Nightshade

by Selene Bright

Library Nights

I quickly finish my duties for the evening, my heart thumping at the prospect of a conversation with my new friend. 'Could she truly wish to spend another night talking? The solitude of my nightly vigil grows tiresome.'

As I traverse the castle's long hallways toward the library, the familiar click of my hooves on marble echoes through the silent, shadowed corridors. The peaceful emptiness of the castle, bathed in the cool hues of my night, soothes my restless heart. I find myself drawn to a window, lifting my nose to welcome the cool breeze. It carries the scent of the gardens below, a fragrance that stirs memories both sweet and sorrowful.

"I miss you, Wildflower," I whisper into the night, the memory of her bluish-green eyes reflecting my moon, her light blue mane billowing in the wind, as vivid as if she stands beside me now. The memory's sweetness quickly sours, reminding me of her fear, her misunderstanding. 'Why does the past cling so tightly?'

"Thinking of her again, dear sister?" Celestia's voice, unexpected and gentle, pulls me from my reverie. I hadn't noticed her approach. How strange...

"Yes, sister, I was..." I trail off, the memory of Wildflower's warmth fading into the cold reality of the present.

"It seemed like a good memory."

Our conversation meandered, touching upon memories, the passage of time, and the changes that had occurred. Celestia's demeanor had softened considerably since my return, a stark contrast to the distant figure she once was. Yet, beneath her calm exterior, I sensed a well of emotions, a turbulence that she kept carefully hidden.

"What is it you need?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing Lulu, just caught you zoning out again, but with a smile instead of the usual sad frown on your face. Lulu, it's not good to live in the past, especially for us immortals."

I scoff, laughing bitterly. "Yes, well, easier said than done, when all I have left are memories to keep me company."

I watch as my sister recoils from me as if being struck. 

"Tia, are you okay?"

"You know, mortals seem to think the hardest part of being immortal is letting go of the ones we love, but it's the regret and mistakes that haunt us…” Celestia shakes her head and wipes the moisture from her eyes. "Sorry Lulu, I should be getting to bed, it's been a long day."

Concerned, I stare at my sister. "Tia, are you feeling okay?"

"I'll live, Lulu." She counters, climbing her way up the spiral staircase to her bed chambers.

My sister has been acting strange lately, or maybe I'm just starting to notice it. Besides, what does she know of regret anyway? She doesn't have the blood of ponies on her hooves or the memory of the one she loved staring at her in terror. I fight the memory back and take a deep breath, trying to concentrate on more positive thoughts. 'Like the unicorn waiting for me in the library.'

As I make my way to the library, thoughts of Twilight Sparkle begin to push aside the ghosts of the past. Her curiosity, her warmth, it's a calm to my wounded heart. Yet, even as I approach our meeting place, doubt gnaws at me. 'Can I truly let Wildflower go? Would moving forward betray her memory?'

The library greets me with the familiar scent of aged parchment, a comfort that momentarily eases my turmoil. Yet, the peace is fleeting. Memories of Wildflower, of our moments together in spaces just like this, haunt me. 

Should we really be doing this here Luna?" Wildflower whispered "What if somepony sees us?" she asked, frantically looking around the library worried. I put my hoof up to her lips. "Shhh, my love. No one will see us, besides, ponies aren't in the library at this hour anyway." I reassured her, feeling her relax under me. "Now where were we?" I asked with a smirk. I feel her giggle under me. "If I recall correctly, you were kissing me.

Each step feels like a betrayal, a step further away from her and toward... what? 

Hope? 

Or merely a new form of solitude?

But then, I see her, Twilight, lost in slumber amid the tomes of knowledge she so adores. The sight draws a chuckle from me, a sound of genuine amusement that feels foreign after so long. I nudge her awake, her confusion and sudden awareness a mirror to my own internal awakening. "Twilight, did you forget you invited me to chat this evening?"

She cracks an eye open, mumbling incoherently. "Wha..." she starts, smacking her lips together and yawning. 

Stepping over to one of the chairs next to me, I sit down, smiling playfully at her. “Twilight, did you forget that you invited me to chat this evening?” I repeat.

“I tried to wait for you, I really did but I couldn't keep my eyes open. Princess Celestia has been keeping me busy with all this research on political mechanics,” she sighs loudly “It’s been cutting in on my own research!” She finishes, slamming her head in her book, pouting. 

‘By the heavens she’s adorable!’ 

“Well, why don’t you take a small break? I have some things I wish to discuss with you.” 

I see her face light up and then pout again. “It isn’t more research, is it? I don’t think I can handle any more at the moment.”

“No... it’s about the book from last night, you asked for me to give my thoughts on it.”

Her head rises from the book she is currently lying in, her eyes focused on me. I have her full attention. “W-what did you think?”

‘She wrote the book, I knew it.’ I thought, pleased by her reaction.

I crack a smile. “I thought it was pretty good if a bit unrealistic at times.”

 “How was it unrealistic?” She asked, frowning slightly.

“It’s okay Twilight I didn't hate the story, I just thought the romance was a bit unrealistic. Especially the part where the two lovers confess their undying love for each other the day they meet!” I facehoof, sighing and shaking my head, then continuing. “But the adventure side of things was written very well, I especially liked the part where Nightshade saves Starlight from the lair of the Dragon King; that was very exciting.”

Twilight perks up a bit at my last statement. “What about the part where she fights the Lord of the Vamponies?!” 

“Oh yes, that was one of my favorites, I liked how she defeated his vampony minions by poisoning The Fountain of Blood with garlic; very ingenious,” I said, giggling into my hoof.

She laughed with me, smiling widely. “I’m glad you liked it…” Her smile faded into a frown. “No one else did though; except for Spike and that’s only because he liked the Dragon King part.”

“Twilight, I’ve been meaning to ask you a question all night but did Lavender Night write any more books?”  

“No she didn't… nothing published anyway.” 

“Twilight, are you Lavender Night?”

“What?!” she shouts, getting up rapidly and sending the chair she was sitting in flying backward. She looks behind her noticing the extreme reaction she had and starts to chuckle sheepishly. “Sorry,” she said grabbing the chair with her magic and putting it back. “H-how did you find out?” She asks nervously. 

“Twilight, your pseudonym, Lavender Night was practically a dead giveaway, and you were acting very strange last night when we talked about it.”

She grunts loudly, “I’m so stupid!” She exclaimed throwing her hooves in the air.

“Calm down Twilight, you’re not stupid,” I said trying desperately not to laugh at her antics. “You know I’m getting a little hungry, how about you?” I asked, getting up from my seat. 

She answers with her stomach grumbling loudly, chuckling. “Yes, but isn’t the kitchen staff all asleep?”

“Twilight, I’m not an invalid. I can make my own sandwich and I would love to talk more about your unpublished work.”

“Okay, Princess, if you say so," Twilight replies with a hesitant smile, her eyes alight with a spark of mischief. "But just so you know, most of my unpublished work involves Nightshade and Daring Do teaming up to stop The Curse of the Mummy King.”

As we navigate the dimly lit corridors toward the kitchen, our conversation ebbs and flows, weaving through the realms of fanfiction and venturing into the more personal terrains of our lives.

“So, Luna,” Twilight ventures, her tone tinged with curiosity, “have you ever been in love before?”

The question catches me off guard, and I falter slightly in my steps. “Why do you ask, Twilight?”

There's a pause, and then, almost hesitantly, I offer a fragment of my past. "I once shared nights like this with someone very dear to me," the words tumble out, heavy with the ghosts of memories.

Her interest piqued, Twilight presses gently, “Who were they? What were they like?”

I stop, the weight of her inquiry anchoring me to the spot. My heart clenches at the thought of Wildflower, and I'm torn between the need to share and the fear of unveiling too much. “I would rather not delve into this conversation right now, Twilight…” My voice is a soft echo of pain, veiled in the shadows of the hallway.

“Oh..,” Twilight's voice trails off, and she halts, her expression mirroring the regret in her words. “I’m sorry, Luna. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Regaining my composure with forced lightness, I wave a hoof dismissively. “It’s nothing, Twilight. Let’s just focus on something else, shall we?”

We resume our walk, the silence between us filled with unspoken thoughts. The topic shifts, meandering through the tales of the night sky and the lore within books, a safe harbor from the stormy seas of our conversation. Twilight's laughter, genuine and infectious, momentarily dispels the shadows in my mind.

Yet, amidst the levity, a memory of Wildflower intrudes, unbidden. Her laughter, once a melody in the symphony of my nights, now a haunting refrain.

“I’ve missed you, Wildflower.” I blurt out.

“What?” Twilight's question, sharp with confusion, slices through my reverie.

Luna, who’s Wildflower?” she probes, her eyebrow arching in a mix of curiosity and concern.

I shake my head, dispelling the haunting image, and meet Twilight's gaze. Her eyes, pools of empathy and concern, seek mine. “I’m sorry,” I begin, the weight of centuries threading through my words. “Someone very dear to me haunts me, Twilight. The night is full of stories,” I confess, my voice a whisper, like a breeze rustling through the leaves of time, “but not all tales end with the dawn. Some linger, casting long shadows that obscure the path forward.”

Twilight walks beside me, her presence a comforting warmth. “You are very different from Celestia,” she observes thoughtfully as we approach the kitchen, her voice a gentle nudge in the quiet between us.

A chuckle escapes me, soft and tinged with a myriad of unspoken thoughts. “You have no idea,” I reply with a half-grin, a glimmer of mischief dancing in my eyes.

Her laughter joins mine, a melody that eases the weight of my shadows, if only for a moment. It's a sound that, despite everything, ignites a flicker of hope in the darkness of my heart, suggesting that perhaps, just maybe, the night can hold new stories yet to unfold.