The Distance Between The Stars
Twilight trotted through the darkened halls of Canterlot. It was late she knew, but she couldn't wait to see her special sompony. She had been on the road the last few days with Rainbow Dash. Even though she had been stripped of her official title of Princess of Friendship, Castle Friendship was still hers, and the Cutie Map still demanded it's duties of her.
She looked forward to lying in bed with Luna, amusing her with tales of her latest adventure, but as she nodded to a passing servant in the hallway, the young mare barely made eye contact before casting her gaze to the floor and hurrying off.
This doesn't bode well, Twilight thought. The servants usually got skittish when Luna was having a bad day. Twilight's heart sank as she thought about what might be waiting for her. Luna was usually able to keep things together in her absence, but the past year had been hard for both of them, and she was worried things may be weighing on Luna more than usual. The past few trips had proven hard for the weary alicorn.
"Excuse me," Twilight said to a passing guardspony.
"Yes... err... Princess?" the guardspony asked.
"Has Celestia been to see Luna today?" Twilight asked.
"No Princess," the guardpsony said with a solemn look. "She hasn't been this way since you left last."
Celestia had not taken news of their relationship well. It was the first time she had seen her mentor look on her with fear. Celestia was convinced Nightmare Moon was rising again, and that her sister was trying to coerce Twilight into joining her to bring about eternal night. It amused Twilight, perhaps darkly, that almost the exact opposite was true. Her relationship with Luna had in fact become an integral part of keeping Nightmare Moon buried.
"How long?" Twilight asked concerned.
"She hasn't left your quarters in three days," the guardspony answered with a wince. "Despite recommendations from her handmaidens, like you asked," he added.
"Thank you," Twilight said. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Princess," the guardspony said as he trotted off to complete his rounds.
Twilight hurried down the hall to the quarters she shared with Luna, thoroughly worried now. Usually these things passed in a day or two. Three days meant things were getting worse.
Twilight opened the door to their darkened quarters, the light from the open door doing little to illuminate the dark blue mare curled on the tangled bedspread, weeping quietly.
Twilight swallowed around the lump suddenly in her throat. "Love?" she asked, trotting around the bed towards Luna. She noted the silver shoes Luna usually wore lying on the floor beside the bed, her black crown lying discarded on the nightstand.
Luna lifted her head at Twilight's voice. "Twilight, you've returned," she said, voice hoarse, looking at her marefriend with burning eyes. The light from her eyes glistened on the tears that trailed down the fine coat of her cheeks.
"I'm here," Twilight said softly, sitting at the edge of the bed, raising a hoof to stroke Luna's shifting mane. "What's wrong?"
Luna closed her eyes, pulling in a shaking breath. "It's been so dark these past days," she said, her voice thick.
Twilight stroked Luna's cheek, trying to dry some of the tears. "You should have sent for me," she chidingly. "I would have come."
Luna opened her eyes, the blue fire still burning in her irises. "Others need you as well. Celestia may have taken your title, but you're still the Princess of Friendship."
Twilight chuckled. "Sure, a princess with a broken crown," she said sarcastically as she looked to the mantle. Her old crown was there, visible in the dim light. It sat on the holder she'd had fashioned for it, but it was broken in half, it's Element missing since Celestia had taken it away. Twilight kept it as a reminder for herself that, despite what titles and trinkets she may or may not have, she still had responsibilities.
One of which was in front of her, hurting.
She turned back to Luna, smile fading. "Despite what my responsibilities may be, you are still important to me Luna, you shouldn't be alone when you're like this."
Luna closed her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It was bad this time. Nightmare... she almost..." Luna bared her teeth against the memories of terrified servants.
Twilight put her hoof on Luna's shoulder, nuzzling her face. "it's OK," Twilight whispered. "Take your time."
Luna took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. "Celestia and I had an argument... after you left," she said as she pulled away from Twilight.
"What about?" Twilight asked, knowing the answer.
"You, my love," Luna said. "As is typical," she said, irritation flickering the light in her eyes.
"You don't have to defend me to her," Twilight said, very aware that they'd had this conversation before. "I'm quite capable of holding my own against your sister."
Luna gave Twilight a crooked smile, looking at her out of the corner of one still-luminescent eye. "I will not sit idle while unkind words are spoken about my love," she asserted.
Twilight's heart quickened. She felt the cold fire of her own darkness licking at her spine. Midnight was always keen to respond to Luna's anger. Twilight mentally pressed her darkness down, it would not help them right now. "I appreciate the sentiment, but you know the danger of giving into your anger."
Luna nodded silently. She had known that Nightmare might try to surface if given enough anger. Her own sister had come dangerously close to accidentally unleashing the thing she was so terrified of.
Luna shifted to her own side of the bed. "Come, lay with me, please," she said, eyes aching.
Twilight climbed onto the bed and lay beside Luna. She met her marefriend's gaze. "You need to stop rising to Celestia's baiting," she said gently.
"I will try," Luna agreed.
Twilight slid close to Luna, wrapping her forelegs around her, burying her muzzle into Luna's shoulder. They laid holding each other, Twilight breathing in the scent of Luna's mane, a smell the reminded her snow capped mountaintops in the night.
"Sometimes... " Luna began, hesitating. Twilight felt Luna tighten her grip slightly.
"Sometimes... I wish we could just disappear into the darkness... only our love remaining, dancing with the slow dance of the stars for eternity... Just you and I," Luna said dreamily.
Twilight, eyes closed as she lay wrapped in Luna's forelegs, imagined them dancing in the night sky, flitting about the aurora, their love singing in the expanse between the stars, perfect and unhindered by jealous and foolish ponies on the tiny world below them. "But its so far," she muttered against Luna's shoulder. "And we can't come back."
"The stars are not so far as you think," Luna said. "I can still hear them if I listen."
"What do they say tonight," Twilight asked. She absently started to stroke Luna's back with a hoof.
Luna fell silent for a moment, her breathing slow and even. Twilight waited. She had heard the stars once before. Their voices had showered her like tiny shards of tinkling glass in the darkness of one of Luna's dreams. But she had understood them! They were so happy to see her, and for her to hear them. They were so many, and yet so lonely. They were so far away from each other. She had woke with a lump in her throat and tears running down her cheeks.
Luna chuckled softly.
"What do they say, love?" Twilight asked softly.
"They have missed us," Luna said softly. "And they wish us to come and dance for them again."
"Oh do they?" Twilight said pulling back to look at Luna, a smile on her lips. "Or do you just want dance?"
Luna slid back into Twilight's embrace, holding her fast. "With you, I always want to dance. Until my wings cannot lift me from the ground and my legs collapse beneath me."
"My Princess of the Night," Twilight whispered against Luna's shoulder.
Luna smiled as she stroked Twilight's mane. "My Princess of the Broken Crown," she whispered back.
When Twilight pulled away she the fire had died in Luna's irises, replaced with the light of happiness few but her got to see.
Luna rose from the bed, towering above Twilight. She lay on her back and watched as Luna spread her wings, stretching them to their fullest before folding them to her sides. "Come, my love," she said as she stepped off the bed, "we shall reap the skies and dance among the stars until daylight calls us to sleep."
Twilight smiled and got up from her place on the bed, shaking out her mane she stood beside Luna, tilting her head to the taller alicorn. She was tired from her trip, but she could not refuse Luna when her blue eyes danced at the thought of a night flight. Luna lit her horn, throwing open the massive, ornate windows, cool night air flooding into the room. She stepped onto the ledge, looking back as Twilight followed her. Wings spread, she smiled and leapt from the window, diving and climbing up into the sky.
Twilight spread her wings and jumped after her. As she caught up with Luna they began to beat their wings, climbing high above Canterlot, Equestria stretching out below them, green and dark, peppered with tiny glowing windows. They spiraled higher, the air becoming colder as they pierced the thin cloud cover. Twilight's blood sang in her veins from the effort of the climb, but she kept going, chasing the happy glint in Luna's eyes as they danced, diving and climbing under the dim glow of the stars.
Up here, above everything she knew and loved, in the cool quiet of the night, it didn't matter that she no longer had a crown or a title. Twilight had her love, and the sweet darkness of the night they shared, and it was enough. She laughed in joy at the happy tinkling of the stars above showered down around them as they danced.
