't talk anymore. In a heartbeat, she felt something soft and feathery brush across her back. She looked to the side and realized Luna had put a wing around her, though her gaze was still sideward towards the ground. The alicorn was blushing intensely.
Twilight knew a good way to convey the message to her friends.
She shut her eyes, and slowly left a soft kiss on Luna's cheek.
Applejack's jaw hit the ground as Rarity's eyes widened in pure disbelief. Next to her, Pinkie did one of her famous floating gasps, jumping into the air. Rainbow Dash was completely flabbergasted, frozen still as a statue. A few tense seconds past where nobody moved, not even the wind.
Surprisingly, the most timid pony of the group, quite possibly in all of Ponyville, was the first one to make a move. Fluttershy ambled over to Twilight and Luna. Although she was acting bolder than normal, Fluttershy still was blushing and didn't hold eye contact. When she was in front of the couple, she spoke softly.
"I, um. I j-just have one question for Luna." She squeaked out the last part of her sentence. Luna glanced over, surprised at the mention of her name. Her mouth opened but she was unable to form words; instead, she dumbly nodded towards Fluttershy as if to say, "Alright, go ahead."
Fluttershy cleared her throat. Everypony leaned in to hear was she was going to say.
"Do you, um… like carrot soup?"
Once again, everypony was utterly dumbfounded.
Luna raised her eyebrows at the question. "Er…y…yes I do." She replied meekly.
Fluttershy smiled slightly and finally raised her eyes to meet Luna's. "Oh, good! I would love to have the two of you over for dinner one night."
The princess gasped silently. She was the first pony since Twilight to show Luna…Kindness. It filled her chest with delight as her heart emanated a warm glow.
"Oh, um," Luna quickly glanced over to Twilight, who nodded back to her, already smiling wide, "We would love to! Thank you for the kind invitation." Luna now knew why the cream-colored pegasus was the spirit of Kindness.
Streamers burst out of nowhere over the couple, shocking them both and making Fluttershy bleat and fall over frigid like a goat. "Omigosh! We totally need to have a party. P.S. you're all invited!!!" Yelled Pinkie excitedly, handing them all invitations. Twilight read the invite. It was to a welcome party for Luna.
"Pinkie, how did you – oh never mind." She learned by now to never question Pinkie Pie's methods.
Pinkie Pie continued to bounce around excitedly, babbling on about decorations, party favors, balloons, streamers, a big cake, and much, MUCH more. While Pinkie was caught up in her own little world, the couple was approached by a very crestfallen pair of ponies – Applejack and Rarity.
Applejack began to speak. "We're mighty sorry we yell'd at'cha, Luna. It's just, ah…" She looked over to Rarity for help.
Rarity quickly gathered her wits and continued where Applejack left of. "It's just, well, we're sometimes overprotective of our friends. Besides, that 'adventure' you sent us on left, umm…" She drifted off to silence, unable to find the right word.
"Scars," Luna nodded sadly, "I know the feeling." Her response was filled with such genuine regret and sorrow that it made tears come to Twilight's eyes. She moved a foreleg around Luna's neck and pulled her in and nuzzled her gently.
Twilight wanted to lighten up the mood. She knew Luna would inform her later how she came to be here, even though she had royal duties in Canterlot. Right now, only one questioned filled her mind.
"Luna, are you here to stay?" She asked excitedly.
Luna met Twilight's gaze, their faces barely an inch apart. "Until the end of time, and beyond; I'm yours."
Twilight had never been so happy in all her life. She knew with Luna by her side, she could overcome any obstacle, battle any foe, and learn more about this intriguing new idea called love. With the power of love and friendship behind her, Twilight finally felt at peace within her heart.
"Lemme show you your new home."
~*~*~
The couple was resting peacefully in a patch of slightly-overgrown grass on a hill near the outskirts of Ponyville. The patch made for an especially comfortable place to lie on their backs and watch the amber twilight hours wean. Besides, they needed a moment's rest after a full day of introductions.
Twilight had shown Luna every aspect of Ponyville that intrigued her, and with eyes wide, Luna followed. The quaint little town seemed to be fully self-sustaining, and unlike the crowded streets of Canterlot, it was rather quiet as ponies went about their business. They also took the opportunity to pass out the invites to Pinkie Pie's "Welcome Luna to Ponyville!" party. Although she got quite a few bizarre stares from the inhabitants, after a few minutes of talking, everypony seemed to approve of the alicorn.
"…And then she said that I should follow my heart, and I knew it would lead me straight to you." Luna finished her tale.
Twilight took her gaze off the sky for a moment to peek over at Luna. "That was a wonderful story, Luna."
Twilight reached over and gently placed her hoof on Luna's as their forelegs interlocked. A soft breeze blew the grass around them, tickling their coats. They both giggled from the unexpected contact.
"So, new roommate," Luna giggled as Twilight nudged her playfully, "We've got about another hour before the moon rises. What do you want to do 'til then?"
"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe we could-"
An idea crept into Twilight's brain. Her features went from playful to thoughtful in under a second. Luna noticed the sudden changed and leaned up on her elbows. "What are you thinking, Twilight?" She asked curiously.
Twilight's eyes darted downwards from left to right, trying to come to a mental decision. Finally, Twilight breathed out slowly. "I want to try something."
Luna blushed accidently, not sure quite what Twilight meant. The purple unicorn looked over and chuckled.
"Not that! Silly filly." She bopped Luna on the nose.
Luna breathed out a sigh of relief. "Then what do you mean, Twilight?"
Twilight pushed herself out of the grass and onto her hooves. She stood rigidly, breathing in through her nose and out her mouth. "I can do this, I can do this" she murmured, silently psyching herself up. Luna was completely perplexed, but she didn't want to disturb Twilight with whatever it was she was doing.
Suddenly, explosively, raw magic erupted from Twilight's horn. It initially startled Luna, who almost instinctively backed away, but then she got herself under control and stayed put, watching incredulously at the magic Twilight was creating. Black tendrils reached out towards the sky as a swirling vortex pushed its way into the atmosphere.
At a certain point the vortex halted its ascension, and began to spread spherically, branching out from the center point. A bead of sweat dripped down Twilight's forehead as she feared the magic would once again backfire like a raging rhino. To her pleasure, she found that the magic submitted obediently to her commands, and she was able to control it with ease.
As the darkness spread, it began to envelop the entire hill in a black sheet until it finally made contact with the ground and formed a perfect bubble around them, leaving them in complete darkness.
The darkness wasn't malevolent or evil and a rush of understanding flooded Luna as she realized what the darkness symbolized.
As the vortex retreated back into Twilight's horn, a dull twinkle could be seen in the exact center of the "sky". It gained mass and definition as it appeared to be speeding closer, getting brighter all the way until eventually, a wisp no more than the size of an apple sped right past them and disappeared into the darkness behind.
Suddenly, the sky above rippled with waves upon waves of stars, which rushed by with gaining velocity.
Luna looked up, completed overtaken by the beautiful spectacle. She had always been the Mare of the Night, but this… this felt like she was actually traveling through her night sky!
Stars zipped around and through her, showing little notice of anypony's presence. Luna got up and pranced around happily in her night sky, as the stars seemed to finally take notice of their Princess. The danced around Luna and blew past her mane, managing to blow it back. She laughed louder than she had in a long, long time.
Abruptly, the stars froze, as if Luna's travel had reached its destination. She slowly gazed up, and could do nothing more than stare in shock.
Above her, complimented by perfectly puffy white clouds, was an enormous silver moon, glittering seemingly without a source.
The stars began to flow towards the moon as if by some gravitational force. It was that moment that she felt a tap on her shoulder. She quickly looked to her side.
Twilight's features were soft and kind; a light blush fell across her cheeks. The purple unicorn smiled affectionately at her mare. The two held eye contact for what seemed like a blissful eternity. The stars themselves became nothing more than specks against the moon, until finally they burst forth and showered the couple.
They both closed their eyes, and leaned in for the kiss that would bond them for a lifetime.
As their lips made contact, a single tear slid down Twilight's cheek. She prayed that the moment would last forever, as the couple was completely blanketed by moonlit sparkles.