Snow flittered and danced in a merry waltz as it descended upon Ponyville. The pegasi in Cloudsdale that had worked tirelessly to create each crystalline speck cheered and raised their hooves high, causing a clatter that was contrary to the whisper of snowfall. Luna looked around, the chilly wind blowing through her dark blue mane. While all ponies celebrated and welcomed the winter, she could only watch with bitter sorrow as the very first, and now the last, snowflake made by her dearly departed friend left the sacred urn.
Luna knelt at the edge of a cloud and watched the oddly cut snowflake float and twirl with the rest of its brethren. All of the other flakes were so perfectly crafted, but this one had strange jagged edges and holes that didn’t quite match the rest. The imperfections, however, were what made it beautiful. It pained Luna to watch it fall to the land, discarded and soon to be forgotten by most.
Not by me…Snowdrop…I’m so sorry.
Luna bowed her head and fought the tears that threatened to come to her eyes. One thousand years on the moon had forced her to rethink many life choices, and amongst those was how she had treated Snowdrop in Luna’s final days on Equestria. She had not departed with kind words, so blinded had she been by her rage. All those years she’d only hoped to apologize to Snowdrop so that they might continue their friendship in peace.
Yet, while one thousand years might mean little to an alicorn, the winds of time had long since snuffed out Snowdrop’s life. Luna had wept for days upon discovering her friend’s demise. She was gladdened to know that her friend had died surrounded by friends and family. Though Snowdrop’s death had been peaceful, that did not appease Luna’s heart. She should have been there to say goodbye, and to apologize.
“Luna?” Celestia’s gentle voice called to her.
Luna swallowed a lump and looked over her shoulder. “Yes, Sister?”
Celestia took one look at her and draped a wing over Luna’s side. “Perhaps it is foolish of me to ask this, but would you care to join me in the winter festivities? It may clear your mind and your heart.”
Luna looked away. “No…I’m sorry, Celestia, but I do not feel very joyous today. I would not wish to ruin the mood.” She rose to her hooves and shifted her wings upon her back. “You should go, however. I’ll….be fine.”
“Luna…”
“Please,” Luna begged and turned to look at her sister. “I do not want any pony’s pity. I simply wish to be alone.”
Celestia lowered her magenta eyes. With a sigh, she lifted Luna’s chin and nuzzled her little sister’s nose. “You’ll never truly be alone again, Luna. I promise you that. Please…join me when you are able.”
Luna returned the nuzzle and drew her chin back. “I will.” As Celestia joined the rejoicing pegasi, Luna spread her wings and leapt into the sky. She let the wind carry her, the chilly breeze cooling the heat of sorrow in her cheeks. Crystals fell from her eyes and rolled down her furry cheeks. She shook her head to banish the frozen tears, but they just kept falling, joining the snowflakes in their downward spiral.
It’s not fair, she thought to herself. I’ve been punished enough. Why should I have to endure losing Snowdrop as well? We might not have been friends for a long time, but she was still kin to me. She was…she was like another sister, a daughter even, and she was the only pony who understood my night. She heard the song I orchestrated…In a way, she continued that with her snowflakes, as I can hear the song in the ones she crafted. But, it hurts…it hurts so much.
Luna touched a hoof to her bleeding heart and looked up into the cloudy sky. She imagined Snowdrop flying up there, laughing and listening to the hidden stars.
“I can hear them twinkle!” Luna could almost hear Snowdrop say.
Luna sucked in a breath, searching for any sign that Snowdrop might be listening. “I’m sorry,” she said to the wind. “I’m so sorry for all of the things I said and for the horrible things I did. I almost sent this world into darkness, and for what? I don’t even know any more. That night seems so long ago, and if I had just listened to you and realized that I was respected like my sister, maybe I wouldn’t have been such a fool. I betrayed you, Snowdrop….I betrayed all ponies of Equestria and I’m so sorry. I thought about you all the time. I prayed for you…that you would find peace and happiness.” She laughed, a few more tears stinging her eyes. “Celestia said you had a family of your own. I wish that I could have met them, because I can only imagine that they were as sweet and kind as you.”
Luna banked to the left as her words flowed away from her on the wind. They were truthful, but they didn’t feel right. There was so much more to be said, and it just didn’t feel enough to talk to the sky when Snowdrop might not be there. She pressed her lips together and closed her eyes.
There was something that she could do that might help her in her apology, but she had only tried it twice before, and not with the best results. Her ability, as princess, was to dream walk and comfort those who suffered from nightmares. But there was a fine line between the world of dreamers and the world of the dead. Sometimes when ponies dreamt of ghosts, the apparitions weren’t simply false images but rather the world of the dead trying to slip over into that of the living. Luna had encountered spirits more than once, and she was fairly certain that she might be able to dream walk through the veil of the dead…if she was careful.
Luna flew across Ponyville to a sacred, gated corner that smelled of earth, trees, and death. She landed lightly and looked around at the hundreds of stones marking the beds of the fallen. This place had not existed when she had been banished, but when she had asked where Snowdrop was buried, Celestia had kindly told her.
A chill ran down Luna’s spine, and it had nothing to do with the frosty weather. She wove around the stones, careful not to brush a hoof or wing across them lest she offend the spirits. Some graves were completely covered by snow, but others had been cleaned already and even bore fake or dried flowers. Luna stared at them and regretted that she had not brought a similar gift for her friend.
Luna approached the small hill where Snowdrop was said to be buried. Her hooves slowed without her consent, and though she urged herself on, her entire body trembled in protest. It was as if seeing the marker would make Snowdrop’s death…real. There was a stain-glass window of the pegasus in the castle, but still, deep inside Luna had hope that maybe some magic had kept her friend alive.
Foolish thoughts of a foolish filly, Luna scolded herself and puffed her chest. She pushed herself onward and stopped beside the grave. Only, there wasn’t a simple stone there. No, there was a statue in the shape of Snowdrop, her hooves outstretched and holding a snowflake up to the sky. Her blind eyes gazed into the stars, a loving smile on her face. Yet, the stone mare in front of Luna was not her Snowdrop. This mare was older, her wings a bit bent, her cheeks a little wrinkled. This was the Snowdrop that Luna had never seen.
“Snowdrop,” Luna whispered. Her heart pounded against her chest and she lowered her head to press it against Snowdrop’s stone belly. “I failed you.” She sucked in a trembling breath and touched a hoof to her friend. Speaking to a statue was not going to help her make amends, but Luna was afraid to walk the halls of the dead.
What if Snowdrop did not come to her?
What if Snowdrop hated her?
Luna swallowed and sat down in front of the beautiful statue. Snow dotted Luna’s mane and melted on her eyelashes. Stealing herself, she lifted her head like Snowdrop’s, concentrating on her dream walking ability. It was no difficult feat for her soul to remove itself from her body and to float into an ethereal, starlit realm that guided her to the dreams of her subjects. She stood upon a glowing path, stars of various ponies’ dreams glittering around her. Luna turned her head left and right, listening, but she was not there for the dreamers just yet.
“Snowdrop, find me,” Luna called into the empty ethereal plane. Luna’s soul wavered as she fought to enter the realm of the dead, where the forever dreamers rested. She pushed through with her mind and soul, seeking, yearning for the one that she had called friend.
One by one the stars around her went out. The path lost its glow, and a chill descended upon Luna. She looked around and lit her horn, trying to force away the darkness. The silence was oppressive, and even her deep breaths—not that she needed to take them in this world—frightened her. She licked her lips and walked through the darkness.
“Snowdrop?” Her voice quivered.
“Snooooowdrop,” a voice called mockingly back at her.
Luna whirled and narrowed her eyes.
A veiled creature stepped out of the shadows and flailed wings dotted with holes. Red eyes glinted at her as the creature flashed razor teeth. “Little Princess, you dare to come to our realm?”
Luna stared then scrambled back with a start. “Nightmare forces…” she gasped. “But…but you’re gone! You were destroyed!”
“Were we?” another voice hissed behind her.
Luna spun and found herself face-to-face with a hulking gray blob that was still trying to take shape. Smoke curled from its body and reached for her hooves, but she jerked them free. Luna wheeled on her hooves and ran, trying to put the nightmare forces behind her. While she could enter the world of dreams and walk the realm of the dead, she could also lose herself to the nightmares. Not even the Princess of the Night was immune to that.
This was a foolish errand. I have to return.
Luna skidded and concentrated to send her soul back to her body. The chill faded and she heard her breathing echo louder in her ears, signifying her return. With a sigh of relief, she opened her eyes.
The world was still dark.
And the breathing wasn’t coming from her, but rather from the ebony mare standing in front of her.
Luna’s heart jumped into her throat as she found her muzzle touching that of Nightmare Moon. The vicious monster of shadows smiled at her with canine-like teeth, her serpentine eye glaring down at Luna with hunger and hate. The only light came from her wicked gaze and the flowing blue mane and tail that curled around her, as well as Luna.
“You’ve come back to me,” Nightmare Moon purred.
“N-n-n-no,” Luna stammered and pushed herself away. She turned to run, but Nightmare Moon landed in front of her and sneered.
“Why else would you have come here? You can’t free yourself from me, my little pet.”
“Leave me alone!” Luna shouted, her heart still so raw from being freed from the demon’s embrace. Each time she tried to escape, Nightmare Moon was there to stop her, the monster’s thick mane threatening to bind Luna where she stood. “Stop it!”
Nightmare Moon cackled and grabbed Luna’s chin before she could pull away. “Come, join me and we can be powerful again. We might have lost to Celestia once, but we shan’t again. Fight with me.”
“I am not you any longer,” Luna spat back. She jerked her chin away and pressed her hoof against Nightmare Moon’s chest. “I have come to see Snowdrop, not you. I will never let you taint my heart again. I am a good mare…I am a good mare!”
“And yet you must still shout it to convince yourself,” Nightmare Moon replied. “How can you be good if you do not even believe it yourself? You turned against your dearest friend, and for what? Respect? And even then you did not win it because you were weak.” Nightmare Moon lifted her head. “Join with me, submit to me, and you will never be weak again.”
The dark tendrils of her mane twisted around Luna’s legs and wings, pinning the latter to her sides. Luna struggled, a whimper squeaking out through her muzzle as the darkness wrapped around her throat. For a brief moment, she remembered lying prone on the ground while Celestia’s faithful student and companions stood around her little frame. They had freed her from this darkness, but they’d had to do it together. If Luna was ever to return to her former self, would Twilight Sparkle even consider freeing her a second time?
“Please,” Luna begged. “Don’t do this. Please!”
“Be gone!”
White light exploded behind Nightmare Moon. The dark mare hissed and turned to face the new arrival, only to have three white holes blown through her body. Nightmare Moon howled then slithered away from Luna, escaping into the shadows. Luna held a hoof in front of her eyes to protect them. A wave of ethereal power washed across her, shoving the darkness and nightmare forces away.
Luna blinked through the light and slowly lowered her hoof, expecting to find her sister there to defend her. “Celestia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Celestia? I thought you meant to see me.”
Luna lifted her head and stared at the pale blue mare standing in front of her. The mare smiled, her white and blue mane curled lightly around her face, her wings outstretched as light glittered off of them. Her blind eyes twinkled like starlight. Upon her rump rested a cutie mark in the shape of a special flower.
“S-Snowdrop?”
Snowdrop smiled and shifted on her hooves. “Yes, Luna. Oh….though I suppose you would not remember me in this form.” White light surrounded her a second time, and when she reappeared, the little Snowdrop that Luna knew so well fluttered in front of her. “Is this better?” she squeaked.
Tears misted Luna’s eyes as she climbed to her hooves. “Oh, Snowdrop. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She wept and ran to her friend.
Snowdrop stretched out her hooves, and Luna took her to her chest. She laughed and cried, her nose nuzzling into Snowdrop’s mane. She lifted the filly and swung her around twice before they fell back onto what felt like a white cloud. Snowdrop giggled and rolled over in Luna’s arms until she fell onto her back beside the princess. “I missed you,” Snowdrop said.
Luna brushed tears from her eyes and curled a wing around the filly. “I missed you too…so much. When Celestia told me that you were gone, I thought…I…I never meant for any of this to happen, Snowdrop.”
“I know,” the filly replied. She rolled over and sat up so that she hovered over Luna. “You were hurt and scared, and none of us knew how to help you. I tried, but even I didn’t know the right words to use to make you see how special you were and are.” She booped Luna on the nose. “How come you helped me believe I was special even without my sight, but you couldn’t see it about yourself?”
Luna shook her head and brushed some of Snowdrop’s mane out of the pony’s eyes. “I don’t know. I suppose…I was too far gone. And I was so scared of myself. I looked in a mirror, and all I could see was darkness.”
Snowdrop laughed. “Silly, that’s what I see all the time! Darkness!”
Luna couldn’t help but chortle. “Your darkness is not mine. There was an evil in my soul that I couldn’t rid myself of, no matter what you or Celestia told me. I abandoned you both because of my foolishness.”
Snowdrop was quiet for a moment. The pony settled down next to Luna with a sigh and flopped her chin on Luna’s chest. “You didn’t abandon us, you abandoned yourself. You were jealous and scared and you forgot how much you twinkled, like your stars. You saved ponies from their nightmares, painted the sky with beautiful stars, and raised the moon. Wasn’t that enough?”
“I felt alone,” Luna murmured.
Snowdrop lifted her eyebrows. “Was I not enough? I was your friend…”
Luna’s heart lurched again. She stared at Snowdrop and remembered the kindness the filly had shown her. She recalled their long talks into the night, and the hours they had spent just listening to the stars. Snowdrop could hear the music in Luna’s sky like no other pony could. And yet, that still hadn’t been enough for Luna to stay herself.
“I’m sorry, Snowdrop. I wasn’t a true friend to you.”
“You were,” Snowdrop argued. With a grunt, the filly snuggled closer and poked Luna’s heart. “Your heart was in the right place, but your head made it all funny. You only hurt me when you left. Your sister was so sad…and so was I, but we knew you would come back.” Snowdrop frowned and raised her head. “Why did you come looking for me? I lived a good life, Luna. A good…happy life.”
Luna blushed scarlet and looked away, ashamed. “I had to apologize to you for all of the horrible things I did. I couldn’t just…let it go. I wanted you to know how much I cared about you and how sorry I am I left you alone.”
Snowdrop reached out her hoof and touched Luna’s chin. When Luna looked back, there was a sad smile on Snowdrop’s face. “I already knew, Luna. I heard your song.”
Luna cocked her head. “My song?”
Snowdrop nodded. She pointed upward, and the white world fell away from them. Suddenly, they were out on a cloud in the middle of the sky, all of the stars alight around them. Snowdrop pointed to one of the constellations and turned her ear towards Luna. “When you left, and Celestia had to raise the moon and stars, I couldn’t hear them twinkle any more. But the moon was still yours to command, and the stars too. You wept on the moon, and you still made your stars…and I heard them. I heard their sorrow, and I heard how much you missed everypony.” Snowdrop lowered her hoof. “How much you missed me.”
Luna frowned. “But how? I don’t remember creating stars. I was trapped!”
“But you still had some of your power. Every few years, I heard a new star form, and it sang to me. I prayed for you to come home every night. Even on the night I went to sleep for the last time, I prayed I would see you…” Snowdrop nodded to her with a wide smile. “And now my wish has come true. I wanted to say goodbye too, Luna.”
The tears ran free again. Luna pulled the filly into a warm hug. Snowdrop was the closest thing Luna had ever had to a daughter. It pained her how she’d just left Snowdrop alone. She should have been a better surrogate mother.
They rested together for some time while bitter regrets coursed through Luna’s mind. The sky around them darkened until one by one, the stars went out and only a brief flicker of moonlight made it to their cloud.
Snowdrop held out her hoof to touch it, as if she could feel its warmth. “You can’t change the past, Lulu.”
“What?” Luna asked, surprised.
“You’re having bad thoughts about what happened. You can’t change the past. The only thing you can do is live for the future and be happy again.”
Luna bit her lip and started to sit up. She helped Snowdrop to the ground and looked at her little friend. “I don’t know how to be happy. Everypony I’ve ever known is dead. My first love is gone…the ponies of Equestria still call me a monster and see me as Nightmare Moon. I don’t…have anypony. I don’t know what to do to be happy again.”
Snowdrop narrowed her eyes and poked Luna in the chest harshly. “Yes. You. Do.” She punctuated each word with another poke. “Celestia is still alive, isn’t she? And you were freed by ponies that you should be able to call friends. You can make new friends, and create a happy life for yourself. You just have to believe it.”
Luna frowned. “But other ponies—”
“What should it matter what they think?” Snowdrop interrupted. “Ponies thought my blindness was a weakness, but I turned it into a strength. Ponies fear you because of what you became. Well, show them what you can become now. You chase away nightmares and make ponies sleep well at night. It may take time, but they’ll remember, and they’ll learn to trust you again. You have to give it time.” Snowdrop stuck out her tongue. “But you’re not good at being patient, are you?”
Luna offered a half smile. “No, I suppose I’m not. Celestia always said I wanted instant gratification, and that was one of my greatest downfalls.” She hung her head. “I came here to apologize to you, and yet here you are, still offering me counsel.”
“Well…” Snowdrop smiled. “If the living can’t get through that stubborn head of yours, maybe the dead can.” She lifted her head and flapped her wings a little. “I wish…I wish we could stay together longer, Luna, but you’ve been here far too long as it is. You need to go.”
“What? No!” Luna stood up sharply and shook her head. “I only just got here, Snowdrop! I can’t just leave you yet! I can’t lose you!”
Snowdrop laughed. “Silly, you never will. I’ll always be right in your heart where I belong.” She touched Luna’s chest and leaned up to nuzzle the princess under the chin. “And who knows, maybe one night you’ll dream about me too.”
The grief filled Luna’s heart as she saw her friend start to fade from her sight. Her body became see-through, and the glow around her began to fade until it only touched her body and nothing else. It was like Luna was losing Snowdrop all over again, and it hurt so much. Luna sobbed and pressed her forehead to Snowdrop’s, a few of her tears slipping and dropping on the filly’s muzzle.
“I’m so scared. What if I can’t find the way? What if I can’t forgive myself?”
“Then listen to the stars,” Snowdrop said, her voice becoming an echo. “Listen to their twinkle, and think of me, and know that I forgive you, and that I’m always there for you. And when you can’t hear the stars, then wish on the wishing snow, and I’ll hear…and I’ll come again.”
Luna whimpered and pressed her head harder to Snowdrop’s. The world started to spin around them, whites and blacks clashing together and sending Luna’s mind into a whirl. She staggered to the side and felt herself crash back into her body. When she awoke, she was on her side beside Snowdrop’s monument.
Luna blinked a few times, feeling crystalline tears on her cheeks. She achingly sat up and rubbed her pounding head. She swore she could still feel Snowdrop’s touch on her face, but she knew that wasn’t possible. Only her spirit had been touched.
Snow continued to patter upon her head and the monument. It was much darker now, and Luna realized that the sun was just about to fall beyond the horizon. She sniffed and raised her horn, calling the moon from its bed. As it rose, the sun slipped away. Luna rested her moon in the proper location and looked at Snowdrop’s statue. The mare looked so happy, but Luna’s heart was torn. Her friend had offered her wise advice, but could she follow it? Could she listen to her heart…the stars…the snow? It seemed all she could do was listen to the bad thoughts.
“Paint the sky with stars,” Snowdrop’s voice whispered into her ear.
Luna turned sharply, but there was not a soul in the graveyard with her. She frowned to herself then stared at the blank canvas above her.
“Paint the sky with stars…” she repeated.
Luna rose with determination and threw her horn towards the sky. Stars exploded across the canvas. Silver sparkles danced on a backdrop of navy. White blobs and pearly specks dripped around the moon. Constellations awoke, poking through the darkness and dipping into view. Luna leapt from the ground and flew through the sky, sparks of magic flying from her horn. She tossed more and more stars above her, sending some shooting across Equestria to land in mountains or valleys, where no pony could be hurt. Some cloud cover ventured forth, and Luna allowed it to block some of her stars so that more snow could fall and blanket Equestria.
Luna landed upon one of the clouds and gazed up into her night sky. The stars twinkled and danced, their music filling her ears with comfort and bliss. When she listened to the snow, she heard it chime as it floated to the ground. The wind blew across her body, stirring mane, tail, and feathers. Luna tilted her head back and drew in a frosty breath, but she did not cry this time. No, instead, she just smiled into the night.
Snowdrop had left her with a blessing. With the melody of the stars and the accompaniment of the snow, Luna didn’t feel quite so alone. There were ponies yearning for her to chase the nightmares from their mind. There was a sister waiting back at the castle for her, most likely wondering where she had gone.
Snowdrop was right…Luna did have ponies to care about her. Life didn’t have to be so bleak and dismal just because one friend was gone. Snowdrop would never truly leave her so long as Luna believed in her friend’s words and carried on living.
“I’ll be a better princess,” Luna promised, her voice lifting to the stars. “I’ll be a better friend. I won’t let evil fill my heart again.”
“And if it does, I’ll be there to chase it away,” Snowdrop’s tender voice whispered in Luna’s ear.
Luna shut her eyes and smiled as the tears tricked anew. “I know, Snowdrop. You’ll be my star in the darkness…Sleep well, little snow angel.”
