Rise of the Moon

by comicfan616

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Princess Luna, Bat Pony, Princess Celestia
Length: 5632

After returning from the moon, Luna meets some new, yet familiar, faces.

Luna's been on the moon for the past millennium. So when she comes back, she feels out of place. No one she knows is alive anymore and this generation of ponies makes her feel even more alien. Celestia decides to have her meet some ponies who may understand her emotions and, in so doing, bring her out of her shell.

Published 2013-08-01 20:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-08-01 20:20:02 UTC

Rise of the Moon

Rise of the Moon

Princess Luna looked out on the city of Canterlot from her balcony. It had been almost a month since she finally returned from her imprisonment in the moon, yet she still felt out of place. One thousand years ago, this city didn’t even exist. Their castle had been part of a forest, but after the “incident,” as she preferred to call it, that forest had grown wild and practically took over. The capitol had to be moved for the safety of the citizens. Her sister had obviously constructed the new city in an attempt to capture the same spirit as the original, but that didn’t stop time from marching on and making it all but unrecognizable to Luna.

Even she didn’t look like she once did. Her coat had become a paler shade of blue, and her mane just hung down like real hair. And while she wasn’t too sure, she swore that she was actually shorter than when she last checked. Ridding herself of the influence of Nightmare Moon had taken a toll on her own inherent power as well.

She turned her gaze upward toward the night sky. It had taken her a bit of time, but she was finally able to create a beautiful night worthy of her title as Princess of the Moon. At least here, everything seemed constant; aside from the stars having shifted positions ever so slightly, the night sky of the present was a near replica of her memories.

“Good morning, Luna,” a voice said behind her. Luna turned around and saw her sister, Celestia. “Have you been out here all night?”

“Not all night,” Luna replied. “I took another tour of the city. I’m still trying to get used to the layout.”

Celestia chuckled. “If it makes you feel any better, there are still some areas that even I don’t have committed to memory just yet.” They both laughed.

“Is it time for sunrise?” Luna asked.

“We still have about an hour left, but I wanted to spend some more time with you.”

“You’ve been doing that a lot, lately.”

“I don’t want you to feel unappreciated. I had already lost you once because I ignored the signs. I’ll never make that mistake again.” Celestia put a wing over her sister. Luna thought she could make out tears in her eyes.

They stood there admiring the night sky for almost half an hour, remaining silent the whole time. For Luna, however, the silence wasn’t just for reverence’s sake.

Celestia seemed to notice the mood behind her sister’s silence. “Is something on your mind?”

“It’s nothing you would understand.”

“Luna, you know how long-lived we are. And not to sound insensitive, but I’ve been around longer than you have. I doubt I couldn’t at least try to understand what you’re going through.”

Luna sighed. “Look down there, sister,” she said, tilting her head back down to the streets below. A few ponies were starting to wake up and go about their early morning routines; it was a paltry amount compared to the height of the day, but Luna was inwardly glad that ponies were starting to no longer fear the dark. “These ponies and more, in and outside of Canterlot, are the result of a millennium’s worth of generations. Everyone I ever knew, everpony I ever cared about… They’re all gone. My friends. My confidants. Everypony.”

Celestia could easily relate to this, at least. Over the past thousand years, she had watched many good ponies die while she was forced to live on. She honestly couldn’t decide which of them was worse off: herself for actually being there when they died and knowing many more ponies in her life; or Luna for having essentially skipped an entire millennium without the chance to say her final farewells.

“And all these new faces,” Luna continued, “I feel uncomfortable around them. I don’t even know if they fully trust me. They accept me, yes, but only because they trust you. If you hadn’t been there to speak on my behalf, I’m not sure what would have become of me.” She paused for a moment. “I’m a stranger, Celestia. I’m a mare out of her own time. How could you possibly understand that?”

There was another pause until Celestia sighed. “You’re right, Luna. I don’t know what that feels like. Such isolation because of one’s identity and history through no fault of one’s own… I don’t know if I could ever truly understand without experiencing it myself.” Luna bowed her head in sadness. “But I may know someone who does.” Luna looked up with curiosity.

“Tell me, Luna, what are you doing this evening?” Celestia asked.

“Aside from raising the moon, I don’t have any real plans.”

Celestia smiled. “Go get some sleep. I’ll wake you up a couple hours before moonrise. We’re going to see a few friends that would definitely like to meet you.”

Because it was Luna’s job to create and watch over the night, her personal schedule was a little different than most other ponies’, even Celestia’s. While almost everyone else worked and played during the day, Luna was usually in bed. Even an alicorn princess with the power to raise a celestial body was not immune to sleep. She was usually up long before moonrise, both for practical and social reasons. She would spend the first few hours with Celestia or the royal court, then raise the moon, and spend as much time as possible with anyone she could before they had to turn in for the night. Her work time was usually uneventful, what with most ponies asleep, but some did share her work hours and would on the odd occasion request an audience with her.

Most of her night, however, was spent looking around the city in an attempt to familiarize herself with it and the present culture. The city layout was easy enough to comprehend with the proper amount of time, but the culture always seemed outside her grasp. It was hard to understand where present customs came from and how she herself was supposed to act around others, the latter being mostly due to the lack of ponies on the streets as she wandered. Any she did find were usually a couple taking a moonlit stroll, and she didn’t want to disturb them.

Luna woke up at the appointed time and prepared for the visit Celestia had told her about. She wouldn’t say who they were going to see, but Luna waved this off as her being unable to actually know who these friends were. As soon as she was ready, she walked out to the gardens where Celestia had told her to meet.

“I should warn you,” Celestia said; “this journey will probably take more than an hour.”

“Where do these friends of yours live?” Luna asked.

“They prefer to remain outside the public consciousness. Currently, only I am aware that they even exist.”

“Why would they choose such lonliness?”

“They didn’t. Not entirely, anyway.” Celestia’s face looked almost sorrowful. Luna began to understand why they were going to see whatever ponies her sister had in mind. “We’d best be off,” the sun princess said. She opened her wings and took off, heading for a distant mountain range. Luna quickly followed after her.

Even with a flying prowess greater than that of an ace pegasus, the trip was indeed long, as Celestia had warned. Almost adding to the length was the lack of any interesting landmarks. Still, Luna didn’t mind too much. Besides her trip from the Everfree Forest to Ponyville to ultimately Canterlot, this was the most she had seen of the Equestrian landscape. A lot of it was grasslands and forests, much like the journey to Canterlot. But as they got closer to the mountains, the land began to look rockier and less lush. Luna recalled that these friends lived here for reasons that were comparable to her own isolation, and she could easily see why this location would be considered ideal.

Sunset was just beginning by the time the two sisters landed. Luna looked around but didn’t see anything, just the rock wall that made up the mountain. “You’re certain your friends live here?” she asked. “Because I don’t see any houses.”

“That’s because they don’t live in a house,” Celestia said. Luna’s confusion was beginning to irritate her. She was starting to wish Celestia would start making a bit more sense.

Celestia walked along the rock wall, with Luna following. Soon, the two came to an alcove. What surprised Luna the most was that it was actually green here; grass was growing on the ground and there were a few fruit-bearing trees. Behind those trees was the entrance to a cave.

“I am to assume we’re going in there?” Luna asked. Celestia just smiled. Luna looked into the cave; the tunnel must have gone pretty far in because she couldn’t see the end of it. Whoever lived here must have been pretty far in. Luna looked at Celestia again, and like last time, she simply got a smile. She would have been annoyed with the sun princess for being so secretive, but there was always something about her that could prevent anypony from harboring negative feelings for too long.

Celestia walked into the cave and lit up her horn. Luna didn’t need such luxuries, as she was adept at seeing in the dark, but Celestia wasn’t as lucky. Luna allowed Celestia to keep the lead as they entered the darker parts of the cave. There was nothing too spectacular about their path, just rocks and a few small stalactites. Soon, though, something strange caught Luna’s eye: it looked like a green light at the far end of the tunnel.

“Why don’t you take the lead, Luna?” Celestia said. “I trust you can find your way from here on.” Luna, driven by curiosity, followed Celestia’s suggestion and stepped in front of her. Her emotions were a mix of fascination and anxiety; she didn’t know who or what was waiting for her at the end. She did know, however, that if this would help her receive closure, she had to keep moving. As she got closer, she could hear something, like a multitude of sounds. There were voices, those were the most evident, and she could also hear something like the flapping of wings.

Finally, she made it to the source of the green light. The tunnel ended by opening to a large chamber, and what Luna found stunned her completely.

It was an entire colony of ponies. But whereas even a small family had a variety of colors, almost all the ponies here were practically the same color: dark grey. They also had some unique features that made it clear that these weren’t just regular ponies. Their ears were longer and curved up; if they weren’t so scruffy at the ends, they might have been sharp enough to cut. The eyes were almost slits, similar to a reptile’s. But their most defining traits were their manes, tails, and wings. The mane and tail of each pony again looked reptilian, almost like a dragon’s spine. And the wings looked similar to a bat’s.

“The bat-winged pegasi?” Luna gasped quietly. She couldn’t believe she had forgotten about them. They were sub-species of pegasus that lived best in the dark. The only pony that appreciated the night more was Luna herself. When she had first found them, she allowed them to live in the then-controlled Everfree Forest around the old capitol. Many of them even became part of her personal guard and court.

She heard Celestia walk up to her while she stared at the spectacle. “After the incident, I tried to reestablish as much order as I could to make up for your absence. Originally, I had allowed the bat-winged pegasi to stay if they so chose. But things began to go south for them fairly quickly. Your fall from grace left its impact on a number of ponies, and many were still afraid of you. They thought you were using the pegasi as your familiars, your eyes and ears to this world. Their appearance did little to assuage these misconceptions.”

Luna could understand this last point. Even though they were fundamentally the same as any other pony, the bat-winged pegasi were still frightening to look at for the unprepared pony. It was because of their appearance she wanted them as part of her guard, reasoning that intimidation might keep the peace more effectively without the need for violence. But their behaviors still stood out. In addition to their tendencies toward being more active at night, they also had a unique eating habit that even Luna found slightly odd; they were still vegetarian, despite what their appearance may have suggested, but with juicy fruits, they usually sucked out the juices first before actually eating them.

“At first,” Celestia continued, “it was a minor thing; nopony truly acted on these fears. They mostly just kept the pegasi out of their line of sight. But then I got reports of bar fights and unprovoked ambushes on the streets. I even heard rumors of my own guard being involved, and not in the way I would have liked. I realized I had two choices: either continue to let the pegasi live with us and hope things get better over time, or hide them from the world until the social climate became more favorable to them. Neither was a choice I wanted to make, but in the end, I had a duty to protect all of my little ponies. I gathered all the pegasi I could find and brought them to this cave. They could live in peace here for as long as they needed. And without something to take their fears out on, the ponies in the city would eventually calm down.”

“And they have lived here for the last thousand years?” Luna asked.

“The time needed to bring the ponies out of fear was… longer than I had anticipated. It wasn’t until Nightmare Moon had passed into legend, almost three generations later, that I finally deemed the bat-winged pegasi safe and ready to live in Equestria again. But like I said, generations had passed. By then, the pegasi had built a thriving, sustainable society. We talked about it, but they would not leave the safety they had lived in for so long. They believed they would still be met with fear, even without the influence of Nightmare Moon.”

Luna listened intently to Celestia’s story. When Celestia had told her that they would be seeing someone whose isolation had been similar to her own, she didn’t realize how connected the two incidents would be. It was hard for her not to feel at least partially responsible for what had happened.

“I’ve still kept in touch with them over the centuries, and we have quite a bond between us. But perhaps they would like nothing more than to meet an old friend.” She turned and smiled at Luna.

Luna could only look away. “Thank you for bringing me here, sister,” she said, “but I do not believe this will work.” She looked at the crowd of pegasi. “While it is good to know that they have thrived well into the present day, I could not possibly relate to them. After all these years, I wouldn’t be able to actually know who they are.”

“Maybe these ponies aren’t the ones you remember,” Celestia said, “but they certainly know you.” Luna looked up at her with curiosity. “Look back at the entrance.” Luna turned to look at the cave they had come through. The tunnel itself was still dark, but what caught her attention was the portrait above it. The picture was of an alicorn mare, a royal if her dress and posture were to be believed. Her coat was midnight blue and her mane and tail seemed to be made of a night sky with stars.

As Luna stared at the image, she thought it felt like looking in a mirror to the past. She had been the way she was now for so long, she had almost forgotten she once looked like that. It seemed like the only thing connecting her to the Luna in the picture was the cutie mark: a white crescent moon over a field of black.

“There is only one thing that will convince them to return to the world,” Celestia said. Luna understood almost immediately.

“Princess Celestia!” a voice called out. Luna turned around and saw a pegasus stallion approach them. “Such an unexpected pleasure.”

“It’s good to see you again, Vladimir,” Celestia returned. “How are things?”

“About as well as the last time you saw us.” Vladimir looked at Luna. “I see you brought a friend with you. I am Vladimir Dusk, secretary to the head minister of this village. Who might you be?”

Luna wasn’t sure what would happen if she gave her name, but if these ponies were as reverent as she believed…

“I am Princess Luna,” she said. Vladimir paused. There was a strange look on his face, like shock and excitement trying to claim victory over each other. The silence didn’t last long and Vladimir was soon stuttering.

“Princess,” he finally said, turning back to Celestia, “is this true?”

“It is,” Celestia said. “My sister has finally returned.”

Vladimir turned back to Luna, the shock still evident on his face. “Um, forgive me, Your Highness. It’s just that, well, we’ve been waiting for so long, and, uh, to see you here with my own eyes is, um, quite surreal.” He paused for a moment, like he was in deep thought. Luna wasn’t sure whether to slink back in embarrassment for making a spectacle of herself or laugh at Vladimir’s flabbergasted expressions.

“Um, Princesses,” he finally said, “could you please follow me? I have a feeling the minister may want to know this.”

“Of course,” Celestia said. Vladimir turned and went into the village proper. Celestia followed him and Luna followed her. Luna got a closer look at the village, which amounted to little more than several one-story houses. The walls of the chamber, she now realized, were lined with crystals that created the green glow that led her here. As they walked through what appeared to be the main part of the town, the other pegasi stepped back and created a path. When she passed by them, Luna could hear the pegasi whispering amongst themselves. They were no doubt wondering about her and whether she was their missing princess.

Vladimir led them to one of the houses. They all entered it into the main foyer. “Wait here,” Vladimir said. “I’ll let the head minister know you’re here.” He walked past a curtain in the back of the room and disappeared from view.

“Are you alright?” Celestia asked.

“A little overwhelmed, actually,” Luna said. She felt like she had been holding her breath for the entire trek. “The bat-winged pegasi, they treat me like… like…” She paused. “I don’t deserve their reverence. I betrayed everypony, including them. The only creatures in Equestria that I felt I could relate to, and even they weren’t enough to keep me from my jealousy.”

Celestia moved closer to Luna and wrapped a wing around her. “Luna, you are not Nightmare Moon. You never were. The only thing the two of you shared was a body, and even saying that is quite a stretch.”

“But we were two sides of the same coin,” Luna argued. “We both represented the night: one side for beauty and mystery, the other for fear and distrust.”

“Well, then, it seems the pegasi choose to focus on the ‘beauty and mystery’ part. They could have easily feared you to this day like so many others did. But after all this time, they’ve waited for your return.”

Luna had to admit that the looks of the pegasi she passed, and even Vladimir, seemed to be of curiosity and wonder, rather than apprehension like many other ponies seemed to have back at Canterlot.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the curtain being pulled back. Vladimir walked through and stood to the side. “Princesses,” he said, “Head Minister Dracul Nebula.” An elder pegasus walked past the curtain. Except for the weaker stance that betrayed his age, he looked just like any other bat-winged pegasus.

Dracul walked up to the princesses. He turned to Celestia and bowed, to which she nodded in response. He then turned to Luna. Instead of bowing, he walked around her as though inspecting her.

As he walked, he said, “My secretary tells me you are Princess Luna. Is this true?”

“It is.” Luna wasted no time in answering, yet she was frank, not wanting to sound defensive.

“The bat-winged pegasi have waited a long time for your return,” Dracul said. He was now looking at Luna’s cutie mark.

“My apologies, Minister,” Celestia said. “I would have brought her here sooner, but I wanted to make sure she felt comfortable in this new world.”

“As a wise ruler should do,” Dracul replied. “I did, in fact, notice the event that took place on your Summer Sun Celebration. The Longest Night, some here have already called it. And I have also taken notice of the moon itself, and how Her Majesty’s visage is no longer imprinted upon it. I did wonder, as did others.” By now, he had finished his circle and was standing in front of Luna once more.

“I just want you to know,” Luna said, “whatever I did as Nightmare Moon to your ancestors all those years ago, both directly and indirectly, I am truly sorry. I don’t know if I could ever make up for my actions against my own friends. I can’t ask this of them directly, so I ask for your forgiveness, Head Minister, even though my apology comes a thousand years too late.” Her head was bowed.

“It is as the tales have said,” Dracul said. “The rest of the world may yet know you as the Mare in the Moon, but we have never forgotten your true self: a kind, meek, and humble pony who cared for her subjects and showed great devotion and loyalty.” Luna raised her head a little. “Princess, there is nothing to be ashamed of. What’s past is past, and all that you have now is the future.” Luna lifted her head fully. There was a smile on her face.

Dracul was silent for a moment. “I have seen and heard enough. Vladimir,” the secretary stood tall at the mention of his name, “prepare the village.” Vladimir nodded and went outside. “Follow me, Your Majesties,” Dracul said to the sisters. He went to the curtain and pulled it up, motioning at the princesses to enter.

The two alicorns stepped into what looked like Dracul’s office. The pegasus went to the back of the room toward a staircase. As they walked up, they heard a loud bong, like a bell. They all made it to the top, on the roof of the house, and saw Vladimir hitting a large bell with his hind legs. Many of the pegasi had gathered around the house in response.

Dracul stepped up to the front of the impromptu stage and said, “As many of you are no doubt aware, Princess Celestia has paid us a surprise visit. You may also have noticed that she has brought a new face to our village.” He turned to Luna and waved a hoof as if calling her over. Luna hesitated at first, but with prodding from her sister, she eventually walked toward Dracul. “This mare is quite special indeed. Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present to you Princess Luna!”

The reactions from the other pegasi were varied, but overwhelmingly positive. Some stomped their hooves on the ground in applause, others outright cheered. Some of them were whispering amongst themselves, likely questioning if the event before them was really happening.

Dracul allowed this to continue for a couple minutes. Soon, however, his face began to twist into something unpleasant. “Hold your noise!” he said firmly. The pegasi fell silent. “I heard you! I heard what you had to say. Perhaps everypony else would like to hear.” Luna realized he was talking to one pony, one who must have said something to upset him. She was surprised he could make it out through all that noise.

At first, nothing happened. Soon, though, very slowly, a female pegasus on the ground rose into the air. The pegasi around her moved out of the way, like they were drawing all attention to her.

“Well?” Dracul said.

“My apologies, Head Minster,” the pegasus said. “But with all due respect, how do we know this is actually Princess Luna? The painting at the exit,” she pointed to the tunnel and the portrait of Luna above it, “was painted by a skilled artist, one who prided himself on accurate transcription.” Many pegasi started jeering at her.

“Enough!” Dracul said with the same force as before. Once again, the cave was silent. “I cannot say I am pleased with your unwillingness to believe.” The female pegasus lowered her head. “However, you do bring up a valid point. And I admire your bravery for stating in public what must surely be in some others’ hearts.” Luna felt some of her unease return to her, hearing that some of these pegasi weren’t convinced of her identity. “It is true,” Dracul continued, “that the princess looks very much unlike the portrait that we prize so dearly. But in the end, what matters most to a pony’s identity is not the coat, the mane, or even the royal regalia. What matters most is the deeds.” He paused for a moment. “Vladimir, what time is it?”

“Um, about ten minutes until moonrise, sir,” Vladimir replied.

“Everypony,” Dracul said, “bat-winged pegasus and princess alike, if you would all follow me outside.” He took off from the roof and flew toward the tunnel. The other pegasi followed him.

Luna just stood there, unsure of what was happening. Celestia walked up to her.

“Let’s go,” she said softly. She opened her wings and took off. Luna stayed for a few seconds longer before leaving for the tunnel herself.

Everyone touched down at the entrance to the cave. As soon as they were out, Luna headed straight for Dracul, curious as to what he was planning. He and Vladimir were standing in the front of the pack, looking out on the horizon; the sun had almost fully set.

Dracul turned to the crowd. “If any of you has any doubt, no matter how small, then this shall be what puts it to rest forever.” He then looked at Luna. “Princess, we ask that you perform your most iconic spell: the ability to raise the moon.”

Luna looked stunned for a few seconds. She had never shown her moon-raising spell to many ponies, and now she was being asked to do it in front of a crowd that amounted to a sizable town. At first, she thought she might crack under the pressure. But she soon felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked up at Celestia, who still had that ever-present smile.

“You can do this, Luna,” she said. “You’ve managed to get back in the swing of things fairly quickly after your return. I don’t see how this is any different.” Luna had to admit that the only difference now was the crowd, a crowd that obviously had undying respect for her. She knew that if she wanted to relate to these ponies, to have somepony to talk to about her experiences since her banishment, she would have to prove who she was. This resolve gave her the confidence she needed.

Luna turned back to Dracul and nodded. “Very well, Head Minister. I am ready.”

“Good,” Dracul said. “Princess Celestia,” he said to the other princess, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to request that you be kept under constant watch to ensure that you do not influence any part of this moonrising.”

“I understand,” Celestia said. Three pegasi walked up next to her.

“Whenever you’re ready, Princess,” Dracul said to Luna. She stepped farther away from the crowd and looked at the sky. The sun was almost below the horizon. Just as the last sliver of light disappeared over the edge of the mountains, Luna’s horn glowed.

Celestia was right about one thing; Luna’s regaining control over the moon had been steadily improving throughout the past month. She closed her eyes and felt herself rise off the ground, instinct taking over. As she rose, a soft light appeared over the horizon; unlike the sun however, this wasn’t nearly as bright, and it looked almost like a large chunk of rock.

From the vantage point of the crowd, Luna and the moon looked like they were one entity. Finally, when her body fit comfortably inside the outline of the moon, Luna flared her wings out, releasing a shower of tiny lights. The lights shot away from her and seemed to stop, taking their place as the stars.

Luna slowly lowered herself and opened her eyes when she touched the ground. She looked out at the crowd; they were all staring in silence and awe. After a long time, Dracul finally spoke. “Behold, my little ponies! Our Princess of the Night has returned!” His proclamation was met with near thunderous applause. What made it more amazing to Luna was that she couldn’t see a single pegasus doing anything but cheering. “Tonight,” Dracul continued, “we ride the night in our happiness and joy at being able to witness such a momentous occasion!” The pegasi cheered once more. Many of them started to rise into the air, forming a line of bodies not unlike a school of fish as they traveled through the air.

“Princess,” Dracul said to Luna. He and Vladimir approached her. “We would be honored if you could join us on our nightly ride.”

Luna was taken aback by this. “Really?” she asked.

“The bat-winged pegasi have been waiting for the last thousand years for your return,” Vladimir said. “Nothing would make them happier.”

Luna was torn by indecision. She did want to be able to socialize on even a minute level with somepony, but she was still a princess of Equestria. Then she remembered the situation that brought her here in the first place: her loneliness and isolation. She didn’t want to return to that, not when she had newfound friends.

“Celestia,” she said at last, “I may be a little late coming home.” She looked at her sister; that smile was still there.

“Have fun, Luna,” she said. With that, she spread her wings and took off, heading in the direction of Canterlot.

Luna turned to Dracul and Vladimir. “Gentlecolts? Shall we?” She spread her wings, the pegasi followed suit, and they all joined the large crowd above them.

Celestia woke up just as the moon was lowering in the sky. Much like Luna, she had to wake up early to raise the sun on time. She got up from her bed and saw something on her nightstand: a scroll wrapped with a seal. One of Twilight’s letters? she thought to herself. She levitated the scroll with her magic and looked at the seal. Normally, Twilight’s letters came with Celestia’s royal seal: a gold horseshoe on a red field. But when Celestia looked at the seal on this scroll, the colors were different: a white horseshoe over a black field.

Luna, she realized. She slid the seal off the parchment, unrolled it, and began to read.

Dear Sister,

I realize that this is such short notice, but I’ve decided to remain with the bat-winged pegasi awhile longer. I still have much to learn about Equestria since my absence, and the pegasi can teach me what books are unable to, things like culture and social norms. It was them, in fact, who offered to teach me about the past millennium. They’ve even volunteered to resume their posts as part of my guard once I’ve returned.

Besides, I still need pony interaction, and I have a feeling Canterlot may not be the ideal place for it. I mean no disrespect to them, but as I said before, nopony else appears to trust me completely. Here at least, I am treated with respect. Perhaps time here will give me the boost that is needed for my confidence.

If I am correct, I may not make it back in time for the Grand Galloping Gala. But, if it is anything like I remember, I probably won’t be missing much. I will, however, try to make it back in time for the holiday known as “Nightmare Night,” which, if I understand correctly, was inspired in part by the Nightmare Moon legends, but is today observed in good fun.

I look forward to seeing you again, dear sister.

~Luna

Celestia was surprised by Luna’s rather sudden decision, but smiled nonetheless. She took out a small piece of parchment and wrote a quick message on it before folding it and, with her magic, sent it away in a puff of smoke. As she prepared for the day ahead of her, she repeated to herself the words she wrote.

Good luck, Luna.

Author's Note

This story was me in pure headcanon mode. Just about everything that is written here is part of my thoughts on the world of Equestria, from the bat-winged pegasi to where Luna was in S1 to her typical workday (or night, as the case may be). Hope you all enjoyed.
This is CF signing out.