Realisation
Luna sighed as she watched her moon begin to dull as the day started to dawn. Her horn glowing slightly, the midnight blue alicorn lowered the silver orb to make way for her sister’s sun. Turning gracefully to look into the depths of her expansive bedchamber, the princess noted the oppressing emptiness of the room. She couldn’t place it, but something in her heart nagged at her saying that she knew the reason for this feeling. Despite this, no matter how hard she tried, the solution to the problem just kept slipping through her hooves.
Heart heavy and mind buzzing, Luna moved like a zombie over to the large, plump, silk encased, black cushion that served as her bed. Nestling in the depression made from her body night after night, Luna laid her head down on her forelegs and closed her eyes, willing sleep to come to her.
Two hours later her sister’s sun rose high into the sky, its burning light searing through her eyelids. Cursing, Luna stood and stumbled to the window with none of the elegance befitting royalty. Closing the thick heavy curtains, the moon princess gave a sigh of relief as the room was immediately shrouded in a comforting darkness. Then she facehooved. Now all she had to do was get back to her bed in total darkness while it was at the end of an absurdly large room. What a time to be sleepy enough to forget that she had magic when closing curtains. Berating herself yet again, Luna lit her horn with a flare of magic casting the room in a ghostly blue light. Quickly making her way back to her bed, Luna sunk back into the soft fabric and let herself drift off again.
The next time she was awoken was due to a loud screeching right in her ear. Like a nail scratching on glass, the sound was both shrill and mind numbing. Not to mention startling. So intense was the sound that the princess found herself ten feet in the air before gravity decided to reclaim it’s hold on her. The Lunar Princess hit the ground with a resounding smack. Whatever heathen that had awoken her had also thought it would be of great amusement to take away her bed as well. Furious, Luna leapt to her feet having expecting it to be Celestia’s idea of a dumb prank. Instead she was met with a vibrant flash of red and gold as Philimena landed on her nose.
Narrowing her sea blue eyes at the large and ever mischievous bird the Princess of the Night asked, in a voice that would freeze over a volcano,
“Did Celestia put you up to this?”
A look of deep regret and shame passed over the phoenix’s face as she nodded slowly. Luna nodded then stormed out of the room, leaving Philimena reeling in her wake.
Celestia smiled slightly to herself. She finally had a chance to relax. The stream of ponies coming to her for counsel on business and society propositions had finally trickled away to nothing. Leaning back to enjoy the moment of peace, the sun princess closed her eyes...until.
“CELESTIA!” Luna’s voice screamed from across the throne room, followed by a slam as the doors swung open with such force that the walls shook from the impact such a motion caused.
Celestia blinked once, even this shock unable to penetrate her composure. Her little sister was very… passionate and often got herself worked up. This was no different so she treated it as she did all the others. Calmly.
“Luna. Calm down, and tell me what has gotten you so worked up. I don’t recall doing anything that would provoke such a reaction…”
“Your bird just woke me up! It’s not funny you know! I need my sleep as much as you need yours!” Luna snapped.
She’d long since given up her ancient dialect, but with it had given up a good deal of her sophistication when it came to words.Celestia blinked once, twice, then started laughing,
“Oh. So that’s what this is about. Philimena is really getting a handful… Did she actually say that I put her up to this?”
“In her own way.” Luna replied “But I guess from your response just now that you did not.”
“No. I didn’t. I’m also rather hurt that you thought such things of me,” the white alicorn couldn’t help but add.
Her sister didn’t take the bait though, so Celestia continued “I’ll have a word with her and make sure she lets you sleep from now on.”
“Good.” Luna snorted shortly, storming out of the room just as violently as she walked in.
“Someone’ cranky.” Celestia chuckled quietly to herself then resumed her relaxation; another knock on the door made her sigh. The smartly dressed and stuffy looking pony who walked in told her that break was over. Some break.
As Luna made her way back to her room a thought struck her. That’s what made her large room so oppressing… Celestia’s was just as large, but didn’t feel so open because her sister had an almost constant companion. An annoying and mischievous companion, but a companion never the less. This realisation didn’t make her feel any better though, as she still didn’t have a solution to her… predicament.
Once back in her chamber, the Night Princess decided to forgo her attempts at sleep as she pondered her problem. On one hoof, getting a fitting pet would be difficult and might not even work. On the other hoof if it did work, it might make living at night in a huge mostly deserted castle more bearable. Luna lifted up a hairbrush with her magic and ran it through her flowing starry mane. Even with all the magic through it, her hair was still somehow susceptible to mess. Curse Celestia and her forever perfect appearance. Deciding that she was presentable Luna walked back out. Her destination, Ponyville. The reason, Fluttershy. From Twilight’s friendship reports she had learned that the butter yellow pegasus was exceptionally good with animals.
Leaving a short but beautifully calligraphic note to her sister that stated her intentions and that she‘d be back before sundown. Satisfied the midnight blue alicorn spread her wings and took off, out the nearest open window. Angling herself towards the small settlement that had played host to the somewhat disastrous Nightmare Night; Luna drove her wings against the thick afternoon air.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy was once again trying to reason with her fussy bunny Angel over the dish she had made him for dinner. Even with her newfound assertiveness Angel still gave her bother. Using 'The Stare' all the time wasn’t an action she wanted to resort to. Eventually the rabbit was eating, and enjoying it, as he always did, allowing Fluttershy to go out to the stalls. Before she got to the red wooden door however a knock sounded from the other side.
“I wonder who that could be…” the Pegasus muttered as she opened the door.
Seeing Luna she immediately gave a weak shriek of surprise and slammed the door. Five minutes of trembling later Fluttershy opened the door again, to see Luna still there. This time she didn’t shut the door again, just looked up at the Princess with wide eyes.
“Hello.” Luna said, as softly as she could. From her sparse meetings with Fluttershy, the name helped as well, Luna knew of the mare’s sensitivity.
“Um… Hello… Umm… I’m uh… sorry for… closing the door… but you.. Um… startled me…” was the whispered reply.
“Yes… I apologise. I probably should have announced my coming beforehand.”
“No… It’s no.. problem. So, umm. What can I do for you, Princess?”
“Luna. Call me Luna.” Luna encouraged softly, smiling to add to her sincerity.
“Yes… Pri-I mean Luna. So… what can I do for you today?”
“I need help with finding a pet to keep me company while I’m awake and almost everyone else asleep.” Luna replied, deciding to get to the chase. If she stayed near Ponyville longer than necessary, it could easily cause an unnecessarily stressing commotion for the kindly citizens. Twilight Sparkle herself would probably blow everything out of proportion and work herself into a frenzy. Despite this, Luna made a small mental note to see each of the Element Bearers before she left. It felt only right.
Fluttershy pulled her out of her thoughts by saying softly, barely above a whisper
“So… what do you have in mind for a pet?”
The question made Luna frown, not out of anger, but out of concentration. She’d considered it briefly, but if Fluttershy was going to help her effectively, then the Pegasus would need details. So Luna spoke up again after a few moments.
“As you have probably already guessed… The pet will need to be nocturnal, and due to my… extended lifespan, I’d rather have a companion to match said lifespan as closely as possible.”
Fluttershy nodded, but her heart was pounding against her chest. Luna’s needs, though less extensive or intricate than Rainbow Dash’s had been, were still going to be incredibly difficult to meet. Nocturnal animals was the easier of the two, so Fluttershy decided to start of with that requirement. Looking to the Princess she asked,
“S-Should we go outside and um… look at all the animals that I have?”
“That’s as good a way to start as any,” Luna smiled, gesturing with her feathery wing for the smaller pony to lead the way.
Once outside Luna looked up to note that the sun was already sinking in the evening sky, she didn’t have long for this. Turning her head to Fluttershy she spotted the mare hovering next to an owl. Raising her wings, Luna made to join her, wanting a closer look at the bird that was lounging boredly on the tree branch. A magnificent long eared owl, with dark plumage and black steely talons highlighted by the piercing orange eyes that watched both ponies intently. Having no doubts in her mind that this bird was a skilled and ruthless hunter, Luna couldn’t help but smile to herself as Fluttershy introduced her to the bird.
“This is Artemis. She’s nocturnal and owls like her can live a lot longer than some other animals. Though-”
Cutting Fluttershy off before she could explain, Artemis gave a snort of indignation then raised her wings and flew off to another tree.
“-she can be a bit grumpy at times…”
Luna was about to reply when a wetness on her back caught her attention… That dumb eared chicken better not have… She looked. Yeah it did! Whirling around, Luna was about to unleash a storm of fury upon the prissy bird. Suddenly a streak of yellow whizzed past her, causing Luna to halt her lunge. Giving herself a shake she looked to see what had happened. Then had to give herself another shake. What she saw made her blink. She may not have met the mare properly, but all things she had heard about Fluttershy portrayed her as a shy and somewhat meek pony. However, now she was giving the owl a stern talking to, making even the previously aloof and uncaring owl quiver in fear. Impressed, Luna just hovered back to watch.
“Now! Say you’re sorry to Luna! And don’t ever, ever let me catch you doing that again. Got it?!”
Artemis nodded meekly, and Luna almost felt sorry for the bird, until she remembered the mess she had been left with. Satisfied Fluttershy turned back to Luna
“I’m so sorry. Artemis isn’t very friendly to strangers.”
“It’s alright… No real harm done. Though I’m in dire need of a wash.”
“Sure. Come on, you’ll be clean again in no time,” Fluttershy said optimistically.
Despite herself, Luna couldn’t help but smile warmly. Fluttershy had come out of her shell quickly, shifting from treating Luna as her status and just treating her as Luna. The fact caused a warmth to settle in the alicorn’s heart as she followed the cotton pink haired pegasus back into her cottage.
Fluttershy immediately went about setting up a bath for Luna, while said pony was dabbing off the worst of it with a cloth that she held in her magic. While doing so she scanned the inner sanctum of Fluttershy’s small cottage. Every wall was covered with a bird house, with numerous little birds of every colour of the rainbow flitting between them.
“Bath’s ready.” Fluttershy called, just as Luna was watching a family of bluebirds in one of the slightly larger wooden structures.
The largest, presumably the father, was perched like a sentry on the little pine wood pole while a smaller adult was herding two fluffy grey chicks back into the safety of the home. Rousing herself from her observation, the Night Princess went into Fluttershy’s small but homey bathroom. While it was a bit cramped to the alicorn who was used to the vastness of the bath chambers in the Canterlot castle, Luna had to admit that having everything within such easy reach looked very convenient. Though the bath looked like it would barely hold her.
After Fluttershy closed the door, Luna stepped into the small white tub. The water was at just the right temperature, which almost made her chuckle. Even the attendants at the palace couldn’t get it this perfect. Chalking it up to a small but welcome coincidence, the alicorn slipped into the water, letting her body sink down into the liquid until she was as fully submerged as she could get. Then she flipped over onto her back, resting up against one of the ends as she let the water meander through her soft silky fur. Gripping a scrubbing brush with her magic, Luna started to scrub herself clean. Once done she decided just to lay there for a few moments, soaking up the warmth. She’d get up in a minute… just one more minute…
With a start the Night Princess woke, frantically flailing her hooves to get them under her so she could get out the bath. She didn’t know exactly how long it had been, but the water was now frigid, and the bathroom very dark. Muttering harsh words to herself Luna ripped the towel of it’s rack and scrubbed herself dry. Abandoning this practise after a few moments she dashed out of the bathroom, the door swinging on it’s hinges in her wake, past a dazed Fluttershy and out into the night. A small sigh of relief escaped her. Celestia had raised the moon and set the stars in motion while Luna had been asleep. With a casual flick of her horn she rearranged a few of the stars that her sister had gotten wrong, then went back inside to apologise to Fluttershy. Said Pegasus was still in a daze, her eyes spinning just as her brain probably was. Waving her hoof in front of Fluttershy’s face, Luna attempted to arouse her. After a few moments Fluttershy came back to
“W-W-what happened?”
“I fell asleep in the bath and forgot to raise the night… In my rush I knocked you pretty hard… You okay?” Luna asked softly, her features wrinkled with concern.
“Huh? Oh… Yes. I am, thank you very much. I’m sorry I didn’t wake you, but you looked so peaceful…”
“No harm done. Celestia did my job for me…” Which means I owe her one. And that will not be pleasant. Luna added to herself.
“Anyway… I… really need to get back. Otherwise I’ll be missed. If I’m not already.”
“Okay. Sorry that today didn’t work out. If you want I can try and help you again?”
“That’d be good. Next time I’ll arrange it better instead of coming on a whim… Hopefully that will be met with more success.”
Fluttershy nodded “I look forward to it.”
“As do I,” Luna smiled, stretching her stiffened wings before walking out into the night air.
After biding Fluttershy a good night Luna took off, streaking towards Canterlot as fast as her wings would carry her. For once she thanked the stars that everypony was asleep during her night, so her reckless and undignified rush would go unnoticed. She’d have to visit Twilight Sparkle and her other friends at a later date. Which she would arrange. This experience had taught her that rash and unplanned outings were not a good idea when one was nocturnal. Finally, she landed in her room and was just closing the window when a small cough came from behind. Already knowing who it was, Luna took a deep breath and then turned around. Her sister, Celestia was standing in the doorway, silhouetted against the still brightly lit hallway.
Turning around Luna tried to meet her sister’s eyes with a hard and defiant look in her azure eyes. Expecting Celestia’s stare to be equally hard and stern, Luna was surprised to see a simple, questioning twinkle in her sister’s lilac eyes. Softening her own gaze, Luna waited on her sister to ask the inevitable question.
“What happened?”
Celestia listened to her sister’s explanation, until it came to the part where she fell asleep in the bath, of Fluttershy no less. The white alicorn descended into a small bout of giggles, which she tried to mask behind her golden decorated hoof, but Luna caught it anyway.
“And just what is it that my dearest sister finds so amusing?” she queried, drawing out the so while she let her eyes roll around in their sockets.
“Nothing really. I just have an incredibly cute image in my head of that scenario.”
“Say no more!” Luna cried, “I do not want to know what it is that you find… cute…”
Celestia chuckled again,
"Oh Luna, you really should get over your disdain of being called cute. It makes you so easy to tease. Anyway. I’m going to my bed. See you in the morning.”
With a smile that halted her sister’s reply, Celestia left the chamber and closed the door. Allowing herself a stomp on the floor, rendered unimpressive by the thick carpet, Luna vowed that her sister would “get it” in the morning, before she too left the room to begin her nightly duties, however sparse they were.