"They seem so helpless and in such pain," Luna thought to herself in her chamber. "We surely cannot leave them be, especially not so soon after he was defeated." The foals of Equestria were in such pain from her eyes. They were toyed with by the deity of chaos himself, Discord. She and her sister had defeated him, but not so soon as to prevent the pain and hardship that was caused in his wake. She had thought it her duty to care for them, but Celestia had thought otherwise.
"No, sister. We must focus on the recreation of our glorious nation as a whole, not on a specific generation." Celestia had said.
"Sister, I don't believe you understand, the foals, they need me. If you won't help them, then let me." Luna pleaded. Celestia had been shocked at Luna's sudden and rare usage of first pony pronouns. It showed that she was serious, but Celestia was serious, too. They had rebuild Equestria to the point that it could flourish and prosper on its own, with the only help of the sisters being from the raising and lowering of the sun and moon.
"I have already said no, Luna. We must rebuild the nation to what it was before we start to make sure its inhabitants were okay." Celestia had wanted to help the denizens of the nation just as much as Luna had, but she couldn't express this to her sister. The country had to be ready for the ponies that lived in it before they could ever return to their previous selves. "Now please go, so that I may continue reconstruction plans." Celestia said as she returned to the scrolls laid out before her, obviously done with the conversation. Luna, noticing this incredibly rude gesture, then walked out of her sister's chamber.
Luna had thought it over a great deal when she had arrived back in her bedchamber. She would find as many of the fillies and colts as she could and start her own society. That is, she would do it if her sister insisted on not providing support and relief to the foals in pain. She did not want to split off from Celestia, but she would if she had to. This was important, there wouldn't be a next generation if the children could not handle the stress. So again, she went to her sister.
"Celestia, you must not understand. It is imperative that we help these foals." Luna pleaded, almost to the point of begging.
"No, Luna, you must not understand. If we refuse to build this country back up and spend all of our time and resources on the ponies in it, what do you think will happen?" Celestia asked, beginning to become annoyed.
"I believe that if the citizens are right in the head, they can help us rebuild. Is that not a preferable plan, sister?"
"Even if it were preferable, how are you to ask the ponies to build their cities back up so soon after they have recovered?"
"Exactly like that! They will be eager to go home and be with their families as well as remove all trace of the chaos that existed during Discord's reign."
"Speaking of Discord, what shall we do with him, sister?" Celestia asked nervously.
"Don't you dare try to change the topic of our conversation, Celestia!" Luna exclaimed, becoming more furious with her sister by the minute. Celestia was taken aback. It was rare that Luna would start an argument with her. It was even rarer that she would use first pony pronouns. But never, never had she screamed at her.
"Luna, what is the matter with you?" Celestia spoke with a quivering voice, not wanting to lose her temper.
"What is the matter with me? How about you? You refuse to help foals that are not getting the proper treatment they need because there is no way for them to, all so that you can build your kingdom.!"
Luna had stormed off after that last word was spoken. She now flew to the town closest to the forest that she and her sister lived in. The town had no name, it had not been in existence that long. She watched the ponies from the shadows. They walked around, confused and distraught. They had no idea what to do now that normalcy had come back to them. Their houses were in ruins and their food crops failed due to "chocolate rain". She landed outside the town and waited there until it was her duty to raise the moon. After completing said task, she walked in walked into the town, careful not to wake anypony up. When she was there, she used her magic to enter the dreams of the foals and had them wake. When they met in the town center, she asked them how they were and if they liked it there. Their answers were as she feared, bad. She decided right then that she was going to follow through on her plan. She took the foals and walked with them to a small alcove of the forest, safe from monsters and safe from chaos. There, she built a small town and assigned each of the fillies and colts roles. Some of them would come up to her and ask questions.
"Miss Luna, why are we here?" One asked.
"Well, my child, that is because you did not like where you were before." She would tell them with love.
"Miss Luna, what are we doing?' Another would ask.
"Well, it could be said that we're playing a big game of pretend!" She would say whilst clopping her hooves together.
It continued like that for a while, Luna would play mother to these foals, bringing them back to normalcy while at the same time teaching them important skills. Some even learned what their special talent was. The foals loved her like a mother and didn't want to go home. Luna still would raise and lower the moon and would occasionally get scrolls from Celestia inquiring as to where she was and why she was gone so long. Luna crumpled those up and used them as kindling for her fireplace. That is, it went like that until Celestia had finally found her. One day, a squad of Celestia's personal guards wound up at her front gate. To prevent the children from freaking out, she went to talk to them.
"What could you possibly need?" Luna asked them with a touch of annoyance.
"Her Majesty, Princess Celestia has asked that you, Princess Luna, come home immediately." One responded in that monotone voice that the guards all talked in.
"And if I refuse?" Luna asked, rolling her eyes.
"Then Her Majesty has authorized us to escort you back at spear point." The same one responded. Luna looked shocked, it hadn't occurred to her that her whereabouts were that important to her sister.
"Fine, give me a minute and I will go with you." Luna turned around and headed to the middle of town. From there she called all the children to her.
"Listen," she said, with a tone of sadness. "I have to go now."
"But, why?" One of the foals asked, already on the verge of tears. Many others joined in the question of why.
"Because mommy has been called away. I want to stay with you, lovelies, I really do. But mommy's sister has asked that mommy go back to her." Luna replied, tears rolling down her cheeks. The rest of her children started to cry, too. "Shh," she had said, with a calming voice. "I'll come back, at least one more time. I promise. Now hug mommy goodbye." With that, she hugged all of the foals and turned around, wanting to compose herself before heading back to the guards. When she had arrived at where the guards were waiting, they said nothing and simply marched her back to Celestia.
When Luna arrived, Celestia's look of worry slightly lessened as she galloped to her sister and fully hugged her. When she noticed Luna was not returning the hug, Celestia pulled away and her worry deepened.
"Luna, what is the matter?" She asked, genuinely concerned.
"Have you ever felt the love of a child?" Luna asked, no emotion in her voice.
"What?" Celestia was confused. Why was this what was on her sister's mind? "I can't say that I have. Why do you ask?"
"Because I have." Luna replied, looking up at Celestia. "I have felt it and felt it tenfold."
"How could you possibly feel a child's love?" Celestia asked, confused as to how her sister could possibly have had a foal in such a short time.
"Because, Celestia," Luna replied, starting to shake. "I went and helped those foals that you refused to even acknowledge!"
"You did WHAT?" Celestia asked, worry turning into anger.
"I told you, sister!" Luna practically spit out the usually affectionate term, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I was a surrogate mother for children that needed my help."
"After I specifically told you not to, you went and interacted with the citizens?" Celestia questioned, almost shaking with rage. "How could you?"
"I went and gave them what they needed, love." Luna barked in return. "And I intend to go back as soon as I am done here."
"You will do no such thing and remain a princess."
"Fine, take my crown and my title, but I will return to my children!" Luna boomed, fully crying now.
"Leave, and don't come back!" Celestia cried, tears rolling down her face as well.
"Fine." Luna sniffed. She rubbed her face with a wing and turned around, making to leave the room when the guards stopped her.
"Just let her pass." Celestia sobbed. "Don't let her back in." Once the guards had moved out of the way, Luna marched out of the castle and back to where her children waited. Once she was sure Luna was gone, Celestia collapsed to the ground and wailed. Her sister, her beloved sister, had betrayed her. She had left and not even looked back.
Luna came back to the gates of her village and called out.
"Children, mommy's home." As soon as she had finished speaking, all of her beloved children rushed out to meet her.
"Mommy!" They all cried in unison. "Where did you go, we thought you were never coming back?"
"I told you, I went to see my sister." Luna said with a half sob and half laugh. "But I wont ever be leaving again. Now come hug mommy." They were crying, and so was she. She pulled them all into a hug and smiled. This was where she belonged. This was her home.
Author's Note
If you haven't guessed it, this is a story loosely built around Duo Cartoonist's "Children of the Night" animation. I hope you enjoyed. 
