Do You Appreciate my Night?
Twilight was lying on her stomach, reading an astronomy book. She was now in a part that explained how a star died, but her reading was interrupted when she heard a knock at the door. She got up and opened the door, revealing the knocker to be Rainbow Dash.
“Twilight, the princess wants to talk to you in her room,” said the blue pegasus.
“Thank you, Rainbow. I’m going over there now,” said Twilight, leaving the room and closing the door. Rainbow turned and started walking with the intention of returning to her post.
Twilight started running in the great hall, with the intention of not being late. She felt nervousness wash over her. What did the princess want to talk to her about? Was it about some ancient creature that returned and intended to take over Equestria and take the princess off the throne? Or did she summon to talk about her not being her student anymore? Her heart started to beat fast just thinking about Nightmare Moon dismissing her as a student. The lunar guards at their posts seemed to notice the nervousness of the Nightmare Moon’s student, and seemed concerned about the unicorn.
Twilight stopped running when she saw a light blue door with a crescent-shaped handle. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Easy, Twilight, easy. Certainly no ancient creatures have returned and the princess will certainly not dismiss you as a student. Maybe ... She just wants to spend time with you? Yeah, maybe that’s it. After all, who doesn’t like a company?
Opening her eyes, she felt calmer and more peaceful. Then she knocked on the door, signaling Nightmare Moon of her arrival.
“You can come in.” Nightmare Moon said from the other side of the door.
Twilight opened the door and entered the room, closing the door behind her. She saw her mentor sitting on the bed, looking at her with a smile. The walls of the room were dark purple, there was a dark purple closet, the bed was big, capable of two ponies being able to sleep in it, the blanket was black with moon designs, it had a desk with a red feather, ink and some constellation drawings, on the right side of the bed, there was a side table with a moon shaped alarm clock and a blue moon carpet. Twilight approached her mentor and bowed as she stopped very close to the bed.
“Princess, I was informed that you wanted to talk to me. Am I late?” asked Twilight, with a tone of nervousness as she spoke the last sentence.
“No, my dear student. You came here very fast,” Nightmare Moon replied. “Please, sit with me.”
Twilight smiled in relief at the first sentence and stopped bowing. She sat on the bed and looked at Nightmare Moon with a curious look.
“So, princess? Why did you call me here?” asked Twilight.
Nightmare Moon looked to the right, with nervousness present in her. It would be difficult for her to ask this, since she feared that her student would say “No.”
“Princess?” asked Twilight in a tone of concern with a raised hoof, noting the nervousness in Nightmare Moon.
Nightmare Moon looked back at Twilight to start talking. “Twilight, I called you here because I wanted to ask you a question.”
Twilight curiously raised an eyebrow, lowering the hoof. Nightmare Moon called her to her room because she wanted to ask a question?
“Do you want to ask me a question?” asked Twilight, wanting to be sure. Nightmare Moon, in response, nodded.
“Then ask, princess. I’m listening to you,” said Twilight, now smiling.
“So, Twilight, you know I’m the Princess of the Night, right?” Nightmare Moon has started.
“Of course I know, princess. But what does that have to do with what you want to ask me?” asked Twilight, now confused.
“Because when I became the Princess of the Night, my subjects didn’t appreciate my night,” Nightmare Moon replied with a little anger present, remembering when everypony enjoyed her ex-sister’s day.
Twilight was gaping at this revelation. “Didn’t anypony appreciate your night, princess?”
“No, my dear student. Not even for one night,” Nightmare Moon replied, still angry.
Twilight was speechless with this revelation. When her mentor became the Princess of the Night, didn’t any of her subjects appreciate her night? But her night was so beautiful.
“Princess, I’m sorry for what you’ve been through,” said the purple unicorn, with her ears down sadly.
Nightmare Moon’s angry expression changed to one of sadness. “It’s okay, Twilight. That was in the past ... A thousand years ago.”
Twilight was sorry for her mentor. She never saw Nightmare Moon feel sad about the past. Then, she wrapped her in a hug.
Nightmare Moon stopped looking to the side when she felt hooves wrap her embrace, causing her sadness to change to surprise. She looked down and realized that it was Twilight that hugged her.
“Princess, I know it must have been difficult for you in the past, because no one has appreciated your night, but I can assure you of one thing: times have now changed. Many ponies now watch your night sky,” said Twilight, stroking her princess’s black fur.
The words of her student made the surprised expression of Nightmare Moon replaced by a small smile. She was lucky to have Twilight by her side. Of course, she also had Rarity and Rainbow, but Twilight was somepony closest to her.
“Thank you, Twilight. You have no idea how your company and words make me feel better,” said Nightmare Moon, returning the hug.
Twilight smiled at the words of the black alicorn and the hug returned. “I’m happy with that, princess.”
Nightmare Moon smiled even more at the words of Twilight. She was lucky to have chosen Twilight as her student. What other unicorns are as close to her as Twilight? Perhaps some, but most would probably be afraid of her because of her size and the aura of fear she brought to others.
“Princess, I’m not trying to disturb this moment between us, but you still haven’t answered what your question was,” said Twilight.
Nightmare Moon’s ears were animated by what Twilight said. She closed her eyes and let out a slight sigh, knowing that now would be the time for her to talk about why she called her student to her room. She came out of the embrace and said, “So, my dear student, as I told you before, in the past no pony has appreciated my night.”
“So, your question has something to do with the fact that the ponies didn’t appreciate your night?” asked Twilight. She wasn’t accusing her princess, but she just wanted to be sure.
“Yes, Twilight,” she replied.
Twilight was curious. Did her mentor want to ask her a question about ponies not appreciating the night in the past? She wondered what the question would be.
“And what do you want to ask me?” she asked.
Nightmare Moon felt her heart start to beat fast and her words didn’t want to leave her mouth, but even so, she would try to speak. She called Twilight to her room, and she shouldn’t be giving up or playing a scared filly now. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she finally said, “Do you… do you appreciate my night?”
Twilight looked surprised by the question, but she soon smiled and said, “Of course I appreciate your night, princess.”
Nightmare Moon’s ears perked up at the response she received. Did she hear right? Or was she going deaf?
“What did you say?” asked Nightmare Moon in surprise.
“I said I appreciate your night, princess.” Twilight repeated her response.
“Really?” asked Nightmare Moon, still not believing what she heard.
“Of course, princess. Since filly, I spend most of the time standing on the balcony, watching the stars, drawing constellations in my sketchbook and studying astronomy,” Twilight replied. “Your night is beautiful, princess.”
Nightmare Moon can feel a smile appear on her face. She thought Twilight would prefer the day as many ponies did a thousand years ago, but no, Twilight appreciated her night. Then, she grabbed Twilight with her magic and enveloped her in a loving embrace.
“T-thank you, Twilight ... Y-you have no idea how those words make me feel appreciated,” said the black alicorn in a muffled and stammering tone, now with her eyes closed and tears coming from her eyes.
Twilight was surprised to have been grabbed by the magic of Nightmare Moon and be hugged, but soon noticed the tone of her mentor’s voice and was concerned. “Princess? You are crying?”
“Yes, Twilight, but they are tears of happiness. I’m just thrilled with your answer,” Nightmare Moon replied, now lovingly stroking her student’s mane.
Twilight smiled sweetly at the words of Nightmare Moon. How long has it been since somepony praised Nightmare Moon’s night and she was happy to being appreciated?
“Has anypony ever praised your night before?” asked the purple unicorn.
“No, you are one of the first to do this,” Nightmare Moon replied, “and I am grateful to have somepony very close to me who enjoys my night.”
Twilight looked to the left, now with a pink flush on her cheek. “I’m flattered.” Nightmare Moon, in response, just smiled. It was pretty easy to make Twilight blush.
“So, my dear student, how about we take advantage of this moment that we are alone to spend this night in my room together?” asked Nightmare Moon, releasing Twilight from the embrace.
Twilight looked quickly at Nightmare Moon with a cheerful smile, no longer with a blush on her cheek. “Do you mean reading books together in bed?”
“It’s a good idea, but unfortunately, I don’t have shelves and books in my room,” Nightmare Moon replied.
It was true! Twilight had forgotten about that detail. “I forgot. Sorry,” she said with a nervous smile.
“No need to apologize, and besides, I already have in mind what we can do together tonight,” said Nightmare Moon.
“What do you have in mind, princess?” asked Twilight curiously.
“I was thinking about us watching the stars, and then we were cuddled up in bed until we fell asleep.”
“It is a good idea, princess. But I wish I could have brought my sketchbook here so I could draw the constellations ...” said Twilight in a sad tone, knowing that she couldn’t draw the mentor’s constellations tonight.
Nightmare Moon was silent for a few seconds at Twilight’s response, before saying, “So let’s skip this part and just cuddle up in bed until we fall asleep.”
Twilight looked at Nightmare Moon in surprise. “What? Aren’t we going to watch the stars? But princess, you like to watch the stars. You even told me that it is a hobby of yours to watch the stars after a night full of real duties.”
“Yes, Twilight, watching the stars is my hobby, but as you are sad that you did not bring your sketchbook, I think it is better not to do this tonight other than to stay in bed hugging each other until we sleep.”
Twilight looked sadly to the side, knowing that because of her, Nightmare Moon couldn’t do her hobby. Nightmare Moon noticed the sadness in her and put a hoof on Twilight’s chin and raised her head, causing the purple unicorn to look at her.
“Please, Twilight, don’t be sad. I’m not mad at you, if that’s what concerns you. I’m doing this just so you won’t be sad that you don’t have your sketchbook to draw my constellations.” the black alicorn assured Twilight.
Twilight’s sadness changed to surprise. “Really? So does that mean you won’t banish me to the moon?”
“What? No, Twilight. Why would I do that?” asked Nightmare Moon confused and surprised at the thought of her student, now taking her hoof off Twilight’s chin.
“Because I thought that because of me of you couldn’t do your favorite hobby tonight, you would banish me to the moon as a punishment.” Twilight explained to Nightmare Moon.
Nightmare Moon immediately smiled and said, “Twilight, I would never do that to you. Watching the stars may be my hobby, but I would never replace for you.”
Twilight smiled at the words of Nightmare Moon. “Really, princess?”
Nightmare Moon nodded. “Of course, Twilight. After all, you are beautiful.”
Twilight flushed with the praise, looking to the right. “Ah, stop it, princess! You are making me blush again.”
“That is the intention, my dear.” Nightmare Moon whispered in Twilight’s ear with a seductive smile, making her blush even more when she felt the princess’s warm voice in her ear. Nightmare Moon just watched Twilight with a smile. She was so cute when she blushed.
After that, they lay down on the bed, covered their necks and wrapped themselves in a hug. Both soon relaxed in the embrace; closing them eyes and taking a deep breath, waiting for the sleep to come to them. They both smiled, but for different reasons: Twilight was smiling because she was finding the hug very comforting and loving, now Nightmare Moon, it was because she now knew that Twilight enjoyed her night. The princess let out a slight sigh, knowing that at least somepony appreciates what she do. She then began to caress the mane of her little purple unicorn with a loving smile.
Thank you, Twilight, for appreciate my hard work.
