The day was bright and sweet for the citizens of Canterlot. All around, ponies conversed and played while enjoying the bright sun of the day. Smiling vacationers toured the area, going overboard with joy at the sight of celebrities. Several workers happily toiled away. Mothers and their foals enjoyed the cloudless day at parks or in pools. Every stallion, mare or foal that was in Canterlot was giddily bouncing around without a care in the world.
Except for one troubled mare.
Princess Luna tossed and turned beneath the covers of her bed. The ageless Alicorn was unable to sleep. Her sparkling blue mane fell around her folded wings as she moved, tangled and frizzy. Her teeth were bared under her lips while her eyes were gracefully closed. Her thoughts were conflicted.
Luna sighed as she got up from her bed. She walked to her bay window and climbed upon the seat. She used her magic to draw back the thick curtains and let in the sunshine. She looked down at the ponies below, the ponies enjoying the glorious day. As she curled into a lying position she allowed her hair to shrug forward into her face. She brushed it back with a hoof. She continued to look down at the prancing ponies, a weighted expression on her face.
“If only my citizens were this way during the night.”
The princess closed her eyes for a moment, imagining ponies dancing in the night. She saw couples walking through parks together in bliss. She conjured images of fancy parties where average ponies met celebrities. In her mind’s eye she saw fillies and colts gathered at slumber parties. As she wondered, her mind traveled to years past.
She remembered the things she wished she could forget. She saw the dark body and contrasting armor of Nightmare Moon. She saw the fearful look on her sister’s face. She lost herself for a moment, with images of the dark time in her past flashing in her thoughts. As they did, she heard the cackling laughter of her darker self.
“No!”
The princess cried out and her eyes flew open. She breathed heavily as she tried to remember that it was all in the past. She battled with her conscience, losing control and squeezing her eyes shut again. Even with her attempts to keep them closed, her eyes fluttered open again.
Luna drew a bated breath and managed to calm herself. She sighed, knowing that her horrible vision was over. She didn’t understand why the memories from a time long past still haunted her. The memories should have faded somewhat by now, seeing as she was consumed by the Nightmare at the time, and that those memories were the Nightmare’s to keep, not Luna’s.
The princess inclined her head towards the window again, smiling sadly at their joy. She knew that Celestia had done all she could to help ponies into studying the night, and that there were ponies who even had night-related talents, but it didn’t really comfort her. Not when the majority of her little ponies were ignoring her night still, doing that which they swore to each other not to do after the Nightmare’s defeat.
She sighed and stood, using her wings to guide herself to the ground as she hopped off of the shaded indigo velvet. Her bare hooves skimmed the slightly blue but still lavender carpet as she folded her wings to her sides. Once her wings were no longer holding her up, she fell to the floor completely and felt the lush curls of the fabric beneath her hooves. She savored every step in it, the soft puffs bringing her hooves comfort.
The sovereign of the moon slowly picked up one hoof after another, making her way to the tarnished silver vanity near the door. Time and time again, her chambermaids had asked to clean and remove the tarnish on the dresser, but Luna told them not to. She explained that she speculated that like ponies, the piece of furniture would be too perfect without its tarnishes. She explained that our faults made us what we are to the young chambermaids.
Humbled by their princess’ thoughtful words, the two mares had never again asked to remove the tarnish, instead passing the wisdom to others. Luna reflected upon and remembered the time she had lectured the mares. She even remembered the appearance of the chambermaids that had retired years ago.
~***~***~***~
“Princess?”
“Yes, Fine?” the princess responded.
“Your vanity, Princess, it’s tarnished. Would you like me and Span to clean it?” The young Unicorn, Fine China, flipped her curled pink hair away from her eyes. She had a similarly light pink apron around her, making her stark white fur stand out and covering her cutie mark of a china dish.
“No, Fine, and I’ll tell you why. You too, Spick N’ Span, you must hear this too.”
Without objection the blue Pegasus dropped the duster from her teeth and flew towards the princess, her pristine mint-toned mane flapping in the air along with her white apron. She sat down and stared intently at the tall Alicorn.
“Have you ever heard,” the princess began, “that perfection does not exist in equinity? This is true. It is true for every other species, too. Nopony is perfect, you know. It just isn’t possible. Even I and Celestia have our faults, although we keep ours more hidden. Every stallion, mare or foal has an imperfection or two. The tarnish represents that. It is what keeps the vanity real. It is what gives it imperfection.”
“Of course, I should have known. Fine and I will never clean it again.”
~***~***~***~
Luna smiled at her recollection, knowing that her words had taught the magic of friendship to another. She levitated her brush, compelling her mane to float again in its ethereal form. She smiled as she closed an eye, then the other, to put on the dusty blue makeup. She reminisced as she put on her regalia, the small crown and neckpiece forming the crest and the light metal of the shoes pulling it together.
She then flew to her bay window, but instead of looking out, she closed the opaque curtains with her magic. She lost herself in her thoughts, not forgetting a single happy memory. As she pondered, her horn glowed without her notice. A Forget-Me-Not flower appeared, coming to rest on the windowsill beside her as she remembered.
