Come and See

by Altero

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Sad, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Nightmare Moon, Tragedy
Length: 6181

A conversation takes place between Princess Luna and Twilight in the interim of life and death.

In which Princess Luna guides Twilight Sparkle on a short journey, and they discuss many things, such as Luna's fall from grace, the meaning of life, and what comes after.

I had hoped to finish this tonight, for fear of never touching the silly thing again. The mental batteries demand rest however. No promises as to when I'll finish it.

Published 2012-06-23 16:54:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-10-08 06:06:09 UTC

In Which Twilight Weeps, and Luna Sings

Twilight Sparkle awoke feeling...

...nothing.

She glanced around her rather alarmedly in the bleak absence of light. Where was she? How did she get here? She needed to get back, her friends needed...

The beginnings of panic were creeping into her heart when she spotted Princess Luna.

"Princess! Princess Luna!" she stammered. "Where are we? I have to go back! My friends need me! There was a... a, and a fire, and when we got there, it was horrible, and we tried to use the Elements, but then... But then..."

Princess Luna stood morosely as realization slowly dawned on Twilight's face.

"I'm dead, aren't I?"

"I'm afraid so, my little one."

Twilight sat back on her haunches as tears began to trickle from her eyes. Grief quickly overwhelmed her and she began to weep openly. The princess swooped in and gathered the crying pony in her wings and held her tight, quietly hushing her.

"But I can't be dead! I just can't be! My friends need me! I have to... Without my Element, they'll never be able to..."

"Your friends will pass through fire and blood, but in the end they will emerge stronger than before. 'Ere the day is over, they will use the Elements to vanquish the foe that now threatens the land."

"But without my Element..."

"The Element of Magic will rise from the ashes and alight on a new pony, who, through his bravery and self sacrifice, will save and inspire many ponies, just as you did, my dear."

"But... but...
I'll miss them."

Twilight wrapped her forelegs around the princesses neck and began to sob more earnestly. Luna stroked her wing through the lavender pony's mane as she gazed down at her friend. After a moment, the princess began to sing.

Twilight couldn't quite grasp at the words, but the tune was calming and melodious, tinged with sadness. Luna's voice was a midnight breeze, an ebbing tide, and a mother's voice all at once. The music seemed to echo and resonate in the air, splitting off into different harmonies and melodies as Luna continued. It was not long before Twilight's tears began to stem themselves. When the last note faded into the bleakness and the two continued to embrace for a moment.

"Feeling better?" Luna inquired.

"Much. Thank you," replied Twilight. "That was incredible. I've never heard somepony sing like that."

A small smirk appeared at the corner of Luna's mouth. "Thank you, my friend. It's been a long time since I've been called upon to sing a lullaby."

Twilight looked up and smiled. "A lullaby, eh? That reminds me of the time that Princess Celestia sang to me."

"Oh?" Luna replied with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yes. It was my first night in the castle. I was having trouble sleeping. Everything was all so new... and frightening. It was the first time I'd been away from my parents, too. I was sitting on my bed, crying my eyes out. I think the whole castle must have heard me, because eventually your sister came and sat by my bedside. She looked terrible." Twilight looked off, eyes lost in memory, smiling with nostalgia. "It wasn't until later that I found out that she almost never stayed up past moonrise. I must have been keeping her up.
"Anyway, she asked me what she could do to help me sleep. The first thing that came to my mind was a lullaby. My mother always used to sing to me when I couldn't sleep."
"And?"
"Well.. Celestia tried. She really did. Now that I think of it, she might have sung the same lullaby you just did, but..."
Luna laughed gently. "My sister was never known for her singing voice."
Twilight tried to still the smile creeping onto her own lips and said, "Well, let's just say I never asked her for another lullaby."
Luna laughed and leaned down. She kissed Twilight gently on the forehead and said, "Come, my friend. We have a journey ahead of us." With that, Luna rose to her feet and settled her wings against her flanks as she started off into the darkness.
"Where are we going?"
The night princess glanced over her shoulder, a twinkle in her eye, and said, "Come and see."

In Which an Apology is Made

Twilight stood there, horrified. The princess' sudden fury frightened her. Luna was always cool, in control. Twilight had never seen her like this. Twilight could almost see Luna's coat shift darker, blending in with the gloomy landscape around them. Luna grew hard, baring her teeth as she turned on Twilight.

But more heart wrenching than Luna's fury was the realization that the princess was right. Twilight, for all the time she spent with the princess, had never asked her what had happened a millennia ago. She'd never thought to ask why Luna had transformed into the Nightmare. She'd always simply believed the words of her mentor; Princess Luna grew jealous of her older sister and rebelled.

So Twilight did the only thing she could do.

She apologized.

"I'm sorry," Twilight whispered.

Luna started, unprepared for her friend's sudden declaration.

"What was that?"

"I'm sorry," Twilight repeated, louder this time. She glanced up at the princess. "I... I guess I just never really thought about it, you know? I figured that you'd talk about it when you were ready. I'm sorry."

Twilight looked down, kicking her forehoof back and forth. "I'll understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore," she muttered.

Luna stared, taken aback. She took a moment to recover while Twilight unhappily kicked her hoof back and forth. She felt the rage and hurt drain out of her as her gaze lingered on her sorrowful friend. Luna finally broke the eerie silence, saying, "I accept your apology, Twilight Sparkle." Luna glanced away. "I suppose I cannot blame you for not wondering when I have gone through such pains to hide my problems."

"So... Are we still friends?" Twilight asked hopefully, glancing up at the melancholy princess.

"Yes, Twilight Sparkle. We are still friends."

Twilight gave a small squeal of delight and rushed forward, wrapping her hooves around the princess and hugging her tightly. Luna could only chuckle as she wrapped her wings around her diminutive friend once again.

When Twilight eventually let go, Luna rose, turning to leave. She walked a few steps and glanced backwards, surprised to see Twilight still sitting where Luna had left her. Luna cocked her head to one side and asked, "What are you waiting for, Twilight Sparkle?"

"Well," Twilight said slowly. "I was thinking."

"And what troubles your mind so, my young friend?"

"I was thinking... Well, I thought that maybe you'd like to share with me what happened when... You know."

Luna was taken aback. She had never shared her story with anypony. Before she had transformed into Nightmare Moon, the royal historians had always questioned her sister. After the incident, ponies had generally tried to avoid her, and she them. The few occasions that she had tried to make friends all too often turned out like the Nightmare Night when she had first met Twilight.

When Luna failed to respond, Twilight continued breathlessly. "Unless you don't want to, of course. I mean, I wouldn't want to reopen old wounds. Or maybe we have somewhere to be. I don't know, this is my first time being dead and all. I wouldn't want to be late for anything. I mean, I'd really like to hear it, but..."

Luna cut off Twilight's rambling, pressing a feather to her lips.

"I would be delighted to share my story with you, my friend. I simply do not know where to begin."

Twilight looked into Luna's eyes. "Maybe you could start at the beginning? If there's time, of course."

Luna chuckled, and lowered herself demurely to the ground, motioning for Twilight to do the same. "Time has no meaning in this place, my friend. Which is well, for my tale may take a long time."

In Which Luna Begins Her Tail

I suppose it all began a long time ago, when the foundations of your world were being laid. My sister and I were a part of the Eternal Herd, then. We were as close as sisters could be; nothing could separate us. We played and danced among the stars themselves, watching the cosmos roll forward into eternity. I was happy then. We were happy.

It came as a surprise, then, when our Father summoned my sister. We often spent time with our Father. He was a very wise and noble stallion, kind, gentle, and powerful. He loved us very much, and we loved him. We did everything in our power to make him happy. I recall one time when I made him a flower out of stardust and moonlight. It was a lopsided little thing. A filly's work, really. Even so, He laughed and held me tight, and told me that it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He wore it behind his ear, despite what Mother said, until the petals fell off and floated away in the void.

Despite this, neither of us had been formally summoned by him. "What do you suppose He wants, my sister?" I asked her, nervously.

"I do not know," she replied. "However I do not think it will be anything bad. I have done nothing to risk his ire."

"Even so..."

My sister laughed. "Come now, sister. Thou mustn't be frightened on my account. Unless thou hast done something that thou oughtn't have and laid the blame at mine hooves." She winked at me mischievously.

I smiled in return. "Come now. Thou knowest me better than that. I would never do such a thing to my beloved sister."

"Oh?" she said, eyes gleaming.

"Of course not," I said haughtily. "Somepony else, on the other hoof..."

My sister laughed, and a smile formed on my own lips. "Oh, my sister, what am I to do with thee?"

I responded immediately. "Allow me to accompany thee," I pleaded.

My sister shook her head, surprised. "But..."

"I beg thee. I do not wish to remain here alone. Please, let me come with thee. I promise I will not make a disturbance."

She looked at me intently for a time, lips pursed. "Well, I suppose the summons did not exclude thee specifically..."

I wrapped myself around her neck. She smiled and returned the embrace. "Come now. Let us go and see what our Father requires of us."

We found him with our Mother, his wing wrapped around her gently as they gazed out into the expanse. When he saw us he stood and embraced us warmly. I can still remember the smell of stardust in his mane.

"My lovely daughters. It fills my heart with joy to see you." He released us and glanced solemnly at me. "Though I wish that thou hadst not come. This will be most difficult for thee."

I felt my heart constrict as I looked into his eyes. He turned away and lowered himself beside our Mother once again.

"But why, my Father? What will be so difficult for my sister?"

Father took a deep breath, and sighed. "Because, my daughter, the time has come for thee to be given a place in the cosmos."

I felt as if my world came crashing down around me. I understood what Father referred to. My sister would leave. I would be alone. No more frolicking on solar winds, no more playing amongst the stellar clouds. She would have a domain of her own, responsibilities and mortal charges. And I would be alone.

So alone...

I glanced at my sister. She was overjoyed, elated. She had been yearning for this day for millennia. The opportunity to have a world of her own, as she had seen so many of our brothers and sisters enjoy. We'd often talked about what she would do, how she would care for her mortals, how she would protect them and ensure that their lives were filled with peace and harmony.

As it was, she could barely contain herself. She pranced from one hoof to the other, like a little filly. Her wings were flared, making her seem nearly as large as our Father himself, and her face was split in a disbelieving grin. She had fire in her eyes, then. Such fire.

But then she looked at me. I almost wish she hadn't.

I tried to be happy for her. I truly did. I forced myself to smile, to embrace her. Even as tears streamed down my muzzle onto her impeccable coat, I whispered, "I am so happy for thee."

My sister saw through my act, however. I could feel the elation drain from her as she returned my embrace. A part of me felt glad, hoping that she would turn down our Father's offer, hoping that she would remain with me. Another part felt guilty for destroying her joy, marring her dreams with my selfish desires.

What a foolish filly I was.

But then my sister spoke, "And what of my sister? What will become of her?"

"It is not yet her time, my daughter. She still has much to learn before mortal souls are given to her care."

I looked up into my sister's eyes. I could tell by the way she looked at me that she meant to give up her dream for her foolish little sister.

As much as I wanted her to stay with me, I could not bear the thought of her giving up what she wanted most for her foalish sister.

I smiled and wiped away my tears with a wingtip. "You should go, my sister. 'Tis the opportunity you've waited for."

She smiled as she looked down at me. She always was taller than I, even then. She nuzzled me and pulled me close. Then she said something I never expected.

"What if she came with me?"

In Which There are Finally Names!

I looked up at my sister in amazement. She looked down at me and smiled before returning her gaze to our Father. "What if she were to come with me?" she said again.

Our Father shook his head and sighed. "I had worried that thou wouldst ask that."

He nuzzled our Mother and came to his hooves. He turned to a the nearby star and gazed into it. The solar winds billowed through his mane and beard as he stood there. Time seemed to drag on as I desperately awaited his answer. Finally he turned his gaze back at us and said, "If this is truly what thou wishes, I will allow it. However, know this: if she accompanies thee, it will bring great hardship and sorrow upon you both."

I glanced back at my sister, who met my gaze. Her brow was furrowed and her eyes were filled with uncertainty. Our Father was never wrong, and yet I found myself yearning to go with her nonetheless. I wanted nothing more than to be with my elder sister forever. In that moment I would have followed her into the mouth of Entropy itself.

What a foal I was.

My sister must have drawn resolve from my need, for her eyes hardened and she looked up at our Father. "It is my wish. I would rather face hardship and woe with her than joy and gladness alone."

Our Father nodded and looked at me. "And thou? Is this thy wish as well?"

Tears fell from my eyes as I nodded fiercely.

"Very well," he sighed. With that he turned and faced us and said in a booming voice, "Then come forth, and I will give unto you power and new names."

I pulled away from my sister and quickly dried my eyes on my wings once again. I sniffed, and we slowly approached our Father. He raised his wings, large enough to encompass a planet, high above his head and his eyes glowed with the fierceness of a thousand suns.

"Thou art Celestia," he said to my sister. "For thou shalt rule over the day. Thou shalt lead and teach thy charges with wisdom and kindness. Thou shalt teach them to love truth and joy. Under thy loving care they shall grow and learn that one day they might join the Eternal Herd."

As our Father spoke my sister changed. She grew taller and her coat shimmered and shone as if she herself had become a star. A sun appeared on her hindquarters and her horn became longer and sharper. Her main lost its tender pinkness and turned prismatic, billowing in the solar winds.

Our Father turned to me. "And thou art Luna, and thou shalt rule over the night. Thou shalt protect thy charges as they rest, and thou shalt inspire their minds and souls. With thy gifts and thy love, they will one day become fine members of the Eternal Herd."

At our Father's words, I felt myself changing as well. I felt my body become larger and stronger. I felt electrified, powerful. I looked at myself and saw a coat as dark as midnight with a crescent moon emblazoned on my own haunches. The stars themselves seemed to dance in my mane.

"Unto you both I give the Elements of Harmony. Unto thee, Celestia, I give the Elements of Truth, Joy, and Love." He turned to me once again and said, "Unto thee, Luna, I give the Elements of Magic, Loyalty, and Generosity. "

As he named each of the Elements, a bead of light appeared from the tip of his horn and came to circle about each of our heads. The miniature stars that came to rest upon my sister were yellow, pink, and green, while the ones that came to me were white, purple, and blue.

"I give unto you these names and Elements that thou might better protect and teach your charges. With them, you will have the power to keep them and guard them from all sides. Together you will ensure their safety and happiness, that they might grow and one day return to us."

With that, Father folded his magnificent wings back, and the fiery light faded from his eyes. He smiled, then nuzzled us both, pulling us close with his wings. "I am proud of you, my daughters."

He pulled his head back and looked us each in the eye, his wings still about our withers. "Celestia," he said, seriously, "This is thy charge, and thou shalt have the greater say. Thy sister will look to thee for guidance. Nevertheless, heed her council, for she is wise and thoughtful."

"Luna," he said, looking at me, "Heed thy sister. She will not lead thee astray. Thou wilt be a great help for thy sister and a balm and a light for your charges. However, be humble, or I fear a great evil will befall thee."

His wings fell from our shoulders and settled themselves once again on his back. He beamed at us and said, "I am proud of you, my daughters, and I love you more than you can imagine. Never forget this."

I thought I saw a tear glisten in his eye before he turned away, settling himself down once again with our Mother.

In Which Twilight Interrupts

"Wait, you're the Element of Magic?" Twilight said suddenly.

Luna tilted her head as she turned to her friend. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, no... I just... I guess I always thought that Princess Celestia was the Element of Magic."

Luna chuckled a little. "Yes, I suppose, that does make sense. She was your mentor."

"Well, it's not just that. I mean, Celestia was the one your father put in charge, right?"

"Yes, Father gave her greater authority than I. However, I do not see the connection, Twilight Sparkle. Why would that make her the Element of Magic?"

Twilight shifted uncomfortably, looking at her hooves. "Well the Element of Magic is the most powerful, right? It doesn't make much sense for your father to give you the most powerful Element if you weren't the one in charge."

Twilight glanced up at Luna, who was looking at her incredulously. Then Luna suddenly burst into laughter.

"I'm surprised at you, Twilight Sparkle," Luna said between chuckles. "Did you never ask my sister about the nature of the Elements?"

"Well, no," said Twilight uncomfortably. "I figured she would tell me when she was ready."

"And you never did any research on them yourself?" Luna asked, eyebrow cocked, still smiling.

Twilight glared up at her old friend. "The Elements of Harmony were lost for nearly a thousand years. Most of the surviving literature on them is based on myths and hearsay. Not even Starswirl the Bearded knew much about them!"

Luna chuckled again and shook her head. "I suppose you are right, Twilight Sparkle. I suppose if my sister has not been very forthcoming, you would have very few recourses.

"The Elements cannot be 'given' or 'placed' on anypony. They are... Difficult to explain, I suppose. They seek out ponies that exemplify them."

Twilight knitted her brow and said, "I'm not sure I understand, Princess."

Luna pressed her lips together for a moment. "Take your friend Applejack. She is honest, no?"

"Of course she is. She's the Element of Honesty!"

"But are you not also honest?"

"Well, yes."

"Then why were you not chosen to bear the Element of Honesty?"

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but stopped herself. She realized that she didn't have an answer to the Princess's question. She closed her mouth and looked down at her hooves, pondering for a moment. "I guess," she said slowly, "it's because that's part of who she is."

"Exactly. Much like you and magic. Magic is part of who you are, it is one of the things that defines you. That is why you were chosen to bear the Element of Magic. It was much the same with me."

Twilight nodded before looking back up at Luna. "But Celestia is so powerful. I've seen her do things that I'd never dream of. I mean, she raises the sun every day! With power like that, why isn't she the Element of Magic?"

Luna grinned wryly and shook her head. "Twilight Sparkle, methinks that you are giving my sister too much credit. Celestia is powerful, yes, but she never could compete with me in terms of raw strength. Magic always was a special talent of mine, and I was obsessed with it. I spent aeons and ages ferreting out the smallest secrets of the arcane, perfecting my art. Between my raw talent and my devotion to the art, I was the clear choice to bear the Element of Magic."

Twilight frowned. "I don't know, Princess. I'm still having trouble imagining anyone more powerful than Princess Celestia."

The princess smirked a little and said, "Allow me to put it in perspective for you, Twilight Sparkle. When I became Nightmare Moon and shrouded the world in eternal night, my sister had to gather all six of the Elements before she could confront me. Even then, our battle lasted for days and our magics rocked the world to the very core. Forests were leveled and seas were blasted into vapor. The great city of Atlantis was sunk beneath the ocean. The mountain range that Canterlot rests on was created during our struggle. We split the continents and blasted mountains out of existence. In some places we gouged the planet so deeply that its very lifeblood spilled forth, scorching all that it touched. In the end, 'Tia was only barely able to defeat me."

Do you still think that my Father was wrong to place the Element of Magic upon me?"

Twilight, wide eyed, quickly shook her head back and forth.

In Which the Royal Sisters Arrive

It didn't take long to arrive at our destination. Celestia said that she simply 'knew the way.' I suppose it must have been something that Father did. It was her planet now, after all.

Technically ours, I suppose.

When we arrived, the planet was just beginning to bloom. The angelae responsible for laying its foundation had long since gone, having moved on to other worlds. To be honest, the planet appeared bland, just like dozens of other worlds that we had passed on our way here. Celestia, however, thought it the most splendid thing in the cosmos. She bounced about on the solar winds like a little filly, giggling and rambling to herself. I simply stared down at the slowly rotating orb, contemplating where to begin our labors. There was so much to do, and I hardly new where to start. I worriedly thought about how much time Celestia had spent watching other alicorns cultivate their worlds, and wished that I'd payed a little more attention.

Suddenly Celestia was in front of me, looking at me intently, the glee apparent on her face.

"What shall we name it?"

The question took me off guard. Names? I had not even thought of names. It mattered little, however, for Celestia was already jumping to and fro, shouting out names, each longer and sillier than the last. I shut her out, pondering for a moment. What would we name this new world? Names are important; they are full of hope, potential, and meaning. What did we hope for this little world of ours?

"Equestra," I said suddenly.

Celestia halted mid bounce and looked at me, surprised. She tilted her head for a moment, gazing at me. I felt my ears lay flat against my head as worry flowed seeped into my thoughts. What if she did not like it? Then a massive smile split her face and she repeated back to me, "Equestria."

We began our labors immediately. Things went far more smoothly than I had expected. Celestia, it seemed, knew just what to do to cultivate life on our little world. First the smallest of creatures, languishing in pools. Then we nudged them this way and that, encouraging new life wherever we could. Slowly but surely life began to diversify. Plants, insects, and animals one by one made their appearance. I even made humans as a joke.

What? Don't look at me like that, Twilight Sparkle. Humans are real. They have hands and everything, though they're not nearly so sophisticated as those fairy tales make them seem. Little more than dirty, hairless apes, all things considered. I don't think your friend Lyra Heartstrings would be terribly enamored with them if she saw them.

Hmph. You're just like 'Tia. She didn't laugh either.

Ponies were progressing nicely by this time as well. They were much different than they are now, however. They wandered in herds across the grasslands of Equestira. They were little more than animals back then. No culture, barely able to communicate with one another. They used their horns and wings for little more than mating rituals. It's comforting to see that ponykind has come so far.

You seem surprised, Twilight Sparkle. Yes, ponies were originally much like my sister and I, having unicorn horns, pegasus wings, and great stature.

Why don't you have them anymore? It's simple. You fell.

All in good time, Twilight Sparkle. All in good time.

Progress for your predecessors did not truly begin until they began to use their connection with the earth to grow food instead of simply wandering for their fodder. With that, larger, more stable family structures were not far behind, as well as language, buildings, and culture. They began to build towns and eventually cities, the greatest of which was called Barneighkoth, built in the tops of the Barneigh mountains.

The city rose and grew, grand and pure. All of ponykind looked to Barneighkoth with hope for a brighter future, and many flocked to its walls. 'Tia was overjoyed. I had not seen her so happy since we arrived. The Barneighkith, or Kith as they came to call themselves, grew in culture, wisdom, and power. In several hundred years they had outpaced their rivals in culture and technology, and in only a few hundred more they had become the very center of all of ponykind. I hoped that they would become everything that 'Tia wished for, a kind and harmonious civilization.

Alas, it was not to be.

The Kith began to decay from within. They saw their own greatness, and in their arrogance they began to impose themselves on the lesser creatures. Entire races were enslaved, and soon not even that was enough for the Kith. They turned to their less fortunate sisters, enslaving them as well. They began to delve into dark, forbidden magic, practicing it on themselves and their slaves. Equestria's great beacon of hope and harmony had turned into a place of darkness and horror.

'Tia was devastated, to say the least.

Again and again we tried to dissuade them from their path. Again and again we failed them as they condemned themselves to darkness. They ignored our warnings, our pleadings, and they eventually reached for what we would have given them freely had they but followed our council.

Needless to say, they failed miserably. Dark means can only bring about dark ends.

In Which Questions are Asked and Answered

Twilight rolled her eyes at the princess, but caught up to her nonetheless. She knew Luna better than most, and knew how much the princess valued her theatrics. Twilight would get nothing more than cryptic hints and half answers if she pursued the question any farther.
So instead she asked another.
"So why don't you sing anymore?"
Luna inhaled sharply and nearly stopped. "It brings back... memories we do not wish to recollect."
Twilight was speechless for a moment. The royal 'we?' An evasive response that couldn't be interpreted twelve different ways? It was normal for the night princess to be hiding something, but this...
Twilight believed she had touched a nerve, and she decided, for the sake of their friendship of course, that she just couldn't leave well enough alone.
"Why's that? I can't believe that ponies didn't like your singing," Twilight said. Direct questions always seemed to work the best with Luna. Less ways for her to wriggle out of them.
Luna glanced at Twilight and slowly said, "No. Quite the opposite, in fact. They loved our, my, singing. My songs were the most stirring in all of Equestria. There was no passion I could not spark, no emotion I could not rouse."
Luna sighed. "I would pour my heart and soul out to our subjects. In grand plazas to lift the spirits of thousands, in private to soothe the anxious soul, or in nurseries to lull the fitful infant to the doors of slumber." Luna smiled. "Those were my favorites. I would slip in, unbeknownst to anypony, lull the child into my realm, and be gone without anypony the wiser. 'Luna's Gift' they used to call it."
Twilight was wide eyed with amazement. "What happened?"
"They stopped coming." Twilight recoiled at the sudden rancor in Luna's voice.
"But why?"
"Oh, it was hardly a sudden thing. The ponies in our kingdom grew slowly suspicious of my voice. Vapid stories of how I would lure young stallions away from their families with my siren's call, or steal away their children in the dead of night began to make themselves popular. Fewer ponies would come to hear my songs, and more and more began to use charms to keep me from their children's chambers."
"But they didn't work, did they? The charms didn't work?"
Luna snorted. "Of course not. I am the Queen of the Night! Where e'r there is shadow I walk, and where there is starlight I see, and nary a hex, nor curse, nor spell can stop me."
"But?" Twilight quietly asked.
"But... I respected their wishes. I came to learn the signs that were meant to ward me off, and I learned to avoid those dwellings. There came to be more and more as the years grew on, and soon enough I could find nary a house without them. Tia tried to comfort me, saying that it was simply superstitious nonsense, that our ponies would come around in time. I took her counsel to heart as best I could. I had other gifts I could give to my beloved ponies. I still had my stars, and my night sky. I could still bring joy and wonder with my constellations and my shooting stars. I would show them my love by causing the lights in their eyes to dance, and they would come to love me again, and everything would be as it was."
Luna was smiling, mist in her eyes from the millennia old memories. Twilight, not wanting to break her reverie, quietly said, "I've always loved the constellations myself."
"Pah! Those paltry imitations fo my sister's that I dare not move for fear of throwing all of ponydom into chaos? Not to belittle your love for my stars, Twilight Sparkle, but I once wove masterpieces in the sky." Luna's voice grew husky and passionate as she spoke. "The starscape was wondrous to behold. Children would cry with joy when a new star was born, the poets would weep when one fell, and symphonies would be composed when I completed a new constellation. I poured my heart and soul into my work, painting the night with stardust and moonbeams."
"What happened?"
Luna's voice cracked and a tear fell down her cheek. "They stopped caring. Fewer and fewer ponies would stay up to watch my skies. They grew bored of my work. Of me..."
Luna's hooves came to a halt on the cold, flat ground. She hung her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. Twilight could almost feel the grief pouring off the ancient mare. Then a sneer formed across Luna's face and she spoke through clenched teeth.
"And then came Princess Celestia's decree."
Twilight gasped, not believing what she was hearing. "What?!"
"Princess Celestia sent a royal proclamation throughout all of Equestria, saying that 'to more fully preserve the Balance of Harmony, and to further the Happiness of Our Little Ponies, all Ponydom should strive to be Indoors and Aslumber by Moonrise each night, that they might arise Rested and Refreshed with the Dawn.'"
Twilight's eyes widened as she realized that Princess Celestia had kept this schedule as long as Twilight had known her, and had often encouraged Twilight to do the same. She said it promoted a restful sleep at night and an invigorated mind in the day. Twilight tried to follow her mentor's example as best she could, but many nights her research had lead her into the small hours of the morning. When she arrived at class the next morning, her mentor would disapprovingly ask exactly how late she had stayed up the night before. Twilight would give an embarrassed answer, and Celestia would once again lecture her on how the night was for sleeping, and the daytime for working, and that to do otherwise was to upset the precious Balance of Harmony in our lives. Princess Celestia would then extract yet another sheepish promise from Twilight to never do it again, and Twilight would silently commit herself to never, ever disappoint her beloved mentor ever again. Twilight supposed she could nearly recite that lecture word for word with how many times she'd heard the Princess recite it to her.
Luna's shoulders shook with emotion as she spoke, and her voice wavered. "I tried, Twilight Sparkle, I tried. In desperation, poured everything I had into my sky, but not even Celestia gave it more than a cursory glance. I spoke with my sister to try to convince her to lift the decree. She told me to grow up and stop being so selfish. That our ponies needed their rest to go about the labors of the day. Finally, I begged my sister for one night, one single night, to let me show my little ones how much I really cared for them. When she finally relented, she gave me the longest night of the year, the Feast of Winter Solstice. I prepared all year for it. My most fantastic constellations and meteor showers, creatures of the night to fascinate and entertain, the finest foods in the greatest abundance. I even had planned to sing, something I had not done for more than two hundred years.
"Only Celestia came.
"Do you have any idea, Twilight Sparkle, how it feels to have your gifts thrown back in your face? To have your love spurned? To be rejected by everypony that you hold dear? To be abandoned?"
"Princess, I," Twilight stammered, "I didn't know."
"Of course you didn't, Twilight Sparkle," Luna replied, her face cruel and vitriol dripping from her voice,"because despite the fact that you freed me, despite the fact that you have been my closest friend since that Nightmare Night so many years ago, You. Never. Asked."