Luna approached the stranger, who looked down upon the lights of Canterlot. The night surrounded them in its soft embrace, and on this night, even atop the palace’s highest towers, the breeze carried the warmth of early summer.
The stranger held up a hand in greeting, though he didn’t turn to look at her. “An honor and a pleasure, your highness. I’m sorry if I disturbed you. I hadn’t intended to be noticed.”
“You are a human,” Luna said, with only a touch of surprise. “Twilight Sparkle has spoken of your kind.”
“So I’ve gathered. I’m not from there though, the human world she’s seen… another world, another Earth entirely. We know of you, Princess Luna, of Equestria as well.”
“Indeed so? Then you have me at a disadvantage.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Never in a million years, your highness.”
“Might I have your name?”
His chuckling trailed off, but he kept a small smile. “I’m afraid I’ve no time for introductions.”
“How did you come to be here?”
“A regrettable method, and so my time is short.”
Luna frowned slightly, “And yet you tarry here?”
He smiled, gesturing down at the beautiful city below them. “Could you think of a better place?”
She returned his smile, appreciating the view as well. Below them, separated by the respected boundaries of the palace proper, sat Canterlot. It was late evening, or early morning depending who one asked, but there were still a few ponies out and about, roaming the streets in quiet comfort, appreciating the night. Pegasi flitted from place to place pursuing business or pleasure, and the city lights glowed in greeting to all who sought them, beacons of prosperity and welcome. Their magic played a gentle counterpoint to the lights in the sky, her stars, and her wonderful moon. Luna sighed contentedly, smiling down at the lovely city. It was so different than the silence that had once driven her mad. Or was she merely able now to see what she had not so long ago? She had been so young, then. “Perhaps not. Yet I confess confusion. Will you leave soon, then?”
He chuckled softly. “More or less…” He held up a hand.
Luna gasped softly as she noticed she could see through it, as though he were fading. Surely that hadn't been the case when she'd approached?
“As I said… a regrettable method.”
“Is there anything I can do? Surely you can be saved.”
He shook his head. “Everything I’ve done to get this far saves me. My work, my sacrifice, won’t be wasted. As for you… you’ve already done more than enough. I don’t have enough left of me to express my excitement, or my gratitude.”
“I’ve done nothing!”
“No,” he disagreed. “I never expected to meet you, or anypony." He smiled, as though something about the word made him happy. "I rushed ahead, damn the risks, and never expected to get this far. But I made it, even briefly, and I got to meet you. I got to see all this, and even share the view with another, before the end.” His smile turned sad as tears ran down his face. “I can’t say I’d change a thing.”
“I see." She fought down her urge to protest. She knew. "Then… might I stay with you, until the end?”
“I’d like that. It won’t be long. I’m sorry if I’ve taken you from anything.”
“No more of that talk. Why have you come here? What was so important to warrant such risk?”
“We’re explorers, your highness. To face the unknown is to face risk. This… may seem reckless but that’s only seeing as it didn’t work. It’s a method of travel that’s largely theoretical, and so I aimed for one of the few worlds I knew to be inhabited.”
“How did you come to know of us?”
“Heh.” He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. “It’s a bit silly, actually.”
“I’ve found myself to have a deep appreciation for the value of ‘silly’.”
“Yes, I suppose so. ...Long ago there was a story on my world, about this one. Like a play, you know?” She nodded for him to continue, though he wasn’t looking at her. “It’s not exact, from what we can tell. How the people who dreamed it up did so I can’t say; they’re lost to time more than their work. But I do know that what they created, or perhaps more accurately ‘saw’, represented an optimistic, positive view of the world, and life, that many at the time responded to. Since your world was discovered through more modern methods, there’s been quite a resurgence in popularity after a very long time. All the more so given those views weren’t just our fanciful optimism; they were the views of another civilization. One we’d dearly wish to meet.”
Luna blinked, processing this. “That’s quite remarkable. We want to meet you, too, assuredly I speak not just for myself in saying so. I don’t know if ‘silly’ is the word I’d have settled on. ”
“We know of Pinkie Pie.”
“Ah.” She smiled at that. “Not a bad silly, then.”
“Not at all. ...We can’t leave our world... not really, not yet. Physics hasn’t been so kind in certain respects. We’ve learned to see, but not yet walk. I suppose… this is our first, trembling step. Shame it’s a stumble.” He sighed, though it wasn’t a sad sigh. He smiled, looking out at Canterlot’s lights.
“It isn’t. Or even supposing it is, it’s only your first step. You’ll take more… they’ll be perfect. I’m certain of it.”
“Yes,” he said, looking pleased. “My people will certainly take more steps after this. Walking forward, that’s what we do. I know that our two kinds will be great friends, truly bringing out the best in each other. There are exciting times ahead. I wish…” His voice trailed off.
No. His voice could no longer be heard by even alicorn ears. Luna bit her lip, looking at him as he, for the first time, met her eyes. He smiled, fading… and was gone.
She sighed a shuddering sigh. “There was… plenty of time for introductions… you fool.” She sniffed, as her vision blurred.
“...Luna?”
Luna gasped quietly, attempting to dry her eyes, to no avail. “Sister…”
Celestia crossed the balcony to where Luna sat, gently wrapping a wing around her younger sister. “Luna, whatever’s the matter?”
Luna smiled softly. “A star fell, where I didn’t foresee. There was so much beauty in it. ...But it won’t ever shine again.”
Celestia tightened her embrace. “But you were there to see it. In your memory, it can shine always.”
With a nod, Luna leaned against Celestia. “Yes… and so it will.”
“Shall we watch the stars awhile longer, sister?”
Luna looked up into her night, imagining, somewhere far away, the eyes of friends looked back with equal wonder. “Yes, sister… I’d like that.”
