What secrets hold the stars?

Luna awoke to hear the bells chime midnight. This was not unusual. She looked up at the ceiling, thinking of a dream she'd had a while ago. Slowly, as if in a trance she got out of bed, put on her slippers and stepped out onto her balcony and looked out across Equestria.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the cool night air. She could hear nothing. Nothing but the breeze slowly wrapping itself around her and kissing her closed eyes and gently willing her back to sleep. She felt so alone, so lonely and sad. But she also felt as if she could stay her forever and melt away into the night, without anyone ever missing her or ever realizing she had ever been there at all – finally free, as if something had had her in a cage and this was her chance to escape. It was a glorious feeling, so at peace, and so calm.

She looked up into the sky, and wondered what secrets the stars held, what things they had seen all these nights, and how nopony would ever know nor probably care. Then she looked up to the moon, and felt tears prick her eyes as she remembered her time spent on the moon. How she had hated her sister, and all of those ways she had thought of to get revenge! If only there was some way to go back in time and do everything over again. She would never have treated her sister the way she had if only she'd known how much her sister had cared for her and missed her those many years she had been banished. She felt a tear run down her cheek, and thought of her sister in bed sleeping so peacefully, so beautiful and pure, surely her night was beautiful if such a lovely pony as her sister could sleep in it. At least she saw that now, she thought.

She looked across the land, and thought of all the other ponies sleeping now. She thought of the troubled ponies, and what an oasis of calm and peace sleep must be to them. She thought of the mothers, and what it must feel like kissing their foal goodnight, and leaving their room remembering what they had done today, and what things they would get up to tomorrow. And then she thought of all the ponies who wouldn't have to sleep alone tonight, the ones with husbands and wives who go through each day together, who have each other for comfort. Then she turned her mind to all of the ponies who loved her; her sister, and Cadence who saw her as one. She thought fondly of little Flurry Heart asleep in her cradle, sucking her hoof, and how whenever she and Celestia visited, she could make her smile when her sister could not.

She took another deep breath of the calm night air and thought about her sister. What would she be thinking about now? Was she dreaming? And when she awakens, what will her first thought be? Would the think of me? She pictured her beautiful sister asleep, and felt the urge to go to her room to look in on her and check that she really was real, and not just something that Luna had imagined out of want of an older sister.

Then she had a feeling of remembering something that she hadn't ever remembered before. She saw herself as a young foal, watching her sister eating breakfast one morning, using her magic to lift a silver spoon to her mouth to take mouthful after tiny mouthful of her breakfast, and how her own magic wasn't strong enough yet to lift a spoon so she had to eat it straight from the bowl. How much more of a princess was her sister. She remembered thinking that at the time, and she wondered what had made her remember that after all these years.

She moved away from her balcony, taking one last look across Equestria, and felt her eyes fill with tears again. These were not tears of happiness, but they were the tears of a sad and lonely young pony who had looked out across this land the night of her sister's coronation, remembering how everypony had danced, and sung, and how the new princess had laughed and danced with them. Nopony had said a word to Luna. She had just stood beside her sister when she had been told to, and retreated into the shadows as she looked on in jealous rage at the much beloved sister of the beautiful and glorious daytime, while she, the princess of the night, had been as good as ignored. She felt so tired and lonely.

Crying, she ran to her sister's bedroom and looked at her lying in bed. How much she loved her! Stirred from her sleep, Celestia sat up, and looked over at Luna standing by the door. Luna ran over and hugged her sister, and in between sobs told her how much she loved her. Celestia looked at her sister in surprise, and hugged her back and assured her that whatever was wrong would soon be alright, if she would just tell her what was the matter? Luna said that nothing was wrong, everything was right, just so perfect and lovely that she felt she couldn't be worthy of it. Celestia and Luna hugged each other and then they sat in bed and talked about when they were foals and how they had made their poor mother and father so very frustrated sometimes! And how they had fought of the cold and snow together at Flurry Heart's Crystalling, and how they always stand together in times of danger.

The breeze gently blew a window open, and went to Luna, telling her that she was real, and that she had everything she would ever need, and how she need not worry because her sister would love her forever. Slowly Luna fell asleep in her sister's embrace, and Celestia looked at her, and wondered too, whatever she could've done to deserve such a lovely little sister, and how glad she was that she could comfort her and be there for her, and how she could always looks to Luna when she was in trouble. She revelled in the feeling of such maternal affection, and went to sleep.

Author's Note:

This story was written by my sister, Candlestitch, with my assistance, but she doesn't have an account and thus asked me to upload it for her. All comments, complaints and constructive criticism shall be passed onto her.