//------------------------------// // No Matter What (Luna's Poem) // Story: The Big Book Of Small Stories // by LordOfTape //------------------------------// No Matter What (Luna’s Poem) It’s been a long time since I last set foot here These looming castle walls are almost intimidating To think that I had once been so big Yet now, I am so small ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I once stood above all other ponies Greater than even my own sister I was once a power so forceful and destructive That should anypony try to rebel, I could have crushed them in an instant ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now that I look back upon it Why would I ever want to do that? What purpose would it serve to hurt my subjects? For what reason should I ever try to harm my friends? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There really was no reason I was merely filled with hatred Hatred and jealousy; burning, dooming jealousy And it consumed me entirely ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The day I lost my mind, I lost their trust How could anypony look me in the eye, Especially when those eyes were blackened with deceptive destruction? Why would anypony even want to talk to me? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I grew cruel with my power I tormented the Equestrian people, and my own sister It was no wonder that she fought back It was no wonder that she banished me ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thinking back upon my actions, I can feel nothing but sorrow Sister told me that she forgave me But I did not believe her Not after what I had done ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The silver moon rose to the peak of the night sky The golden sun faded back into the infernally banished day The oceans crashed with waves of such ferocity that the land itself shook violently “Truest Night Eternal, Reign Over My World!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The words rang clear in my mind Although they were over a thousand years old, I could still hear them as if I was speaking them now I shuddered at the thought Nightmare Moon could not return, could she? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Recollections of Nightmare Night played through my mind Everypony was scared; no one wanted to be friends Of course, it was all made ok with the help of Twilight Sparkle But still, even a millennium later and the ponies had not forgotten my wrath ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What was I to do? I was lost here in this new world Lost between being the feared dictator and the loved princess Did I truly belong here? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My ponderings had brought me to a large room It was made of the finest marble and gold Any one room in our castle could be made of these of course, but this room was different There was a looming statue of pure gold in the center ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I looked up at the piece of art, amazed It was of my sister, the grand Princess Celestia It was the only object my vision observed Gigantic and beauteous, it only made sense for all else to fade to the background ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “It would only make sense that my sister would be praised as such” I spoke aloud “Well I always try to do my best for my ponies” chuckled a voice from behind I removed my eyes from the statue before me and whipped around It was my sister, all clad in her usual princess garments ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Sister, I had no idea you were there” I apologized “It’s alright Lulu” she smiled, her soft words breezing across my ears “I’m glad to see you’re finally losing the old royal Canterlot voice” “Yes, well, your faithful student was very helpful in that effort” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was still a bit embarrassed from being startled and interrupted by my sister and was blushing “Is everything alright Lulu?” she asked I was going to respond with obvious confirmation, only having been slightly ashamed of my words But then I remembered that Celestia always had some wise words of wisdom ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I decided it would be better to tell her “Actually sister, I was wondering if I could talk to you?” “I’m right here Luna, what is it?” I fought to phrase the words correctly in my mouth The sentence formed came to be an accurate selection ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “I am quite lost Tia; I do not belong in this new world of Equestria” My big sister frowned, she eyes showing more sorrow than anything else “Why would you say that Luna?” “Because” I answered “It is true” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “What foolishness could possibly make you believe that Luna?” Her speech struck me as odd Why shouldn’t I feel lost? Everything here was new to me ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Sister, this world is so far from the one I once knew” “I know, it must be hard not to recognize anypony” “It’s not that, it’s just…” I trialed off “Just what?” she prodded ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “What do the other ponies think of me, sister?” “The other ponies all love you Luna” “Why would you think otherwise?” “But how do they not know I might turn back into Nightmare Moon?” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My regal sister shot back, shocked by the thought “Luna, I am so sorry, what have I done to wrong you this time?” she pleaded “I do not wish for any more arguing to go on between us, please, let me apologize” Her eyes showed true and genuine apology, she actually thought she had done something wrong ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Sister, no, you have done nothing wrong” I assured her “I just don’t feel like I belong here anymore” “Things are too different, it’s all just a bit too much” “And…it hurts to think about everything I’ve missed because of what I did” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celestia gazed down upon me, her large mane causing sparkles to beam around her face She extended both of her hooves and pulled me into her She held me in a warm embrace, and I returned it All of her hugs made me feel better, bringing a cozy, fuzzy feeling to course through me ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She began to address me “Luna, listen to me” “We both understand that what happened a thousand years ago was a huge challenge to overcome” “We said some things, and we fought, as sisters always do” “But that is all over now, Nightmare Moon is gone” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I tried to smile, but I was not convinced “Even if that is so, the things that I did –” my sister interrupted me “Lulu, those are all in the past now” “I forgive you, and so does all of Equestria” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forgiveness and acceptance Those were the only two things I could ever ask for My sister knew, she could see it, she listened to me She was offering both, and happily so ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Sister” I started, a full smile now displayed “Thank you” “Luna, you know we forgive you, why do you worry?” “I do not believe the other ponies are as accepting as you, Tia” I softly jested “Luna, have you lost your eyes?” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Her rhetoric confused me Was there still a part of this conversation I had not yet grasped? “What do you mean Tia?” I asked of her “Just look behind you” she grinned ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I turned my head once more, reverting back to my original position in the hall I had not expected anything different, just the same golden statue of my sister But this was not so As my head halted its turn, my body following, I captured the view of the entire room ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Right next to the grand, golden Celestia, was another statue This one was almost as tall, and made entirely of the finest silver In the same regal pose as the elder, this silver statue exhibited the qualities of another royal alicorn This statue was of me ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celestia walked up next to me, “Do you see what the ponies did for you?” I gazed longingly at my magnificent statue, shimmering in the dim light of the room “As soon as you returned, the royal architects began their work on making this statue for you” “They did all this for me?” I beamed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Oh little Lulu, when will you learn?” The two of us shared a hearty laugh I looked back up at my older sister lovingly I hugged her once more, recapturing the same fuzzy feeling as before, “Thanks Tia” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Lulu, promise me you’ll remember one thing” Her voice was serious, but not harsh “What is it?” I squeaked, still feeling bubbly from our sisterly moment Celestia’s eyes lessened in intensity, and her face became soft once more ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “I will always love you” she said “No matter what”