Twilight gets stung by a bee (and other short stories)

by GrouchoMarxDisciple


The Dust Beneath My Feet (Sad)


The cold never quits. It doesn't matter where you stand, the sun could be brightly shining, the rays shooting warmth into the barren wasteland of a prison, and the cold doesn't leave. The Darkness doesn't let up, it doesn't subside. Cold is a part of life in this cell, the brightest sun flare does not illuminate the moon.

My moon.

Do you feel it? That is the empty abyss that is nothingness. You smell nothing, no more flowers or pies or perfumes. You feel nothing, no warm summer evening's breeze, no sweet time of respite after a long night. There is nothing to taste but the dust beneath your hooves, no grass or confections will touch your lips again.

You have your sight, I suppose. You can look up at the Earth, down at the precious ponies who rejected you. Your vision is superb, always has been, and with the aid of the moon's gentle illumination you can see the calm tranquility of a sleeping foal. Does it make you miss your own sleep, during the day? Did you sleep as calmly?

I know that look on your face. You are ignoring me, but you know you can't do it for long. We have lots of time to ourselves now, my dear, You can't hold out forever. Every mare has a breaking point.

I don't know why this is news to you. You snapped once. Almost succeeded, too. But now, in defeat, you cower into your precious moon, you hide your face and pretend I don't exist.

But Woona, I do exist.

I am you, and you cannot deny that. You can pretend, sure, like you did for hundreds of years, but you can't hide from me forever. The passion for your night fuels your hatred of your sister, and that gives you power.

You like the line in the sand? I didn't draw it, your sister did. You sister and her sun. I, personally, think it adds a sort of dynamic glamor to the otherwise barren landscape. A light side and a dark side, the two never changing. You see, there are really two different moons, they exist entirely independently of each other.

On your side, the moon is a slave to the sun, merely reflecting the few scraps of light Celestia can spare for the night. It can't stand on its own, it is a backup singer, a nightshift flunky, a simple mirror of the overpowering sun.

On my side, the moon is free. The darkness of the moon answers to no pony, and no pony can overshadow the biggest shadow in the sky. Here the moon is its own entity, the sun and it's rays can't reach us here. We shine the brightest in a sunless sky.

Do you feel the emptiness? The sheer nothingness, devoid of air, warmth, food, or even stories and dreams? Do you miss your sister? Your sister, the one who never gave you your due, who took all the glory for her day? The one who left your night forgotten? You mean to tell me that you love her more than you love me?

Let's stop, for a moment, and make a list. Your sister versus me. Let's do a comparison, see who really loves you. I promise it will be quite... illuminating.

Your sister relegated you to the evening, made you the "other princess", forced you into the shadows. I made you into a star, gave you the power to make your own name, let you take your passions to the next level, I helped you display your beautiful, mystical night for everypony to appreciate.

Your sister made you weak, limited your power to make you a simple sidekick. I gave you power to surpass your sister's, to make you the hero, to give you a shot at being loved by everypony else.

Your sister rejected you, imprisoned you on the moon, has not checked on you for at least 300 years. She has probably forgotten you by now. Your legacy has been stolen, Woona. She controls both the day and the night, I know you can sense it. But Woona, she is the princess of the day. She doesn't care about your night, about your moon.

It appears she doesn't care about anything on your moon, either.

But I, Princess Luna, I love your night. The beauty, the splendor, the mystery of a midnight sky scape is much more beautiful than a few obnoxiously fluffy clouds in the day. The darkness of the night brings with it an eldritch mystery, a mystique only seen by those who can look past the all-consuming light pollution of the sun. The stars come out at night, Luna. They are greater than a thousand suns.

So here I am, standing on the other line of the stand. Simply inviting you to come stand with me, to come to the free side, to embrace the cold rather than clinging to what faded rays the sun pretends to spare.

Come with me, Luna. Together we can make the night something to remember. I am not like your sister, Luna. She ignores you, subjugates you, and pretends you don't exist unless it is convenient.

I appreciate you, Luna, Mistress of the Night. I respect you, Princess of the Shadows.

I love you, milady. I will serve you until Tartarus freezes over.

You are tired of feeling nothing. So am I. I am tired of getting nowhere. So are you. I know it looks grim right now, but there is a bright side to our entrapment here. Listen to me carefully, because I am going to give you the opportunity of a lifetime. In 700 years time, a Lunar Eclipse will happen. For a few, short moments, your moon will overpower her sun. With that eclipse comes the chance to escape. She can't continue to hold us down while her sun is blocked. We can begin preparations now, if your wish. Your sister will never know what hit her, when you and I strike.

Take a step onto my side of the moon, and become a Star, my liege. Together, we shall reshape the world.