Tears ran down her face and formed tiny wet circles on a small wooden table, covered with sawdust and small metal scraps.
Derpy Hooves sat by a small table with her head between hooves and a heartrending cry. She was so alone. In all Equestria there was nopony who would care for her. Her parents had left her and she didn’t have any friends. A lot of ponies make fun for her bad eyes, and so she became scared of them. Whenever it was possible, she stayed hidden in her small apartment.
She had nopony. Only that little doll which stood on a table next to her. It was a small unicorn filly, made from wood and metal. She made her with her own hooves and named her Dinky. She put all her love and desires into the doll's creation, but now when it stood finished before her, she had fallen into despair.
She wished for the doll to become alive, so she could play with her, care for her and more importantly be her beloved mom. But now she knew that her wish will never be real. And, so she lies with her head on the desk and cried with quiet sobs, deep into the night.
Somewhere from the darkest depth of her soul emerged a wicked and mocking voice. “Stupid eyes” it said. “Stupid and useless Derpy. Nopony loves her because she is so ugly. Who could love such an ugly filly with crossed eyes? Nopony of course.”
Derpy tried not to listen, but she could still hear the voice, until she fell asleep completely exhausted by her constant crying.
***
High upon the night sky on her majestic dark blue wings floated Princess Luna. Watching the sleeping landscape underneath and listening to the pony dreams.
But then she heard it. That awfully familiar voice. The voice she heard every day of her one thousand year imprisonment. The voice which transformed her into the Nightmare Moon. But this time it wasn’t coming from her, but from one of the dreams she was listening to. She immediately went on its trail.
She elegantly circled over the Ponyville and her mane full of stars flew behind her. She slipped quietly through the window into a small room.
Before her a small filly with a yellow mane slept, with her head on a table. On the desk beneath her she noticed few drying tears.
A cold night air drifted through the window and that small filly was shivering. Princess Luna grabbed a blanket with her magic and put it over that poor filly.
But she was still shivering. There was something that troubled her dreams.
So Princess Luna lowered her head, touched that filly’s forehead with the tip of her horn and entered her dreams.
They were full of fear, anxiety and evil whispering voices. Luna concentrated all her powers and drove all that shadows with one bright flash of white light. The little filly stopped shivering and a little smile appeared on her lips, as her mind started to fill up with much more pleasant dreams.
But that wasn’t all that Princess Luna must do. Once more she looked into her mind. It was like a big open book, but she had to be very careful not to change anything. She read for a long time, before she found what she was looking for.
She looked on little doll standing on the desk next to the sleeping filly and touched it with her horn. A bright flash filled the room for a few seconds.
When the light was gone Luna was quietly watching two sleeping fillies. One pegasus and one little unicorn lying next to her.
“I’m sorry for being here for you so late.” whispered Luna into the night and disappeared into the shadows.
***
Somepony talked and pulled Derpy’s mane. She yawned and slowly opened her eyes. There in the light of Celestia’s rising sun was a little unicorn filly with a curious look on her face.
“Ah.” shouted Derpy in surprise a jumped into the air. She stayed right under the ceiling hovering on her wings as far as possible from that strange, but somehow familiar intruder.
“W-Who are you?” she stammered finally.
“I am Dinky.” said the unicorn filly proudly. “And you must be my mommy.”
“W-what?” asked confused Derpy?
“Well, it was you who have created me,” explained the little filly “so you must be my mommy.”
“B-but t-this c-can’t b-be t-truth.”
“You don’t love me?” ask filly unicorn sadly and in the corners of her eyes first tears appeared.
Those words hit Derpy deep into her heart and at that moment she realized that whatever miracle had just happened this is her beloved Dinky.
She flew down and hugged her tightly. “Of course I love you, sweetie,” she said in a soothing voice.
Dinky looked upon her with a giant smile and whispered: “I love you too, mommy.”
They stayed in that embrace until Celestia’s Sun climbed high in the sky.
“I’m hungry a little, mommy,” said Dinky.
“Then we must go outside and buy something. I have nothing to eat at home right now.”
Then they went together to do some shopping. Somehow Derpy wasn’t suddenly afraid of anypony. Instead of it she just smiled at them and other ponies were nicer to her too.
There on a small hill just outside Ponyville under the endless sea of stars sat a lonely pink filly.
She wasn’t looking at the stars. It was the Moon which shot reflections in her eyes. The same Moon she was watching for a quite a while.
She wasn’t the usual pink ball of joy and full of energy, which she was for almost every second of her life.
This night was different. Her thoughts drifted deep into her past. To times even before she moved to Ponyville. To times which were dark and without the slightest shade of pink.
And so she went here to her favorite place instead of going to bed. She sat right under the branches of an old oak and watched quietly the silver Moon as it slowly moved across the sky and seeking comfort in its beautiful light. The same Moon, that was now shining high above her head as a sad memento of her actions.
***
Even Princess Luna was troubled by bad memories that night. Memories of times where she as Nightmare Moon betrayed everypony who loved her and wreaked havoc across whole Equestria, until her own sister stood up against her and imprisoned her on Moon for one thousand years.
Many things she had lost, thanks to that mistake and she knew that nothing from that will ever come back. All her best friends, except Princess Celestia of course, were long gone. Even their graves already disappeared. There was nothing left of them, only her memories.
So much she wanted just to talk to somepony and make friends, but can she do it, when she had already made that greatest mistake and betrayed all her friends?
And then she saw her. Deep beneath her on a small hill sat a young filly with her eyes locked onto the sky.
“What is she doing there so late at night?” asked Luna herself caringly and decided to better check that unknown filly.
She circled around cautiously and slowly descended to the ground. She landed only a few feet from that filly, but it looked like she didn’t even notice her. She was still looking up at the Moon.
Luna carefully moved to her and wanted to greet her, but that mysterious filly was faster.
“Why isn’t the Moon pink?” she asked unexpectedly.
“What?” Luna gave her a puzzled look.
“Why isn’t the Moon pink?” tried that filly again.
“Why are you giving me such a strange question?” asked surprised Luna.
“Well, I am looking at that Moon for a few hours.” started the filly “And from all that silver color my head started to ache a little. And so I ask myself, why couldn’t be the Moon pink. I would certainly love that.”
Luna giggled quietly. Something on that filly was just funny.
“I don’t know either. It was the same when I was born and its color didn’t change for a single second.” answered Luna and her heart was much happier than before.
“Well that’s quite mean from him, don’t you think?” said that filly and looked on her with a gleaming smile on her face.
And at that moment Luna recognized her.
“You are Pinkie Pie, aren’t you? Bearer of Element of Laughter and leader of that frightened children who were so scared of me at last Nightmare Night.”
“Yep, that’s me. The one and only Pinkie in a whole world, and you must be Princess Luna. I’m happy to see you again.” Pinkie greeted her joyfully.
“And what brings you here in the middle of the night to this lonely place?” asked Luna.
Smile on Pinkie’s face suddenly disappeared. “Memories. Memories of the past.”
“So we have a lot in common, dear Pinkie. Even I have been brought here tonight by memories.”
“Really?” said Pinkie. “So what if we do something funny together and make those bad memories just go away?”
“That would be nice.” Luna agreed. “Do you have something in mind?”
“Well, I always wondered how does it look like on the Moon? I wish we can go there for a while.”
“I don’t see a problem in that.” smiled Luna, her horn started to glow with a bright silver light and when the light disappeared, Pinkie and Luna were gone.
***
“Whee.” shouted Pinkie and jumped at least ten feet high and then slowly descended back to the ground. The ground was silvery white and covered only with dust and stones.
Princess Luna landed right next to Pinkie. Her jumps were not accompanied by enthusiastic screaming like Pinkie’s, but it was certain she was having a good time as well.
“So our world is really round.” said Pinkie while she was watching blue-green ball floating in space between the stars. “But it is just a wonderful view.”
“I like it too,” smiled Princess Luna “but maybe we should go back. Morning will come very soon and I must change my place with my sister and I am also really tired after this night.” and yawned loudly.
“Then we're both on the same.” Pinkie agreed and yawned too.
Both of them laughed merrily and then Luna brought them back to Equestria right under that old oak.
“Well that was really super fun.” said Pinkie. “You really are a good friend Luna.”
Luna’s eyes filled with tears. Tears of joy. Nopony called her like that for more than thousand years. “You don’t even know what that means to Me,” she said quietly.
“Maybe yes and maybe no, but I am happy that you are happy. Good night Luna or maybe I should say Good morning.”
“Good night to you.” said Luna her farewell and watched as that pink filly bouncing happily down from the hill and towards her home.
***
A few months have passed and even when Princess Luna was occupied with royal duties most of the time, she always tried to find a way to meet with her joyful pink friend.
But not every time she succeeded and on one such night, when Luna was attending to some state business, Pinkie’s bad memories returned.
She climbed up the hill and sat under her favorite tree, raised her look towards the sky and could not believe what she saw.
There high above Equestria between silver stars was a big pink Moon.
“Oh Luna,” she said into the night and a giant smile spread across her face.
“Luna, Luna! Her time has come,” shouted Spike when he stormed into Luna’s chambers without knocking. His eyes were full of tears.
Luna lowered her head and even her eyes began to water. “Yes, I know. I can feel it,” she said softly.
“We should go and take a look at her,” she continued after a while and set off with a light trot. Spike was following her.
Luna still could not believe how Spike had changed in past years. He was now even a few feet higher than her, but in her memories she saw him as that little baby dragon he once was. He lacked few decades until maturity, but he almost already looked like a real dragon.
And all those years he stayed faithfully with Twilight. Luna, however, somewhere deep in her heart felt that his long service will end tonight.
It didn’t take them long to reach her room. The last few years of her life spent Twilight here in the Canterlot Palace alongside with Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. She was really really old and could not even walk properly, but her mind remained sharp as when she was young. But now, after more than hundred years of her life she was far more wise.
Many ponies across Equestria and even beyond visited Twilight often asking for advice and she could always find the right answer.
Luna knocked gently and stepped inside. Spike was right after her. Inside on a big bed with dark blue bedding lay Twilight.
She really looked old. Her mane lost its color long ago and was now gray instead of blue. Her coat was almost white with only a little hint of purple. Even her Cutie mark started to fade out. Her eyes were closed like she was deep asleep.
Luna gave her a quick look and smiled. “Always the same, aren’t you Twilight? Do not think you can pretend to be asleep. I am still Princess of the night after all.”
Twilight opened her eyes and grinned. Many beautiful little wrinkles bloomed on her face. Her eyes were after all those years still the same and even with that wonderful spark only she had in them.
“Oh, come on, Luna, you just have to spoil any fun,” said Twilight playfully. “Besides, I really tried to fall asleep before you two broke here so recklessly.”
Her voice suddenly grew sad and she added softly. “You know, Luna, I really miss them and I hoped to at least see them in my dreams.”
Luna knew immediately who Twilight had in mind. She smiled at her and then said while offering her hoof. “If this is your greatest wish, come with me. I will show you something.”
Twilight carefully got off her bed and grasped Luna’s hoof. At that moment, the world spun around and blurred so much that Twilight was forced to close her eyes.
Something changed. She felt somehow different. Like she was younger, and she opened her eyes again.
She immediately recognized this new place, where she was right now. It was a place stored deep in her memories. A place she hadn’t seen for ages. A place she was missing so much. She was back in her library in Ponyville.
It looked like in her memories of times when she lived here.
“Twilleeee.” shouted something pink and fast with great joy and knocked her to the ground.
“Pinkie,” gasped surprised Twilight and tears started to form up in the corners of her eyes. She hugged Pinkie tightly and buried her face deep in Pinkies soft mane. A smile of happiness appeared on her lips.
Just a few seconds later she was joined by the rest of her friends. They were all here. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack.
It was such a long time she saw them for the last time. She couldn’t stop her tears from streaming down her cheeks and took a long time and a lot of sweet words before she calmed down a little.
“Do you know what this asks for?” asked Pinkie. “A party!” she shouted immediately and grabbed a basket full of food and other things from somewhere and started the preparations.
***
A few hours later the party was nearing to its end and Twilight started to be more and more glum.
“What’s troubling you, my dear?” asked Princess Luna.
“You know I am grateful for everything you have done for me, but I know this is only a dream and as all dreams it will soon come to its end,” answer Twilight with a sad voice.
“Oh, my dear Twilight, you don’t know how wrong you are. I have done nothing. I only brought you to this place. They are real,” said Luna. “They were waiting for you for a long time to help you cross to the other side.”
“But how …” started Twilight, but Luna puts her hoof on Twilight’s lips sealing them.
“This is not a thing I can explain. You just have to believe.”
At that moment Pinkie interrupted their speech. “Twilight do you want to come with us? Applejack invited everypony for some cider.”
Twilight gave a quick look to Luna, then Pinkie and then Luna again. Luna just smiled a little and nodded.
“I would be really happy to.” answered Twilight and headed after others. For a blink of an eye she saw something through a golden light enveloping opened front door. It was Ponyville like she remembered it. That little forgotten town and not that big growing city which was it now.
She almost took her leave, but then she stopped. “And what about Spike?” Twilight asked.
“I am sure he would understand,” Luna encouraged her.
Twilight hesitated for a while. “Say hello to him a tell him that one day I will be waiting for him.”
“Yes, I will, and now go.”
Twilight entered the golden light waiting for her outside and the doors closed on its own. Her dream word disappeared and Luna was back in Canterlot in Twilight’s room.
Twilight lie on her bed lifeless. Her eyes were closed like she was asleep and her face was adorned with a heavenly smile.
Luna noticed she is not alone. Spike and her sister Princess Celestia stood beside her. Both of them were crying.
“I helped her to … leave,” searched Luna for the right words. She spoke slowly and quietly. Even she was crying.
“I will miss her,” said Luna again after a few minutes of absolute silence.
“I will miss her too, sister,” Celestia agreed. “But don’t forget that everything will come to its end. Even the two of us, and on that day we will meet our Twilight again.”
“Yes, I know,” answered Luna and here eyes were sparkling with tears. “But she was the best friend I … We could ever ask for. Without her Equestria will be a sadder place.”
Both of them noticed Spike and understood that he is willing to part with Twilight too, but alone. One by one they bowed their heads and gently kissed Twilight on her forehead.
“Farewell Twilight,” whispered Luna and Celestia together and left the chamber side by side.
