The night sky.
For Equestria, it was an ever changing constant since Princess Luna had returned those many years ago. Stars rearranged into new constellations, meteors shining brightly as they traveled, contrasting against the dark ocean of space.
Tonight, the sky seemed especially arranged, points of light twinkling more than anyone could remember, galaxies in the background providing the perfect backdrop for the moon, lit up and shining it’s cool light onto everything below.
“This might be one of your best night skies, Luna,” Twilight said, sounding content as she leaned against the taller alicorn, breaking the comfortable silence the two had found themselves in. Looking away from her moon, Luna smiled and nuzzled the side of the unicorn’s head.
“I had good reason tonight,” she said as she leaned back into the smaller pony, enjoying the warmth the action offered. “It’s not every night that I get to spend every moment with you.”
Twilight rolled her eyes playfully, relaxing. “Now you’re just being sappy,” she chuckled as she looked back up. “But, I can’t complain. I still remember the first time the sky was like this, a few weeks after you had come back. I was up all night just looking at the stars, wondering at all the possibilities, trying to find planets with the telescope,” she said, looking at the aged instrument with nostalgia as it lay exactly where it had been all those years ago.
Luna smiled at the memory. “I remember that well, as well as the letters you made my sister deliver to me the next day. I hadn’t believed her when she warned me about how many questions you could think to ask, nor could I believe how much had been forgotten in my absence.”
“Still, it led to many wonderful moments,” she said softly as she looked down at Twilight, lost in the memory of them for a few seconds.
Twilight noticed, giving a soft smile for a moment before she shifted, pushing her muzzles under Luna’s. She held it there for a moment, before pulling away. “We’ll always have those memories, Luna,” Twilight said with a smile. “Remember the first time you showed up at the library? I don’t know which one of us was more nervous,” she laughed as she looked down towards the library entrance. “Me for being a bundle of nerves and having a Princess show up at midnight and offering to teach me about the stars-” she started, giving Luna a playful look.
“Or myself, who didn’t know how you’d react and didn’t remember how to handle social situations,” she finished with a hint of mirth in her voice. “Celestia stayed up all night to hear how it went, nearly missed raising the sun.”
Twilight grinned at the memory of her old teacher, so regal and perfect, nearly missing her daily duty to try and hear some gossip. “It’s still hard to believe that it led to all this,” she admitted, leaning against Luna again to watch a star fall from its place in the heavens.
Luna could only nod in agreement, the same comfortable silence from before falling over them once again. The library around them remained silent, granting protection from anything that might break it.
Eventually, it was broken again by Twilight. “Luna, what galaxy is that?” she asked, pointing to a brightly coloured spot in the dark sky.
Luna smiled, loving the opportunity to teach who she loved about what she loved, and settled in for a long night of teaching and bonding
It was several hours later that Twilight yawned, a sad look crossing across her face as it finished. “I guess my time’s nearly up,” she said as she looked down, her body suddenly showing how tired it was after all this time. She slumped a bit, leaning against Luna not only for her warmth, but her support now as well.
Luna looked down, biting her lip for a moment, sadness showing in her own eyes as she nodded. “I guess it is, Twilight. All things must come to an end eventually,” she said after a moment, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “Even this.”
Twilight looked up, her eyes showing worry and age beyond her years. “You’ll come back, right?” she asks, hopeful, “To see me again?”
The alicorn nodded, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over. “I will always come back for you, Twilight,” she promised, just as she always had. Just as she always would. “Every night the moon rises, I’ll see you again.”
Twilight smiled up at her love, nuzzling into her side. “I know you will Luna,” she said softly as the world seemed to fade away around them, leaving just the two of them and the full moon above. “Luna? Will you sing me a lullaby?” She asked softly, “Before I go?”
Luna looked a bit surprised before smiling softly. “You’ve never asked for one before,” she commented as she wrapped a wing around her. “Why this time?”
Twilight hesitated for a moment, rubbing her eyes to stave off her sleepiness. “I want to hear you sing,” she admitted, her tiredness apparent in her voice.
Luna nodded, looking a bit sad again before she started to hum softly, the tune echoing into the dark around them. With each passing second Twilight relaxed, her aches and stress vanishing with the sound.
With each word, sleep slowly won in Twilight, and sadness won in Luna.
By the end of the lullaby, Twilight had nestled into the large wing, eyes closed, breathing steady, and only managing one last sentence.
“Love you Luna,” was all she said before she vanished, leaving Luna alone in the dark once again.
With a long sigh, Luna slowly got out of her bed, only glancing over at the other side of her bed, the ache not as strong as it had been. Putting on her regalia, she took a deep breath and walked out into the halls, her face giving away nothing to the palace staff.
She walked along, her routine keeping her steady as she walked through the castle, meeting her sister on the balcony where they always had. She raised the moon, as she always had, the celestial object no longer as bright in the sky as it had been.
Luna stayed there on the balcony, looking down into the gardens where a new statue had been placed, one of an alicorn raised onto its hind legs, looking defiant with her wings spread wide, the expression showing her resolve to the very end.
Even from the balcony, the tears from before finally falling freely, Luna knew what the plaque adorned to its base said.
‘Twilight Sparkle. Gone, but never forgotten.’
Author's Note
Written for the Right Back At It Again! content being run by Famous Last words! Due to work and other reasons, this isn't as long as I was originally planning for it to be, but I'm still proud of it.
The reason for the contest was to focus on an important moment in a relationship. I decided to write about the ending of a relationship, the goodbyes, or the goodbyes that never got to happen. What happens after a relationship is just as important as the relationship itself, in some cases.
In any case, enjoy!
