The moon had just finished rising and the stars were staring to wink into the sky. The princess of the night was sitting in the palace garden.
To anyone observing it would seem that Luna was doing nothing, however this was not the case. Outwardly Luna was staring at a flower picking it apart with her magic as she thought, inwardly she was a torrent of thoughts.
It had been several years since her return as Nightmare Moon, she had finally managed to forgive herself for the pain she had caused and was beginning to master the new inventions and language that had come in her absence.
However has she sat there picking at the flower her thoughts mirrored those from her past. She still was disappointed that the ponies snubbed her night. It made her sad but she was relieved that she was no longer tainted by a hatred or jealousy for those ponies.
Upon her return she had been surprised to discover that ponies now found wonder in her night sky, mapping it and gathering for the cosmic displays that had once been only viewed by her.
Still her night’s potential and beauty had barely begun to be discovered. She wished for some one to share it with, and this was the second thing she had been thinking about. Why should she be the only pony to revel in the beautiful night? Why could ponies live in the night as they did in the day, however her thoughts were different than those of her time as nightmare moon, she no longer wish for night to last forever but for it to be relished during it’s time.
She rose suddenly plucking the final petal off of her flower and tossing the stem into the bushes. She strode into the castle hall walking along its marble floor, until she reached the door she wanted.
As she entered the white alicorn inside turned from what she was doing. “Oh hello Luna, I was hoping I would see you before I retired for the night.” Celestia said putting down the brush she had been using and turning to her younger sister. Luna walked across the room grabbing a pillow from a pile and sitting down next to her sister. Celestia’s wing automatically surrounded her.
There was silence for a while as the two alicorn sisters sat together, when Luna spoke it was with the voice of a small filly. “Tia, I want to share my night.”
Celestia said nothing and waited for her sister to continue. “I have been thinking, ponies don’t have to be awake during the day. Not that they shouldn’t” Luna added hurriedly, not wanting her sister to think she was once again shunning the day.
“It’s just..” Luna hesitated trying to find the words. After a moment Luna gave up and just blurted it out. “I want to make a colony, a place where ponies sleep during the day and frolic in the night, my own city to rule and to share my wondrous night with those who share a love for it.” Luna waited for her sisters reply, Celestia didn’t speak for several moments. “She is trying to find a proper way to tell me no.” Luna thought preparing to mope.
When Celestia spoke it was with a small smile “Luna, I am glad you are taking an interest in sharing your night in such a way. I think it is a wonderful idea.”
Luna sat for a moment with one thought on her mind “Thou says what?” Luna spoke slipping into the old speech as she often did when exited surprised or angered.
Celestia giggled. “I think it would be good for you to have some ponies to rule over and not just their dreams. I think you should pursue this idea, and if you are willing I would like to help you.”
Luna did not move for a second. Then she wrapped her hooves around her sister’s neck and gave a squeal of joy.
As Aurora paced in her and her brothers small room, Sprocket lay on his bed watching his sister go back and forth. It wasn’t fair, why should she and her brother be unable to enjoy the festivities of a family night at the community center just because they had no parents. She had her brother and he had her, they were a family.
It had been eight years since Starry Aurora and her twin brother Sprocket Watch had been orphaned when their parents had died in a wagon accident. They had only been two and had since found shelter at Clipcrest town orphanage.
Normally healthy foals as them would have been adopted within months, how ever not many families were interested in twins especially ones like them.
Aurora was a firmly built unicorn filly with short midnight blue fur and a slightly darker mane and tail. Her eyes were gold and her mane and tail were speckled with tiny white dots.
Sprocket was a stocky young Pegasus colt, his brown coat complimented by a almost blond brown mane which descended down his neck neatly.
The two were inseparable, they argued sure, being a brother and sister it came with the territory, but when they were faced with separation even with something small like school. To put it simply no one succeeded with out being driven mad in the process.
Sprocket was nodding off, he had been awake all day and was ready for some well deserved sleep. However his sister’s pacing was keeping him awake, he knew better than to try to get her to sleep. She was a thinker and she thought best when she was she was moving, or when she was staring at the stars. Sprocket preferred to use his hooves rather than his head, not that he wasn’t clever, he got A’s and B’s, he just usually let Aurora do what she did best and be the brains.
“Do you even care?” Aurora asked suddenly dragging Sprocket into her turmoil.
“Uh yeah, yes I care very much” the colt replied caught off guard, he had forgotten what his sister was thinking about a while ago. She was always thinking about something, she often got bugged about things Sprocket did even get. She was a girl after all.
“You have no clue what I’m talking about do you.” Aurora said giving him that look that implied that her genius was being dragged down by a incompetent accomplice.
”And there is the twin telepathy working against me.” Sprocket thought “Rory it’s almost lights out, can’t it wait until tomorrow, like when your with your friends at school.”
Aurora just rolled her eyes, she was used to her brothers lack of enthusiasm. She knew he had a point, there was no point in thinking about something in the past. It was just part of her nature, she couldn’t stop thinking about something until she had it fully worked out. Sometimes she envied her brothers ability to just put things behind him, then again he couldn’t remember everything he had ever read, something she could do with relative ease.
The little filly stopped pacing, instead she plopped down on a cushion by the window and began to stare at the stars. Sprocket waited a moment to make sure his sister had completely zoned out before inching off his bed and reaching the three feet to the light switch.