Author's Note
This is my first story submitted for public consumption. Please be gentle.
Laughter and Hope
Laughter and Hope
The wedding reception of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor was in full swing. Luna saw ponies dancing some kind of modern dance to music that seemed to be just different loud repeating bass notes. Her sister was off to one side talking and laughing with Twilight Sparkle’s mother. Twilight Velvet if I remember correctly. I don’t want to go an interrupt them. Tia looks so relaxed and is having fun.
A familiar laugh turned Luna’s attention away from her sister to look at Twilight Sparkle. A smile subconsciously graced her lips as she observed Twilight as she laughed with her friends. Twilight deserves to laugh with her friends because she helped save the day. The smile fell.
With a deep sigh Luna walked away from the party and into the stillness of the familiar night.
Celestia was not able to contain her laugher as Twilight Velvet regaled her of stories of Twilight as a filly. I haven’t laughed like this in a long time. I know why Twilight and Shining are such special ponies. Their parents are wonderful and have raised wonderful children.
Celestia looked over the party and saw Twilight laughing at a face Pinkie was making. Her grin grew much bigger as she saw Rainbow Dash and Applejack try to force feed Rarity some cake. Fluttershy stood nearby talking to Spike with a shy grin on her face. It looks like my student has gotten over the gross misjudgment we all made earlier today. I need to still apologize to her though to make things right.
Almost like she had RADAR she turned her head to watch as Luna leave the party quietly with her head hanging slightly down. Celestia turned to Twilight Velvet to apologize about having to leave when she saw Pinkie out of the corner of her eye. She said something to Twilight and went and followed after Luna without the normal bounce to her step.
With a satisfied nod at what she just saw she turned back to Twilight Velvet to tell some stories about Cadance as younger filly. Luna was going to be in good hooves.
Luna had walked aimlessly through the gardens until the noise from the party could only be heard when the wind shifted from that direction. I should go back. Celestia has probably noticed my absence by now. That still wasn’t motivation enough to go back to the party.
“Hiya Princess Luna!” A cheerful voice called out from the darkness which caused the Princess of the Night to jump slightly. She internally rolls her eyes as she thought this is my domain I should not be so easily spooked.
“Oh tis only Pinkamena Diane Pie” Luna said as she turned her head away from the moon to look at the pink pony that melted out of the darkness.
“Wowza! When you say my name like that it is a mouthful, and to be honest I would prefer my mouth to be full of cake or cupcakes.” Pinkie said with a grin as she sidled up next to the Princess.
“I do apologize Lady Pie I did not mean to cause offense.” Luna said as she hiding her internal struggle behind a mask. I try to be polite to ponies but it just comes out wrong. I have worked at it but I can’t seem to get it right.
“No problemo Princess. I was about to say that only my parents call me by my full name. All of my friends call me Pinkie. Also you can drop the Lady Pie stuff because just between us mares I am not much a lady.” Pinkie said with a grin and wink as she pulled a stick of lemon candy. “Did you want to try some Princess?”
“Uh…no thank you Lady err Pinkie I have not be able to get a taste for most of the modern confectionaries.” Luna confessed while turning her head to look at the moon. She sighed that is just another reminder how I am a mare out of time.
“Oh I already knew that you wouldn’t like some yummy cake so I got you some lemon candy. I had to check out a book from Twilight’s library and she had me Pinkie Promise that I would be careful with it because it was really, really, really, really, really, really old. It had all kinds of stuff written in it that I couldn’t understand because it was written in a language I couldn’t read. I did find a recipe for a type of candy that you may like though mixed in with some of the pages. I guess I should have said it was a cookbook of sorts. Well it was more like a gathering of stories with recipes mixed in which is similar to a cookbook but different.” Pinkie said as she handed the candy over to Luna.
I am always amazed that she can talk so much but not seem to breathe. No matter that line of thought is best left for another time. Luna gave the candy a cautious lick expecting something extremely sweet. The candy was perfect it was sour but not overtly so and the sweetness was not overpowering.
“My thanks to you Pinkie the confectionary is quite good.” Luna said after she popped the entire piece of the candy in her mouth.
“No worries Princess, I just figured so much had changed since you had come back that you might like to try something familiar. To be honest the recipe was written by a chef that worked in the castle before your banishment. She was named Pop Pie, I think; the name was hard to read because it was very faded and whoever wrote it had terrible penponyship.” Pinkie exclaimed as she gave the rest of the candy to Luna.
“Pot Pie was her name.” Luna said without though. “I thought this tasted familiar she was one of the few ponies that knew I never had much of a sweet tooth. I preferred more sour and tart treats to the overtly sweet ones.” Luna smiled at the pleasant memories that were conjured up while sucking on the candy.
“Pinkie, how in the world did you find out about this candy?” Luna asked as she had finished off the bag of candies.
“Wellll first I asked the Cakes” Pinkie puts her front leg over Luna’s shoulder as she leaned in to whisper. “They are my adopted family by the way,” Pinkie let go of Luna and resumed bouncing up and down around her.
“They told me that they didn’t know any recipes from the time you were banished. I then asked Twilight because she knows so much stuff about all sorts of stuff. She is like the most stuffingest knower of stuff that was ever walked Equestria. She told me that so many new plants, herbs, and spices were found after your banishment that many foods have drastically changed but she didn’t know much. Then I asked your sister if there was any type of food or candy that you liked. You should have seen her face when I asked her during court. I never thought the snooty von snooty ponies would ever get the shock off of their faces when I gave Celestia a few of her favorite cupcakes. Of course I did appear out of a potted plant when she was deliberating. Even she was surprised before she saw the cupcakes.” I will have to ask my sister about this encounter later.
“Did you know the guards don’t have a sense of humor? I thought they were going to throw me in the pokey. That is not nearly as fun as the pony pokey. Celestia had to wave them away because they wanted to treat me as a common criminal. Can you believe that?” Pinkie asked quizzically. Luna was about to open her mouth to respond but Pinkie just continued.
“Well anyways I waited until Celestia was eating her cupcakes when I asked her if she I could speak to her in private.” Pinkie looked side to side as if look for other ponies around. Pinkie did it so confidently that Luna actually glanced around to check as well.
“After she walked me to her antechamber and we were alone I asked her what type of candy you liked. Do you think it is weird that the only other time I have seen Celestia so speechless was when I was leading the parasprites away from Ponyville? You would think she has seen a pony playing a few instruments before? Anywhos I asked her what your favorite candy was and do you know what she said. She said that you liked sour types of candy and that Twilight had just requested an old book from the archives for a research project she was working on that might have a copy of your favorite candy in it. So considering that you are my friend and I LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!” as she bounced up and down to emphasize each love, “to see my friends smile I made a deal with Twilight and got the recipe and Whammo! Kablammo! Here we are enjoying it.” Pinkie said with a big grin.
Luna opened her mouth to talk but was too overwhelmed to speak. Luna took a deep breath to gather her emotions before she could speak. “Pinkie that is one of the nicest things anypony has ever done for me. I will call you my friend for as long as I draw breath. Also, if you insist that I call you Pinkie then I insist in the spirit of friendship you may call me Luna. As a friend I do not wish to have titles get in between that fact. ” Luna said with a shy grin.
“Oki Doki Loki, Luna!” Pinkie said while bouncing up and down with excitement.
“Huzzah!” Luna cheered as she started to laugh and Pinkie joined in laughing. They laughed for several minute before Pinkie’s face turns serious.
“What are you doing out here all by your lonesome Luna?” Pinkie asked in serious tone of voice.
With that simple question all of the good feelings Pinkie had just created popped like a balloon. Luna slumped down until she was sitting on the ground. Why do I continue to feel this way? Should I lie? NO. That has a way of backfiring most spectacularly. No honesty is the best policy. Besides hopefully Pinkie will not judge me too harshly.
“What did you mean Pinkie?” Luna asked quietly.
“Well I was wondering if you had gotten tired and were going to bed, but I know you are going the opposite way to your living area. It doesn’t look like you are tired so I then thought it is maybe because you don’t want to dance. But then I remembered that you were dancing earlier in the evening at least until the party music started. So then I thought to myself, self I wonder if Luna just wants to be alone.” Pinkie said in her inexplicable way without appearing to breathe.
Luna could not contain her wince when Pinkie mentioned the last option. With a deep sign, “You are correct. I just wanted to be alone to gather my thoughts.”
“Well why did you act all sad? Everypony needs some alone time.” Pinkie asked tilting her head quizzically.
“TIS NOT THAT SIMPLE!” Luna exclaimed much louder than she intended. Upon seeing Pinkie’s folded back ears and shocked expression Luna takes a deep calming breath. I have been bested by my temper yet again. With a shaky sigh she starts over in a much quieter voice. “I did not want to be alone. I wanted to visit with my sister, Twilight, and my friends but they were all talking with others. I didn’t think it was my place to interrupt them. They looked like they were having fun.” Luna said while her face burned with shame and embarrassment.
“Well I can’t speak for Celestia but I know that Twilight or I wouldn’t have minded had you come in to join us.” Pinkie said.
“That is not the point! I should not have had to worry about wanting to join in your conversations. In times long past I had the resolve and panache to include myself in almost any social situation, but now I seem to just flounder like a marionette without a hoof to guide.” Luna said in a rush. When am going to stop letting the bedeviled emotions get the best of me?
“I know what you are saying; lots of ponies try to avoid me. But that still doesn’t answer the question on why you didn’t want to come and talk with Twi-Twi and I.” Pinkie asked while giggle-snorting over her funny rhyme.
“Thou, Twilight, Cadance, Shining Armor, and my sister were all having fun. I am saddened to say that my banishment of one thousand years has left my conversation skill quite lacking. I didn’t want to spoil their fun by saying the wrong thing or by embarrassing myself. Do you know how hard it I have to concentrate just to hold my tongue? To not let my voice be heard unfiltered. The exile on moon left my patience rather empty as well.” Luna said while looking down at her hooves.
Pinkie screwed up her face as if she is was in thought. “Luna, I CAN just say that what you feel is just silly.” Luna felt an uncomfortable heat warm her face. “But I won’t because that isn’t silly at all. If you don’t mind can I answer your question with a question?” Pinkie asked in a serious tone of voice.
“Of course you can ask me anything Pinkie. Thou never need to ask for permission.” Luna said earnestly.
“What do you see when you look back at the party?” Pinkie continued in the same serious tone.
“Well I see lights, and the shadows cast by the dancers…uh I can also see some of the decorations as well. Why?” Luna asked curiously. I wonder where Pinkie is going with this. She is acting quite strange.
“No, I mean what do you see” Pinkie asked again as she sat back on her haunches splaying her ears out to the side.
“I do not think I understand the question, Pinkie” Luna asked staring at the party looking for something that she missed with her keen eye.
“Sorry, I meant that the party is still going on. I left the party and it is still happening. I am THE Premier Party Pony of Ponyville and the party is still going.” Pinkie said with a sniffle as her hair partially deflates.
“I do not understand the point and also Pinkie you do not have to apologize if you need to clarify a phrase. It is I that should apologize because I am misunderstanding you.” Luna asked as she tilted her head in confusion.
“Don’t worry about it Luna. I am not being very clear. I usually don’t talk about serious stuff so I am kinda out of practice. What I meant was that I am not needed because the party did not stop. I am only needed to get the stuff planned but anypony could do that. Even now Twilight could plan a better party than me. Rarity’s decorations would make mine look like a little filly had done them. Dashie would wow the audience with stunts that I could never duplicate. Applejack would make better tasting treats. Even Fluttershy can plan a better tea party than I can. I have only one skill and my friends could do it better than me. I know I shouldn’t feel this way but those girls are my first true friends. Until recently I would plan these wonderful parties and all of these ponies would show.” Pinkie takes a deep shuttering breath before continuing. “They wouldn’t ever talk to me; none of them would stay long enough to get to know the pony behind the party”.
“Fluttershy called me frivolous a while back and I have given it lots of thought and you know what she is correct. I am super not needed for the one thing I am good at. ” Pinkie said in a rush as tears quietly fell down her face while her mane and coat lost its pinkness.
Luna’s eyes widened at the stunning confession. I had not known that Pinkie held such sorrow in her heart. Without a thought Luna enveloped Pinkie with her wings while Pinkie began to sob. She sang half remembered tunes that her mother sang when she was but a foal. Maybe we can help each other because her struggles are much like mine. Laughter is a hard Element to understand.
After a few minutes Pinkie had quieted down only making a few silent sniffles and occasional hitched breath. I will need to choose my words carefully. Dearest sister, I hope that I can be half as tactful as you are. This little pony has some deep seated pain.
“Pinkie, I truly understand where you are coming from. Loneliness and I have been boon companions since long before my banishment. I can also attest that when you are paired with an Element of Harmony you are never truly alone…at least until you stop listening to them.” Luna said in a soothing tone of voice.
Pinkie’s ears perked up “What did you mean by listening to them?” Pinkie asked as she turned her head to look into Luna’s eyes.
“Exactly what I meant Pinkie. The Elements speak to you. Now it might not be as apparent because you are so closely related to your element. The voice might not be as easy to distinguish from your own thoughts and feelings.” Luna explained as she settled down on her belly after releasing Pinkie from the hug. Pinkie followed suit and laid down in front of the princess…At least we can be comfortable because what I will have to say will not be pleasant.
“When my sister and I found the elements to defeat Discord both of us got three adhered to us. Celestia with her kind heart, generous nature, and beguiling personality had the Elements of Kindness, Generosity, and Magic. I, on the other hoof, being brutally honest, blessed with a prankster’s mentality, and loyal to my little ponies received Honesty, Laughter, and Loyalty.” Luna explained with a gentle smile as she remembered simpler times.
“What did the Elements say to you Luna? I wonder what kind of voice they have? I bet Loyalty has to have a deep voice kind of like a dragon. Or what about Honesty? It must have a voice that sounds like newscasters from Manehatten.” Pinkie said while she tilted her head in different directions.
“Pinkie they did not talk with another voice.” Luna said with a smile. I truly love watching how her mind works. She has as active of a mind as Twilight Sparkle; the only difference is Pinkie vocalizes her thoughts. “They speak as you but you can tell they are not you. Does that make sense?” Luna asked as she saw a confused look on Pinkie’s face.
“I kinda do. Is it like the time with Discord? Where this grumpy voice was telling me all of my friends were laughing at me and making fun of me? It wasn’t until we got restored by the Elements and those voices were all like “let’s get out of here” that I noticed they didn’t sound right. Is it like that?” Pinkie asked flailing her arms about and making wooshing sound effects for emphasis.
“Actually that is exactly right the voice you were hearing was the opposite of your Element. The elements speak like that but do not give hurtful advice. I will admit that it can be advice you don’t want to hear but it is never hurtful. They used to give me advice on how to be a better pony; How to steer our subjects to a better path. Laughter was always sure I took the time to make Celestia and the other nobles laugh. I tried to get them to loosen up to not be so serious all of the time.” Luna said as she got into lecture mode. It has been so long since I have taught anypony anything. I hope I don’t bungle it badly.
“Honesty was sometimes the hardest to listen to because I would have to tell my sister no on occasion. If I did not agree with her idea or policy I felt it was my duty to tell her. We had enough brownnosed sycophants in court. My sister did not need her sister to be one as well.” Luna signed deeply. “Honesty led to many a fight with Celestia. She did not like to be told no or have her policy’s questioned. But you have to understand Pinkie that honesty is not just about speaking the truth. It is about living the truth, to follow it even if nopony follows us while doing it. Honesty can sometimes be a lonely road…lonely but worthwhile.”
“Loyalty rarely spoke to me because I never had any problem in being loyal. I made the beautiful night sky as almost as a reward for the subjects that loved my sister and me. I might not have helped in the bureaucracy or running the government, but I helped my sister and subjects in other ways. I made sure that their dreams were free of strife, their lands were monster free, and travelers would always have stars to guide them home.”
“When I was going through my crisis my elements stopped talking to me. If you had one guess which one did you think stopped talking to me first?” Luna asked.
“Well I would think it would be Loyalty because why else would you get so mad at your sister that you would turn into Black Snooty and turn off all of the lights in the world.” Pinkie exclaimed as she got into the lecture and seemingly forgot about her initial sorrow.
“That is a good guess but it is incorrect. The first Element that went silent was the one we have in common. It was always easy to tell when I was hearing Laughter speak to me. It would try to make me laugh and in turn try to make others laugh through me. Losing that voice was like losing my dearest friend. The others were friendly to me but I never had to work to be honest or loyal so they rarely spoke to me.” Luna said with sorrow.
“See I knew I wasn’t that important because if laughter was the first of the Elements to go silent then it must be the weakest of them right?” Pinkie asked in a small voice almost like she was afraid to hear the answer.
Good job Luna, you had one job and you failed spectacularly at it and now she feels even worse. “Actually Pinkie, I meant quite the opposite. Laughter and the Element that it represented brought something quite important that nopony should ever have to live without.” Upon seeing Pinkie’s quizzical yet hopeful face Luna continued. “It brought me hope. When I lost hope I knew that my descent into darkness became a matter of WHEN not IF. Without hope I lost what little joy I had in life. The Star Song much to my horror went absolutely silent. I had thought I knew what loneliness was but after I stopped hearing the song it felt like a part of my soul was ripped out. I have been hearing that song since I received my cutie mark so very long ago when I first connected to the moon.” Luna said as tears form at the corner of her eyes remembering that dark time.
“Honesty was the next to go because much like your friend Applejack I was a terrible liar. Unlike her, and much to my regret, I got much better with practice. As I continued to lie to my sister and to what friends I had the voice got softer and softer. Even though I know that Celestia was concerned I still lied. I never once indicated that I needed or wanted help. It wasn’t until I started lying to myself that it ceased talking to me all together. I started to blame others instead of taking responsibility for my faults.” Luna was not even bothering to hide the tears that ran down her face. The glistening cheeks of Pinkie was proof the story affected her as well.
“Loyalty takes on many forms but whichever form it chooses it is quite stubborn. It is sometimes hard to gain and can be almost impossible to lose. I poured my heart and soul into making my canvas as beautiful as possible,” Luna waved her arm in a sweeping motion indicating the entire night sky. “It destroyed me when I would create a wonderful night sky only to find out that nobody talked about it or even indicated that it mattered at all. I would make sure that monsters that thrive in darkness and nightmares never bothered my little ponies. In gratitude the ponies looked upon me with mistrust and fear. I started to feel my loyalty shift to my sister so I stopped making the night sky unique, and I only fought the monsters to protect our kingdom. My loyalty and my love for my sister were poisoned by the darkness that was overtaking me though. I thought that she and the court were working against me; they were undermining my authority and stripping me of my power. It soon became easier to listen to the whispered voice promising power and that I needed to embrace my hatred. Finally after a particularly heated argument with Celestia about my last beloved friend I accepted what the voice was telling me. It was soon after that I became Nightmare Moon and you know the rest.” Luna said in almost detached voice. It still pains me to talk about it. She took a deep breath but it was like a weight had been lifted off of her chest that she didn’t even know was there. I guess confession is good for the soul. I can hate what I did but I do have to accept that it happened and there was nothing I can do to change that fact.
With a more hopeful tone Luna continued. “All of those events would not have happened, Pinkie, if I had not lost the Element of Laughter. You might think it is the weakest of the Elements but I like to think of it as the strongest. Laughter allows you to see joy in the darkest of situations. You laugh in the face of danger, and you bring hope to those around you. Laughter is more than making ponies happy; it is being a beacon to light the way during dark times.” Luna looked back at Pinkie and she saw a look of hopeful determination on the Pinkie’s face.
“I hope that my telling you about my fall has helped you in some way Pinkie. Other than my sister you are the first pony to hear the full details of my fall. I hope that you see that trust as a sign of how important you are not just to Equestria but also to me. Like I said earlier I will treasure our friendship for as long as I draw breath.” Luna said after she wiped the tears off of her cheeks. Luna sat there stunned as Pinkie’s color returned and her hair returns to its natural springiness. I don’t even want to know what kind of magic this Pony draws from. All I know is that she is truly unique.
“Wow Luna! I Extra Pinkie Promise to cherish our friendship for as long as I can enjoy parties and make ponies smile.” Pinkie went through the motions of that most serious of promises. “I am glad that you told me all of that Luna. I know it must have taken some great courage to tell me about how you became Nightmare Moon. I am also glad you explained my Element. I was always worried that I didn’t bring much to the group. But I now see my Element in a different light. I am not the clown that everybody is laughing at. I am their flashlight that shines in the eye of our foes. I am like the joke that will always make ponies laugh. I am the smile that makes you feel better on a dark day. I am laughter. I am the light. I am Batmare…err I mean I am Pinkie!” Luna gives a deep heartfelt sigh. I am glad I did not make her feel any worse. There must be something I can do for her that will show her how much she and her friends mean to me. Luna looked up at the sky and hears a new song being sung. She looked around at the stars until she sees a playful star that is just brimming with excitement and energy. Finally I have found a star to name after one my new friends.
“Pinkie, I am going to do something that has not been done for over 1,000 years. Do you see that star about two hooves underneath the Moon? The one surrounded by the others like they are basking it its light and joy?” After seeing Pinkie’s very enthusiastic nod of acknowledgement Luna continues. “As I hear the songs for new stars I name them after famous heroes to remember their deeds. I also name them for influential individuals that greatly influenced culture, and the arts. But the greatest of them are individuals that have become friends with my sister and me. I say this to you because that star is now named after you and its song will join in the others.” I hope that my gift is a good enough…URK. Luna was not prepared to be enveloped by the bone crushing hug from surprisingly strong pink arms. How many ribs did I just hear breaking? I hope that one of my lungs has not gotten punctured. Despite the strength and surprise of the hug Luna closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth and smell of cookies that surrounded her.
“OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS! I HAVE A STAR NAMED AFTER ME! THAT IS BESTEDEST THING ANYPONY HAS EVER GOTTEN ME BEFORE.” Pinkie let go of Luna and started to bounce around her in joy. “I haven’t felt this great since I got my cutie mark, or since Twilight came to Ponyville and I got my friends, or even when I found out that cupcakes are like normal cakes only cuter.” Pinkie continues to babble about how excited she was while Luna turns to the moon.
I can finally look to you old friend and not think of you as my prison. I now see a beacon of hope that lights the world up in the darkness. I am truly sorry that I forgot that for so long. As she felt her spirit lift she got a devious idea.
“Pinkie, do you want to join me so we can prank some ponies?” Luna asked with a mischievous grin on her face as she turned to Pinkie. I hope I used the right word.
Pinkie stopped mid-bounce and hung there for a few seconds. A large grin grew that almost split her face as a devious look came into her eyes. “Luna, I would love to.”
Fin