//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Lights of the Past // Story: Muffins for Luna // by Feenkatze //------------------------------// Luna sat on her bed, looking up from Scarlet’s Sweet Secret for the hundredth time to take a glance at the clock. It was three in the afternoon. She sighed and thought about looking up that time manipulation spell that she knew was somewhere in Starswirl’s collection of forbidden spells. Then she shook her head and went back to the book, deciding that it wasn’t worth the temporal disintegrity. The reason for her impatience was of course that she wanted to go and meet up with Derpy. As she thought of her friend, a smile crept onto Luna’s face. Closing her eyes, she could almost hear her voice and feel the warm touch of her embrace. Luna remembered waking up in her bed this morning, snuggled up to the other mare. It would have been the appropriate thing to do, Luna thought in retrospect, to offer Derpy a bed in one of the guest suites, but that idea had not occurred to her in her tiredness. Not that Derpy had minded. And she? She had to think about it the entire day. There was an unreasonable level of satisfaction in cuddling with her, and it was the same with the hugs they shared. Maybe, she thought, she was just in need of physical contact after being isolated on the Moon for such a long time. Just for the comfort of feeling somepony’s warmth. That seemed to be a logical explanation. Luna looked at the clock again, but the minute hand had only moved a small fraction, while her book was still opened at the same page it had been half an hour ago. Rubbing her eyes, she decided to put it away. Those books Twilight had given to her were quite insightful, and she did enjoy reading them, but today she just couldn’t focus. Perhaps Derpy wouldn’t mind if she showed up a little early. She made her way down the streets, fighting back the urge to rush and soar over the roofs. Only slowly, the majestic buildings of Canterlot passed by. Luna wasn’t familiar with the address Derpy had told her to pick her up at, but she had asked a guard for directions, and apparently, it was in the Old Trade District. Luna had been there a couple of times, searching the antiquarians for some of her favorite books, though that quest had ended in disappointment. It seemed like the only copies that were left of them were in the library of the old castle, but she hadn’t dared set hoof there since her return. Luna passed the market and followed a rusty street sign into Pepper Street. It was paved with old, uneven cobblestone, and she had to watch her step to avoid tripping over the bumps. The house with the number she was looking for was a three-story building to the left, with a facade that looked like it might have been colorful once, even though Luna couldn’t make out which color that might had been. The labels on the buttons were unreadable, but Derpy had told her to ring the second from the bottom. As she did, steps emerged from inside, pacing down the stairs, then a shriek, followed by a short silence and a thump. A few seconds later, Derpy opened the door, brushing dust from her shoulder. “Luna! I was –” Not giving Derpy time to complete her sentence, Luna entangled her in a tight embrace. Derpy didn’t protest, instead getting up on her hindlegs and wrapping her forelegs around Luna’s neck. “Luna? You alright?” “Yes.” She squeezed Derpy for a second, before forcing herself to let go of her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to overwhelm you.“ “Don’t worry. I like hugging you.” Derpy beamed at her and rubbed her neck against her chest, which send a warm tingle down Luna’s spine. How did she do that? How did she make her feel like this? “Derpy …” Luna felt like saying something. She was so grateful that Derpy was her friend, and she wanted to let her know how special she was to her. But she couldn’t think of words that sounded quite right in her head, so instead, she just nuzzled the mare’s head. “I hope it's alright that I'm this early?” she asked. “Actually, I was waiting for you! We can go if you want.” Derpy bumped against Luna’s side, shooting her the smile that she loved so much. Luna smiled back and nodded. “Let us.” They spent most of the remaining day at the Castle, sitting on Luna’s balcony and talking. Derpy loved the view up there. She could see half of Canterlot and far over the Southern Plains. Even Ponyville was visible on the verge of the horizon. After the night had fallen over the land, they went to have some muffins in a fancy dining hall downstairs. Two plates of food and one broken mug later, Derpy let out a sigh of contentment, licking at a few drops of sauce that were stuck on her nose. The royal kitchen staff was good, that much she had to admit. Maybe not as good as Sugarcube Corner, but hey, who was? As she looked up, she caught Luna’s gaze. Derpy could have sworn that the Princess hadn’t taken her eyes off of her for one second. Not that she minded – she herself liked to have at least one eye remain on Luna at all times. Luna blinked and turned her gaze away. “Did you enjoy your meal?” “Yes, that was so good! You totally got me back for the muffins at Sugarcube Corner!” “I believe I did. What do you want to do next?” “Hm … we could go fly a little. I love flying at night!” Luna nodded an agreement and got up, leading Derpy outside through a slim door. Their coats brushed against each other ever so slightly as they walked next to each other into a small yet elaborate garden which had been arranged in an inner yard. A spiral path went through banks of sweet-smelling flowers, and slim trees were planted in pairs, one to each side of the path, their crowns merging into neat little arcs decorated with magical lights. Derpy looked up, and Luna followed her gaze. The sky was crystal clear, revealing thousands of stars twinkling down at them. “There is a place …” Luna began, shuffling her hooves. “Yes?” “It holds unwelcome memories for me, which is why I haven’t been there in a long time. But tonight, I feel strong. Also, it bears something that I would like to show you.” “We can go there if you want.” “It is quite a flight, though, so if you don’t feel up to it, that is alright.” “I’m a mailmare, remember? I can fly all day and all night.” Luna smiled. “Then follow my lead.” Derpy followed the Princess as she took off into the night. They rose high above the castle, until the lights of Canterlot lay spread out below them like fluorescent confetti, which Derpy thought was the coolest thing ever. She had to flap her wings rapidly to keep up with Luna's ascent, chasing the white crescent Moon on her rump that shone through the night. Only as she leveled out and Derpy entered her slipstream could she relax a little. They leaned into a gentle turn towards the mountains. Small streams of air washed over the rocky surface, quietly whistling into the night. From what Derpy could tell, they were on course for the Everfree Forest. A small hint of worry crossed her mind. It was a dangerous place for a pony to go, especially at night. But she quickly dismissed that, trusting that Luna could keep them safe. After flying for about an hour, Derpy heard something that sounded like the beating of giant wings in the distance. She looked back, but in the darkness she couldn’t see a thing. Had her senses tricked her? No, there it was again: a faint pounding somewhere behind them. “Did you hear that?” “That is just a dragon.” “A dragon?” She heard Luna chuckle in the dark. “They must be curious about us – I would presume that not many ponies advance this far into this territory.” “You’ve met dragons before, haven’t you?” “Indeed. Since my return I haven't been to Draconia once, but back in the day, I used to correspond with their kind quite regularly.” Derpy shot another glance back, but there was still only the darkness of the night. “What are they like?” “The ones I know are smart talkers, but they are politicians, so that’s to be expected. Very proud of their heritage. It is said that it is easier to talk a mountain into moving than a dragon, so stubborn are they, but in fact that is only half true. With patience, you can form strong bonds with them that surpass generations, and they are now loyal allies of ours.” Derpy kept her ears open, but the dragon seemed to lose interest in them, the sounds of wing beats ceasing in the distance until they were finally gone. After perhaps another twenty minutes, Luna began to descend, until they could almost touch the treetops with their hooves. Before them, in the light of the Moon, Derpy could identify the silhouettes of giant halls and high towers. “Derpy, my dear … I present to you the Castle of the Two Sisters, residence of my sister and mine until a thousand years ago. Or, to be exact, the remains of it.” They landed in front of a large gate, and Luna created an orb of warm magical light that hovered before them, illuminating the entrance to the ruins. Derpy stuck as close as possible to her as they entered the building. She really didn’t want to get lost in here. Faint beams of moonlight fell through the damaged ceiling onto loose bricks and debris. Derpy lifted her head to take a look at it, peeking through the cracks at the night sky. “For a thousand years this in a pretty good condition,” she remarked. “Spells lie on this structure to protect it from any harm time may inflict on it. The damage that you see –” Luna pointed at the ceiling “– is my doing. Here was where I fought my sister, after my … my transformation into Nightmare Moon.” Luna’s breath was sharp, and she shivered as she spoke those words. Derpy gently leaned against her side, letting her know that she was there for her. “I wished to overthrow her,” Luna whispered, “and make the whole of Equestria mine. The Sun … the Sun should hath never been gazed upon in the skies again. For there could only be one princess, one ruler over this land, and that princess …” She stopped, unable to finish that sentence. Before Derpy could do anything, Luna stepped off, and Derpy hurried to catch up, following her into a grand hall. Here, the destruction was the most visible: the ground was covered with chunks of stone, and the ceiling was all but completely gone. “I can see her,” Luna whispered, carefully reaching out a hoof towards an empty spot on the floor. “I can see my sister lying here, injured by my attack.” She stepped back. “I was a monster.” Derpy could smell tears. Carefully, she wrapped her hooves around Luna. “I thought that my sister was weak,” Luna continued. “That I could defeat her by letting the dark magic of the Nightmare into my heart. But it was I who was weak. I know that now.” “Luna, trust me: you’re the greatest, strongest, most wonderful pony I know.” Luna squeezed her tight, and for a while they just remained like that, relishing in the warmth and comfort they had to offer to one another. “Alright,” Luna finally said, breaking the contact. “I did not come here to dwell on past mistakes. I wanted to show you something – something from the older, happier days.” She headed towards the back of the hall, passing two massive stone thrones growing out of the floor. As they approached the corner, a door came into sight, hidden behind a pillar. Luna opened it and sent her magical light forwards, revealing a staircase that led into the basement. “Mind the trick steps,” she warned. “It’s the fourth and seventh.” Derpy followed her down the stairs and counted. One, two, three, … big step! Five, six, sev– she felt a grip of magic lifting her over the seventh step. Panting, Derpy tried to regain her balance. Luna snickered. “Don’t worry, none of these traps are harmful. They’re mostly for fun. Tia and I would make a game out of it, installing traps and not telling each other.” She sighed. “I miss those times.” Arriving at the bottom, they went through a narrow hallway. A wall appeared in the darkness in front of them, and Derpy was about to ask Luna if it was a dead end, but then she saw her horn glowing. Luna inserted it into a hole that Derpy hadn’t noticed in the dark, and the wall lit up in blue light, turning into a heavy stone door that slid open silently. “Don’t worry,” Luna said as she stepped forwards, “you can come closer – I wouldn’t install traps in my own rooms.” Derpy followed her, still hesitant. She could feel that this place was important to Luna. It was a part of her, her very personal sanctuary. The room had the shape of a circle. Bookshelves covered at the walls, and the floor was crammed with a loose assortment of chests and scrolls. On a velvet pillow rested a set of gemstones, none of which were smaller than a pony’s head. “Gems are the highest gifts a dragon could give to anypony,” Luna explained. “What you see here is the fruit of diplomatic efforts that have taken many a pony’s lifetime.” Luna left Derpy to admire the stones, navigating through piles of scrolls towards the other side of the room. “It should be somewhere around here … ah, there we are.” Luna swept some scrolls off a particularly large chest. As Derpy stepped closer, she noticed a faint glow escaping it. Gently, the Princess stroked its top, before lifting the whole chest up with her magic. “We should take this to the top of my old tower before opening it.” They left the chamber, and with her magic, Luna sealed the door behind her. “Remember, trick steps,” she reminded Derpy as they climbed the stairs, just in time for her to jump over them. They crossed a few corridors, the chest floating in front of them. Finally, they reached the tower, climbed up the spiral staircase, and stepped outside onto a platform. Luna put the chest on the ground and sat down, gazing up into the sea of stars. Derpy followed her example. She could hear Luna breathe slowly and calmly next to herself, and was just about to rest her head on her shoulder when a movement went through Luna’s body. “I haven’t done this for so long …” Luna murmured, half to herself, before unlocking the chest with her magic. The mystical light intensified, growing brighter still as she opened the box. Slowly and very carefully she lifted something out of it, something so bright that Derpy had to cover her eyes with a hoof at first. “Is this what I think it is?” “This is a star, my dearest. Not always have they been in the sky. It is only by my power they have found their place.” Luna levitated it towards her. A bit scared, Derpy sat still and looked at it. From this close, it didn’t seem as bright anymore, and in fact the surface turned dark and patchy. It was small, no bigger than a tiny marble, but she couldn’t tell if it was made out of stone, crystal, or something else. “Can I touch it?” “Sure, go ahead.” Stretching out a hoof, Derpy moved closer, half expecting to be burnt or struck by lightning or something like that. But when she touched the surface of the object, it was cold and smooth. A quiet sound appeared in the air. The star darkened and revealed a pattern of small bumps, much like the surface of boiling water, polished and glowing weakly. “A star’s glow is stronger the colder and darker it is,” Luna explained. “At day their light fades, but after the Sun has set they send it wide across the sky.” She levitated the star away from Derpy, and it became brighter again. “I found them in a place that is now forgotten, when I was very young. Nopony knows where they came from, but I like to think that the Ancients made them, for some purpose that has been lost with them.” The stone rose up into the sky, its blinding light fading in the distance, more and more, until it was just a star among all the others. Derpy followed it with both eyes. She had goosebumps all over. Luna raised more stars into the sky, until they formed a stream of light, spiraling upwards and piercing the darkness of the night. As they found their place, they seemed to connect, thin blue lines flashing between them before they finally came to rest and fit into the picture. “Constellations,” Luna whispered softly. “It’s time to draw a new one.” Derpy sat there and watched her arranging more and more stars. Luna’s face looked calm as she worked, and in complete harmony. The thread of rising stars was cut off soon though. The last lights found their place, and a couple of misty galaxies gave the finishing touch to the newly created piece of the night sky. Derpy heard the sound of wood closing up with wood, and looked back down. The only light that remained was the faint glow from the closed chest. Looking up again, she could almost see the connections, the single lights forming one big picture in front of her. It was not the largest formation in the sky, but it was still a masterpiece. Belts of stars crossed each other, and small clusters decorated some of the corners. It was funny how the galaxies that lay in between the lines looked almost like – Wait. Did they look like sprinkles? “It’s a muffin!” Luna giggled, moving closer to Derpy. “Back in the day it would take astronomers years to figure out a new constellation. But you’re right: this is Muffin.” She draped a wing around Derpy, allowing her to cuddle into her soft coat. “I wanted to thank you,” she said. “Before I met you I was lost … I did not know how to cope with all the pain in my heart. But now I feel brave, as if there was nothing I could not do just as long as you are with me. So I made this for you. I understand that you like it?” “Like it? That’s not even – it’s beautiful! Maybe the second most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my entire life!” “Only the second?” Luna asked in mock dismay. “Is there anything more beautiful than the stars of my night sky?” “You are, Luna.” It took a moment before Luna said anything. “Derpy …” The faint light of the Moon was barely enough to read Luna’s eyes, but Derpy knew what they were saying. Maybe she had known all along. She leaned forwards until she could feel Luna’s breath on her nose. “You are sweeter than all the muffins in the world,” Derpy said, “and I love you.” She wanted to go on and tell Luna that she wanted to be with her forever; how she loved it when they hugged or even just sat next to each other and that she thought about her all the time … In the end, she didn’t get to say any of these things, because Luna made a cute noise, and then Derpy’s world tumbled over as she was hit by the full weight and ardor of an alicorn princess. “I love you too.”