"But why do I have to do this, Celly?" a midnight blue Alicorn asked as she and her sister stood outside the great hall where no less than 15 stallions from all over Equestria were waiting to meet the Princess of the Night.
"Because Luna," Celestia said calmly "You need some love in your life. And not pet love, or work love, but a different pony's love."
"But I don't know any of them," Luna said peaking through the doors, seeing all the stallions counting at least four that looked like they were only here to try and get to the thrones of Equestria.
"That's why I'm giving you a few weeks to get to know all of them and choose who you would like as your Special Somepony," Celestia said smiling.
"Look, Luna," she tried again "It's not only love that I'm asking you to do this for. You see, Equestria needs new alliances with other kingdoms, and we each must have an heir in case something happens to us."
This got Luna to freeze and look to her sister again, a stern look on her face.
"Oh you did not just say that to me, sister," Luna said mad "You are not giving me that pathetic excuse just to kick me into marriage."
"It's not an excuse Luna," Celestia said trying to calm Luna down "Its the law. All reigning monarchs of Equestria need a Special Somepony and an heir."
"Well then where's YOUR Special Somepony, huh?" Luna challenged stamping her hoof "Where's YOUR baby? When you can come to me with those answers, I shall be in the gardens."
And with that, Luna stomped off.
Sighing, Celestia opened the door and addressed the stallions, apologizing for the misfortune, saying that Princess Luna couldn't see anyone today.
"Joshua, please arrange the guest bedrooms," she said to an Earth Pony butler "While they are being made, please feel free to do as you please."
With that Celestia left to tend to her duties.
In the back of the hall a young princely Unicorn stallion, with a black coat and even blacker mane and tail, a Cutie Mark of three red crystals, and donning a bright red royal cape, took the Princess up on that offer and went to look for Luna, having an idea on how to get her to like him first.
In the gardens, Princess Luna was sitting by the old willow tree by the pond, using her magic to throw pebbles into the water.
"Stupid law..." she mumbled to herself "Who say's I need an heir? Nothing's going to happen to me. Not now not ever." she said throwing in another pebble "And, I can take care of myself, I can fight, I can battle, I can control the stars and the moon, I don't need anybody."
"Excuse me," she heard someone say behind her seeing a black Unicorn, with a three red gems Cutie Mark, and a friendly smile on his face "Begging your pardon, Your Highness, but I am new here and I seemed to have gotten a little lost," he said bowing to her "Please may I ask you for directions?"
Luna looked this stallion over, judging him slightly, never seeing this pony before.
"Where to?" Luna asked after a while.
"To the guest quarters, please, Your Highness," he said coming over and sitting down so they didn't have to speak so loud.
"You're not one of the dumb stuck up Princes then are you?" Luna asked getting slightly mad again.
"By the light of your beautiful full moon, and your beautiful sky of stars Princess Luna," he began looking into her dark blue eyes "I am not a 'Dumb stuck up prince'."
Luna blushed a little at the way he had complemented her work, not even caring if this was a con to just get to her.
"You... You like my nights?" she asked looking into the sky.
"Of course I like your nights, Princess Luna," the stallion said smiling "I like them, because it's peaceful and quiet. Because it's cooler than your sisters days. Because you can look up into the sky and not be blinded by anything. Because just as many creatures are active during the night as in the day." he listed, each answer cheering Luna up a little.
"Not as many ponies though," Luna said sighing and curling up on herself.
"I am sure that will change in time, Princess," he said calmly looking to her, smiling again.
"You really think so?" Luna asked looking hopeful.
"I am."
"The Guest Quarters are in through that door, up the stairs, down the and corridor," Luna said pointing to the doors.
"Thank you, Your Highness," the pony said getting up and bowing.
"I... I request that you call me Luna, young stallion," Luna said getting up too smiling "And to please tell me your name."
"My name, Luna?" the stallion asked.
Luna just smiled and nodded.
"My name is Noche Oscura," he said bowing one final time, getting one back.
"Then please Noche Oscura," Luna said standing tall and spreading her wings a little "Will you meet me here again tomorrow night?"
"I will be honored," he said bowing one final time before turning to leave.
Smiling, watching him go, Luna gave a light happy sigh and sat back down.
This time picking up a stick and started drawing in the dirt, a big heart and adding their initials.
L.M. 
N.O.
Sombra made it to his room, and began to think on other ways to make Luna like him.
He read somewhere of a special flower, only found in White Tail Wood, that only grows at night, the Moon-Flower, so called because when it blooms, it looks like a full moon.
Saying to himself that that's what he'll be doing tomorrow, searching for these flowers, Sombra got into bed and went to sleep.
*0*
Early the next morning, Sombra got up went down to breakfast and then requested to be taken to White Tail Wood.
"If I may, Sombra," Celestia began giving a small yawn "Why would you request that?"
"I believe there's something in there, that I wish to get Princess Luna, Your Highness," he said bowing.
Hearing this, Celestia arranged it, and he was off to spend the day in the woods.
*0*
"Ok, remember what the book said," Sombra told himself "Cool places, earth all around, close to fresh water, and under an open sky..." he listed looking around and finding them.
Smiling, Sombra went over and began picking flowers for his Princess.
That night, Luna was by the pond once again, with a small basket of food she had asked the servants to prepare.
She waited nervously, wondering why Noche wasn't there yet.
"Luna?" she heard his voice calling to her, making her turn to see him, a small bouquet of Moon Flowers held in his magic "For you, Luna." he said bowing, handing them over.
"But, where did you find these?" Luna asked looking at them blushing a little.
"White Tail Wood," Sombra said smiling and sitting down "I read that they were there, and thought that they would be something you would like to have."
Curious as to just how, Noche could have gotten there, Luna looked this pony over again.
"Something wrong, Luna?" he asked calmly.
"How is one, like you able to have allowance for things like that?" she asked placing one flower in her mane "And how were you able to get to White Tail Wood and back, in one day?"
"Um," Sombra said trying to think of something "When Princess Celestia heard why I wanted free time to go looking for these flowers for you, she gave me a carriage." he said calmly "And I read about them, when I came across an open book in my old master's library, explaining where to find them."
Sensing a lie somewhere in there, Luna looked at her flowers, the food lay forgotten.
"Noche, when I was younger, I got into really big trouble because I wasn't honest with Mother and Father," she began, a remembrance look on her face "Since then, I have never told a lie, and disapprove of anyone who does."
This made Sombra slightly nervous.
"I went looking for you this morning, but when I said your name to the guards, and the staff, they did not know who you were," Luna continued "And once I told them you said you were new, they told me there hasn't been anyone new working here for at least three months." she finished, turning to look at him "So tell me, young stallion. Who are you?"
Sighing a little Sombra got up and cast a spell making his royal outfit appear.
"I am Prince Sombra of the Crystal Empire, Your Highness," he said bowing to her and taking a step back before sitting down again, feeling that she didn't want him near her at the moment.
"So. You are a dumb stuck up prince after all," Luna said getting up "Was anything you told me last night real? Or were you just trying to get to know me so I can be yours?"
"What I said about your nights," Sombra said, getting up too "That was me being truthful. And me saying I was not a 'Dumb stuck up prince'. I am not that kind of Pony, Princess."
Luna didn't answer and just turned away from him.
"If it will make you happy Princess, in the morning, I will tell your sister that I would like to go home," he said sighing "I beg your forgiveness for lying to you, and hope you will find what you are looking for amongst the other princes."
Standing up, he turned and left Luna there wondering what she should do.
The next day, as promised Sombra came to see Celestia to say he was heading home.
"As you wish, Sombra," she said surprised "May I please know why you changed your mind?"
"Last night's meeting with Princess Luna didn't go according to plan," he said sighing a little "So I said I would leave today. Please say to here that I am sorry."
With that he bowed before turning and heading out to his carriage.
In her room Luna watched as he looked towards her window, sigh, get into the carriage, and leave.
Something inside her was destroyed that day.
The part of her that said she had any hope of finding true love.
Over the next few weeks, she turned down everybody that came to see her, she didn't eat, lost all care for her coat and mane and tail, and barely slept.
When it got to her not full-filling her Princess Duties, Celestia came to see her.
"Luna..?" she asked knocking on her sisters door which was always shut now. "Luna it's me, Celestia. Please come out so we can talk. Or you could invite me inside, either way."
After a moment, Luna opened the door and came out, but only by a step.
She was a complete mess, her mane was all over the place, she wasn't wearing her crown, necklace, or shoes, there were bags under her eyes, and - if Celestia's nose was right - she hand taken a bath within the last few days.
"What is it sister?" Luna asked in a moody voice.
Clearing her throat, Celestia was about to explain to Luna that she cannot live like this just because one relationship didn't work out.
But she didn't get a chance, because right then the head of the Royal Guard, Lance, came by saying there was trouble in northern Equestria.
Turns out Sombra was almost as bad as Luna was about losing his chance to be with her, but instead of depression he took it into anger and over the last few weeks had been enslaving his people.
Needing to stop this Celestia and Luna went to the Crystal Empire and turning him to shadow, banished him to the arctic north.
Weeks later, Luna couldn't put up with it anymore and chose to try and get banished as well so she didn't have to live with her sister, the one who ruined her life, anymore.
She used all the power she had over the darkness of her nights and became Nightmare Moon.
After putting up a good fight against her ex-sister, she let herself be hit with the Elements of Harmony so she could be banished.
However instead of the arctic north like she wanted she was sent to the moon.
The only good part of that was, where Sombra was it was night for 3/4 of the year.
But Luna still would have preferred actually seeing him, and speaking to him herself.
Sighing she curled up and started to wonder what it would have been like if she had stopped Sombra from leaving that day?
