Luna stared out into the waning day as the lights of Ponyville came on one by one. Alone she sat atop a grassy hill, eyes transfixed on the town below. So many lives lived within that place. So many that would be born, learn, gain friendship and knowledge and trust and love. So many that would, one day, succumb to the fate that slowly crept up on them their entire lives. A dark hand would, softly, gently, reach it and snuff them out, and they would be forgotten.
The dark furred alicorn knew what it was like to be gone so long you were forgotten. To return and find questioning eyes turned your way, as if to say, “Were you really ever important?” So many times she wished to remind them who they saw before their eyes. Not a common pony, o no. A princess, with power abundant. With a thought, she could wipe those questioning gazes from anyponies face and say to all within earshot, “I am more important than you.”
The sun continued to set. Soon, darkness consumed where the sun had bathed. Luna rose from her laying position. No matter the dark thoughts that dwelled within her, she had a duty that she would not forsake. Eye’s closed, the alicorn relaxed her body and mind. The moon was a part of her, and she a part of it. It was almost too easy to start its journey across the sky.
But as soon as it began to show itself, she felt her power grow. Luna reared up on her hind legs and basked in it. The night was her time.
Normally, she would sit and let the power of the moon warm her to her bones. It was solitary, but she enjoyed the feeling. Tonight, however, a noise down in Ponyville caught her attention.
The houses of the town were all built close together in a welcoming way. Luna had heard that everypony was friendly and neighborly. One house, though, seemed to be much further away from the town. It was a plain, one story home with peeling paint and dirty gutters. A window was open and music streamed out.
Luna wrinkled her nose at the sight and sound. Someone living in such a home and making such noise was a nuisance. Smiling, the dark alicorn figured she could quiet the pony down and make a statement to others in one swoop.
She jumped into the air and flew towards the house. Not many ponies were out, but enough would see her descend and punish the noise maker. Down she went, alighting nimbly before the home. The gasps around her made her smile in delight. Show time, she thought.
Luna knocked on the door loudly with her hoof. Now that she was closer, she could hear that someone was singing inside to the music. It irritated her further. As soon as this door opens, she thought, I’m going to-
The door swung inwards, revealing a gray pegasus with blond hair. Luna stopped dead in her tracks. The pony’s eyes were offset, seeming to look in two different directions. “Hello!” the pegasus said, her voice thick.
Luna was too stunned to reply. She had expected a rabble rouser and got the village idiot. The pony continued to stare at her blankly. The ponies who had stopped to see what was happening started to whisper.
Suddenly, the song tracks changed. The gray pony jumped and smiled, “This is my favorite, come on!”
Luna found herself being dragged into the home, the door slamming behind her. Inside, the home was a mess, with food everywhere and balloons scattered throughout. The alicorn couldn’t help bumping into everything as she was led from the front room to the living room. It didn’t get much better there. The only expensive thing the pony seemed to own was a flat screen TV. Attached to that was a rectangular machine that looked like it had seen better days. Atop that was a microphone.
The gray pegasus pushed some food and clothes off of a seat and sat Luna down on it. The alicorn was still too stunned at the mess, the pony, and the seemingly nonchalant way she had just made a bigger mess of her home to respond. She just sat on the chair and watched as her host walked over to the machine.
“Um…” the gray pony said as she lifted a hoof to work the machine. She tapped a button and the music stopped. “Oh! No no no!” She tapped another button and the music started again, but at the beginning of the song. It was one Luna had not heard before, but it jolted her back to herself. The gray pony took the microphone and walked over to Luna.
The pegasus tried to speak with the microphone in her mouth but the alicorn couldn’t understand her. Luna gently took hold of the mic with her magic and held it away. The gray pony smiled and said, “Derpy already sang, so now you sing!”
“Oh! No, I…” the gray pony, named Derpy apparently, never stopped smiling, even while Luna tried to think of a way out of this mess. Her eyes, the mess around her, and the innocent way she spoke, all chiseled away at the dark barrier the alicorn kept around her heart. “I don’t know the words…”
“Dat’s ok!” Derpy said, “I’ll help!”
That night, Derpy and Luna sang together until Luna was singing alone. When she realized this, she looked down to see Derpy fast asleep on the only open spot on the ground. The alicorn gently placed the microphone on the machine and figured out how to turn it off. The TV had not been used even though some cables went from the machine to it.
Luna looked around at the food and clothes and pony lying in it all and put it all together. The house was away from the town because no one wanted Derpy around. The house was a mess because no one would help her. Somepony must have given her this machine to keep her happy and to herself.
The alicorn felt tears running down her face. She had thought no one could ever feel the way she had: pushed aside to be forgotten.
Luna returned to Derpy’s the next night. And the night after. And the night after that. Every night, she would help Derpy clean her home while showing her how to take care of herself. They figured out how to connect the music machine to the TV and danced and sang together. Sometimes Derpy would hurt herself or break something, but Luna never yelled at her or got upset. Anypony that made fun of Derpy or threw rocks at her spent time under house arrest.
And one night, while Luna sang and Derpy danced, with fresh food and balloons around them, Luna couldn’t help smile and realize, there is always someone more important than you.
