Love by the Moonlight

“Oh Artemis, I told you it was never going to work out. Why’d you go through with it after having heard my warnings?”

Artemis’ sobs were heard all throughout the castle. For once, he thought that he had gotten it right. For once, he thought he’d be happy.

“I don’t know why Solaris,” Artemis said between sobs. “I honestly thought she was the one. I honestly did.”

Sighing, Solaris did the only thing he could do. He attempted at comforting his younger brother, something he had not done since they were colts.

“Look, Artemis, there’s always next year, right?”

His only response was a small nod. That approach didn’t work as Solaris had planned.

It was so much easier when we were colts. What happened to those days?

“Solaris?”

“Yes Artemis?”

“Why doesn’t anypony love me?”

Solaris sat there for a moment, taken aback. This wasn’t the first time that Artemis had imposed such a question, and he wasn’t too sure how to respond.

“I… Uh…”

“Just as I thought. Not even you know why… if you need me, you know where I’ll be.” With that, Artemis stood up and walked towards the palace doors. Pausing, he pressed a hoof against the door, as if preparing to say something. He only shook his head and left, the palace doors closing silently behind him.

“Oh Luna, I told you that it was never going to work out. Why’d you go through with it after having heard my warnings?”

Luna’s sobs were heard all throughout the castle. For once, she thought that she had gotten it right. For once, she thought she’d be happy.

“I don’t know why Celestia,” Luna said through tears. “I honestly thought he was the one. I honestly did.”

Sighing, Celestia did the only thing she could do. She attempted to comfort her sister, something she hadn’t done since they were fillies.

“Look, Luna, there’s always next year right?”

Her only response was a solemn nod from her sister. That approach didn’t work as Celestia had planned.

It was so much easier when we were fillies. What happened to those days?

“Celestia?”

“Yes Luna?”

“Why doesn’t anypony love me?”

Celestia sat there for a moment, taken aback. This wasn’t the first time that Luna had imposed such a question, but she still had no idea how to properly respond.

“I… Uh…”

“Just as I thought… Not even you know why… if you need me, you know where to find me.” With that, Luna stood up, brushing her sister’s wing away. She then walked towards the palace doors, putting her hoof upon the door and pausing as if to say something. She only shook her head and left, the palace doors closing silently behind her.

The tears streamed behind him. He was flying at this point and his vision was blurred. Quickly, he swiped a hoof across his eyes, brushing away the tears as he did so.

“I’m nothing but a failure,” he muttered. “I’ll never be as great or as successful as Solaris is. Everypony loves him… why can’t they just love me?”

He went quiet, realizing that he had been talking with himself. He hadn’t spoken to himself since not long after the Nightmare within him was banished, being sent back to its own dimension for good.

He then flew in silence. He knew where he was going, so did Solaris. He was flying to the only place of solitude he knew existed in Equestria, an emerald hill.

There was something about this hill that brought him peace. When he was there, he felt as if there was another sitting beside him. He couldn’t see them, but he could sense their presence as if they were with him at that exact moment in time.

As the hill came into view, he circled around it, preparing himself for a steady landing.

Once his hooves touched the ground, he looked towards the sun and lowered it, beckoning forth the moon. He then sat upon the soft grass and looked towards the moon and began to sing. He wasn’t sure why he was singing, all he knew was that it felt like the right thing to do at the time.

Where the wind stands still,

There’s and emerald hill

And I’m standing here alone.

Where the dark trees bow

To the higher ground,

Where the grass has never grown.

Where it’s dark, and cold

And the scattered stars are the only light that I know,

But they tell me that I’m home.

And so I’m standing out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Standing out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

I’ll follow you

It’s been a long, long time

Since the stars aligned

And they sent me back again.

And every day I dream

Maybe things could be

Like they used to be back then.

‘Cause it’s dark, and cold

And the scattered stars are the only friends I know

But they tell me that there’s hope.

That’s why I’m standing out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Standing out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Follow you.

Shouting out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Shouting out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Standing out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Shouting out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

I’m out in the moonlight,

And you know I’ll always follow you

Follow you.

As he finished the song, he lowered his head, a single tear falling to the floor. That’s when he saw it, the mystic figure of somepony sitting beside him.

The tears streamed behind her. She was flying at this point and her vision was blurred. Quickly, she swiped a hoof across her eyes, brushing away the tears as she did so.

“I’m nothing but a failure,” she muttered. “I’ll never be as great or as successful as Celestia is. Everypony loves her… why can’t they just love me?”

She went quiet, realizing that she had been talking with himself. She hadn’t spoken to herself since not long after the Nightmare within her was banished, being sent back to its own dimension for good.

She then flew in silence. She knew where she was going, as did Celestia. She was flying to the only place of solitude she knew existed in Equestria, an emerald hill.

There was something about this hill that brought her peace. When she was there, she felt as if there was another sitting beside her. She couldn’t see them, but she could sense their presence as if they were with her at that exact moment in time.

As the hill came into view, she circled around it, preparing herself for a steady landing.

Once her hooves touched the ground, she looked towards the sun and lowered it, beckoning forth the moon. She then sat upon the soft grass and looked towards the moon and began to sing. She wasn’t sure why she was singing, all she knew was that it felt like the right thing to do at the time.

Where the wind stands still,

There’s and emerald hill

And I’m standing here alone.

Where the dark trees bow

To the higher ground,

Where the grass has never grown.

Where it’s dark, and cold

And the scattered stars are the only light that I know,

But they tell me that I’m home.

And so I’m standing out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Standing out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

I’ll follow you

It’s been a long, long time

Since the stars aligned

And they sent me back again.

And every day I dream

Maybe things could be

Like they used to be back then.

‘Cause it’s dark, and cold

And the scattered stars are the only friends I know

But they tell me that there’s hope.

That’s why I’m standing out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Standing out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Follow you.

Shouting out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Shouting out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Standing out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

Shouting out in the moonlight,

And if you follow me I’ll follow you

I’m out in the moonlight,

And you know I’ll always follow you

Follow you.

As she finished the song, she lowered her head, a single tear falling to the floor. That’s when she saw it, the mystic figure of somepony sitting beside her.