Waning and Waxing

by Calliope Pony


Chapter 8

I think I’ve seen Celestia more in the past two months than in the past two years. She’s so excited about this Sun Celebration that she’s practically dancing around the castle. Every morning before I go to bed I hear about what part of the festival they’ll be planning that day. Every evening when I get up I hear about how great the arrangements are going.

Great. Everything’s absolutely great. Everypony loves Celestia and her sun. They can’t wait to celebrate the longest day. They want to celebrate the shortest night... celebrate the least of me.

For the longest time I felt so lonely, and I wanted company. Now I see Celestia every morning and evening, and I wish she would just leave me alone. I’m sick of hearing about this stupid festival.

Why? Why are all the ponies so in love with her and the daytime? Why do they shun the night? Why don’t they care about me?

I’ve done as much for the land and the ponies as Celestia has. I was crowned right alongside her at our coronation. I’ve fought monsters and tyrants. I’ve protected the citizens from danger. I’ve explored the depths of distant forests and caverns. I’ve saved ponies’ lives. Is all that nothing?

Celestia moves the sun, but I move the moon and the stars. Moving the sun and moon came easily to both of us the first time we tried it. Moving the stars is difficult. It took me years of hard work to master it. But nopony cares. All those years of effort to create a beautiful night sky and nopony cares.

I’m just as good as Celestia is! I work just as hard, I can do just as much! Why?! Why don’t they care about me?

“Oh, there you are, Luna!”

Celestia’s coming along the corridor. She’s the last pony I want to see right now, but I keep it together: stay calm, stay composed. I don’t want to talk to her, but she’s already chatting away.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. I wanted to talk about your part in the Celebration. See, we’ve decided that the focal point should be first thing in the morning when I raise the sun. We’re going to set up a stage and a big viewing area so ponies can come and see the actual raising. Then we’ll start the festivities to go all throughout the day.

“And I want us both to be on the stage. It will still be nighttime when the ponies are gathering. We’ll be standing on the stage, and it will start with you setting the moon. Then I’ll raise the sun, and Medley will strike up the band. She’s been working on a beautiful new composition just for the occasion. That will kick off the festivities. Then we’ll have food and games and dancing and everything! I’m so excited, it’s going to be wonderful!”

She’s gushing. I used to find her cheerfulness infectious when she got like this. Now it’s just aggravating.

“We’ve just finished constructing the stage today, though it still needs to be decorated. Do you want to come see?”

Going to see her stupid stage is the last thing I want to do right now, but I can’t come up with a good excuse not to. I don’t say anything; I just follow after her as she heads down.

The stage is set up in the main courtyard at the front of the castle. I’ve seen it under construction when I’ve flown out the past few evenings. Celestia flies over to perch in the very center.

“See, this is where you and I will be standing. Of course, there will be banners and flowers all around so it doesn’t look so plain. And I think we’re going to have some sort of statue or pillar in the center behind us, but I haven’t seen the finished version of it yet. What do you think?”

She turns to look at me so happily and expectantly. What can I say? I think the whole thing is stupid, and I wish her dumb advisors had never come up with the idea. I think ... I think...

“It looks just fine, Celestia.” What else can I say? Celestia doesn’t understand how all this feels to me. No matter what I say, she’ll never understand, so why say anything at all?

“That’s it? Just fine? Well, I admit the stage does look pretty barren right now. It will look much better when the decorations are up. Oh, it’s time.”

She turns to face the sun and lowers it down below the horizon. In turn, I lift up the moon into the sky. I used to feel such joy at moving the moon. I used to feel happy. I remember what happiness feels like. It seems like such a long time ago.