Princess Celestia lowered her sun to make way for the moon. She radiated a powerful aura as she stood on the balcony outside her bedchamber. The heavens were moved, and the sun was lowered into the horizon. There was a temporary blackness over Equestria. It did not last long however, for Princess Luna stepped in to raise the moon.
The younger sister focused her magic, aiming her horn high. A few moments later, a great glowing white orb rose up above the land. It shone faintly, a dim light in a blanket of darkness. Then one by one, the stars appeared. They came like a wave, sweeping across the skies of Equestria. The black expanse was dotted with bright jewels of light, kissing the night sky. Princess Luna smiled at her domain, for it was truly beautiful. Her moon sat high in the sky now, bathed in its glorious light.
A younger alicorn princess was observing that same moon. She sat on a platform installed on one of the higher branches of her library. There was a telescope, a large book, and star charts sitting in front of her. The Princess of Magic was stargazing once again. Most of Ponyville was quiet, save for those with night shifts and late night activities. Spike was fast asleep of course, not as willing to stay up late like the princess. Twilight Sparkle had just seen the sky change from colors of pinkish red and yellow to cool colors of blue and purple. The best part was when the stars appeared, painting the night sky with their light. Now she could study them once more.
As the young alicorn watched the stars, another did as well. Princess Luna's eyes were now transfixed on the stars. Those gleaming jewels were truly beautiful, and it reminded her of a certain alicorn with starlight on her flank. Luna wondered about her, hoping she was doing well. Was she watching the stars too? Luna hoped she was, because she believed everypony should be able to admire her beautiful night. Princess Luna let a wistful sigh escape her lips. Her eyes drifted downward to the land before her. Then hoofsteps caught her attention, and she turned her head.
"Luna, my dear sister, how are you tonight?" Princess Celestia asked as she went to her younger sister's side.
"We are fine, we were just admiring our domain," said Princess Luna.
Princess Celestia chuckled at Luna's way of speaking. "You don't always have to speak like that you know," she said gently. "It's all right to use 'I' when referring to oneself, even if we are royalty."
Princess Luna's visage lightened as she looked down at her hooves. "Forgive me, sister. It is habit."
"I understand," said Princess Celestia. "However, I sense there is something else on your mind. Will you share that with me?"
Luna sighed and looked towards the night sky. She thought of the young alicorn princess who had been in her dreams for many a night. "We were...I was just thinking of Twilight Sparkle..." she admitted softly.
"Oh?" Princess Celestia had been unaware of this. "Is there something troubling you in relation to her?" she asked, concerned.
"No, it's not like that," Luna explained. "I've...I've been thinking a lot about her lately."
"Ah," comprehension came over the sun princess's face. It was clear now that Princess Luna had developed some sort of crush or affection towards her former prized pupil. Just to confirm, she asked, "So you have feelings for her?"
Princess Luna bit her lip but nodded slowly. "Yes...is that wrong of me?"
"Not at all," Celestia assured her sister. "How long have you had these feelings?"
Princess Luna thought about that question. When had she actually fallen for Twilight Sparkle? Then she remembered that first night she came to Ponyville, after the Elements of Harmony had freed her from Nightmare Moon's wrath. It had also been her first Nightmare Night, and it hadn't started off as well. But Twilight had helped her, she convinced her subjects that Princess Luna had changed and was much friendlier now. Yes, Princess Luna knew it was definitely then when those feelings had come to light.
"It was on Nightmare Night," Princess Luna answered her sister. "The first night I visited Ponyville after I had been freed from the moon."
"That's a long time to have such feelings for somepony," her sister commented. "Have you considered sharing these feelings with her?"
Princess Luna shook her head. "I admit, sister, I am afraid. I fear she may reject me, and besides, it appears she already has feelings for another."
"Oh?" this was also new to Princess Celestia. She had not been aware of Twilight Sparkle having feelings for another pony. "Who would that be?"
"The pink pony, the Element of Laughter," Princess Luna replied. "I've seen the way Pinkie Pie acts around Twilight Sparkle, and it hints of something more than just friendship."
"I doubt it, because Twilight seldom writes about Pinkie Pie in her letters," reasoned Celestia. "You won't know for sure if she has feelings for you until you try."
"Perhaps..." said Luna, nodding slowly. "I suppose you're right, sister. I should pay her a visit soon."
Princess Celestia looked towards the sky and became thoughtful. "Well, knowing Twilight, she could be stargazing as we speak," said Celestia. "Perhaps you could visit her tonight?"
"I could..." Luna started looking a little hopeful. "I think I shall. Thank you sister," she smiled warmly at Princess Celestia.
"You're welcome, Luna. Have fun, and good luck." Princess Celestia kissed her younger sister's forehead and turned to leave.
Princess Luna watched her sister exit, and she turned back to face the stars. She did have a good feeling that tonight would be a good night. If Twilight Sparkle was indeed stargazing, then destiny could be in her favor tonight. Her dark eyes burning with conviction, she spread her wings and lifted herself off the balcony. She took off into the night sky, flying towards Ponyville. She would meet with Twilight, and...
Princess Luna slowed down, hovering in the sky. How would she do this? She considered just going right in and telling Twilight Sparkle right away that she liked her. No, Princess Luna knew that would be inappropriate. She didn't want to startle Twilight, after all this visit would be a surprise to her. That would be startling enough. Conversation would work better, she thought. Small talk that would eventually lead to the confession. Princess Luna took a deep breath and exhaled, calming herself. She could do this.
Meanwhile, Princess Twilight Sparkle had already mapped out two constellations. She was comparing their positions to other nights when she had seen and mapped them out. Now she was reading up on the origins of one of the constellations in the big book she had with her. Orion's Belt had apparently formed long before Celestia's reign, and was prone to being in slightly different locations in the night sky very often. It was probably one of the trickiest constellations to work with, but Twilight did like a good challenge.
If the Princess of Magic was tired, she did not show it. She was focused on her work and was currently not paying attention to the sky itself. Therefore she did not see the dark shape fly overhead and come down towards her. It was only at the sound of moving wings and a slight gust of wind that Twilight did look up. She was surprised to see the princess of the moon standing before her. And of course, like with Princess Celestia, she panicked.
"Oh my gosh, Princess Luna! I am so sorry, I didn't know you would be coming! I would have prepared," she babbled. She looked around frantically, organizing her star charts and closing her book that she had open. "Did you send a letter? Spike should have given it to me. I will have a talk with him about this. Again I am so sorry Princess."
Princess Luna looked on with amusement at the frantic alicorn. She should have been expecting this kind of reaction, especially after hearing her sister talk about her occasional visits to Ponyville. Still, she needed to let Twilight Sparkle know there was no need to worry.
"Twilight Sparkle, calm down. This is...a casual visit," she began. "Please, relax."
Twilight sighed, not liking not having to clean up in the presence of a princess. Still, she obeyed and nodded, sitting down in front of the Princess.
"Sorry," she apologized.
"It is all right, Twilight Sparkle. There is nothing to worry about. I simply wanted to see you," Princess Luna explained.
Twilight's ears perked in surprise. "Oh, really? Um...okay," she said cautiously, not sure if the princess was testing her or something.
Princess Luna smiled warmly and looked around at the things around them. There was a telescope at the edge of the platform, one end aimed towards her night sky. Princess Celestia had been right; Twilight Sparkle had indeed been stargazing this night. She smiled, feeling her heart flutter at the thought of that. She pictured Twilight Sparkle at her telescope, peering through the lens at the black expanse above her. Then she realized she had been silent, creating an air of awkwardness between them.
"So, what have you been doing?" Princess Luna asked, breaking the silence between them.
"Oh, just stargazing," said Twilight. "I was actually looking at Orion's belt, and comparing its current position in the sky to a few nights ago. It's amazing how positions can change, really." Her tone grew more excited as she talked, making Luna smile more. "Right now it's more in the northeast, the accepted point of his belt pointing north. It seems to have shifted clockwise, and-Sorry, I'm rambling..." Twilight cut herself short, smiling apologetically. "How are you Princess?"
Princess Luna chuckled at this, and she said, "It is fine, Twilight Sparkle. I rather enjoy studying the stars myself. As for your question, I am doing well, thank you."
"You do?" Twilight was surprised for a second before blushing. "Wait no of course you do. I mean the night is your domain and all. How stupid of me."
"You are not stupid at all, Twilight Sparkle," said Princess Luna kindly. "I share the same love of learning as you."
"You're one of the first ponies I've actually heard say that," said Twilight with a smile.
"Oh, do your friends not enjoy learning?" Princess Luna asked, curiously. "Even Pinkie Pie?"
"Pinkie Pie?" Twilight looked confused. "Um, I'm sorry Princess Luna, but Pinkie Pie is one of the last ponies I would expect to like learning, and that's not even including Rainbow Dash."
"Ah, I see," Princess Luna thought for a moment. She wanted to confirm the lack of feelings for Pinkie Pie from Twilight Sparkle. So she pressed a little further, "You would not consider inviting her or any of the others to a study session?"
"No, my friends aren't really into studying like I am. It's a shame though, because sometimes I do wish I could have somepony to study with." She shrugged slightly and looked towards the hatch that led back down into the Library. "I have Spike, but he doesn't really count as a study buddy. He's just an assistant."
"I understand," Princess Luna felt more sure of herself now. "I take it you do this often? Stargazing?" she asked, changing the subject.
"I do it quite often, in fact," said Twilight with a smile. "It's educational and fun!"
"Mind if I join you?" Princess Luna asked hopefully.
"Sure, why not?" said Twilight. "You probably know more about Orion's Belt than I do. Want to look at the book while I take another look through the telescope?"
"That sounds good," said Luna.
Twilight smiled happily and went to the telescope. She peered through, not realizing the princess of the moon was still watching her. Princess Luna took a moment to observe Twilight under the moonlight. The dim light of the stars shone down onto her lavender coat, making it shine a little. Her mane seem to sparkle, and Princess Luna wondered if it was due to some kind of shampoo Twilight used. Regardless of what products Twilight used, she still looked very beautiful at the moment. Princess Luna didn't want to be caught staring, however, so she looked at the book Twilight had and opened it.
Her own curiosity did get the better of her. She ended up delving into the pages of the book while Twilight stargazed. She helped Twilight Sparkle map out the stars and even take some notes on Orion's Belt. They got a good amount of research done working together, and the pile of notes grew larger. A few hours before dawn, Twilight decided they should call it a night.
"That was very enjoyable, Twilight Sparkle," said Princess Luna. "Thank you."
"I enjoyed it too, Princess Luna," said Twilight.
"Please, you can just call me Luna," said Princess Luna. "I believe our friendship goes past formalities. You do consider me as a friend, right?"
"Of course I do," said Twilight quickly. "You're a great friend, and also the first friend to actually study with me."
They both laughed at that and Princess Luna said, "I am glad to hear you say that."
"We have to do this again soon," said Twilight. "I mean, if you want to that is."
"I would love that," said Princess Luna. Then she got an idea. "Perhaps tonight, after this night is done."
"Okay!" said Twilight a little too eagerly. She caught herself and said, "I mean, that sounds good."
Princess Luna smiled and got to her hooves. "Well until then, Twilight Sparkle, farewell."
"Goodbye, Princess Luna!" said Twilight.
Twilight watched as the princess of the moon spread her wings and took to the skies. Princess Luna flew quickly back towards Canterlot, her heart racing even faster now. There was an elated feeling of happiness in her chest. She hadn't confessed to Twilight yet, but she would on the coming dusk. She started forming a plan in her head, and flew back to Canterlot castle with a new goal in mind.
Twilight gathered up all her materials and went back into the Library. She used her magic to carry the book and charts with her, and set it down on a shelf in her room. She climbed into her bed and curled up, closing her eyes. She thought of her time with Princess Luna that night. She really had enjoyed it. And she really was glad to have gained a friend with the same love of learning that she had. She looked forward to the next night, but reminded herself that she had to finish this one first. So she eventually got herself to sleep using a drowsiness spell.
Twilight woke up late that morning. She woke from a dream involving Princess Luna and the stars. She couldn't remember much about it, only that it had been a lovely dream. Since it was already close to noon, she had Spike make her lunch while she washed up. After she ate lunch, she decided she would do some reading. However, it was a lovely day outside and she didn't want to waste it. So she picked out a book and left the Library, heading to the park.
It was a nice day all right, thanks to the weather ponies. There was a scheduled storm coming in a few days, and the weather ponies assigned to Ponyville wanted to make sure the town's residents got a good amount of sunshine before the storm. Twilight reached the park and went to an empty bench. She got onto the bench and sat down, putting the book in front of her. She opened it and started to read.
Twilight found she couldn't concentrate. Her thoughts kept drifting to Princess Luna. She thought about Princess Luna's smile, and the sound of her sweet laughter that was like bells chiming in the wind. Woah, she stopped herself. She was suddenly being poetic about Princess Luna, and she didn't quite understand why. She also didn't quite understand that warm feeling she had in her chest. Twilight knew it had something to do with Princess Luna, but what exactly was it?
Twilight sighed, knowing she wasn't going to get any reading done. She needed to talk to somepony about this. Then an image of a white unicorn came into her head. Of course, Rarity would probably know something about what was going on with her. Twilight closed her book and stuck it into her saddlebag. She hopped off the bench and went to the Carousel Boutique.
She walked right into the Boutique since it was a public place. Rarity turned from where she was working, doing her usual greeting for entering customers.
"Welcome to the Boutique, how-Oh, Twilight!" Rarity beamed at her friend. "How lovely to see you. What brings you here?"
Twilight smiled at her friend Rarity and said, "Well I wanted to talk to you, actually."
"Of course darling, you can talk to me about anything you know," said Rarity. "So what is it?"
"Well, that's just it," said Twilight. "I don't know what it is. I have this warm feeling in my chest, and it has to do with Princess Luna. I know it does, but I don't know what it's supposed to be."
"Princess Luna?" Rarity was surprised. "What about her?"
"Well, she came in for a surprise visit last night," Twilight explained. "It was just a casual visit, and we started talking and she joined me in stargazing. It was a lot of fun actually, and I'm even going to see her again this evening."
Rarity nodded, studying Twilight's body posture, tone of voice, and facial expression. There was a certain light in her eyes when she talked about Princess Luna, and a smile that kept trying to form on her lips. Rarity recognized these symptoms well, and she was not surprised that a studious bookworm like Twilight didn't realize it.
"You're in love, Twilight," said Rarity. "That warm feeling in your chest? It's called love."
"Love?" Twilight's eyes widened. That was the last answer she had expected. "I'm in love? With Princess Luna?!"
Rarity giggled at Twilight's shock and nodded. "Yes, looks like it."
"Well what do I do?" Twilight asked, genuinely clueless.
Rarity sighed, seeing her friend needed a lot of advice. First she had to ask though, "Twilight have you ever been in a romantic relationship with anypony before?"
"Well, no," said Twilight. "You know I've always enjoyed reading and studying over pursing romantic interests."
"Right," Rarity said. "Well you're going to see her tonight right?" After a nod from Twilight, she continued, "Well just act natural, okay? If Luna feels the same way, then it's likely she's going to try and lead you into this relationship. She probably does if she did something like dropping in the middle of the night for a causal visit."
"But what do I say?" asked Twilight. "I mean do I say something about this feeling of love I have for her?"
"If you want to," said Rarity. "But I wouldn't bring it up in conversation right away. You don't want to seem too forward. Again, act natural. You'll know when the time is right, you'll feel it."
"Okay," Twilight looked a little uncertain, but Rarity's confident smile assured her. "Thank you Rarity."
"Anytime, darling," said Rarity with a smile. "I wish you the best of luck."
"Thanks," said Twilight. "I'll see you later, all right?"
"All right, bye Twilight," Rarity waved a hoof at her.
Twilight left the Boutique, an extra skip in her step this time. She was a little excited, and nervous at the same time. Was this normal when one was in love? It probably was, so Twilight decided to just go with it. Twilight decided she should tell Spike about this, so she headed back to the Library. She told Spike about Princess Luna's visit and her newfound feelings for her. Spike was surprised at this, but also wished her luck. He decided this meant his Twilight was growing up, and he was proud of her for that.
Evening came, and so did the time for the sun to set and the moon to rise. Princess Luna was on her way to Ponyville. She had spoken with her sister, who was overjoyed at the prospect of Princess Luna taking action for somepony she loved. As Princess Luna approached Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle went back up to the same platform where the two had met the previous night. Twilight looked up at the sky, and saw a familiar shape coming in her direction. She was surprised to see Luna coming so early, but she smiled anyway. The Princess came and landed on the platform.
"Princess Luna, you're early," said Twilight.
"Oh, have I made a mistake?" Princess Luna asked, looking genuinely worried.
"No no, not at all, Luna. I'm just surprised, that's all," Twilight reassured her. "Um, isn't about time for you to raise the moon, though?"
Princess Luna smiled at that and said, "Actually Twilight, I was thinking you could help me."
Twilight's mouth dropped open, and she quickly closed it. "You mean...you want me to help you raise the moon?"
"Yes, Twilight Sparkle. I do," said Princess Luna. "I will actually raise the moon, since that a little bit harder. You however, can bring the stars to the sky."
"How do I do that?" Twilight asked.
"It's easy," said Princess Luna. "You only need to think of something that you truly love, and you can move the stars. You have a moment to think while I raise the moon."
Twilight nodded, trying to decide what she should think about. "All right."
Princess Luna smiled and looked up at the sky. Princess Celestia was lowering the sun, blanketing Equestria in darkness. Then Princess Luna used her magic, and Twilight saw an ebony glow envelop Luna's body. It gave her sort of a radiant, mysterious beauty, which made Twilight's heart race. Her horn glowed, and a beam of dark light shot from its tip. It hit the black sky and the heavens moved once more. The moon came into view, and Twilight could feel Luna's magic emanating from her in waves.
"Twilight, are you ready?" she heard Luna say suddenly.
"Y-yes," Twilight stammered, looking towards the sky.
She needed to bring the stars. Luna said to think of something she truly loved. Well she truly loved studying, so she tried that. But it didn't quite work. Then the memory of the previous night flashed through her mind, and she could feel Luna's powerful presence right beside her. That gave her what she needed and her horn glowed brightly. A bright aura surrounded Twilight's own body, and she felt her magic being pushed towards the sky. Twilight smiled, and using her magic, painted the sky with the stars. The moonlit night became joined with starlight, and together it made the night beautiful.
Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna stood together under their night sky. They admired it in all its glory. Princess Luna tore her gaze away from the sky to look at the princess beside her. Twilight was literally glowing now, giving her a new kind of beauty. Princess Luna smiled, giving her a look of pure love.
"What did you think of?" she asked.
Twilight looked back at Princess Luna, a blush upon her face. "I thought of you," she said softly.
Princess Luna smiled. "I'm glad."
The princess of the moon extended a wing and laid it across Twilight's back. The Princess of Magic smiled and leaned against Princess Luna's body. The two of them brought their tails together and entwined them, a sign of pure love between them both. Twilight now knew what Rarity meant when she had said Twilight would know when the time was right. She turned her head towards Luna, and the moon princess did the same. Their lips met; an unspoken declaration of love.
Author's Note
This is my first TwiLuna shipfic, and also the first time I've written Luna's character. Please tell me if there is anything off about the way I have written her so I can improve. Other constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Thank you! 
