By the way, major props to Mesataki and alpha142 for participating and making such an awesome submission. Thanks guys!
Luna was anxious. She knew she had been forgiven, but it seemed to her that all was not right – like she shouldn’t be addressing someone she once regarded as an enemy. It made approaching Twilight Sparkle somewhat disconcerting. She knew she had to know more about friendship and the magic it inherently held. In it, perhaps she could find some semblance of solace. A refuge from the nightmares that plagued her.
There was a time to wait, and a time to act. Until Twilight Sparkle made her in-person report, she would simply observe and ruminate on the best approach. She had no wish to inconvenience the unicorn or her sister. It was better to let them proceed about their business, and then the ideal time to approach would manifest itself. A bit of patience was all that this required, and if she could survive a thousand years of imprisonment, surely she could stand a few hours.
It was at dawn when Twilight Sparkle arrived. Luna kept watch from the balcony, taking note of the attentive, but strangely at ease canter the unicorn had as she approached the castle. A procession greeted her warmly, some ponies – acquaintances from her previous apprenticeship at the castle, perhaps. There was some brief chatter, and then Twilight Sparkle disappeared into the castle, as did Luna.
“… and everyone at Ponyville has been of great help. It’s a lot of fun, and I’ve learned so much.”
“I am happy to hear it.” Princess Celestia smiled, radiating a presence that could only be met with love and respect. Her sister had always had that sort of effect, and to this very day, Luna was unsure of how she had mastered projecting absolute benevolence into her voice. “Will you honor us by staying for a while? Or would you rather return to your duties back in Ponyville?”
“I’ll stay, Princess.” Twilight Sparkle bowed her head, wearing a small grin. “It’s not often I return to Canterlot. It’s… nostalgic.”
“Then I invite you to enjoy yourself – and remember, the observatory is open for your viewing. I hear Orion is quite visible tonight,” the princess hinted. “You’re dismissed. Make sure to have fun.”
“Thank you, Princess.” The unicorn bowed once more before turning to leave the throne room, and seeing her chance, Luna followed her out.
“Twilight Sparkle – I wish to speak with you,” she called out.
The pony halted in her tracks, and turned around. Recognition lit up in her eyes. “Oh, Princess Luna! Do you need something?” she asked.
“Yes, I…” She paused, suddenly uncertain, but steeling her resolve, she brushed away her anxieties and pushed forward. “I wish to learn more about friendship. I know I only scratched the surface of it at the Nightmare Night festival, but I admit that I have not taken the opportunity to study it more in-depth. I thought it prudent to ask for your help – from one student to another. We could, perhaps, both benefit.”
Surprise. That was the expression that Luna identified on the other pony’s face. “O-Of course, Princess,” Twilight said, finding her voice. “I’d be more than happy to help you. Um, here – let’s take a walk around castle grounds. Just to change up the scenery a little and make things more interesting.”
“For whatever reason?” Luna inquired, unsure of the purpose in discussing in a variety of environments.
“Well…just for fun.”
“Oh.” She remembered fun. There was something pleasing about engaging in the act of it, though she was still at a loss to explain the strange phenomenon derived from simple actions. Who knew throwing fake spiders onto artificial webbing could prove to be so appealing? Perhaps walking while in discourse would have the same effect? “Lead the way, then.”
They entered the cloister, where they followed the encircling path. Bright, happy flowers splashed the central garden, lending to the atmosphere a feeling of gaiety. It was relaxing, pleasing even, to just be there. The sun, hesitant as she was to admit it, was pleasantly warm (though she’d rather the cool serenity of the moon) and the faintest of breezes slipped through the cloister. As bright as her surroundings might be, Luna felt at peace.
“The important thing to know about friends is that they can be described as a safety net.”
Luna frowned, not understanding the meaning. “A safety net? Like the ones oft utilized by acrobats or such similar performers?”
“Think about it. If you’re doing something risky,” Twilight explained, “wouldn’t you want reassurance that if you should slip and fall, disregarding the fact that you have wings, there is something to catch you? It’s always there for the performers, and only the most foolish choose to risk going without a safety net.”
“And they risk the most,” Luna observed sagely. “But what is at risk?”
The question gave Twilight Sparkle some pause, and she seemed to think on it for a moment before coming up with a suitable reply. “Yourself,” she said honestly. “Who are you if you don’t have friends to be yourself around? Without anyone to talk to, how can you be you?”
Luna had an answer to the unicorn’s rhetorical question, and suffice to say, it was less than pleasing. “I understand.”
Realizing the error of her phrasing, Twilight faltered, hastily saying, “I didn’t mean to-”
“It’s quite alright.” But that was a lie. “A description of friendship functioning as a safety net is quite apt, but would that imply them being tools?”
“Well, not quite. Friendship is very complex. To represent it as one object wouldn’t do it any justice.”
“Then I suppose you have more analogies to share?”
Twilight laughed. “More like anecdotes. Do you remember Applejack?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “It was Applebuck Season, and it was up to her to take care of things by herself, but not only that, she also volunteered to help the other ponies with their own tasks. She tried so hard to be everywhere at once that she stretched herself thin, and when push came to shove, she could barely stand.”
“Why would she do that? Work herself down to nothing?” the princess asked.
“That’s the thing with friends. You have to have a desire to help them, it’s just, hers called out a little louder than everyone else’s. While it’s good to give, you should be prepared to accept help. That’s why they’re there.”
This sounded familiar to her. Had she read the letter dealing with the exact morality lesson Twilight Sparkle was speaking of? It was hard to tell, but the letters were vague – sweet, short, and to the point, but lacking in detail. She was curious about the circumstances to Twilight Sparkle’s revelation. “And so what happened?”
“Well…”
The setting changed – suddenly they were walking up a flight of steps leading to the ramparts overseeing Canterlot. It was quite a view – enough to make most feel insignificant, but the sights were not the ones holding their attention. They were enraptured in their conversation, the words passing back and forth easily like a babbling stream. Luna thought she felt a tingling sensation not unlike fun. She hadn’t realized that conversation could be so stimulating.
There was much to learn, and despite the fact she was usually sleeping at this hour, the exhaustion hadn’t quite crept up on her yet. So they spoke and toured for hours on end, one speaking, one listening, and sometimes the roles were switched to keep things ‘interesting.’ Mostly, it was Luna interjecting with syllogistic logic. At times, her assumptions were correct, but Twilight Sparkle often pointed out that friendship at its worst and best was irrational. There is no explanation on how it came to be or why it functioned; it simply did.
There were some questions that couldn’t be answered, and she’d just have to accept the altruistic nature without question. Every individual is focused on gaining something for the self – that’s logical. The one who held the most resources survived at the end of the day. For others to put themselves at a disadvantage for no other reason but to alleviate another’s problems was something she couldn’t quite wrap her head around yet. There seemed to be gain in loss. It was an interesting paradox. She would’ve liked to hear more, but…
The twilight bell sounded, and Luna remembered her duty. “Give me but a moment,” she said. She stretched her wings out, and within one beat, she took off into the sky.
Reared back, horn aglow, the purple of the hazy sky darkened and shifted. The moon was drawn out from the horizon where it took over for the sun, slow but graceful in the arc it led. Stars followed closely, glittering into visibility as the darkness made it possible to appreciate their beauty. The land dimmed under the night sky, but there was a certain type of beauty in the unknown; what sort of taste did it have, and what would be revealed? The day may have been glorious and earnest, but the night was mysterious and serene.
As the moon eased into its intended position, Luna returned to the earth, wings folding close to her body as she landed without difficulty. “I am sorry to have kept you waiting.”
“It was worth the wait,” Twilight said, the words out of her mouth before she could think on it. “The stars, I mean. They’re gorgeous. You know, I’ll be here for a couple of nights. I was thinking about heading to the observatory soon – would you come with me?”
“I would be more than delighted to accompany you,” the princess consented.
“Great – let’s go now!” No sooner did she say that when her stomach suddenly growled. She shuffled nervously, embarrassed. “Oh, erm, it would probably be better if we had dinner first.”
“That would be most prudent; and I admit, I am feeling somewhat peckish.” Luna instinctively turned back towards the dining hall, suddenly realized that they were in the courtyard. How had they gotten from on top of the castle walls to down here without her noticing? Odd. Fun must have some sort of ability to distort time.
The guardsponies stood straight and tall, the slight bow of their head indicative of their respect and loyalty as the pair passed through the main doors. The submissive gesture strangely both pleased and unsettled Luna, though she had difficult in putting her emotions to tangible words. She would have to meditate and reflect later – but for now, she had to satiate the hunger that nibbled at her stomach.
As they entered the dining hall, there were already other ponies taking their place at the long table. Celestia was seated at an ornately decorated throne at the very end. It was not quite as large or resplendent as the one in the throne room, but to say it was anything less than regal would be a severe understatement. To Celestia’s right was another decorated seat, bearing more muted and silvery tones as opposed to other’s golden splendor. Needless to say, the chair was Luna’s, but there was something strange about the placement. Symmetrically, it would have been more appropriate for Luna’s chair to be at the end of the table.
The small dissonance was enough to catch Twilight’s attention, and as they sat down next to each other, she asked carefully, “Is there a particular meaning in the arrangement of the thrones?”
“There is some significance in it, yes,” Luna answered, sampling some of the cinnamon apples laid out on the table. She chewed thoughtfully before swallowing the sweet, fruity food. “I once sat on the opposite end of the table, but after my return, Celestia insisted that I break tradition and take my place at her side. Some scholars and officials feel that the new seating symbolically diminishes my ruling power. Even with the crimes I committed when I…well, they believe the fact that both us are here and at peace means the traditions of old must be reinstated. We were always meant to rule together – and for one to have more influence than the other is something of a travesty to them.”
“But what do you think, your highness?”
“What do I think?” she repeated quietly. She ducked her head to speak privately, her sister in conversation with another pony. “Yes – what do I think? I understand their desire for balance, but…I think my sister is right in her decision. The physical distance between us whilst dining was but one of the many rifts we had in our relationship. To get rid of it and bring me closer was no power play – rather, it was an olive branch. Celestia wishes for us to make amends, as she sees it more important that we are seen as sisters rather than co-regents of Equestria.”
Twilight Sparkle nodded. “Siblings should always be friends,” she agreed before taking a bite out of an apple. “The bond between sisters is more important than any crown. As always, I have faith in my teacher.”
“Your loyalty is commendable,” Luna said solemnly, nodding.
The unicorn smiled. “You’re too kind, princess. Um…may I ask a question? Since it’s your responsibility to raise the moon, did you also control the stars?”
“They are mine, yes,” she admitted. “Constellations are often difficult to form, and not everyone sees it as I do.”
“You made the constellations?” Twilight exclaimed, incredulous from the revelation.
“Well, yes. If controlling them is within my power, then their arrangement is certainly not out of the question. However, it is a difficult task. It requires a tremendous amount of concentration, so I only make them when the occasion suits,” Luna explained. “I haven’t had time nor need to tend to the stars as of late.”
“I never thought…” the unicorn trailed off, her mind working a mile a minute as she realized the startling implications. “That means you would know the legend behind each one. What you could tell us could rewrite the textbooks!”
The alicorn frowned for a moment, before leaning forward to speak with her sister. “You didn’t inform them of the story behind each constellation?”
Celestia regarded her sister fondly, a twinkle of a smile in her gaze. “Of course not – the stars are your domain, are they not? I only took up your duty of raising the moon – the mythos and stars were always wholly yours.”
“Then what of the heroes and heroines of the last thousand years not immortalized?” Other souls surely would’ve answered to the beckon of integrity and duty. Without their image in the skies, how could their valor be remembered?"
“Not all tales are recorded in the stars, little sister. In absence of your art, our subjects have passed along their own stories, preserving memories of the most deserving.” At this, Luna seemed to grimace, as if displeased by something. Ever the diplomat, Celestia elaborated, “But recall that your gift of star-scribing is quite possibly the greatest of honors anypony could have. Your talent – your art – your domain still holds a place in a world of books and newspapers. Never think otherwise.”
A feeling of shame and pettiness washed over her, and the younger sister bowed her head in acknowledgment. “I understand your reasons now, and I thank you for minimizing your control over the night while I was away.”
“It is of no trouble. I trust the two of you are having fun? It is rare to see you out in daylight.”
Luna nodded, the movement deliberate. “It is good to speak with a… friend,” she eased out. To Twilight Sparkle, she asked, “In addition to friendship, could you perhaps describe to me what is it you have learned about constellations and modern theories concerning them?”
“Astronomy?” the unicorn rephrased. “I would love to – I could tell you all about it at the observatory.”
“Good. I am interested to learn how they have been interpreted without their creator to explain.”
“Princess Celestia was right – Orion is particularly bright tonight,” Twilight said as she focused the large telescope onto the cluster of stars. “Is there a story behind Orion, Princess Luna?”
“Hm…” She sat beside the unicorn, face twisting in thought. “I can’t seem to… erm… recall. The account is within my grasp, but for whatever reason, the words will not come to me.”
“You can’t remember?” the unicorn repeated. “Maybe taking a look at the stars will jog your memory.”
“Memories do not jog.”
“It’s a modern expression, princess. It means ‘help you remember.’”
Luna flushed, red tinting her cheeks just lightly. “Of course,” she murmured, recollecting herself. “And I suppose it is worth a try.”
Stepping aside, Twilight Sparkle made room for the alicorn to step up and view the constellation. For a moment, the princess seemed to fuss with the knobs, focusing and refocusing while making the slightest of adjustments. Several ‘hm’s and ‘I see’s sounded from her as she poured over every feature of Orion.
“Three stars in a straight, even line,” she whispered. “Orion’s saddlebelt. And there, his mane.” She pulled back, her face relaxing. “I remember. In the first days of Equestria’s founding, before the rule of Discord, this land was still a wild and dangerous place. My sister and I had been watching for some time, but we had only just started to come into our power, and our parents had forbidden us from interfering in the lives of mortals without their permission. To defend themselves, their friends, and their homes, many ponies rose up and became heroes, and the greatest of these heroes was Orion the Hunter, an earth pony. He lived on the very edge of the wilderness, in the settlement most often threatened by terrible monsters, but his skills were unrivalled, and every attack was repelled.”
Twilight could barely contain her excitement. Early Equestrian history! There weren’t even any books still around from that long ago! “But what about the monsters?” she asked. “What happened to them? Surely they aren’t still around…”
“Nay, Twilight Sparkle,” replied Luna. “They are now safely imprisoned within Tartarus, and guarded by Orion’s hunting hound. They are no longer a threat to anypony.”
“Guarded by Orion’s hunting hound…” mused Twilight. “Wait! You don’t mean Cerberus, do you!?”
“Indeed I do.” Luna couldn’t help but chuckle at the enthusiasm of her sister’s student. Truly, Twilight Sparkle’s thirst for knowledge was insatiable. “Orion was the first to tame Cerberus. If a particular monster refused to leave his settlement alone, Orion would set out on one of his great hunts. Between Orion’s tracking skills and Cerberus’s noses, it was impossible to run or hide for long.”
“Then one day, the settlement received word of an enormous scorpion that had been attacking other villages and had slain many ponies. Upon hearing of the stories, Orion decided that even imprisoning such a beast would be dangerous, both to the other creatures in Tartarus and to his faithful hound, and reluctantly concluded that the beast must be killed. But the scorpion was clever, and knew of Orion’s reputation. It knew that hiding from Orion would be useless, so instead it set an ambush, and when Orion arrived, the scorpion caught him by surprise and landed a mighty strike with its stinger. Even with so great a wound, Orion was still able to tear off the scorpion’s tail and strike it down, but the damage had been done. Orion died shortly afterwards from the creature’s venom. So impressed was I at Orion’s bravery that I decided to immortalize his final battle in the sky. Thus, the constellations of Orion and Scorpius were born, though neither would ever be in the same sky as the other."
Luna paused, a nostalgic smile slowly spreading across her face. "Mother was there when I immortalized them into my sky. It was the first time anyone was there to watch. I have always held a different schedule than most, you see, and life was so much harder then. Most of our parents' time was spent on other duties, which left little time for us." The princess's voice trailed off. She silently stared out into her night sky for a moment, sadness tainting her nostalgia and smile. "They were always mother's favorites after that." Luna sighed, bowing her head. “Why don’t they have their own constellation? Why didn’t I give them one? What was I thinking…?”
The young unicorn sidled up beside the princess, sitting down and giving the alicorn a comforting nudge. Twilight knew that this must be a touchy subject, and it would be better to not inquire further. “It’s okay. Fretting about what happened all those years ago won’t change anything. You can make their constellations now if you wanted to – there’s no rule against that, is there?”
“No. I suppose there isn’t,” she agreed. “Very well – I will strive to recreate the image of the Olde King and Queen. But I suppose you will want to hear more about the other constellations?”
“Are you sure?” Twilight Sparkle asked, worry seeping into her voice.
“Their stories were not meant solely for us. They were meant to be shared with everypony – so yes, I am sure.” Luna sat tall, straightening her back as she eased into a regal posture. “It is a duty entrusted to me, and I will carry it out, regardless of however I feel.”
“But I care how you feel,” the unicorn insisted. “We’re friends.”
Taken back for a moment, Luna was silent. She nodded slowly. “Yes. Friends. I… beg you not to worry about me. I will be fine, and it is actually proving easier to talk to you. Tales were meant to be told, and not all are sad.”
Twilight Sparkle grinned, the expression somehow comforting. “Is the story of Monoceros one like that?”
The smile was infectious. “The Golden Unicorn? Indeed, his story is one of discovery and adventure…”
And so they spoke long into the night, of constellations past and present, and of the stories behind them. Aquila the Brave, the griffin who sacrificed himself in the War of Discord so that the alicorn sisters could achieve victory; Bellerophon the Swift, the pegasus who defeated the terrible Chimera single-hoofedly; Equuleus the Peacemaker, the foal king who forged the first pony-griffin alliance when he was only half Twilight’s age.
Much of this history seemed new to Twilight Sparkle, which surprised the princess. Occasionally during their discussion, the unicorn would dash off in the middle of a thought and return carrying various books. Though the tales within them of the constellations tended to be wildly inaccurate, and widely varied from one book to the next, there was no denying that they all made for excellent stories.
Only when Celestia arrived did Luna realize that she had kept Twilight Sparkle up all night. The younger alicorn began to apologize, but was stopped by her sister, who explained that this wasn’t the first time her student had spent longer than she should gazing at the stars, and she had suspected that tonight would be one of those nights. The solar princess then ordered both of them to bed, reminding Luna that she had also not slept the previous day.
As Luna walked back to her sleeping chambers, she realized she felt…happy. Not like she had felt while during Nightmare Night in Ponyville. That had been fun, and she had enjoyed herself, but this was…different. She was relaxed, comfortable, with none of the dark thoughts that had been clouding her mind of late. She had not felt this way for a thousand years, not since-
Luna quickly suppressed the memory as it started to surface. No. No, this was too perfect a moment to ruin it with her ancient guilt. That was all in the past. She had finally made a friend, she was no longer the pony she used to be, and as the princess of the moon laid down to sleep, she felt sure that tonight her dreams would not be plagued by her ancient doubts and fears.
It was dark. Far darker than it ought to be. Where am I? What is this place?
A glimmer of light caught her eye. As she made her way over to it, she saw the vague outline of a window. Looking out, a beautiful sight met her eyes that she had seen many times before, but had hoped to never see again.
It’s…it’s Equestria…I’m back on the moon! But…how did I get here?
She was in her lunar palace, the place she had been imprisoned for a thousand years. She had built this fortress with her own magic, not out of a need for shelter or protection, but simply to pass the time. She knew every crevice within these halls, yet it seemed so unfamiliar to her.
What happened? Did I…Did Celestia imprison me here again?
“Not yet, she hasn’t,” said a cold voice behind her. Luna spun around, confronting the stranger invading her sanctuary, only to take a step back at the familiar figure in front of her. She could never forget the dark armor, the mantle of stars that was more magical extension than mane, and those cold, slit-pupiled eyes that were still somehow her own.
“Nightmare Moon,” whispered Luna. “But…but how? You should be gone! The Elements of Harmony destroyed you!”
“Destroyed me?” Nightmare’s harsh laughter echoed around the walls. “Dear Luna, have you forgotten already? You were the one who made me who I am. I am the darkness within your heart, a darkness that exists within the heart of every pony. We are one and the same Luna, always have been, always will be. There is no way to destroy me without also destroying yourself.”
Luna only glared at the dark presence. “Then why are you still here? I won’t listen to you anymore, I won’t let your lies corrupt me, I won’t let you control me! I’ve changed!”
“I don’t want to control you, Luna. We are the same soul, after all. I just want to remind you of the cold hard truth of this world, of the things that made you act the way you did a millennium ago. It wasn’t me moving your body and having those thoughts, dear Luna. It was you.”
“None of that matters anymore. Celestia forgave me, I’ve made a friend, all of that is in the past now.”
Nightmare smiled pityingly at her other half. “Oh, they may have forgiven you for trying to bring about eternal night, but no matter what they say, we will never be forgiven for that sin, soul-sister.”
Luna knew what she was talking about, and her eyes widened as she remembered the pain of that moment. “But...but I…”
“That sin will NEVER be forgiven, Luna!” the ebony mare snarled. “We can never be free of it. We SHOULD never be free of it! It is right that we carry this pain, and we must never forgive ourselves for doing the unforgivable! It is too late for us, we have come too far, and we can never change.”
“NO!” screamed Luna, silencing the tirade. There were tears in her eyes as she glared at the dark presence with a mixture of defiance and desperation. “You’re wrong! Even if you are a part of me, I’ll overcome you, I know I can!”
There was a moment of silence. Then, Nightmare Moon snorted in derision as the scene began to fade. “I can see there’s no reasoning with you. Just make sure you understand one thing: I’m not the one you need to overcome in order to change, Luna…you are.”
With that, the obsidian alicorn and the lunar fortress vanished completely, leaving Luna to cry softly to herself in darkness.
And the second chapter is complete. Again, MAJOR props to Mesataki and alpha142 for their hard work and brilliant results.
As for the rest of you, get to work! The third prompt is up, and I’d like to get more than one submission this time!