Of the Sun and Moon

The low tone of the ticking grandfather clock echoed through the hall as Luna watched to pendulum gently sway back and forth. She peered up at the face to see the time. She was still learning how to read the clock but knew that the moment the bell sounded seven times it would be time to change the day to night. Her anticipation grew as the clock ticked and the long arm inched further on its journey around the face. She itched and fidgeted in excitement, eagerly awaiting the tones of time. Tonight would be more special than any other. Tonight, she would raise the moon all by herself.

Finally, the long hand reached the top of the clock face, completing another cycle on its endless journey. A gleeful smile stretched across Luna’s face as the bell echoed through the hall. The little filly counted the tones and leaped for joy as she reached seven. It was time. Tonight she would raise the moon by herself without any help. Tonight she would earn her cutie mark and prove she was ready to be the princess of the night.

“Tia! Tia! It is time! Tia!” she shouted as she ran through hall to find her older sister. She skidded to a halt just before plowing into the white alicorn who only gave a soft giggle at the sight of her excited sister.

“Slow down Luna or you’ll hurt yourself,” Celestia said as she reached out a hoof to help Luna up.

Yet Luna stood on her own and instead used her magic to grab her sister’s outstretched hoof and begin tugging her. “Come Celestia. It is time to begin the night. Hurry!”

“Okay Luna, slow down,” Celestia said as Luna moved behind her and began pushing her forward. “Calm down. Why are you so excited tonight? It’s just another night.”

“No!” shouted Luna, still pushing her sister towards the door to the castle garden. “It is not just another night. This one will be special.”

“And why is that?”

“Because tonight, I am going to raise the moon all by myself and even earn my cutie mark.”

“Well, okay,” Celestia said just before taking off down the hall. “Race you!”

Luna fell forward and plopped into the floor. When she looked up, all she could see was her sister running away laughing. “Tia, wait!” she cried as she ran in place before gaining traction and chased after Celestia.

The two fillies ran through the castle laughing the whole way. Luna pushed her little legs harder to catch up to her sister and even used her wings to give herself as much momentum as possible. Finally, she passed Celestia and burst through the doorway into the garden, screaming in glee. She bounded around as she giggled and cheered.

“I win! I win!” she gasped.

“Okay Lulu, you win,” said Celestia who was walking slowly through the garden, admiring the flowers.

“Wait,” Luna said, stopping her celebration. “You let me win again did you not?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Tia!”

Celestia giggled as her sister huffed and stomped in frustration. The little filly plopped onto the ground, crossed her front legs and pouted. “You always let me win. You never let me do anything on my own.”

“That’s not true,” said Celestia as she tried to stroke Luna’s short mane. The little filly instead huffed and brushed the hoof away. “Come now. What about the moon? You’re going to raise it on your own right? We should hurry before we are late again.”

Luna quickly stood in excitement, having all but forgotten her current frustration. “Oh, oh, oh. You are right.”

The moved to their usual place in the garden, a spot which gave them an uninterrupted view of the sky, and got ready. Celestia took her stance first, charging her horn with her magic. The sun gently moved through the sky and slowly sank behind the horizon leaving a glowing orange hue in its wake. The sky glowed with the warm orange before shifting into a cool blue. One by one, the stars began to wink into existence and fill the sky with a shimmering glow. Luna’s eyes were wide with wonder at the many shapes and figures that the stars made in the dark blue sky.

The little princess shook her head to get her focus and took her own stance, charging her horn with her own magic. She focused hard on everything she had learned and all the practice she had had. Her tongue poked out of the side of her mouth as she concentrated. Yet for all her focus, practice, and determination, the moon would not rise. She focused harder, pushed out more magic, but still nothing happened. Frustration and sorrow built up inside as time ticked by.

“Come now. Rise!” she said in her struggle.

“Would you like a little help?” Celestia asked after a few minutes.

“NO!” Luna shouted, fighting back tears of frustration. “I do not require help. I…I can do this. Do not look! You are making me nervous, that is all.”

Celestia sighed and turned around to let her sister concentrate. Yet time ticked on but the moon remained in its place below the horizon. After another minute, Luna’s soft voice called.

“Um…Tia,” the filly said, shifting in agitation and stared about the ground.

“Yes Luna?”

“Um…I believe I could use just an intsy, tiny bit of help. J-Just for tonight that is.” Luna kept her eyes averted as she continued to shift and fidget. The thought of asking for help when she was so confident burned in her mind and a small tear glistened in the corner of her eye.

Celestia smiled and walked over to her sister before placing a hoof around her neck. “Of course Luna.”

The two sisters returned to their spot and Luna took her stance once more. She could do this with Celestia’s help, but the thought still burned in her mind. She had been so confident before but now the thought left her lowly. She brought back her determination and stood ready as she charged her magic again. If she could not raise the moon by herself and earn her cutie mark tonight, she would do it tomorrow night. She had to.

She calmed her mind and thought back to her teachings. Be gentle. Call to the moon as though calling a small, shy animal. Her magic flowed through her body as a gentle light began to be cast across the garden. She looked up to watch as the moon gently peeked out from below the horizon and slowly made its way to its spot in the night sky.

An uneasy smile crossed Luna’s face at the sight of the silver disc in the sky. She turned to Celestia who had a large smile on her face. “Thank you Tia.”

“Well, I actually didn’t do anything.”

Luna’s face contorted in confusion. “What do you mean? Did you not help me raise the moon?”

“Actually, you started before I was ready and so I watched. You really raised the moon all by yourself.”

Luna’s eyes went wide at this thought before shifting to skepticism. “How do I know you did nothing?”

Celestia peered passed Luna and pointed. “Just look at your flank.”

Luna turned to look and her eyes went wide once more. On her flank was a black spot like the night sky with a crescent moon placed upon it. It was her cutie mark. She had done it. She had raised the moon all by herself and earned her cutie mark. She charged Celestia in glee and grabbed her sister in as strong of a hug as she could muster.

“Thank you Celestia! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked, trying to free herself from her sister’s grasp. “You raised the moon by yourself.”

“But you gave me the confidence to do it. I knew I could do it with you here. I still could not have done it without you.”

Celestia smiled and returned her sister’s hug. “You’re welcome.”

“We will always be together, right Tia?”

“Of course Luna.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”