Ciderfest BOAS APP Stories: 86?!

by Janicethelight

23. #LongWasTheShadowSheCast

Story
You toss and turn, eyes shut tight despite being aware of your inability to drift off. Finally, you bolt upright, and storm to your door to see what is going on outside.

To your shock, right outside your hotel room is Ponyville in the dead of night, the moon shining high above. Music amped up to 11. Did Pinkie Pie plan a stargazing party?!

Frustrated, you walk over to tell the ponies to quiet down so you can sleep. To your surprise, the entire town is out, enjoying midnight like they usually would a sunny afternoon! "Happy Moondreamer's Midnight!" A pony smiles at you, and gives you a bioluminescent necklace. You notice that every pony is wearing a similar necklace as they talk and laugh.

Every pony seems to enjoy the odd new holiday as you scan the area. Everypony except for Barley. Barley stares into your eyes and nods before walking toward you. "You look confused. Why?”

"Because there's a huge nighttime party?" You half ask, as if it's obvious.

"Yeah, I think it has to do with the two royal sisters. Look!" Barley points.

You blink confusedly, and look over to see Princess Luna smiling at her subjects peacefully. Celestia watches on ecstatically as you walk up. Barley coughs, "Princess. What is going on?"

Celestia looks around, making sure no pony hears before she speaks, "I might have decided that Luna was right! We all celebrated so many things during the day, but nothing at night. I realized it…after she…lost her temper, let's say. I had a wonderful moment though where this came down to me." Celestia shows a page. "And I got a second chance to make it right! Now look at how happy she is!"

Barley takes you back away. "What are we going to do? I've seen Luna before and I have never seen her as happy as she is here, but it changes everything. Do we keep things like this where things seem so much better, or do we bring things back to how they were and not worry for what this could mean?"

[CHOICE]
> (Chaos) Let Luna be happy!
> (Hero) Have Celestia change things back and let her know it won't be forever.

[ENDING A: CHAOS]
You think about it and say "Luna deserves this!"

You smile as fillies laugh and play around the princess of the night. Luna gets up, brushes herself off, and plays hide and seek with the fillies who try to hide among the glowing decorations to blend in with their glowing necklaces. Ponies eat cupcakes frosted with star motifs and moon cakes.

Ponies walk over in small groups to golden star-shaped papers. They spend a moment before hanging their paper up by a string and walking away.

Curious, you and Barley walk up, a filly joining you. She trots over to the stack of papers, taking a quill and thinking. Just before she writes, she turns, as if just noticing your gaze. She lowers the quill and explains "If you write your wish on one of Princess Luna's stars, it might come true!" Before going back to her work of writing.

"Indeed. She very much deserves this. And don't worry, I will keep the page safe." Celestia promises as you and Barley walk off.

(+1 page for Chaos)

[ENDING B: HERO]
You think on it a moment and say, "I know she had a hard life, but it makes her who she is. Changing that DOES change her. She deserves to be her true self!"

Barley nods, "I agree with them. Luna deserves to be the True Luna. With the positives…and the negatives."

You look over to Luna. "It's hard to see her happy knowing we have to make things go back to how they were." You sigh. "But I can promise this. The time she spends getting through the hardships, as awful as they are, help her to empathize with other ponies. she will come out the other side stronger than ever. It will just take time!" You continue.

"If you really feel bad for what you did, then you should make amends, not try to act like it never happened." Barley finishes.

"You're right." Celestia sighs and hands you the pages as an orange light absorbs around you and everything returns to normal.

(+1 page for Heroes)

Author's Note:

I was so excited to give Celestia a chance to change how Luna was treated. Showing she would give Luna her due of she had the chance after realizing how much her sister was hurting just made my heart happy. Hope you enjoy it as well.