Resting at Midnight
There is almost total silence as you ascend the stone steps. The dim lighting adds to the surreal quiet. While you expected the humid mustiness found in old caves, the air is filled with a pleasant coolness that surrounds you, and sometimes a warm breeze wafts down from above. The Tower of the Moon is lit with a mystical and deep violet, more striking than even the purest shade at the setting of the sun. The light comes from torches mounted every eight steps on the walls of the cloistered, winding staircase, which leads you upward to the highest and most sacred point in Equestria.
The light strikes the perfectly circular boundaries around you, revealing ancient letters carved in High Unicornian, the script of the ancient days. You can also make out the remnants of a faded but lengthy mural that covers the walls, stretching from the bottom of the high tower. What remains portrays a beautiful but cryptic legend that begins with a snake-like creature encased in stone, falling off a throne. You cannot seem to grasp the meaning of any of the symbols or images even though they seem so familiar. They are a puzzling secret altogether.
But this is a secret that you are willing to leave alone while here; for you dare not disturb the otherworldly absence of noise. Instead of opening your mouth, you suffice to finally tear your eyes away from the enigma and focus them on your walking companion. Her dark, sapphire coat seems to blend in with the vivid light when you shift your gaze. Yet she is easily noticeable because of her ever shifting mane and tail, whose supernatural powers reflect an army of brilliant stars shining through the sky just before the rising of the moon.
Princess Luna is leading you up through this tower, and this whole time she has not spoken a word. She walks just ahead of you, and the rise and fall of each step accentuates the mark of untold glory imprinted upon her flank. As you gaze upon it, pondering what wonders its meaning withholds and how its bearer came to wear it so proudly, her face suddenly comes into view, inches from yours. Her crystal blue eyes, full of passion and purpose tempered with wisdom and kindness, stare directly into yours. She is smiling amusedly with a smirk indicative of playfulness.
Her mouth opens and she speaks. Her voice comes in a normal volume but it rushes forth like pent up waters thundering mightily down in the falls. The strength in it complements her larger stature, and evinces her great hidden power in body and magic, provoking a surge of exhilaration, as though it were charged with the lightning she wields. Her ancient, royal accent evinces a speaker with the wisdom and authority gained by passing centuries of trials and failures that have been overcome in ever-patient and undying endurance.
“’Tis not polite to stare, dearest subject.”
You look away in respect for her but you do not feel shame. It’s barely an admonishment. With the liveliness that she speaks, it’s much more like an exhortation that pierces your soul and awakens your spirit. What wouldn’t you give to hear her shout out commands with such force that all who listen would be imbued with insurmountable heart and spirit? Surely, if she commanded you to storm the gates of Tartarus themselves, you would rush there with all speed in unyielding loyalty and courage.
The esteemed alicorn turns back to the stairs and continues her ascent, causing you to follow in turn. The treasured silence returns along with the tranquility in the walk. As you make your way, you realize that you are starting to feel a bit drowsy, as when a flash of fierce lightning strikes near, followed by a roll of thunder crashing down upon the world around you and you jump in shock; but then as the uniform pattern of the falling rain reinstates itself, dominating the heavens with cloudy skies, your eyes droop and you prepare for the sweet embrace of uncontested sleep.
As that feeling washes over you, it seems very fitting, and you smile when you realize sleep will come just as easily very soon. In an echo of your musing, Luna stops in front of a door, having reached the top of the tower. This door, you know, leads to her private bedchambers, in which she has offered you sanctum. Her horn glows as her magic activates and the door opens, but instead of following her inside, you feel a gentle but firm push from the rear. Compelled by the night princess’ power, you walk into the utter darkness of her chambers, and the door shuts behind you.
For a short moment, you become uneasy, unsure of where anything is in the total blackness, but then you hear that sound of magic again, and a faint glow shines from above. You look up and at first believe that you have somehow stepped outside, because the vast night sky offers light from the host of the myriad stars overhead. Even a calm evening breeze floats past you, but how could Luna’s bedroom be outside?
For a moment you are caught in wonder, but then you hear the sound of unshod hooves on the ground nearby and discern that she must have removed her regalia. Her voice finds its way to you through the darkness, and you find she is right beside you again. “Be not deceived, dear subject. Since their creation in the days of old, these chambers have been enchanted to resemble the likeness of the night outdoors. The stars above are a projection, mirroring the state of the sky even as it is shrouded by the blinding light of day.”
You flinch suddenly at the unexpected sensation of soft feathers wrapping around your back accompanied by the strength of the alicorn’s wings. She laughs slightly with a musical sound at this, and then you feel her side touch yours, followed by another light push from her wing. You step forward, trusting that she will lead you safely through the darkness. After a few steps, she gives you another push and you find what must be a bed. Jumping on top of the resting place as she urges you, you suddenly feel the astounding touch of the covers below you. They caress and stroke your bent legs like waves of the ocean. In fact, the whole bedspread feels as smooth as the sea, as though Luna had blanketed it with water that was somehow not wet. You have to rub the surface again just to make sure of this.
A light sound of the landing of hooves on the bed assures you that the moon princess is with you again. Yet suddenly a flash of bluish-white light emanates from her horn, illuminating the smiling alicorn’s face as well as you and the immediate portion of the large bed underneath yourselves. She winks, batting her long eyelashes, and lies down on her stomach. You follow suite, and she replaces her soft wing over you. Within a moment, you make yourself completely comfortable and gaze upward once more, talking in the sight above.
Luna’s night sky sits overhead, displaying in an unmatched, crystal clear view of everything in it. As you shift your sights, wonder washes over as the sheer number of the twinkling lights becomes evident. They cover the unbounded sky from the east to the west and from the zenith to the northern and southern horizons. Awe fills you as you consider how all this came to be, and you sit there motionless as immeasurable time passes.
As you remember that your companion is with you, and that this sight holds a very special place in her heart, you want to tell her something. No one else has likely ever seen every star in the sky at once, and you feel blessed to have such an opportunity. You want to express to her what a spectacle these bodies are, but you find yourself speechless, just as when a great philosopher speaks long and at length on a topic of their expertise, exploring the matter without pause until it seems exhausted, leaving you with nothing left to say. In the same way, when you turn to the night’s ruler your mouth opens, but no sound comes out.
Luna sees this and knows immediately. She speaks softly in her unique and marvelous voice. “Does it surprise you that you cannot speak? Or does it make sense that the right words cannot be found for this?” She giggles again, happily. “The heavens declare an awesome glory, and the skies proclaim a profound story. Night after night they pour forth speech, revealing knowledge just out of reach. They use no words; they have no sound, but the message they preach is heard all around. Their voice goes out to the ends of the earth and neither sages nor kings can fathom its worth.”
Her words settle in your mind for a moment, and you try to discern their meaning. For a while, silence ensues again, but that is when you discover it: it, namely the night sky, is a great mystery. Then when your face relaxes from the concentration, Luna smiles again, glad that you see her meaning. “And now you see why the night is special to Us. However,” she adds, “behind every mystery, there is an explanation somewhere, and the search for that meaning is what makes the mystery worth thinking about.”
Again, you are befuddled with confusion over her words. Yet she appears glad that you understand the matter is not so simple. Then her expression changes to a sadder smile, and her face betrays a mind conflicted with acceptance of suffering and grief. She continues with a semi-contented sigh. “When I brought forth the starry host, I knew that nopony would understand it, but my vain hope was that someone would try to discover their meaning.”
The revelation in these words catches you off guard. Princess Luna created the stars? How, you ask her? Why? What was it like before then? Astonishment and skepticism cloud your mind.
Her mood seems unaffected by your torrent of questions. “Art thou truly surprised?” She breathes again, and her horn suddenly charges with magic once more. There is a bright flash, and you are blinded for a moment. When it clears, you look around and gasp in delight. Suddenly you are surrounded by the lights that before were high above. Now they are shining with great luminosity right in front of you. With wide eyes, your head turns around to glance at all of them surrounding you in amazement. Some shine brilliantly blue and even almost pure white, and others, mostly the closer ones, give only a little reddish brown radiance, but they are all bright. Many are so close that you reach out to touch one, but draw your hoof back, quickly discovering the area around them feels as hot as fire.
You look over to Luna in great surprise, but freeze when her horn is still glowing. It is pointed at a mass of circulating brown dust, turning and churning by some unseen force, presumably Luna’s magic. You watch with curiosity as she closes her eyes and appears to strain herself, gritting her teeth and tensing up her muscles. Slowly, the rotating mass of dust starts to swirl faster with her effort. She grunts and the speed of the spinning dust spikes. As she apparently works harder, the aura around her horn grows like a bulb and boils. You saw this before and realize that she is performing very a strenuous spell. Then suddenly with the turning of the dust, you notice that the mass is starting to collapse into a ball, like it’s being pressed together by Luna’s magic.
As it compresses, Luna gasps with weariness, and it suddenly pulsates and expands again. So you see her grind her hooves into the bed and tries with all her might. Then the ball shrinks again and starts beating with tiny little pulses as Luna works. Finally, the dust starts to swirl violently and contracts into a tiny sphere. Luna pants and a bead of sweat rolls off of her coat. Then with one last magical push and a grunt from her, the ball catches fire and there is another flash.
When you are able to see again, there is a small, dim star about the size of a hoof glowing with a brownish red just a few feet in front of you. Luna falls to her haunches in exhaustion, panting heavily and leaving you utterly astonished. You can feel heat flowing from this star as well, and then you know that she has such power. Though Luna looks very tired, she looks contentedly at you and says, “That is the tiniest star I have ever made, my subject.”
A few minutes pass by with you still left speechless and her slowly regaining her composure. When she catches her breath, she sits up again, and says, “As you can see, the Elements of Harmony took more from me than the spirit of Nightmare Moon. It was a while before I could even lift a spoon without using my hooves.” Yet despite her profession of her weakness, you are still amazed by this, that a pony, albeit a princess could actually create stars. The thought leads you to many questions you still had before.
What was it like before the sun then, you ask? Hearing this, Luna laughs and her horn glows again. Suddenly there is a gust of wind, and when it stops, you can feel a great heat beating at your rear. You turn around and to your surprise, there is another ball of fire in front of you, but this one is much larger. In fact, it’s almost twice your size. “Remember, subject,” she says. “This is only a projection. The real body is much larger; however, for you to see, this is Our sister’s sun.”
You observe the sun at a distance, not sure of what to say or feel. Unlike its regent, the fiery ball does not seem like the happy, light-giver as when you view it from the ground of Equestria. Rather, the fire burns with an intensity that makes you shield your eyes in discomfort. Its surface is more violent than you would have thought, teeming with a sea of bright yellow in some places but spots of darkness peep up and shift with the beams that strike out in others. Every so often it gives off a plume of fire that spreads out like a band around it, adding to a number of tentacle-like offshoots.
A few seconds are all you really need to turn back around again, with the bright flares lighting up the whole blue, star-covered bed beneath you. As the heat makes you start to perspire, you turn to Luna, hoping that she will get through whatever it is that she is making you endure this for. She sees your discomfort, and her horn flashes blue. There is another gust of wind and the blinding light disappears, along with the heat. You turn back around, savoring the more pleasant view of the cooler stars, glad that ominous moment has passed.
“The sun was there before us,” Luna says quietly. “When we were born, it was just there. And when my sister was charged with raising it, I was a tad jealous because she controlled something so much larger.” She moves closer, alongside of you and looks ahead into the darkness, where your eyes are wandering. Then she says, “Perhaps that is why, when I called the stars into being and ordered them, I made sure that some were more impressive than others.” The faint sound of magic charges again, and she places a hoof on your side. “Let Us show you what We mean with Our masterpiece.”
Another gust rushes past, but it lasts for longer this time. A few seconds pass with the strong wind rushing by, and then in the distance, you suddenly see a bright star. Before you can even react, you travel toward it with great speed. In an instant, suddenly it grows more massive than anything you have ever seen, and in the next second it grows bigger and even brighter and more fearsome than that. It expands ever still. And then you blink, and it is right in front of you.
You open your eyes, and a sea of raging fire churns with striking wrath as the absolutely unbearable sting of vaporizing heat crashes into you like a tsunami of scalding, red steam. You are forced down immediately by the horror and intensity of the sight, utterly powerless in the razing oceans of searing fury that wash over without consuming you. The intense inferno pierces through the darkness, seeming to grow out and set even the airless space on fire.
The blaze extends far away in every direction and even seems to wrap around you. The sheer size of the titanic star seizes you, prying open your mouth in a soundless scream of sublime terror. The gigantic mass of sheer panic incarnate makes you wish you could hide behind the infinitely tiny sun from moments ago, but its monumental magnitude so overwhelmingly outweighs the dimmer ball that you lose all hope of defending yourself from its awesome ire. You want to shut your eyes, but find yourself completely unable to do even that. But even that action would be worthless in the presence of its outrageously blinding light that covers everything.
As the remarkable luminosity of the monstrous calamity threatens to burn out your retinas, suddenly the world itself seems to shake with your uncontrollable trembling that has set in. But then in front of you, a world-sized region of the giant suddenly swirls round, gathering together its rage-like storm clouds thundering with the pure vitality of fear itself. The mass builds up, and you hear a frightening roar like from a tiger about to assault its destitute prey. The deafening shout intensifies, grinding against your ears, but then there is a lull, a calm, as the creature prepares its incinerating onslaught. Then all at once, it pounces, thrusting forth a spear of certain, unrestrained destruction. The all-devouring beast of fire rages towards you with impossible speed.
There is a blue flash, and you are suddenly back in Luna’s room with the far-off stars sparkling harmlessly in the sky overhead. The imprint of that gigantic star is still imprinted in your mind and a glare blocks out a portion of your vision. An uncontrollable trembling still racks your body, even as you feel a soft wing drape around your back again. Luna pulls you close and says in a far too casual voice, “Come on; be still subject. ‘Twas just a projection.” Her wing rubs you reassuringly but it hardly helps.
What was that? Just what in the name of Equestria was that? It occurs to you that it was a star. And then despite your companion’s warmth, a cold chill runs over you when you realize that it was a star she herself created … How? Just how is it possible that anypony, even if they were a princess could create that? What kind of person was Princess Luna? What kind of mage was she that she could create that out of dust? What kind of almighty goddess was she that she brought into being something that giant? True, she might be weakened now, but still, what kind of power does that?
The alicorn continues to rub you, and she says, “Come on, I didn’t show you Canis Majoris to scare you.” You snort in almost spiteful disagreement. Then, understanding the effect that the sight had on you, she finally tunes her voice appropriately. She speaks softer now and caresses you more gently with her strong, yet comforting wing. “Thou art safe,” she says. “But think. Dost thou now believe me when I say that there is a mystery in the stars?”
The question catches you off guard and you are able to regain a little control. Yes, there was a mystery now. How did they get there? How did some get that big? You ask her. Her face turns to the side, and she looks up at her creations. Her voice comes out in a new voice, this one much more inquisitive. “Because they are so large, does it not make more sense to ask, ‘Why?’”
Why? What did she mean, ’why?’ “If it astonishes thee so much that these things exist, then dost thou not desire to know their purpose?” the princess asks. The question seems to confuse you. Why should they have any purpose? “If,” she continues, “they came into being without cause, then they would be meaningless, but if they were created, would it not seem that they had some reason for existing?”
Suddenly, everything Luna said starts to make sense. If Luna created them, why did she create them? Why create things so great like that? As you ponder this, you begin to realize that you have no way of answering, and as you wait for Luna to say something more, you start to become drowsy as before. It’s late now, and that experience took a lot out of you. The bed never felt so soft as before. And as you lie there, gazing up into the stars, you do wonder, what did they mean?
Time goes by with neither of you saying anything, and the question remains. Weariness washes over you as the night princess’ soft, warm body presses against yours, and you lay your chin down on the bed. She nuzzles you, as you wrap yourself around her in a hug. A soft sound of magic comes once more as you ears begin to droop, and you see faint lines trace, connecting the stars in the sky, and slowly, the constellations that you learned about are visible in the sky.
As the joy of sleep begins to overtake you, you hear her say, “I wrote this story in the night sky, that all who live under it might hope to one day read its message. It is a message of hope, through all the world: Even when the sun sets and the world is covered in darkness, when life is bleak and difficult, and everything seems hopeless, remember these stars. Then you will know that I am with you.”
Slowly, as she speaks these words, sleep begins to overtake you, and as it slides over your eyes like a shade, you hear her say, “Sleep now. I will be with you even in your dreams.”