Moon Rise

[ Lairy \ Lairy's apartment ]

Another portion of batter was spreading over the pan with splutter. Having left a new pancake to fry, I buttered the one, which was on the top of the pile of the already cooked ones.

"A-a-ah! Scooby Doo, ru-u-u-un!" - could be heard from the living room, and Luna's musical laughter followed. I grinned as well, having remembered that dullish man, who was always unshaven, and the muzzle of that scared dog, the height of whose jump could reach one meter, and he was able to speed away headlong in the air without touching the floor. Yes, those blockheads, created by "Hanna-Barbera", could give one a good laugh.

One more pancake was ready. I examined and buttered the high pile of orange circles with satisfaction. According to the wailing of the wind, crackle, ringing, sounds of something breaking, there was some natural disaster on TV. And Luna, who had changed a channel, grew quiet. There was enough batter in the bowl to make ten more pancakes.

"Lairy, come here!" - Luna shouted. It was good, that she used her ordinary voice and not the whole power of the "Royal Canterlot Voice". Having put aside an empty pan, I turned the gas off and went to answer the call of my darling winged friend, bringing a towel with me. Probably, I should really cover the mouth of the vociferous mare, during her watching of TV Shows.

"Can you explain, what it is?" - Luna pointed at the TV set with her leg.

"It is a hurricane. Why?" - I sat down next to Luna. She rubbed her chin, thinking about something.

"I will put it this way. What for was this hurricane created? It destroys dwellings, even kills. It is scary"

"Created"? My glare shifted from puzzled Luna to the film, I tried to comprehend the logic of this question. It was one of those interesting moments again, when Luna and I almost could not understand each other, looking at the situation from our own points of view. The statements of the magical little horse, which were well-founded in her opinion, left me confused.

"What do you mean by "created"?" - I inquired, willing to figure out, what she was talking about.

"Why, do you not know at all?" - Luna responded with a reproach, having closed her eyes a little. She forgot often that I was not an alicorn or unicorn and started to talk to me as if I was one of her species. And if I showed my lack of knowledge in the question, we were discussing during those moments of forgetfulness, Luna got upset.

"Maybe, I will be able to answer your question, if you explain the meaning of it to me"

"The weather in Equestria is completely under control. The pegasi have power over rains, winds and clouds" - Luna was explaining patiently. Did she felt wise and experienced, sharing her knowledge? Or was she totally irritated by my complete ignorance? Meanwhile, a car, which was lifted by the hurricane, crashed against the wall of a house with such clanging and grinding sounds, that Luna jumped up on the sofa. The springs underneath wailed in unison with the howling of the wind, adding their tragic note to the symphony of chaos.

"Why you..." - the pony stumbled, when she saw an indicator of sound being turned down on the screen. I handed the remote control to her with a polite smile.

"So what were you saying about rains and pegasi?"

"If it rains, than it was planned by the team of weather pegasi, who created the rainclouds on the schedule and brought them to the right place"

"So, the weather is being controlled there, in your world"

"Yes. And so I am asking, who created that deadly hurricane and what was the reason?"

"Remember what planet you are living on" - I brought the little pony down to earth from the clouds. It was a bit harsh, but it worked. Having frowned, the princess gave a disappointed sigh.

"It is a horrible planet"

"It is a power of nature, people have no authority over it. No one created this hurricane deliberately to kill and destroy"

"Is no one controlling this monstrous elemental power?"

"Yes, no one"

"So, humans do not control the weather, do they?" - Luna asked in surprise and suspicion.

"Yes. The weather is always on its own. People can only adapt to its whims"

"Hm-m..." - the alicorn rubbed her nose musingly. Despite this huge difference in body built, neural activity, way of thinking, behaviour, - the pony's expressions, poses and many gestures were very similar to the ones of humans. Besides, I did not apply the "human behavioural patterns" to Luna, and the expressions on her muzzle, gesticulation of her legs and wings were easy for me to understand.

"Then what was I watching yesterday? There was a talk about the weather forecast, a human promised that it was going to be sunny, and today it is bright and warm here" - Luna waved her wing at the window.

"Do you find -15 degrees Celsius warm?" - I shivered theatrically - "I would not say so, considering your fell. If you were on the streets, you should know, that it is bright and very co-o-old out there. It is warm here at home, but not outside. If you want proof, then poke your nose around the balcony door"

"Very well, I may have exaggerated the warmth, but what about the weather forecast? It was a planned management, was it not?"

"It was not. It was just an attempt to guess, what the weather would be. They can tell about the thunderstorm, but actually the storm-clouds would just be hanging above us for the whole day, and not a drop of the rain would fall"

"And can a disaster like that hurricane happen right here, to us?" - Luna was not trying to conceal her anxiety.

"It cannot. You and I are in Russia, and that hurricane is in Canada, which is very far from us. Live in peace"

"I will believe you" - the pony nodded. I scratched behind her ear and left to the kitchen. However Luna followed me soon.

"It is so delicious" - she sniffed the pancakes in delight.

"It is delicious and beautiful"

The alicorn was watching the process of frying pancakes with interest. Then boiling water in a pot caught her attention.

"What is there?"

"There is a le-e-eg" - having grinned rapaciously, I grabbed the boiled chicken leg with a fork and pulled it out of the pot.

The pony was frightened. Her muzzle seemed petrified, the pupils became smaller and ears drooped. Having sat down on the floor clumsily, Luna hunched instinctively, being unable to avert her eyes from the quartered chicken. She unfolded the wing slightly and raised her foreleg, as if she was ready to defend herself.

Having turned away, I threw the ham off the fork and back into the pot silently. Then I used the same fork to lift a pancake, which was ready. A nervous sigh, strained steps and creaking of the stool could be heard behind my back. Buttering the pancake, I looked at Luna, who grew quiet and was examining the pattern at the bottom of an empty plate. I should not have shocked her so much. Although, what was it with her nerves being so weak? Could it be, that she had never seen blood, death and dead bodies in two thousand years? But again, anything was possible.

Having flavoured the pancake with honey, I formed it into a roll and held it under Luna's nose. Having sniffed the food, she took a bite timidly. There, I needed to feed and bring the poor thing to her senses now.

"A pancake... what is inside?" - having licked her lips, Luna glanced up.

"It is honey"

"Well, you can say, that your joke was successful, you had scared me well all of a sudden" - the pony hiccupped - "I should have already gotten used to your gastronomical tastes. But to realise, that you are eating parts of killed creatures is..." - the alicorn flinched - "It is repulsive"

Having dragged a stool over, I sat down in front of Luna, took her head between my hands and met her sad eyes.

"I do not blame you" - she whispered - "Because it is stupid to blame a predator for following its nature. But it is painful for me to see that. Please, do not joke with me in such way"

The tears, which ran down her cheeks, warmed my fingers.

"I am sorry, my Blue Mane" - I kissed Luna's nose, catching the warm breath with my lips. She smiled.

***

[ Luna \ Lairy's apartment ]

Lairy was hand-feeding me with pancakes. He had been waiting for me to take a bite of a new portion patiently and silently, and only then he began to eat. Hot, tender bits were melting in my mouth, honey was enveloping my tongue and throat. I liked that very much, but it was awkward, that the human was feeling guilty because of my intemperance. Having held his hand, I met the questioning look of his eyes.

"Forgive me for being so nervous"

"What are you talking about?"

The aroma of honey next to the muzzle was tempting my sense of smell.

"I am talking about that "joke". I should have been calmer about that, really"

Yes, I could not compare to my sister's self-control.

"Gee, if someone showed me cheetah's pelt on the wall or human's hand in the pot as a joke, I would have been nervous as well"

"Well, speaking about nerves, I want to warn you..."

"Eat and do not be nervous" - Lairy touched my lips with a fragrant pancake, and I had to take a long pause.

"That is enough, thank you, I am full" - I sighed with gratitude, licking my lips.

"Now you can warn me about anything you want"

"The full moon is soon. At such times I become anxious, irritable, short-tempered. I may buck about anything, yell. If I am going to be aggressive, please do not be upset with me" - I put my hoof on Lairy's knee - "And at the same time do not try to calm me down. It is most likely, that the result will be quite the opposite"

"Gr-rhm-m, and are you often like that?"

"Always" - I spread my wings - "And everything I can do is to tell you beforehoof"

"At the full moon?"

"Yes"

"Point taken. I will keep that in mind"

"Thank you for understanding. I see that you are not hurrying to go outside?"

"I have days off today and tomorrow. I will spend these two days together with you"

"Oh, that is so great!" - I clapped the hooves of my forelegs together enthusiastically - "What are we going to do?"

"Doing anything in company of a charming lady, like you, will feel like a festival" - Lairy burst out laughing, licking honey off the plate - "We will come up with something. I got a rug for you to play with, let us go and try it"

"Very well!" - having kissed the human's stubble-covered cheek, I galloped away to the living room, dancing with joy. Two days together felt wonderful!

***

The resort town was languid with the heat of a midday hot weather. People were hiding inside their dwellings, refusing to part with various cold drinks of different strength. The water seemed to evaporate from the glass quicker, than it was possible to drink it. The sounds of the usual hits of the 1990s could be heard listlessly from the bar, which doors were opened slightly. The life slowed, waiting for the evening coolness to come from the sea. The dusty streets were empty and deserted. The air was floating over the scorching pavement, and the shifting haze made everything look like some illusive mirage, which allured the travelers, longing for water and shade.

The idyllic scenery of this oasis town was disturbed by the growing sounds of engines. Some moments later ten cars rushed along the streets with a deafening roar, tearing apart stagnant silence. Even a viewer, who was not versed in the car racing, could see, that golden "Jaguar XJ220" and blue "Ford Mustang" were competing for the leadership.

The "Jaguar" glided away at the next turn, forcing the "Mustang" out to the roadside. Having bumped into a pole, "Ford" lifted its back bumper for a second, like a horse, who was going to kick, and fell on its wheels heavily.

"Are you pushing now? Could you be more careful?" - Luna was indignant.

"Oh, no, princess, it is life: you can either strive for the finish line or rot in a ditch" - having grinned, I raced away from the MVA scene.

"Am I to rot in a ditch?!" - Luna managed to get the better of the "Mustang". Having snorted with black exhaust fumes, it returned onto the track obediently - "When I catch up, I will bring the moon down to you!"

"You need to catch up first and bring the moon down later. You are already on the fourth place in the race"

"And I will catch up!" - the princess, who got really angry, floored the accelerator pedal. The "Mustang" made a run right off the bat, obeying Her Majesty's will.

The yellow "Chevrolet Camaro" with black stripes, which resembled a hornet, appeared in the rear-view mirror. The road led to a narrow bridge, which was suitable for only one car to cross it at once. Having slowed down a bit, I let the "Camaro" get closer. The driver wanted to gain an edge and leave me behind on the bridge, but I rushed the "Jaguar" to the attack near the bank. The "hornet" was not expecting this clash, it kissed the timber of the bridge with clanking and its inglorious trip ended in the river. "Flight of the Bumblebee", which could be heard inside the car, choked.

Luna was fighting the pushy green "Porsche" on the winding road through the palm forest. Sand was spattering from under the tyres, the "Mustang" was shaking, swaying at every turn, the alicorn had troubles straightening the car out, but she was determined to lead dozens of those "horse-powers", which were rampaging under the hood, to victory

Having cut the way short at the turn, she got ahead of the "Porsche". However, the opponent soon caught up to her.

"This is for you!" - having stopped suddenly, the "Mustang" kicked that green sticker with its back bumper. Having spun around, it wrenched off the road, met a palm tree, slumped against its trunk clumsily and toppled upside-down.

"Did I miss something, or did you get rid of the competitors?" - Luna gave me a rapid glance, when our cars neared each other again.

"I got rid of them" - I admitted - "But there are six more behind us"

"So you are my main opponent now"

"I am not an opponent for you"

Luna frowned, having noticed a cunning smile. This smile foreshadowed some unpredictable changes.

The barrier near the entrance to the town scattered into small splinters. The howling of engines and squealing of tyres filled the streets, the frightened echo started to jump between the walls from one building to another.

"Luna, move to the finish" - the "Jaguar" started to fall behind the "Mustang" smoothly.

"Yes"

"And I will be crushing these miserable auto-cans!"

Having braked sharply near the very finish line, I turned the car around, barring the road. The white "Mercedes" crushed into my vehicle at once, and someone else gave another good blow at its stern. The poor "Mercedes" raised the hood and climbed onto the "Jaguar" with a passionate gritting sound as if it was willing to have its way with it. Creaking and clanking, the tilted "Jaguar" was consumed by the iron bliss. It had crawled along the pavement on its side, scattering sparks and glass rubble, and despite the superior enemy forces, managed to cross the precious checkered line. The triumphal music sounded with all its might.

"Who was victorious?" - Luna asked, looking at the result of the race on the screen.

"You have won. You are on the first place, I am on the second one"

"Yay!" - the pony reached out her leg with a radiant smile, I slapped her hoof with my palm - "Oh, wait, put your fingers together. Yes, this way, "brohoof"!" - she pressed her hoof against my fist.

"Shall we play one more lap?"

"No" - having stepped away from the playing rug, Luna fell heavily onto the sofa - "My legs are shaking already"

Having put the gamepad on the floor, I sat up and relaxed. Stretching herself out on her back, Luna put her head on my knees.

"Have you got tired?" - I caressed her forehead with a smile and ran my fingers along the horn, flicking the coils with my nails slightly. There were seven coils, counting the one, which was covered with a cap.

"And how do you think? It is easy for you, you sit without any motion and only your fingers move. And I need to jump on the rug, remembering where to and what leg I need to place at every moment. Of course I got tired" - having stretched herself, the pony extended her legs with a loud sigh.

"You learned to play really well"

"Thank you, I liked it a lot, it was so funny and unusual"

Recently I have shown the latest development of the game industry and the pride of my household "Sony PS" console to Luna. To the alicorn's great chagrin, she was not able to participate in playing games, her hoofs were too bid for the gamepad. Luna could manage to move analog sticks with the edges of her hooves, but, alas, not the "cross" and buttons.

Having scoured the shops, I bought a dance rug for Luna and connected it to the console. That purchase consumed a lot of my money, but the look of the outrageously happy pony, jumping up and down energetically on the huge buttons, was worth of all those costs. To prevent Luna from damaging the rug with her hooves, I pulled a thick winter sock upon her every leg. It took Luna a quarter of an hour to get the hang of racing simulator and to learn the controls. Having been stamping on the rug thoughtfully for another half an hour, she began to drive a virtual car on tracks with confidence. And so she became a worthy opponent for me with a need for speed.

"Why did you give way to me, letting me come first and win? The beautiful eyes cannot be the reason"

Ah, what a curious muzzle it was with a serious look of the beautiful eyes, studying me. I waved my hand, touching the rough hairs, which were growing around Luna's mouth and nose, slightly. The tickling made her snort quietly.

"You are patient, smart, persistent. You were eager to win in an unfamiliar game and worked hard. I rewarded you"

Luna seemed to expect some other answer, since her eyes reflected the amazement.

"Would it not have hurt to find yourself on a roadside again, despite all the effort?"

"It would have"

"You see, and I have no reason to hurt you"

"And you are too condescending with me, in my opinion"

"Would you have felt better, lying in a ditch, in your opinion?"

"I would have been hurt by losing, probably, but I would not have been disappointed by you letting me win then. I would have known that the game was fair and square"

"Okay, there will be no mercy from now on. You have asked for that"

I stroked Luna's neck. Having smiled, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back a bit, reaching out for caress. Her nostrils widened and the breathing became loud.

"I am going out of my mind in your hands" - she whispered, feeling the fingers moving - "I am lost in pleasure, I am losing thoughts and myself. I do not know why it happens. It is like you are taking me from... me with every touch, slowly and inevitably"

Luna found my face by touch, I pressed her hoof against my cheek.

"I feel scared, weird, pleased. I am so vulnerable. And I agree to be vulnerable willingly. And I like this utmost openness"

Luna looked at me, and the power and wisdom in her eyes enchanted me for the thousandth time. Having bent over her, I kissed her tenderly and was surprised to notice the pony's unexpectedly pleasant response.

"My impudent one" - she sighed with a smile, having released my lips - "You see, I am not afraid of you anymore. I am learning to trust again and reciprocate the feelings. Thank you for spending so much effort, patience and time on me"

"You are giving me a lot as well" - I took the socks off Luna's legs.

"Tell me, what do you think of..."

The ring could be heard in a corridor.

"Did someone come to us?" - Luna half rose in surprise.

"It seems so. Go to the bedroom and keep out of sight. And I will go and look, who had turned up"

Luna went away quietly and the door closed behind her. I headed to the corridor.

This unexpected visitor turned out to be an old man, wearing shabby slippers, pants made by infamous all over the world "Adidas" company and a dingy sailor's striped vest, which could not hide imposing muscles. He had grey head of hair, stern weather-coarsened face, his square jaw was shaved clean, there was a pair of diagonal scars on his left cheek and one more scar was crossing his left nostril-wing. The black eyes were looking from beneath heavy bushy brows. It was the look of a person, who was used to giving orders.

We had been examining each other for several seconds, like predators, who had met on the border of their territories. The guest was taller and obviously stronger than me physically.

"Mr-r-rm, how can I help you?" - I stood leaning with my shoulder against the door-frame.

The old man smiled friendly with a flash of his silver tooth.

"May I ask you name?"

"Lairy"

"Daniel Abrupt" - he held out his hand, I shook it. I had a feeling that I had just greeted a bear.

"I am your neighbour, I have just moved in here"

Ye-e-eah, the aching fingers told me, that one should consider the presence of a neighbour like that.

"Were those loud noises and howls coming from your place, Lairy?"
"They were. I like to play console games from time to time and turn the sound on maximum to make it feel more real. Does it disturb you?"

"I do not care, actually. But my old woman is grumbling, convinced that the walls are shaking by the howling. Well, I went out to ask about that just to reassure her. And I also wanted to smoke. Would you like one?"

"No, thank you" - I refused to take the cigarette, which he offered.

"That is right, the health is much more important. And having had drawn one puff when I was twenty I have been smoking ever since" - having inhaled, Daniel waved his hand - "Damn that addiction, eh-h..."

"If the sound bothers you, I can keep it down"

"That would be nice, or else my Zinaida will keep nagging me. You see, she was a music major and has an ear for it. She should play a saw with that ear"

Daniel had grown quiet for a while, leaning against the door of his apartment and sending huge puffs of smoke to the ceiling. I would not have been surprised, if an acid rain had started to pour out of those clouds.

"Are you living next door?" - I inquired.

"Yes, in this apartment, next to yours" - he pointed at the door over his shoulder with the thumb.

"I see"

"Lairy, I do not want to appear nosy, but my curiosity will keep me awake at night, if I do not ask"

"What the matter?"

Daniel put the cigarette butt out with a spit and threw it down the stairs.

"I was born and raised in a village. It is hard to fool my nose, even though it was spoiled by the city life and tobacco smoke. Why there is a breath of such pleasant and dear to my heart aroma of the village about you?"

Oh, Lu-u-una...

"The horse lives with me" - I explained calmly.

"What are you doing, kidding me?"

"No. It is a national secret project "Equestria" on rearing an undersized breed of horses with advanced powers of endurance in the environment of a city apartment" - I reported with an ostentatious formality.

"Geez, give me a break!" - Daniel burst out laughing, waving me off with both hands - "The ignorance truly is a bliss. I shall go"

I gave several pancakes to my new neighbor as a parting gift. Having brought the inquisitive villager around, I sent him on his way and went to the bedroom. But just as I was about to enter, the doorbell came alive again.

"Here, it came to my mind to give your horse a treat" - the old man offered several pieces of lump sugar with a generous smile.

"Thank you"

"By the way, may I take a look at the horse?"

I could imagine Luna's reaction to an abrupt guest, appearing at home, which she regarded as the only safe place in the world. That could shatter the princess' confidence in me most likely. She was not a toy or a circus act to show her to everyone. And I also could not trust a person, whom I had known for a five minutes of a smoking break.

"No. She is cautious and afraid of people. She had a hard time getting used even to me. So, no, you may not"

"Okay" - this time Daniel went away without saying goodbye. And I returned to my beloved.

"Lu... what happened?"

The pony was lying on the bed with her head buried in a crumpled blanket. Her shoulders were shaking and the wings could rise hastily at one moment and fall feebly at another.

"Hey?" - having moved the wing aside, I sat down next to Luna and fingered her mane. Having raised her tear-stained muzzle, she spat the chewed up corner of the blanket out.

"Lairy" - Luna moaned gaspingly - "If I had not held back, my laughing could have been heard all over the apartment. Oh, my Tia... pray tell, where on Earth I am "an undersized horse with advanced powers of endurance"?"

"Did you hear everything?"

"I can hear well and I did not close the door tightly. So, what would you say?" - She pressed her nose against my palm, laughing.

"Did you see in movies, how tall the ordinary horses are, when they were near humans?"

"Yes, they are quite tall"

"Well, you are undersized in comparison with them"

"I understand. And what about endurance?"

I lifted the pony's head, scratching her nose with my thumb.

"You survived the flight from the Moon to the Earth. You were wandering hungry and were chased through the winter forest. You lived through the beatings, mockery, persecution and constant abuse. And after all of that you did not break, you did not become embittered, you associate with me and enjoy life. I think that you are very enduring. Not many humans or animals could have gotten through everything you had to endure"

"So you are not talking about the physical endurance?" - Luna's eyes followed my finger moving along her nose musingly.

"Of course, I am not"

Having sat up, the pony grabbed my hand with her forelegs and sniffed.

"Where have you been? Why are you smelling of smoke?"

"Smoke?" - I drew my hand away and sniffed it as well - "I talked to the neighbour in the doorway, and he smokes. I brought this smell of smoke from him"

"He smokes? What is he doing?"

"He inhales the fumes of burning leaves and resin"

"Does he breathe fumes?" - Luna was thinking tensely - "What for? It is disgusting and harmful"

"I agree, it is harmful. But sometimes humans cannot imagine their lives without smoke anymore. Here, this neighbour offers you a sugar treat"

I gave a piece of lump sugar to Luna. She took it with her hoof and, having wrinkled up her nose, put the sugar back on my palm.

"No, thanks, it reeks terribly. I hope, I do not have to eat this, do I?"

That was true. The sugar, which had been in the hands of a smoker, now emitted the smell of tobacco.

"It is okay, I will dispose of it"

"Maybe, we can play again? But how and what game?" - having folded her wings, Luna made herself more comfortable, lying on her back. She held my hand in her hooves.

"Let us play blind man's buff" - I passed my free hand over the elegant leg. The scar, which was left from the wound, has almost dissolved, and soft velvety hair was growing on the smooth skin.

"Like this?" - Luna closed her eyes.

"Almost like this" - having got up, I took a towel out of the wardrobe - "The main point of the game is to search with a blindfold on. So I will blindfold you, and you will try to find me. How does that sound to you?"

"Let me try" - the pony burst out laughing, having jumped off the bed.

Having covered Luna's eyes with the towel, I wound it round her neck and tied behind the withers, so the blindfold would not fall down accidentally.

"Keep several rules in mind. You should search slowly and accurately. If you try to catch me at full speed, you will risk stumbling upon something, hurting yourself, breaking your nose or a glass"

"Okay"

"I am going to prompt my location to you by sound or by touch from time to time"

"I understand"

I took Luna by the ear gently.

"Let us go to the living room. It is more spacious"

***

[ Celestia \ Celestia's chambers ]

There was a courteous knock at the door. Having looked up at the ceiling, I rubbed weary eyes with my leg and sighed. It was unfortunate, but the studying of an ancient tome explained nothing about Nightmare Moon. The reasons for those sudden changes in my sister's life remained a mystery to me.

"Come in"

The door opened without any noise. A mare in maid uniform entered, she was a graceful cream-coloured unicorn. Green magical radiance was flowing along her horn fluently, and the pile of books and several scrolls, which were blackened by time, were levitating beside the servant.

Author - AngryCritic

"Greetings, Your Majesty. I came from the library. Here is everything I was able to find at your request"

It seemed like it was the first time these curious purple eyes looked at me.

"Here" - I pointed at the edge of the table with my hoof.

Having put her load down, the pony stood waiting.

"Tell me your name" - I asked with a smile.

"Hardy Rose, Your Majesty" - the unicorn bowed, having tossed her black-and-yellow mane. Was it just me, or something was wrong with her right ear, which was hidden in the thick hair thoroughly? Hardy even was flattening it down to her head, and the left ear, which stuck out of the mane cheerfully, was only deepening the impression, that she had only one ear.

"If I can help you in any other way, tell me"

"You can" - I poured the remaining juice from the jug into the glass - "Here, bring me another serving of apple juice"

"Yes!" - having grasped the jug with telekinesis, Rose sprang away. I had a brief look at her mark of destiny. The roses were intertwined in a complicated manner: there were two yellow speckled roses in full bloom and a big black bud between them.

The closed tome creaked with its leather binding, the locks at the corners of the cover clicked faintly. Having put the tome away, I lifted one of the scrolls carefully. No, they could not be unrolled right away, they needed a restorative spell first, or everything would crumble away to the ashes.

The servant came back and brought the filled jug. Having put the vessel down on the table, she noticed my curious look and halted confusedly.

"Your..."

"Hardy, come closer, let me examine your ear"

"Er-r?" - She stepped around the table and bent her head. Having thrown the hoofshoes off, I pushed Hardy's mane aside carefully with the hooves on my forelegs. There was only one half remained of her right ear, and the edges of the diagonal wound fused together with a rough uneven scar.

"Do you mind if I try to cure your ear?"

The little pony looked at me upwards.

"No, Your Majesty"

The answer sounded ambiguous, so I decided to act. Having remembered "the spell of flesh restoration", I concentrated and focused my magic on the ear. The grey scar, which was fringed with golden magical aura, became pink, bubbled up and then burst, splashing the blood.

"A-aie, it hurts!" - the mare jumped aside, there was terror in her eyes, when she flattened her ear. The thin streams of blood were pumping from the wound. They interlaced with the strands of her mane like bright lively threads and adorned the marble floor with an intricate pattern.

"Rose, come back here" - I said sternly, having stamped my hoof on the ground - "You need to endure that. Consider it your new assignment"

She approached timidly.

"Lay down, it will be easier to endure this way"

I put my leg on Rose's back in order to prevent her from attempting to resist again. While maintaining the spell, I took a kerchief from the drawer of a cabinet, using telekinesis, and wiped the blood, which was running into the ear, off. Hardy was sobbing, the tears were rolling down her cheeks.

Being stimulated by the powerful magic, the new flesh was growing very fast. The primordial outline of the ear has shown itself, there was a thin layer of flesh with a net of blood vessels under the diaphanous skin. The muscles have grown, the skin became thicker and sturdier, covered with bright coat. The magic faded away, when the spell, I had cast, ran out.

"Everything is alright, my dear, do you hear me?" - I whispered in that new ear. It moved, - "Come on, move, get up"

"Is it alright? But what have you done?" - Rose asked timidly, having got up. I wiped the tears off her muzzle with a kerchief and pointed at the mirror.

"Look, you are going to like it"

"Princess Celestia, you have restored my ear!" - the mare was jumping with joy in front of the mirror, turning and tilting her head - "Thank you so much!"

She ran toward me, wanting to hug me in a rush of excitement, as it seemed, but held back at the last moment and bowed, having dropped to one knee.

"As you can see, it was worth of enduring the pain" - I smiled.

"Yes!" - Rose's eyes were beaming happily.

"I will be grateful, if you tidy this place up"

"It a moment!" - Hardy's horn began to glimmer, and she disappeared in a flash of teleportation.

She used to have half of an ear and was teleporting on the castle grounds recklessly...

"Guards!"

The guardsman, who was standing at his post outside the door, appeared in the doorway immediately.

"Hardy Rose. Bring any information, you can find about her in your archives, to me"

"It will be done, Your Majesty"

Having saluted, the guardsman went away. Hardy appeared in the middle of the room with a new flash of magic, levitating a bucket of water next to her.

"I forgot the mop" - she looked embarrassed, examining the blood stains on the floor - "Ah, whatever"

And she dipped her tail into the bucket.

***

[ Lairy \ Lairy's apartment ]

Having spun Luna around a couple of times, I moved aside and clapped my hands.

"Here we go! Find me!"

Being devoid of orientation and sight and forced to rely on her hearing and sense of smell, Luna changed instantly, as if all her animal instincts had awaken, striving to help the mind. Her tense muscles began to move under the fell, ears were catching every rustle, nostrils were quivering. She slightly unfolded her wings, which looked as if they were ready to face danger and take flight at once. With her head held high, Luna "looked around" slowly, sniffing, then she lowered her nose to the floor.

Having taken a wide step from my place, I waited for Luna to pass by me, approached the sofa stealthily and took the pillow. Having realized that she had lost a trail, Luna stood up and mumbled something under her breath. Having heard a deliberately loud sigh, she turned her ear, then her head and her entire body toward me in one smooth motion. I breathed in quietly, slowly and deeply.

There was step, then another step, one more step. She kept getting closer. Luna's muzzle was a sight to behold, when her nose bumped suddenly into the pillow, which I was holding at arm's length. Even the pony's ears stood upright motionlessly, expressing her bewilderment. Having sniffed the obstacle all over, she tried to walk around it, but I kept putting the pillow in front of her nose every time. Luna waved her foreleg in an attempt to understand, what she was facing, but became even more confused, when she found nothing. The obstacle disappeared suddenly.

I was trying hard not to burst out laughing in a most impudent way, while I was leading the princess a pretty dance. I put the pillow aside and lay down on the floor, when Luna waved her wing, trying to find me. Having realized the futility of her efforts, the alicorn changed the tactics. Holding her spread wings close to the floor, she was pressing me back to the table confidently and without giving me any chance to slip past her.

Rat-tat-tat - pencils were bumping one after another against the glass door, which led to the balcony. Having managed to throw two more pencils, I hid under the table. Having groped for the table, Luna checked what was underneath it with her leg. I had to bend like a cat, propping on my fingers. Still keeping her wings spread, the pony headed for the balcony. When a pencil crunched under her hoof, she stooped, sniffing it.

Having sneaked up to her from the side, I scratched Luna's cutie mark, caressing the crescent. Having given a snort, the alicorn drew her leg back. In a second I was clapped on the head with the wing, hugged, toppled over and pressed against the floor.

"I have found you!" - the princess announced triumphantly, lying on me.

"You have found me" - I confirmed, taking the towel off her eyes - "I had asked you not to rush"

"Did I hurt you? Are you injured?"

"No"

"That means I was rushing carefully. Besides, I had wanted to bring the moon down upon your head recently. You can say, that my wish came true just perfectly" - having smiled, she winked coquettishly and rubbed her muzzle against my cheek.

And how one could argue with such a lovely creature? It was easier to give up at once.

I embraced Luna's shoulders, enjoying the happy look of her bright eyes. She gave me a quiet snort of inquiry, as if she hesitated to ask a direct question.

"You know well, how much I love to admire you" - I stroke the magnificent mane, the soft glimmer of which was barely noticeable.

"I know" - having smiled, Luna took the towel with her teeth and put it upon my face - "Now it is your turn to search for me"

"Okay" - having sat up, I blindfolded myself and held up my finger, pointing at the ceiling edifyingly - "Luna"

"What?" - she asked behind my back

"Hide within this room. Do not run away into bedroom or corridor. There is no way I would ever find you, searching the entire apartment"

"Okay" - Luna repeated in the same tone. And she disappeared.

I expected her to act like me: to run away, giving me hints about her whereabouts. But the alicorn changed the rules of this game radically, altering everything according to her interpretation. Luna was circling in some unreachable proximity, I could feel her silent presence slipping away. Here she touched my leg with the hoof, tickled my neck with the wing, brushed her tail against my arm. Damn, what a clumsy clodhopper I was in comparison to her, who was slipping out of my hands gently. Having listened to the steps, I moved aside abruptly, and the illusion of intangibility was dispelled.

"Release me" - Luna demanded.

Having assumed a posture, which was suitable for musing, I rubbed my chin theatrically, while standing on Luna's tail.

"To release, or not to release this magnificent tail of Luna: that is the question" - I spoke with a solemn voice of the long-suffering character from Shakespeare's play - "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to set her free or to condemn her to imprisonment for eons?"

"Ah, what can be desired by the princess, who spent so many years in seclusion, if not the freedom?" - Luna sang. Stroking my back with her hooves, she slid down to my legs, embracing the hips. Luna's voice kept weakening with each word - "Milord, if you do not release the princess, she will die at your feet, for she needs the freedom like the air. Ah-h-h..."

The wings, which were trembling as if in the final death throes, fell on my shoulders. I caressed both wings, ruffling the feathers, and shrugged them off abruptly.

"If such is your wish" - I rumbled out with a wicked smile - "You will get, what you have striven for, poor creature. Enjoy your freedom and do not make me regret the decision I took, being advised by my heart, but not the mind. And be careful what you wish for in the future"

"Milord, you are so kind to me" - Luna sobbed. I lifted my foot and the released princess slipped away.

Having heard some bustle on the table, I wanted to take the blindfold off, but Luna stopped me with a touch of her wing.

"Wait" - my beloved whispered in my ear and the soft breeze, which was touching my face, carried a scent of a banana a bit later. The fruit touched my lips.

Keeping decorous silence, the princess lured her milord on the sofa step by step. The pony's breath felt warmer and warmer on the face with each new bite. Most likely, she was holding the banana in her mouth and, having given the last piece of it to me, she kissed me for the first time, shyly and timidly. Having chewed the banana hastily, I put my arms round Luna's neck and head and endowed her with a deep kiss in return.

"Lairy... what am I doing with you? What? I do not want to go that far" - the mare whispered confusedly, having pulled the towel off my head.

"We are giving love to each other" - I whispered, caressing Luna's muzzle. She was breathing in broken gasps, the ears were lowered, the wings were trembling. She seemed to be baffled by her own actions.

"Could you really be ready to accept me?"

"Do you remember the movie about White Mane?"

"Yes"

"Well, I have already given you the answer after the movie"

"But if I start to behave the way, you do not like, please, hold me back. Hold me back by force, if it will be necessary. I do not want to become like that horse. I do not want to draw you into the darkness"

Luna hugged me tightly, sobbing. She slid down slowly and nestled next to me with her head on my lap. Having settled myself more comfortably, I was combing the mane of the pony, who fell silent, with my fingers.

Into the darkness?.. She had some strange thoughts sometimes. But then, she was also strange. And that was what I liked about her, was it not?"

"Eh-h, it seems I have absolutely quailed" - having turned round, Luna looked at me - "I need to take myself in hooves and..."

"You need not" - I interrupted her musing.

"What? Why?" - It looked like the question marks were about to appear in her eyes.

"You should not suppress your feelings and keep them to yourself. Nothing good can come from that. You need to know how to express your feelings, especially love, which is one of the most powerful and bright feelings. If you are in love for the first time and it is the first time you express love, I understand your confusion. And I am really grateful to you. When you are showing your love and care, it does not mean that you are showing weakness and dependence"

I stroke Luna's head, brushed away a strand of her mane, which could not stay off the forehead. Here, I had not even listened to the end of what Luna had been trying to tell me, and have already given her a lection.

"Lairy, is there anything you do not understand?"

"For example, I do not understand, what will happen if you fall in love with me over head and ears"

"O-o-oh" - Luna scratched her nose - "I have never thought about it"

"In this case, let things unfold naturally, and then we will see"

"You are talking about intimate and personal things so freely and easily... I am getting lost" - Luna covered her muzzle with legs.

"Careful, if you get lost, where will I be looking for you?" - I massaged Luna's ears.

"In the Valley of Embarrassment" - she whispered from beneath the hooves.

"Lunie, and why did you become so shy?" - with some effort I pushed my hand through her legs and scratched her nose.

"I am a woman, I can do it. Besides, I have never get to discuss the questions of personal relationships so directly before" - Having moved her legs apart a little, Luna looked at me with one eye. My fingers felt warm and wet touch of the tongue.

"You know, the term "woman" usually applies only to humans. And to various fictional creatures, who have humanoid features. It happens, because humans want to emphasise their peculiarity, to differentiate themselves from the rest of the world. And they have a subconscious desire to see their features everywhere. And the term "female" is used for animals, birds and members of other species"

Holding my hand with her hooves, the pony moved her legs away from her muzzle. Her stare was uncommonly serious. Luna looked that way, when she was willing to know the truth, even the shocking one.

"Lairy, who am I to you? An animal? A female?"

"Yes, you are an animal. Smart and beautiful. Yea, you are a female"

I was looking at Luna expectantly, wanting to understand the purpose of these questions of hers. She was examining the ceiling above us musingly.

"I was concerned, that if I was an animal to you, then you would treat me like an animal"

"And that is how?"

"Badly. I saw, that humans treated animals very badly" - Luna shifted her gaze from the ceiling to me. - "And I has been expecting you to do the same. But your actions contradict my concerns. You treat me like... a human, I guess"

"Are you really still afraid of me?"

"No. I look at you, I watch videos" - Luna waved her leg towards the screen, - "I recall everything, I saw and lived through myself. And I am trying to sum it up into one logical picture. But I cannot do it"

"I will help you"

"How?"
,
"By giving a hint. All humans are different and they see the world differently"

"So, there is no unambiguous picture?"

"Yes. Now you are on the bright side of this picture. And you got to know the dark one before that"

I pressed Luna's head to my chest.

"Luna, I do not care, who you are, be that an animal, a mythical creature or a goddess from another world. Even though there is nothing human about you, you are a wonderful woman"

"Thank you" - she whispered gratefully.

***

[ Celestia \ Celestia's chambers ]

Although Rose had mopped the floor thoroughly, a faint scent of blood was lingering in the air, disturbing my sense of smell. Having rolled the last studied scroll up carefully, I yawned and stretched myself to my heart's content, even my joints crackled. The muscles, which have become numb from such a long time without motion, ached unpleasantly. I went out on the balcony, drew a padded stool under me with telekinesis and sat down.

The stunningly beautiful view on the country was in front of me. There were huge woodlands, vast meadows, veiled by the misty blur, blue ribbons of rivers were winding bizarrely among the hills, which were warming their rounded backs drowsily under the sun. The sky was clear with rare fleecy clouds, and Cloudsdale, the celestial city of pegasi, was drifting slowly at the distance.

My native Equestria. I had put so much work and so many centuries into creation of this paradise for ponies. One could not count. And I am responsible for the well-being of my subjects, who are living their happy everyday lives without thinking, that life can be very different, full of worries, fears, pain, mortal dangers.

I pressed my chest against the railing and hanged my head, admiring the view. There was a small provincial town, which had been founded by the Apple family and spread under the mount Canterlot. Its city-forming enterprise was an apple farm. It was a farsighted act, that I had given empty lands to the farmers. Earth ponies successfully revived a heath, having planted it with fructiferous apple-trees, and I provided daily fresh fruits and apple treats for almost entire capital.

I had planned everything in advance. Ponyville is not only strategically important source of food. First of all, it is my main hope in the battle against Nightmare Moon. I have spent years lining up the series of necessary events by the magical means, insensibly, to gather four different families in this unremarkable town. Very young mares, the future keepers of the Elements of Harmony, were living there. They were going to learn and live through a lot, before facing the Lunar mare in battle.

My plans were ruined in one night. Nightmare disappeared, having avoided the blocking magic of the Elements somehow. And it has not shown any signs of life yet. There were still thirteen years left before the thousandth fateful solstice, those mares, keepers of the Elements, were too weak and unable to activate them. And I barely survived myself, having endured unbearable magical overload, after the battle against Nightmare. I lost my connection to the artefacts. Since then they have been held in the old castle, that belonged to Luna and me. And most of all I was afraid to lose Luna herself now. But I found her, she was tormented, exhausted, thrown into the eerie cold world of cruel creatures, who were calling themselves "peoples". Fortunately one "people" agreed to help Luna. Or was that "human"? This weird difference in meaning and signification of those words was grating on my ears unpleasantly.

Although I did not show it to my sister, but I had been touched by Lairy's declaration of love for her, by his readiness to share the entire life with Luna. Motives of the human's behaviour remained obscure to me. He resembled queen Chrysalis a bit, who also "fed" on love, moreover, she sucked it dry. It seems, that the human, like a changeling, was susceptible to love and able to receive it. But Luna actually flourished near Lairy, so he was also giving her a lot of love in return. Could it mean, that people with all their cruelty were capable of love and good deeds? I recalled, how gently and carefully Lairy treated me on our first meeting in a dream: he had consoled, supported and fondled me. He had already given me a hope with all of that...

Luna lives separately from the spirit of nightmares. Where could it hide, what is it waiting for? I was already grateful to Lairy, because he had agreed to be taking care for Luna for two weeks. I did not have any right to interfere with this human's destiny, to break his life, asking to live with Luna thirteen more years until the Keepers of the Elements of Harmony grow up and get stronger. Since we had agreed to do it before the full moon, I needed to take my sister home at the appointed date.

Having returned from the dream, my clone reported, that the scroll with a pentagram on it was given to Luna successfully. I hope, she and Lairy will be able to recreate that complex scheme on the floor. But when Luna comes back to Equestria, will the spirit try to turn her into Nightmare Moon again? Being set free, Moon will not abandon her plans for the eternal night, and it will be very difficult for me to deal with her without the help of the Elements.

Having sighed, I turned my eyes to the sky, as if the answers I needed could have been inscribed on its blue linen. I saw only the sun, the clouds, several pegasi. What decision should I make? First of all, I should ensure safety of my country and subjects, but there was only one way to do that for sure: to avoid creating a portal. That meant, I should leave my sister in another world...

I was recalling Luna: her radiant eyes, kind smile, merry laughter. It seemed to me, that my sister was sitting next to me, consoling me, touching my back with her hoof. Tears were blurring my eyes, it was difficult for me to separate the reality from my imagination. Having rolled down my cheeks, heavy drops of grief rushed to the ground, sparkling in the sunrays.

"The family was split apart and still I have not seen".

And this is my fault. I cannot forgive myself, that I was not able to save my sister thousand of years ago.

Having dropped my head on clasped legs, I was crying quietly:

"No, Luna, no, I cannot let myself to lose you once again!..."

***

[ Luna \ Lairy's apartment ]

Boom! Having dropped the ring off my horn, I half-rose on my hind legs, waiting for the next throw. And three rings at once have been already flying towards me. I caught one with my horn, it went down the coils with crackle and hit my ear painfully. I put the second one on my foreleg, while it was flying, and managed to catch the third one with my teeth. However, those sensations, which I got, were not pleasant. I threw rings to the floor and rubbed my aching ear.

"Are you okay?" - Lairy asked.

"I hurt my ear. And that hit on the horn really echoes in the head. But those are trifles. Because it was very fun to play"

"Throw them to me" - the human smiled, having waved his hands.

Having slipped the ring on my horn, I swung it by moving my head. Then, having lowered my head abruptly, I threw the ring towards Lairy.

... I have recovered completely after my misfortunes, my body grew stronger and was craving for movement, action, opportunities to unleash the energy, which had been built up inside. In my dreams I was able to come up with hundreds of pastimes easily, but every time I got up, feeling sprightly and bursting with strength, I was compelled to be bored. I understood the reasons for my forced stay within the walls of this apartment under lock and key. And I knew, that Lairy would not let me out to go for a walk by myself, even if I promised him on oath to come back. Having got to know the world of humans well enough, I did not cherish any rosy illusions, realising, that I might not be able to come back at all. And I was taking comfort in thought, that I was going to stroll to my heart's content in Equestria. Even more so, I did not have to wait for a very long time now.

However, being tortured by boredom, today I asked Lairy to find some pastime, which would be energetic enough for me. I could not imagine any active movement in a closed space myself, except for running about the walls and ceiling.

Having delved into some room behind an unnoticeable door in the bedroom, Lairy brought a middle-sized box with planks, which were full of holes, pegs and rings from there. All of those became my entertainment. The name of that game was "ring-thrower", and in order to play one needed to throw rings on vertical standing pegs. Those colourful rings were large and light in weight, perfect to be caught by the horn or legs, so pegs had become obsolete at once. Lairy was throwing rings, I was catching them, standing at the other side of the room. The small distance between us suddenly became filled with exiting events.

Since the first rings were thrown, I realised that I had lost all the knack over the centuries. Five rings flew past me, I had not even touch them and had not caught a single one. Although one ring brushed against my horn, having caused ringing in my head, and another one happened to hit me exactly on the nose. Lairy wanted to stop the game, but I, sniffling with my nose, insisted on continuing this pastime. He agreed, however now he was throwing rings notably slower.

"You are going easy on me in the game again" - I snorted discontentedly and sat down, having folded my forelegs across the chest. - "It is not interesting at all"

"If catching a ring with your nose seems more interesting to you, promise me, that you will not complain afterwards"

"I promise"

The game became rougher. Rings were flying quickly, there were two or three of them at the same time. I was jumping, my wings were helping me to catch rings almost near the ceiling. Fervour, keen eyes, quick and precise reflexes, hot breath, heated muscles, - all of that was pleasant beyond description. And we had been enjoying ourselves that way for quite a long time.

"I suppose, that is enough, otherwise there will be lather falling onto the floor from you"

"Thank you" - I looked over my glossy sides and wings, wheezing in satisfaction.

"You know, what" - Lairy put rings into the box - "Go to the bathroom. Your smell after this game can knock a person cold"

"But you used to say, that you like my smell" - I winked.

"I like your smell, but not the smell of sweat, which is on you right now. Come, I am going to rub it off"

***

[ Lairy \ Lairy's apartment ]

Having opened windows and the door on the balcony to air the room, I followed Luna.

The little pony of action has already spread a rug in the bathroom and was taking a shower. Streams of water were interlacing with strands of her mane, sparkling and shimmering with every possible tint of blue. The matted coat revealed all the curves and every muscle on the graceful body. Feathers became sodden, swelled up, and heavy wings were hanging down to the bottom of the bathtub. Drops of water were glittering like diamonds, rolling down Luna's elegant neck, round sides and slender legs.

"Are you admiring me?" - she turned round. Her eyes flashed with azure sparkles beneath half-closed eyelids.

Wet Lunar princess was endearingly beautiful. And, having sweat, she smelled like a country workhorse. Anyway, I got a vivid picture of everyday aromas in Equestria. And instead of just rubbing off, as I have planned, it turned out to be a full-fledged bathing.

Luna did not like the shampoo, which I had bought for her earlier. Perhaps, the reason was an unnaturally sharp floral fragrance. So she preferred a common soap. Since Luna was not afraid or embarrassed now, the bathing did not entail any excesses. But suspicions started to stir in my mind, when Luna, having jumped out of the bathtub, asked me to brush her teeth with toothpaste of the particular brand, which I did not have. She had been persisting for a little time, but agreed to use different toothpaste, having examined the toothbrush critically as well.

"I wonder" - I thought, brushing Luna's teeth - "is it the end, or is the main fun yet to come?"

"Thank you" - Having rinsed her mouth, the pony inspected her smile in the mirror with satisfaction - "And do we have "Always" sanitary towels?"

My suspicions have been confirmed, everything fell into place, and my amusement was not long in coming. Lunie had been watching commercials on television. Having given a neighing laugh, I leant on the sink, and Luna had to wait until I neighed it off.

Eyes were wet with tears of laughter, so I had to wash my face. Luna poked my side gently with her hoof:

"Have I asked about something very funny?"

"No" - having sat down on the toilet, I started drying Luna's mane with a towel - "But this question sounds funny, coming from you in particular. How did you find out about sanitary towels?"

"I saw them on television. They also show toothpaste, a toothbrush and many other interesting things"

"It is an advertisement. You should not believe everything they show there"

"Why should I not? I like these taste and smell" - Luna rolled her tongue over her teeth - "They are pleasant"

"Turn round" - I patted the blue shoulder with my palm. With her forelegs resting on the edge of the bathtub, Luna turned her croup towards me. Having given a quiet snort, she twitched her tail reflexively, when I wiped the udder and folds of skin in the perineum, which resembled an elegant elongated figure of eight, carefully with a towel.

"Easy, Luna" - I asked, having noticed her sideways glance. She turned away in silence, letting me dry her tail.

"As for wings, we will do differently, than we did in the first time. Wait for me and arrange feathers"

In the bedroom I took two wide towels out of the wardrobe, closed the door to the balcony on my way and brought several phials of model paint into the kitchen. Having returned to Luna, I found her on the toilet. So I had to wait outside, until she was done with her personal business.

Having smoothed and evened feathers on Luna's wings, I folded them and wrapped in towels.

"Here, let them dry this way. Come, I will pour some hot drink for you"

"It is beyond my comprehension, that I allow you to take such liberties with me" - Luna grumbled, taking sips of warmed juice. Her grumbling was not spiteful, but rather thoughtful and amazed.

"Probably, I know, why you allow me to take these liberties"

"And why, know-it-all?" - Luna inquired with a provoking smile, hoping to catch me at that.

"You trust me, knowing, that I will not use this trust against you. That is the reason"

"You are right. But still, when I had just come here, I let you wash and wipe me dry. Although I did not have any reason to trust you back then"

"Did you have a choice?" - I poured milk into a large shallow plate and added drops of paint of different colours into it.

"I guess, I did. I could have refused to bathe, demanding food and explanation of everything, that had been going on"

"And after that you could have huddled into some corner to sleep, having remained dusty, dirty, smelly and infected with fleas"

"And that as well" - Luna nodded - "But I was exhausted mentally and, I am not going to hide it, I desperately longed for love and care. I could have reacted really seriously only to a threat to life. I had no strength left for anything else"

"I could say, that I had a right guess about your wishes, but it would be a lie. Actually, I had thought everything over in advance. And I was ready"

"How?"

"Thanks to Celestia, I had a general idea about your look and your condition after everything that had happened to you. The bathing helped you to relax, to feel warmth, cosiness and safety. It is very important for the first meeting. You had trusted me, even if just a little, and became more compliant"

"And what if I had not?"

"Well" - I shrugged my shoulders - "One good slap in the muzzle and a couple of harsh words would have made you obedient. And I would have become no different from the first slaver in your eyes. I did not like that solution. A brute force is an efficient method. But it ruins the relationship. And I see it as the last resort"

"Yes..."

"Therefore I used persuasion and caresses. Your sudden nervous breakdown partly helped, when you were crying and I was supporting you"

Luna was examining all that has left of juice in the glass sadly.

"If you had refused to bathe, I would not have forced you. But I would have raised that question on the following day. Otherwise it is easy to imagine, what an apartment with an unwashed pony inside would have turned into"

"It would have turned into a ponybarn" - Luna uttered, having finished drinking juice - "You did the right thing, when you had persuaded me to take a bath. I had slept well after that. And I am grateful to you for your foresight. And what are you making from the milk?"

"Take it" - I gave Luna an empty teaspoon.

"Wh-m-ph" - the spoon got into Luna's mouth.

"Hold it. And now look here" - I moved the plate closer to Luna - "See, there are a lot of drops of paint on milk. Touch milk between drops with an end of the spoon"

Having been intrigued, Luna was wheezing, touching milk with the spoon and watching, as spots of paint were moving, crawling away, stretching in intricate lines, interlacing with each other, forming whimsical patterns. I was sitting nearby, looking at this art. After some time the mixture, which had been decorated with bright pictures, stopped responding to touches, and the pony took the spoon out of her mouth, holding it with hooves of her forelegs.

"It is beautiful. How did it happen?" - having leant over the plate, Luna sniffed the picture.

"This whole milk is a canvas, paints are a picture, and the spoon, which has a bit of soap on its handle, is a brush. When you touch, soap enters into a chemical reaction with milk and it is moving, taking the paint with it. This movement would not have been visible without the paint"

Having turned the spoon over, Luna sniffed its handle.

"You managed to surprise me really well, easily and clearly. I liked that, Can you show me other similar things?"

"I can"

Having filled an empty beer bottle with cold water, I poured milk out into the sink, rinsed the plate, filled it with water from the bottle and put the empty vessel into the freezer. I brought a mirror, a coin, a couple of needles and a flashlight.

"Look" - having submerged the mirror into water, I pointed the beam of the flashlight at it.

Luna exclaimed in admiration, having noticed a rainbow on the wall.

"I cannot believe it" - she whispered, having touched the wall with her hoof - "You are doing the same thing, as pegasi are doing in Equestria, so easily and without magic"

Having turned the flashlight round, I moved the rainbow onto Luna's chest.

"Now I have the rainbow power!" - the alicorn laughed, having assumed a heroic posture.

Having taken the mirror out of the water, I threw a coin.

"And do you have enough power to get the treasure out without touching water?"

Luna looked at me, as if she was pondering over the seriousness of my challenge. Then she stared at the plate and sighed deeply. One, two... a dim bluish haze had enveloped the coin, the circle of metal turned sideways slowly and rolled across the bottom of the plate.

I took the cold bottle out of the freezer and placed it on the table.

"Put the coin onto the neck"

Having strained herself, Luna moved the coin on top of cold bottle.

"H-h-phu!" - the pony exhaled loudly - "I managed it"

"Excellent. I find it very interesting to watch your magic in action"

"And the cap on my horn does not keep me from doing it at all" - Luna smiled contentedly - "What is next?"

"We need to wait a bit and the coin will dance"

"Is it so? Let us wait"

"And there is a little more magic. Will you be able to put a needle on a water surface?"

Having hemmed sceptically, Luna took one of two needles with telekinesis. I was twisting the remaining needle in my fingers, watching the almost weightless little metal rod moving down towards the water. When the alicorn put her magic out, the needle sank to the bottom.

"It is clear, the metal does not float. Did you expect anything else?" - Luna had an indescribable smart air about her.

"We will see" - I tore a corner away from a newspaper, which was lying on the windowsill.

"But you have put the needle on the paper, not on the water, it does not count! You are not meeting your own conditions"

"Sh-h-h, be silent and watch"

Having absorbed water, the piece of paper sank soon. But the needle was lying on the surface, to Luna's great astonishment.

"H-how did you do that?" - the pony was baffled, examining this unnatural phenomenon - "Are you sure, that there is no magic?"

"In the area of magic the question should be addressed to you, not to me. You are the magical creature of us two, who can know magic better than you? The condition is fulfilled, the needle is lying. And nothing has been said about the means of achieving that"

"There is no magic here, except for my own" - while holding the needle with telekinesis, Luna squinted her eyes, examining the metal from all sides. - "But there is, hm... grease. The needle has been floating because of grease. Ah, Lairy, you are a sly one! And you have surprised me slyly once again!" - having thrown the needle onto the table, the pony smiled and applauded, tapping with her hooves. - "But what about the bottle and the coin? It does not seem to start dancing"

"We need to wait longer"

While we were waiting, I took the plate, the flashlight and the mirror away and treated Luna tangerines.

The faint sound of whistle and the ringing of metal against the glass could be heard. Having pricked up her ears, Luna moved her muzzle near the bottle. The coin jumped again, having given a whistle.

"Well, well, what do we have here out of place?" - having raised her brow in musing, the pony looked over the empty bottle.

"Do you want me to explain?"

Luna shook her leg in denial, thinking. I fell silent.

"The metal and the glass are ringing. The wind and the air are usually whistling. The bottle is not empty, it is filled with air. It is cold and the kitchen is warm. The bottle is being warmed up, just like the air inside it. The warmed air is going up and whistling, because the coin is in its way. Everything is clear"

Smiling triumphantly, Luna spread her forelegs. It seemed, that muscles of legs and wings in her shoulder girdle were connected somehow, so wings moved to both sides involuntarily. Towels fell down. I picked them up.

"Let us go to the sofa, we will finish drying them there"

We got settled in a peculiar, comfortable way. I was on the sofa, and Luna was sitting on the floor with her back towards me, spreading her both wings one after another, so I could wipe them and dry feathers well.

There were already two Luna's feathers in my collection. Not long ago, when I was caressing Luna, one of flight feathers suddenly gave in easily to my hand's movement and fell out of the wing. However, Luna was not bothered by the fact of this loss. She explained, that her new feathers would grow in time.

Then I noticed, that Luna was rubbing her ear with the hoof hard.

"Scratch inside of my ear, please" - she looked around - "I cannot reach and scratch it without magic"

"Go on, turn round"

Having moved from her place, Luna rested her head on my lap, and at the same time her horn had almost poked me in the throat. I would have been cautious of sitting in such pose with an alicorn without a protective cap. Having put my thumbs into acoustic meatuses carefully, I began to scratch vigorously, massaging ears on the outside at the same time.

"Ye-e-ea, m-my e-e-ears... well, you amaze me" - Luna wheezed, having rolled up her eyes.

"Move your jaw" - I suggested, having stopped the mind-boggling massage for a moment.

Luna followed my advice and found herself inundated with a surge of pleasure. Her entire body shuddered and one hind leg began to tap out a quick rhythm. I had to press the hoof against the floor with my leg to stop this enthusiastic Morse code. Luna kept bending her head on one side, as if she was trying to stick the finger deeper into the left ear, sitting with a happy look of an addict without a single thought in her wide-open eyes. It seemed to me, that she even stopped breathing, being overwhelmed with pleasure.

"Thank you" - Luna exhaled, trying to sit upright. She definitely felt dizzy. Wobbling, she climbed on the sofa. My fingers were coated with ear-wax. Having leant forward, I wiped them clean on the rug and lay down across from Luna.

"Living next to you becomes more and more giddy" - the pony gave a faint smile.

"And I do not worry, that you will disappear, having flown away on the wings of happiness"

"No matter how far I will fly, I will stay with you"

"Yes"

"Ah-h-how good is that" - Luna yawned.

"Does the remote control happen to be under you?" - I asked, having glanced around the sofa and the bedside table.

"M-m-m?.." - having half-risen, the pony fumbled drowsily with her leg - "Here" - she pushed the remote control out from under her side.

"Thank you"

I was channel-hopping aimlessly. It seemed, that Luna was sleeping, but her moving ears suggested, that she was watching the events.

On the first channel Boris Yeltsin was elucidating something about establishment of the order. Having listened to a couple of phrases with a languid attention, I switched to the next program.

"Lairy, do you take part in politics, in your country's life?" - ex-ruler of Equestria inquired, while she was "asleep". Her ear, which was tousled after the scratching, turned towards me, waiting for an answer.

"No, the country does not concern me personally. I am interested only in my own well-being"

"The well-being of one denizen depends on the whole country, does it not?"

"No way. Your well-being depends on you alone. Only you, your way of thinking, your actions determine, how you will live. Not country, not government, not people, nothing. Only you are responsible for your life and destiny, no one else is"

Luna half-opened one eye:

"Somehow I am sure that you are mistaken"

Having snorted, I turned off the television.

"And I do not pretend to have veritable judgements. It is quite possible, that I am mistaken. But do you know, what the most interesting thing is?" - I leaned forward to Luna - "I have been living my whole life with this wrong opinion, I have not died yet and I have not found myself in some serious trouble either. Probably, it is not so wrong, is it, mr-r-rm?"

"In that case, I have something to think about" - Luna settled down more comfortably, I kissed her on the nose and covered her with a blanket. The bathing and the massage had a beneficial effect on the alicorn.

Having opened the door of the storeroom, I looked at shelves, which were filled with odds and ends. Really, there were too much junk, which has been kept here since my childhood. My folks had a severe case of thriftiness and could not even throw worn shoes away without making a scene and accusing of every deadly sin. Well, in spring I was going to toss those bales and boxes of dresses, bathrobes, boots, linen and many other things out. And it would be even better to tear the entire storeroom down and place a normal cabinet instead.

I thrust the "ringthrower" onto the shelf, and at that moment a goldish thread on the side of a bale, filled with some rags, which was lying nearby, twinkled in the dim light of the lamp. Having reached it, I touched the thread. It turned out to be metallic. Having pulled the bale out, I untied it and found a skein of thick "golden" wire among crumpled socks and tights. Its end had pierced through the bag and stuck out. Heh, I remembered being fond of weaving various figurines out of the wire.

Should I engage in emptying this "hoardroom" right now? When I go outside, I will take this bag of socks with me. And I will do so every day. I liked this idea, the bag was tied up and thrown into the corner next to the door. Let it stay in sight.

Having sat down at the table, I seized pliers and started to untangle the wire.

***

[ Luna \ Dreams ]

Having yawned, I looked around, trying to figure out, where I had found myself. I was lying on the cloud, a cool breeze was blowing upon me, it was grey and misty nearby, like the dawn was about to come. The breeze was carrying vaguely familiar aromas of something, that was dear and close to me, but, despite of my desire to do so, I was unable to recall, where I had smelled them before. I felt inexplicably uneasy.

Drifting in the wind, the cloud was approaching a huge mountain. Inaccessible slopes, which were veiled with fog, looked forbidding and gloomy in the pre-dawn darkness. There was a reason for choosing mount Canterlot as a place for Equestria's capital.

Having hovered over the plateau, my cloud melted away, forcing me to step on a moss-covered rock. This thick and soft moss on the plateau resembled a carpet and was tickling hooves pleasantly. Why was I here? What do I need to find out in this dream? In any case, since there was Canterlot, it was a pony's dream. It could even be my own dream.

Shivering with cold, I looked around and noticed a small path, which ran past cliffs further down. It was unpleasant to follow this trail, many sharp rocks were pricking hooves. Without stopping, I created hoofshoes. They were appearing with every new step, enveloping my hooves and shimmering magically with moonlight. Several steps later my legs were wearing sturdy shoes.

Having circled around the mountainside, I saw the city below me. Canterlot looked empty, there was no sign of life. Citizens were not walking the streets, lights were not lit in houses, smoke was not coming out of the chimneys. The royal castle with a lot of towers, spires, pennons was rising above the city majestically. The dimly twinkling light could be seen through the window in one of the towers.

Having spread my wings, I dived sharply towards this tower. Hoofshoes clattered against the stone almost imperceptibly, when I landed on the balcony carefully. There was an ascetic interior, which included a torn tapestry, a cabinet, filled with documents and books, a simple wooden table, a candlestick with five almost burned out candles, several scrolls, which were piled up carelessly, an unsteady stack of papers, an upturned inkstand. The only chair was lying broken next to the wall. Celestia was writing something thoughtfully, leaning over the table and dipping the pen into a puddle of ink.

I knocked at the door frame delicately. No one heard me. Having found a latch below, I lifted it with telekinesis and opened the door. Celestia's ear turned at the sound of creaking hinges.

"Ah, Luna?" - my sister asked, continuing her writing - "Well, since you are here, I have news"

I lingered upon the threshold, having forgotten to fold my wings. News?

"Tia, what is happening? Why is Canterlot m-m... empty?"

I have almost said "dead".

"Do you have wings' erection because of me?" - Celestia inquired, having taken a brief look at me.

"Eh? No" - feeling embarrassed, I folded limbs, which had been raised in a suggestive gesture, hastily.

"And what about Lairy? Do your little wings erect firmly near him? Especially, when he is scratching your back?"

The pen, which was enveloped in goldish magic, kept tracing on the paper. I did not know, how to answer. Without a doubt, it felt good to be with the human, but the question about my "little wings" was outrageously tactless. Having learned all spicy details once, Lairy himself was very tender with my wings and did not make jokes, noticing the excitation, which I was unable to hide physically.

"I am busy preparing to defend Equestria from the monster. That is why Canterlot is empty. I had sent everypony out. Now I am living alone, finishing writing orders" - having folded the sheet of paper, Celestia sealed it and dispatched it with a magical cloud, which flew over my head out of the tower.

"From monster? From whom?" - I asked guardedly. Probably, all this nervousness of my sister could be explained with upcoming problems? Could I help her somehow?

"From you, of course. Do you know any other monster, besides you, Sombra and Discord?" - having sighed wearily, Celestia rested her chest and forelegs against the table, which gave out a muffled creak.

"From me? Am I a monster?!" - the balcony seemed to shake under my hooves. Or did my legs trembled?.. How could I be a monster?

Having picked up all scrolls from the table with telekinesis, the white ruler unrolled them simultaneously. Having taken a look, she threw one on the floor near my hooves.

"Do you recognise?"

Still being shocked and hoping, that my sister's words were only some bad practical joke, I picked up the scroll. There was a picture of a gracefully prancing black horse wearing a lightweight blue helmet and an elegant armour on her chest. Her green eye with a vertical pupil was squinted predatorily. The mane and the tail were formed by magical clouds, sparkling with constellations. But her destiny mark impressed me the most. It was a bright white crescent against some purple spots.

"This is Nightmare Moon. And this is you, Luna"

The scroll fell on the floor. This familiar name slashed my memory like a red-hot knife across the heart. I sobbed, looking at Celestia.

"Tia... why do you do that to me?" - my whisper could hardly be heard.

Still half-lying on the table. Celestia put scrolls away into the cabinet. Only the scroll with a picture of Nightmare Moon remained untouched beneath my hooves.

"I had been dreaming of bringing you back, Luna, and I had put a lot of effort into it, but everything turned out to be much more complicated, that I had assumed. And it brought only a lot of trouble as a result" - an intense weariness with a clear tint of bitterness and regret could be heard in Celestia's words - "And now more and more often I find myself wondering, whether your return is really necessary? It was peaceful without you, Equestria was living and prospering. And - hello, the sister is back with a bag of problems on her tail" - she sighed heavily.

"Tia, but I am not Nightmare Moon" - I exclaimed in despair. Bitter tears filled my eyes.

"Luna, hold yourself in leash. You are still the same stubborn mare, who have not got smarter in a tho-u-sand years" - measuring out her pace, Celestia was approaching me slowly with a stern expression on her muzzle - "First of all, I am responsible for my ponies' well-being. And I had a choice. But you wanted to conjure an eternal night, plunge the whole world into chaos and darkness, following some fancies of your unruly ego, thinking of nothing, but your wounded self-esteem. Were you able to forget all of that? Or do you think, I was able to forget?"

Sobbing quietly, I moved back and fell down. My legs refused to obey me.

The light alicorn came close to me, towering with her unwavering power.

"I remember. But I still..."

Celestia walked round me, having sent the lying scroll deep into the room with a kick.

"I stopped sleeping soundly because of you. The life of the capital is disturbed because of you. Several important events, which, if they had been successful, could have guaranteed my country five hundreds more years of prosperity, have had to be cancelled because of you. The very life in Equestria is now in danger because of you"

It was very difficult for me to realise, that I was causing troubles in my homeland. I tried to get up clumsily. Celestia looked over her shoulder at me:

"Luna, let us speak frankly. Who needs you here? Who still remembers the Princess of Night, except for me? No one cares about your fancy nights, and no one bothers about dreams, which you create. Your talent had become worthless long ago. It is time to understand and accept that at last. I move both luminaries by myself. Dozens of ponies' generations have been going to sleep and waking up just fine for hundreds of years. That is why everypony praises me, for I am bringing light and life into their world. And what are you bringing? An illusion of happiness and impossible dreams? What can you give to this world? Darkness and cold, death and oblivion? And if you come back, what other stunts shall I expect from you? In addition to all the problems with internal and external politics, I will have to control you as well constantly! If you, my dear sister, had paid more attention to your duties, instead of introspection and some silly filly's resentment, before, you could have understood, how difficult it is for me now!" - It felt like Celestia has thrown these words in my muzzle.

The white alicorn froze, as if she was a marble statue, one could clearly see disappointment and anger in her eyes. No, my sister did not touch me even once, but to hear her rebukes was scary and excruciatingly painful. Crying loudly because of my humiliation and weakness, I crawled to the fence, rolled over it and plummeted down like a stone from the balcony into the murky void, loosing my feathers. I spread my wings instinctively only over the very mountains, having avoided crushing by miracle, and straighten out my flight. Farther, farther from this nightmare.

Having stroke with my magic angrily, I flew out and found myself in someone else's dream, where the storm was raging. Having slammed into a huge black cloud, I buried myself in it as deep as I could and broke into tears again. Unceasing cracks of thunder were muffling my moans and cries. I felt foul, cold and empty at heart, because of my own sister's treatment of me.

And because I realised, that Celestia was right about something.

***

[ Luna \ Lairy's apartment ]

The sofa under my head was wet with tears and saliva. I felt awful. I have been rejected, devastated and crushed. And everything had been so nice, when I was falling asleep... Having tossed about for some time, I pulled off the bedspread and looked around the room sadly. Alluringly cosy line of light could be seen under the door, which led into the bedroom. Having moaned with a wrenching feeling of loneliness, I approached the door and touched it with my hoof hesitatingly. What if Lairy is busy and I disturb him? I listened, but heard only silence. Having braced myself, I pushed the door timidly. Lairy was sitting at the desk and weaving some circlet from a flexible golden thread, using an instrument, which resembled a bird's beak. Having noticed me, he covered his work with his palms and brushed it off into the drawer of his desk.

"I am making a surprise for you. You should not see it yet"

Indeed, I have disturbed him. Having thought of that, I wanted to leave.

"Luna, come here" - the human beckoned, moving his hand.

I approached. He pressed his palms against my checks with such a warm, familiar gesture of caring.

"You look exhausted"

"I have nightmares again"

"This is bad"

"Yes"

Having sat down, I put hooves of my forelegs on the human's lap and met his eyes.

"Lairy, please, drive me somewhere to go for a walk"

***

[ Lairy \ Lairy's apartment ]

Luna and I were admiring the sunset from the balcony. Gleams of sunshine were gliding by antennas on the roof of the house across the street. Some late birds were hurrying to find a place to spend the night. A plane has appeared like a silvery flash in the distance.

The princess wanted to travel somewhere tonight, but I was not in the mood to drive the car. I suggested, that as an alternative we could breathe the fresh air and look at the city, without leaving home, and opened the central double casement window on the balcony wide.

Luna was standing on her hind legs, having lolled forelegs out over the window-sill. She was looking around with interest, having stretched her neck. It seemed, that she saw the city in the evening with its billions awakening lights for the first time.

"There are so many things I do not understand..." - the pony narrowed her eyes, taking a good look at something below.

"What?"

"It has already driven away. There were red and blue fireflies on its roof. Hm, all of this resembles a huge hive"

I was not worried, that outsiders could notice Luna. People are inclined to look underfoot or inside their pockets, not around, let alone to throw back their heads to look at the skyscraper, if it is not some burning landmark. If someone below see the pony, peering down from the balcony, they will take her for a dog in the twilight, because this is the most logical explanation of an animal's presence in a town house.

"There is an interesting theory, according to which humans are descendants of apes. They say, some species of apes had been becoming smarter slowly and tediously in the process of evolution. Supporters of this theory quote a lot of facts, starting from similarities in appearance and finishing with ancient instruments of labour, which were discovered in stone caves"

"Hm, I saw apes." - Having looked at me through cottony eyelashes, Luna half-closed her bright eyes musingly. Sometimes it looked like she was embarrassed to make a close eye contact. - "Is there a similarity? Perhaps, there is." - she shrugged her shoulders and her wings moved, as if they wanted to be spread.

I arranged the warm blanket, which were covering the mare's shoulders, and held her close to me. When she was standing vertically, the alicorn was a head taller than me, if you do not count the horn. I liked looking up at her from below. In moments like this Luna's regal posture seemed especially elegant and fragile, and I felt like I was a loyal subject under the patronage of the Princess of the Night. Without a doubt, she understood and appreciated that.

"But if one looks at the situation from another point of view, it will become clear, that humans are descendants of ants" - with an outstretched arm, I swept over the city below us. - "Here, all of this is a giant ant hill, and the way of life of its inhabitants is quite similar to the life of insects. All of them wake up in the morning, run out into the street, bring food and stuff into their dwellings and freeze, when the night comes. And that continues their whole lives with a little variety. Like insects, people are always running somewhere, destroying something, digging, dragging, building. To make sure of that, it is enough just to take a look at the ant hill and at the city from above. You will not see a difference"

"It is a very good comparison. Tell me, but how are you different from the others?" - Luna asked with an interest. - "You wake up in the morning, go out into the street, bring food and go to sleep at night the same way"

"I am different, because I am able to see all of this from the outside, without being a part of the whole, I observe the movement. It is very interesting. Most of the people do not even realise, that they are "ants", and, while they are following the herd, they call it "being in the middle of things", "keeping up to date" and similar abstract pretty phrases"

"An "outside observer". I know this tactics. I used to be such an observer. Or rather I had to be one" - having sighed, the alicorn looked at the crimson sky, which was becoming darker quickly - "There are beautiful nights here. And there are a lot of stars. I cannot believe, that the night comes by itself. Probably, I will never understand, how can it be, that the night comes without my help" - she uttered with amazement and sadness.

I was scratching her neck gently, playing with random locks of the mane.

"Do you want me to tell you, how it was in Equestria?"

"Yes, tell me"

Luna bowed her head, remembering:

"Celestia lowered the Sun, ending the day, and I started the night, raising the Moon. And since the night was my calling, I was inspired, weaving the darkness, sounds of the night, the moonlight, constellations, trails of comets into a one harmonious whole. Every night I had been creating unique masterpieces"

The alicorn became absorbed in her remembrances, looking at the sky and speaking in an undertone, as if I was not there at all. I kept caressing Luna's neck, feeling her rapid pulse. Those moments of her life were dear to her heart.

"I had been creating beautiful dreams for ponies, helping them to forget troubles, conquer fears, find answers. So they could wake up well-rested, ready for a new day"

Having taken a step back, Luna put her forelegs on a window-sill and rested her head on legs. Her breathing was turning into light clouds of steam in the frosty air.

"I remember, you said, that the God had no one to show his Earth to. I understand his feelings. In the course of time I began to feel more and more disappointed. Waking up, ponies praised Celestia, hailed the new day, enjoyed light and warmth. And no one remembered me, complimented me, admired my beautiful nights. No one cared for intricate patterns of constellations, which I worked so hard on without keeping my hooves still for even a moment. And what about the incredible beauty of meteor showers?.. What about the twinkling of stars, the mysterious light of the full moon, reflecting in lakes, as if they were mirrors? And what about serenades of night insects, which sounded sweet in the ears? No one noticed that. Everypony was asleep at night"

The Night Princess turned towards me. Tears were glimmering in the corners of her eyes.

"I used to cry at dawn, seeing, that all my work was wasted. I tried to talk to my sister, hoping that she would understand me, but... well, you had heard her song: she "was consumed by state affairs". When the fate of entire country rests on the tip of your horn, heartfelt conversations are out of question"

Having got one wing out of the blanket, the alicorn hugged me. Having stopped caresses imperceptibly, I was taking heed of the princess' revelations.

"I had lost any hope of getting some simple attention, let alone understanding, from Celestia. And I felt lonely and undeservedly forgotten. There was no one in the palace, whom I could share my sadness with. And then a friend had started to come into my dreams. And I became utterly attached to him. At first I had been giving vent to my pain, grief and indignation, then I exhausted myself and listened to his advice. The friend was convincing me, that my sister was humiliating me, that she did not have any regard for me, she underestimated my power. But in fact I was strong and able to stand against my sister to make her accept me as her equal. For that matter, I could create an eternal night. Everypony would notice it and would be admiring it forever. I liked that idea very much. The friend had also said, that he sympathised with me and was willing to help, if I let him merge with my body"

The wing, which was embracing my back, was tense and twitched often. Being introspective, Luna has got into some personal thickets. I dare say, she will get it off her chest and then make me swear not to tell anyone royal secrets of national importance.

"And so, I refused to lower the moon. Of course, it instantly got me the attention I had been craving for. The sister tried to convince me, but I knew, that if I were to give in to her pleas, I would admit being forever weak and unable to do great deeds. "Giving in" meant letting Celestia keep wrapping me around her hoof, ignoring constantly, being unable to endure the idea that were equals. I remained adamant in my decision and announced that I was going to make the night everlasting. My friend appeared and merged with me as he had promised. I felt that I was changing, becoming different from my former self, but it was of no significance in comparison with something I obtained. That extraordinary power, which I was able to direct and form into whatever I wanted, made me dizzy. I considered myself the only one, who deserved to rule the world"

Having fallen silent, the alicorn searched for the night luminary with her glance. Having folded the wing, she shrugged her shoulders, feeling the chill. I lifted the blanket higher, wrapping up her neck.

"Celestia kept appealing to me. But I did not want to hear even my name and replied, that "Luna" was not here anymore. A new name appeared suddenly, as if someone from the outside had suggested it to me. However, I accepted it as a part of my new life. And I called myself "Nightmare Moon"

Having startled, I looked at the pony intently.

"... She ceased to be Nightmare Moon at that, and that is strange as well... And what is this Nightmare Moon? ...I would rather not tell about it. It is an old family matter"

Luna, who was in some kind of trance, did not notice my unrest. I was hanging on every word of the dark princess with the dark past. Now pride and bitterness could be heard in her voice.

"I was taking pleasure in the power, which I had gained. I drove my sister out of the castle, made her fly away from me. I pursued her without letting her recover. I was striking with magic, filling every blow with rage and hatred, but the sister was able to dodge in time. Finally, one my strike reached Celestia. Having lost consciousness, she broke through the roof of the palace and crushed in the hall. My exultation knew no boundaries, I was so happy, I could hardly move my wings. Now my defeated sister would understand, that I was not joking, she would take me seriously and admit, that it was her fault. I was even willing to be a bit kinder to her. Well, I was definitely not going to keep her in the prison under lock and key"

The pony's eyes were glimmering in the night gloom, showing, that she was very agitated.

"Alas, my happiness did not last. Having regained consciousness, Celestia did an extremely foul deed to me. Having said, that I had left her no choice, she used Elements of Harmony. They had magical power, which was far greater, than both her abilities and mine, so it was not safe to use them all at once. If I had known earlier, that my sister, who was blinded by autocracy and arrogance, would dare to do such a thing, I would have immediately thrown her unconscious to the sun. We faced each other in a direct battle, and there was nothing I could do..."

Nightmare Moon punched the window-sill with her hoof in frustration.

"And in the end it was you, who had been thrown to the moon" - I caressed her leg in a sympathetic gesture.

Having shrieked, the pony sprung aside, as if I had materialised out of nowhere. The terror reflected in her eyes, accompanied by the clank of a half-empty pot against the floor.

"Oh-h, forgive me..." - having sobbed, the alicorn took a step forward, hugged me and pressed me against her chest - "I fell out of reality completely"

"Luna?.." - I aspirated in whisper, caressing the quivering ear. Did she remember anything from her speeches, or did she have a shift in consciousness?

The pony has been looking at the sky for a long time. I felt her wings trembling under the blanket. Hot drops suddenly fell on my hand. Having craned her neck, Luna looked down at me, but her gaze was not patronising at all.

"I do not even know, whether I want to come back to Equestria. Here... I feel that someone needs me. You need me, at least. Even though I have no magic and it is not very comfortable here for me. But I have something to live for. I think of you, wait for you every evening, I believe, that you love and need me. And there? I will be lonely again, no one will need me, even my sister. I do not want it to be like that!"

Crying, she dropped to four legs and stuck her nose into my armpit. The blanket slipped down, mercilessly uncovering emotions of Luna, who was shaken with sobs. I was caressing her head and neck in silence. Tears were rolling down my cheeks.

***

[ Luna ]

Breathing heavily, I was regaining my calm slowly. Having squatted, Lairy wiped my tears with his sleeve. Having sobbed, I smiled sadly, pressing my muzzle against the hand in gratitude.

"Were you crying too?" - I touched his face with my wing in surprise.

"Yes. I really sympathise with you, Luna"

"I am sorry"

"It is alright. Let us go for a walk"

"But you had said, that you did not want to drive"

"And we will not drive. We will go to the park, it is not far from here"

***

"Moon Rise" translate - is cancelled.

Unreleased chapters
Ch. 9 - Reality and Dreams
Ch. 10 - Refractions of the past
Ch. 11 - Locked up
Ch. 12 - Falling of the Sun
Ch. 13 - Moon Rise
Ch. 14 - Healing
Ch. 15 - Assorted Discoveries
Ch. 16 - Princesses and Warrior
Ch. 17 - ExtraTEAnary dreams
Ch. 18 - Reward for merit
Ch. 19 - A tale of the times of old...
Ch. 20 - The suffering of days of other years...
Ch. 21 - You are a Monster!
Ch. 22 - Eternal Night
Ch. 23 - Forks of Fate
Ch. 24 - Return of the Monster

You can to try read original russian story.