The Lonely Gods of Equestria

by The Diplomat

Day and Night

THE LONELY GODS OF EQUESTRIA

by Deadpony

Princess Luna started working on the sky, as she did every night since her return. While her sister had been able to raise both the sun and the moon during Luna's 'absence', the night she brought forth would be somewhat bland; as the stars didn't seem to shine as brightly as they should. It was a fact: Celestia never could weave the tapestry of the cosmos, just as Luna couldn't bring light to the world. It was like fitting a circular item within a square hole: the circle would fit but it wouldn't fill the entire space, making the shape incomplete and unnatural.

And so, after the sun had set and the moon had been raised, Luna worked on her night. She would keep constellations aligned, maintain the moon's trajectory and occasionally throw in a shooting star to shake things up. When she was sure that the moon would stay on its path, she gave a content huff and turned around. As usual, nopony was there.

Even though she was used to it, it wasn't a nice feeling to know that most ponies enjoyed the day more than the night. Even though she was very grateful to those who appreciated the night the way she did, she felt as though her work could use a little more praise. And then some.

"What's the point of doing my best to create a beautiful sky every night if there's no one around to see it?" she said aloud.

As expected, nopony replied. This only made her sadder, as she craved for company. Being stuck on the moon for a thousand years didn't help one's social skills, and she was often seen talking to herself. This was a habit she had picked up on the cold rock, in order to keep what little sanity she had left alive.

And whether she lived in the olden days or the modern world, when she did encounter somepony, they would either be too formal or too afraid to see her for what she was: a pony like the rest. 'Give them time and they will get used to you' Celestia would say. But Luna had waited so very long; lifetimes for the average pony, and she was so very tired of waiting.

"Then again...regular ponies wouldn't survive 5 seconds on the moon," she muttered.

She would look at the issue from any angle possible, and still see only one outcome: she was different. Regular ponies did not possess both the ability to fly and use magic. Regular ponies did not live to see their best friend's great-great-grandchild attend the Grand Galloping Gala. Regular ponies would lose their mind if they saw what she had seen during her life. Still, it was nice to pretend.

She looked around her room, as if there was anything else to look at other than furniture and other pointless material possessions. No, what she wanted was something immaterial, yet so precious: friendship, maybe even love. She would give anything just to have somepony pat her on the back and say "good job", as they gazed upon her creation. And then they would cuddle, he would breathe in the scent of her mane, and she would let his hoof travel all over her-

She shook her head quickly, dismissing any other inappropriate thoughts that usually left her hot and bothered.

"I need to get out of here, now," she grumbled.

Spreading her wings, she took off into the sky and stared at nothing in particular, wandering around with nothing to do.
She enjoyed being in the castle, as it was her home and the only place she got to socialise with the few ponies that were up at night. Still, living on the moon had left her used to wide open spaces, and claustrophobia was an issue that reoccurred from time to time in her daily life. Even that thought annoyed her.

"I can't even step into my own bathroom without leaving the door open," she muttered,"And that expression, 'daily life', what is the deal with that? Can't anypony say 'nightly life'? Of course they can't, since the majority of them are asleep at the time!"

She stopped flying for a moment, and calmed herself down. It was that kind of attitude that landed her on the moon in the first place. She decided to land on a hill in order to sort out her thoughts. When she still couldn't find peace, she decided that the answer wasn't going to be found in her head, but out of it.

"Thinking outside the box, as they now say," she chuckled.

Her eyes searched the landscape until they found the quiet little town of Ponyville. She smiled at the sight: it was the only place outside of the castle where she could be herself, like a home away from home. She took off once again, and flew towards another hill that overlooked her objective. She landed, and gazed upon the quiet town.

It was, as expected, still and peaceful. The only sources of light were coming from street lanterns and a few houses, including the great tree that was the Ponyville Library. Luna smiled once more: rain or shine, day or night, Twilight Sparkle would be working, earning the title of Princess Celestia's Protégé.
Luna decided to observe, and made herself invisible. Although it was a very difficult spell to master, she and her sister were more than capable of doing so. She quietly flew up to the balcony and looked through the window. There she was, the little purple unicorn, amidst a sea of parchments and books, taking notes about various subjects.

Even though she was an alicorn and the embodiment of the night, she was impressed by her sister's protégé. Twilight Sparkle, along with her friends, had been able to rid the world of Nightmare Moon: a form given to Luna by a very powerful and ancient entity, older than the princess herself. And it didn't stop there: from defeating the embodiment of chaos to guiding Cerberus itself back to the gates of Tartarus, that little unicorn always prevailed.

Luna realised she was staring, and snapped out of her trance. Watching the young mare work hard in order to earn Celestia's approval made Luna want an apprentice of her own, to whom she could teach everything there was to know about the stars, the moon, and the rest of the world. All of that, and so much more. However, the student could teach the master the simpler things in life. Friendship, his or her regular life, how to deal with feelings, and many other simple yet important notions.

An owl hooted loudly and startled both Twilight and Luna, almost ending the invisibility spell she had cast on herself. The creature seemed to be able to sense her presence, and was flying towards the balcony. This time, Luna was impressed with the ability animals had to sense things ponies couldn't. Even though they couldn't talk, animals had a lot to say.

"What is it, Owlicious? Do you want to go outside?" asked Twilight.

"Well, I think it's time to go now," whispered Luna.

And with that, she teleported herself back to her hill and gave a little laugh. The small thrill of getting caught was a fuzzy feeling that left her giddy. Her mind brought her back to the subject of having an apprentice. She would teach him and he would teach her, and they would grow closer.

"In every single sense of the word if I get kinky," she giggled.

If not, they would still form a bond as strong as the one Celestia and Twilight shared. They could even be friends at some point, and they would-

She paused, and a wave of sadness swept over her. She was going to think about growing old with him, until she realised she would be attending his funeral in the end. Even though alicorns were gifted with powers and longevity, Luna saw this as a curse. She wanted to grow old, to live a regular life full of friendship, love, sorrow, anything and everything that came with being normal. She curled into a ball and started shaking. She didn't want to die, but she wanted this life to end.

"I knew I would find you here."

Luna bolted up, wings flared and horn prepared to fire, until she realised who had spoken. Princess Celestia stood there, unfazed by her sister's attitude. Under the moonlight, Celestia's coat gave a soft glow that could be compared to the one coming from the moon, and her multicoloured mane seemed to float even slower than usual. The only thing that didn't change was her eyes: eyes that had seen so much, maybe too much, and that could go from soft and kind to deadly and terrifying in an instant. Eyes that Luna shared.

"What if I did not want to be found?" muttered Luna, lying down on the grass.

"I'm sure that's true," replied Celestia, sitting down next to her.

They sat there, enjoying their surroundings, until Luna spoke up.

"How did you know I would be here? More importantly, why are you here?" Luna asked, genuinely curious.

For a moment Celestia stayed silent until she spoke again, her eyes never leaving the landscape.

"Do you remember the time before Ponyville was built down there?"

Luna blinked at the strange remark, then nodded. Celestia kept talking, but didn't look at her sister.

"Canterlot was starting to grow, and our little ponies started exploring the world that we had created. Even before Canterlot was built this land existed; with forests, fields and mountains going as far as the eye could see. It was at that time we came here when we were upset, although you came here more than I did."

Luna stared at her sister, who didn't budge.

"Very well, that answers how, but not why," she replied.

This time Celestia looked at her sister, who saw that those eyes were tired. Not because of the lack of sleep, but for the same reason Luna's eyes looked weary.

"We both know why, Luna," said Celestia, her gentle tone carrying a hint of sadness.

Luna was about to object, until she remembered what they were. The embodiments of day and night, two sides of the same coin, sisters. This rule applied to siblings of all species: although they were two different people, their thoughts were similar. That notion annoyed her.

"No, you do not Celestia. Everypony loves your precious daylight, everypony loves you. But what about me? I raise the moon and actually work on the sky. And what do I get? No 'thank you', no praise, nothing. I am just like you, and yet some ponies STILL fear me even after all this time!" Luna shouted, her voice growing louder and louder.

Celestia remained stoic, which infuriated Luna even more. She was about to use the Royal Canterlot Voice when Celestia stood up and opened her wings. She looked at her sister with the same tired expression before smiling.

"I know what you need. Come with me," and with that, she flew away.

Luna stood there, slightly confused, before she decided to follow her sibling. She took off and caught up to her. They flew in silence, Luna wondering what her sister had planned while Celestia kept staring ahead. After a while, Celestia flew down and landed next to a lake outside of Ponyville. Luna followed and looked around, only to see the regular surroundings. The grass moved like water as the wind blew gently; and the middle of the lake glowed, reflecting the round moon's glow. Luna failed to see what the point of this was.

"Why are we here?" she asked dryly.

Celestia didn't answer, but instead stood perfectly still.

"Celestia, I swear to you, if you do not answer me right now-"

"Be quiet, stand still and listen," said Celestia with a serene tone.

Luna was befuddled, but complied. She stood still, and looked around. She could hear the wind blowing, the rustling of the trees as they moved with the breeze and the gentle sound the grass made as it swayed. A flock of bats flew above the lake, and an owl hooted occasionally. They stood still for a moment until Celestia spoke gently.

"What do you hear?"

Luna looked at her sister, then replied cautiously.

"The wind, the grass, the animals and the trees?"

"Good. And apart from that?"

"...Nothing?"

"Exactly."

"...What?"

Celestia turned to face her sibling, a peaceful expression on her face.

"What you hear is nature expressing itself. During the day our little ponies come here to enjoy themselves. Although the sounds they make is cheerful and endearing, it blots out the sound of nature. Therefore, it is only at night that you can hear nature uninterrupted."

Luna thought about this, then nodded.

"Alright, that is understandable. But what do you mean by 'apart from that' ?"

"That is pure silence, which is paradoxically one of the most beautiful sounds in the world."

She paused in order for those words to sink in, then continued.

"As I have said, ponies blot out the noise of nature, which expresses itself at night. But even if there were no ponies or animals, what would you hear? Nothing, and that is when you would listen to silence. Silence is there only when nothing else is around, as the world was so very long ago. So what I am trying to tell you is that your night brings the world back to its former state, which is a lot more peaceful than my day. In conclusion, your night brings peace to an agitated world." Meanwhile, the bats had hung themselves upside down on Luna's wings, while the owl had perched itself on her extended foreleg.

"Moreover, there are beings that cannot enjoy my day but live only for the night. And if they could talk, I am sure they would thank you."

Luna looked at the creatures that had gathered on her and smiled. Even though they would never say anything, she felt their love for her. She then heard faint sounds coming from the other side of the lake.

"And then there are those who can talk, and enjoy the peace that you bring," said Celestia, the amusement clear in her voice.

Luna was confused, until she actually looked to the other side of the side and listened to the sounds. It then became clear that there were two ponies there, enjoying themselves (in every single sense of the word) so much that they were unaware of the two alicorns.

"Well, well, well. It appears so," replied Luna with a smirk.

Celestia laughed softly, then continued.

"Indeed. But this happens to be another example of how the night is beneficial. See, these ponies could 'enjoy each other's company' in broad daylight, but they would risk getting caught. Some might enjoy the thrill, but most do not. It is only at night, under the glowing moon and with the soothing sounds of nature that they can love each other in the open and have some privacy. Therefore, your night brings intimacy and allows ponies to benefit from it."

"I suppose that's true..." said Luna.

"Well, we should get going. There is something else I want to show you."

Luna thanked the animals, sending them back into the night and took off with her sister towards Ponyville. They flew in silence, until an upbeat song reached them. They both flew towards the sound, then landed on the rooftop of a house. Across from where they stood Sugarcube Corner, the town's bakery, was holding a party.

"Why not change into regular ponies for once and blend in?" asked Luna.

"I take it you are familiar with Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter?" replied Celestia.

"Yes, and...?"

"Apparently, she literally knows everypony in town, so we would be revealed instantly."

"What about invisibility?"

"Well, from what I have heard, she is quite the peculiar pony, and she could detect us. I still have to figure out how, but my theory is that she is so connected with her Element that she might be drawing magic from it. It is actually quite intriguing. However, since we won't stay here for long, I suppose invisibility is the best option."

"Fine..." mumbled Luna.

The alicorns cast their spells and peeked through the window. The party was in full swing, with what appeared to be all of the town's residents enjoying themselves: animated discussions, eating, drinking, dancing, the whole package. The alicorns couldn't help but smile at their subjects and the unstoppable energy that Pinkie Pie was showing, jumping around with a one-pony-orchestra gear strapped to her blaring polka music.

In a corner, the other Elements of Harmony could be seen chatting about anything and everything. Fluttershy was, by nature, a little shy but remained open to any conversation, an impressive feat given her timid personnality. Rainbow Dash was holding her face between her hooves, and the words 'so awesome' could be heard. Applejack was laughing heartily while Rarity was having a private discussion with Aloe and Vera in fluent prench about some new facial product. Twilight, Zecora and Cherilee were, on the other hand, having a discussion about different kinds of literature.

"I wish I could join them..." sighed Luna, a little envy showing in her tone.

"I know Luna, and so do I," replied Celestia, using a wing to draw her younger sister in for a hug, "But for now, we have to let our little ponies unwind from the work they did during the day. Whether you are bucking apples trees in the field or teaching foals about Math, everypony gets to enjoy the night, free from the work they did during the day. Some ponies look forward to the night, not just for entertainment but for practical reasons.
"Take Twilight Sparkle for example: I gave her an assignment concerning astrology, and she was telling me the other day how mesmerizing the night sky was. And some workers, like construction ponies, can only work at night as to not disturb the flow of work that comes with daytime. To summarize: your night brings joy, peace, intimacy, and its own line of work for ponies."

By then, Luna was blinking away happy tears as she remembered the full extent of her realm.

"Thank you for doing this, Tia," croaked Luna, leaning into the hug.

The two deities remained there, watching their subjects enjoy the festivities; until Pinkie Pie stopped, watching the pair with a twitching tail and blinking rapidly.

Immediately, the two alicorns teleported themselves back to their hill.

"How does she do that?" asked Luna, bewildered by the pink pony's powers of perception.

"I still do not know, but it is impressive," giggled Celestia.

The two stood there, looking down upon their realm, until Celestia spoke up.

"Feeling better?"

"Much," nodded Luna.

"Good, then let's go back home," said Celestia, preparing to fly.

"Not until we deal with the issue bothering us," replied Luna, suddenly getting serious.

Celestia paused, then folded her wings.

"Great minds do think alike, don't they?"

"We do," her sister agreed.

They lay on the grass, Celestia watching the stars while Luna gazed down at the town.

"I wish we were more like Cadence," said Luna.

Celestia raised an eyebrow at this, genuinely surprised for once.

"How so?"

"Look at her: she is young, she is an alicorn and the leader of the Crystal Empire. While all of that is nice, I envy her for the fact that she ages like a regular pony, and will live out the rest of her life alongside her husband. I wish I could do that..." she said, longingly.

Celestia remained silent for a moment, then replied.

"I know, Luna, I know. There are times when I wish I could age too. But I have learned a long time ago that desire is never fulfilled, and it is pointless to pretend otherwise. Look at food: we get hungry, eat, then later want some more, we eat again, etc. Or living in your time: Twilight Sparkle once told me that she wished she had lived during the Reneighssance, when knowledge and discoveries were spreading all over Equestria. But the fact is she is living in this day and age, and wanting to live anywhere and/or anytime else distracts you from enjoying the times you live in. The point is if you wish for something impossible, you will forever be unsatisfied. So rather than doing that, you should enjoy what you have to the fullest, even if what we have isn't as perfect as our little ponies think it is."

Luna listened to her, and after a moment she sighed.

"I suppose you are right."

"I'm glad to hear that," replied Celestia with a smile.

They stood there, simply basking in the moment, until Celestia spoke up.

"Besides, even though we are demigods, that does not stop us from having physical relations," she smirked.

Luna laughed sincerely, loving the fact that her sister could go from deep and philosophical to casual and laid back in a moment.

"True, true. Incidentally, another reason why I envy Cadence."

"Oh yes, Shining Armor is a fine stallion."

"Quite."

"Indeed."

Again, the comfortable silence came back.

"Celestia."

"Yes?"

"If the next embodiment of whatever power just happens to be a male alicorn, he is mine," she grinned.

"Deal," replied Celestia after giving a hearty laugh, a sound Luna enjoyed hearing since her sister never gave more than a giggle in front of anypony else.

They enjoyed this sisterly moment, until Luna said in a sad tone.

"We are a bit lonely, aren't we?"

Celestia said nothing for a moment, then replied in the same tone.

"In a way, I suppose."

As they lay there in the grass, looking at the cosmos displayed in all of its glory, the same question repated itself in Luna's mind.

Is there anypony like us out there?

************

As it turns out, through galaxies and asteroid belts, past planets and nebulas, in the far reaches of space, another lonely god lived in a little blue box.

My God, bananas are good. he thought to himself.

Comments

[Higherbeach]

"Although it was a very difficult speel to master" Found an error! I quite like this, will read the next chapter when I have the time good sir!

[Methbawks]

I like where this is going