Chapters Luna gazed wistfully at the full moon outside her window in Canterlot Palace. Even after a thousand years, and with full understanding of the need for balance between Night and Day, Luna couldn’t help but wish that more ponies would see the beauty and splendour of the night, besides just her. Sighing, she decided to go for a walk. These walks, after everypony else had gone to bed, were becoming a regular habit. She always had been a night owl. “Go figure,” she said to herself, “the Princess of the Moon is a night owl.” Tonight, she decided to go outside, to the city’s curtain wall, to better see Equestria bathed in moonlight. Because even the stained glass in the hallways gets boring after the twelfth night in a row she thought. Walking through the quiet, empty streets, with dark, closed stores on either side of her, she felt terribly alone. Everypony else was curled up in bed, oblivious to the pale bluish glow the full moon bathed the world in tonight. The blue hue matched Luna’s mood. Nopony ever appreciated her work. With her head hung low, she climbed the narrow staircase to the top of the wall, prepared for another lonely night’s walk. Much to her surprise, somepony else was already at the top of the wall. “Ah, la nuit, c’est tres magnifique!” the stallion exclaimed. As Luna approached, she could see the horn protruding from his white shaggy mane. The rest of him, a deep blue, was almost lost in the darkness, only visible thanks to the light of the moon high overhead. “Excuse us for intruding,” probed Luna cautiously, “but we do not usually see anypony else out at night. Who are you, and what are you doing up so late?”me about the stars?”
Midnight Star had just finished his new telescope. The new, larger lens had had gotten in Canterlot the week before should give him much greater clarity when he was looking at stars, planets and all the other wondrous mysteries space contained. With the moon a waning quarter, the night was perfect to test and calibrate the telescope. He would start with something easy, like looking at Mares and it’s two moons. If I can see the crater on Foalympus Mons, then I’ll call that good. Just as he set his telescope up, he heard a furtive, gentle knocking on his door. That must be Dusk Breeze. Why is he knocking so softly? Midnight Star usually worked alone, but Dusk Breeze, one of the pegasi, enjoyed the night as much as he did, and occasionally came to visit. Opening the door, however, he saw not Dusk Breeze, as he had expected, but Princess Luna, and had to stifle a gasp.There’s Foalympus Mons, and the crater at the top. Looks like everything’s in order with this telescope, thank Celestia. It would have been embarrassing if it didn’t work. Stepping aside, he gestured for Luna to look through as well.
Luna was all smiles at breakfast. Looking at her, her sister Princess Celestia asked “Not that I’m complaining to see a change in your demeanour, but what has you in such a good mood, and where have you been slipping off to at night?” Luna looked down at her bowl of oats, blushing from face to flank, and mumbled “Well, I met this astronomer, and I have been going to visit him in his observatory at night.”