They are Two Different Things!
As Luna's impressive display of the moon and the night skies blanket over Equestria and its inhabitants, there are only two kinds of ponies. Those who admire its beauty, and those who see it as the time to lay on the bed and start their journey into the dream world. In Ponyville, especially in the friendship castle of Princess Twilight Sparkle, most ponies would be the latter kind, as there's nothing better to do after teaching friendship lessons or spending some time together with their friends during their day.
Twilight Sparkle herself, however, is not doing that for now.
For reasons unknown even to herself, the alicorn would sit on the grass next to the castle, and look up towards the stars in the sky sadly. Something about her life is... sad. Why? She got her lessons spread across Equestria, she got the best friends she could ask for around her, yet there's this... black and empty void in her heart that she can't explain. Sometimes she would cry, sometimes she won't. One thing for sure, however, like most of ponykind when they're overwhelmed with emotions, or to prove a point, her mouth opens and starts singing.
"Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like--"
POMF!
Unlike the other times, Twilight's face met with something soft that seemingly fell from the night sky she was singing to. With her solo interrupted, the alicorn looks up to pinpoint the source of the pillow that fell on her and saw an unusual sight. Starlight Glimmer, on the window to her own room, wearing a sleeping cap, looking like a mad dog about to growl at the alley cat.
"NO! You CAN'T pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars!! Go the heck to sleep!!"
If Twilight was more confused before, that confusion was pushed aside by the surprise she got. What did Starlight just say? Before she can respond, however, the unicorn in question had teleported to ground level, facing Twiight.
"Every, hecking, night, Twilight... I keep counting the lambs jumping over fences to be with the sheep, or sometimes kittens doing that to be with the cats when I'm bored, I guess... The point is, I'm cozy and warm in my bed, ready to go the heck to sleep... But no! Your singing kept me awake every time!"
She did that? Oh, was she singing under Starlight's window all the time? Twilight didn't even notice that. She just picks this spot because it's nice and pretty close to the door.
"What the hay are airplanes anyway? Something you read from a book? Tell you what, I'll even read a book for you if you swear you'll go the heck to sleep!"
After the unicorn had ranted that part, Twilight opens her mouth for the first time. Not to continue her interrupted song, but to respond to her friend. A pretty peeved friend right now judging from her choice of words, but a friend nonetheless. She better fix this quickly. She messed up, and must find a way to calm Starlight down.
"Starlight, I'm just... admiring the night." Twilight chuckles nervously. "Sorry if I d-disturbed you--"
"...And you can't do that from the castle's balcony? That's balderdash! Don't lie! Just lie the heck down and sleep."
Oh, that's a weak excuse, but it usually works... kinda. Did the hot crimson rage in Starlight's heart allow her to see through the alicorn's mind as adrenaline can do to the body? Unknown to Twilight, the exact kind of rage in Starlight is not only because she can't sleep, but she's pretty worried that Twilight had lost some sleep time herself because of her unsatable desire to burst into a melancholic song every night.
This ends now. Starlight wants to sleep, and Twilight better get some too for her sake. One teleportation spell later, Twilight finds herself in her room, and soon afterward, she's gently levitated onto her bed, with Starlight tucking her under the covers. Seems like, despite her mood, Starlight is still willing to be gentle.
"Come on, be quiet and go the heck to sleep, Twilight." Starlight said, with some fatigue behind her words. Twilight sees that as a sign to do just that, but...
"Okay... but I need to go to the bathroom first..."
"Hay no you can't go to the bathroom! You know where you can go? The heck to sleep!"
Starlight tries to stare at Twilight, thinking that'll help to bring the mare to sleep somehow. The unicorn seemingly starts to get a bit more agitated as well, mostly because she herself is getting sleepy.
"I always do it before I sleep...! Otherwise I might need to go in the middle of the night..."
"That's okay, Twilight! Just shut the heck up and sleep! You got to lead the field trip tomorrow, right? It's for the friendship school students that you taught for so long! How can you do that great thing if you can't lie the heck down and sleep?"
Okay, it might be her tired brain taking, but Starlight is definitely not herself right now. Twilight can't do that if she hasn't gone to the bathroom! That'll be in her mind and stops her from falling asleep for a while. Should she just hold it and hope Starlight will go away once she closes her eyes? Yeah, maybe that'll work, so the alicorn does just that.
...
It... feels nice, especially since Twilight isn't a mare that can sleep that long due to her duties. She had to rely on a combination of coffee and some magic. However, as she had feared, there's a slight tingle under her stomach, and it bothers her. Plus, the very same feeling that made her sing comes back, but somehow now she kinda understands it. She feels... empty? One of Twilight's joys in life is her friends, but unless it's a sleepover like the old times or if Luna, knock on wood, almost lets a nightmarish creature escape into the real world, the night lacks company. There's... only her in bed, and a sleepover is pretty much impossible now that they all got duties. Twilight's own duty as the headmare and a princess of friendship also caused her to stay up later then most ponies while everyone else is asleep.
Opening one eye, Twilight almost jumped when she realized Starlight isn't moving and keeps staring at her.
"I swear to Celestia, stop hecking messing with me, please! And sleep!" The unicorn said grumpily. Her own drowsiness is catching up to her pretty quickly.
"I can't... Starlight! I really need to use the toilet! I promise... Pinkie promise, that I'll go to sleep afterward!"
The unicorn keeps her stare, until she sighs, and looks away. Guess making Twilight sleep early doesn't work again. It's already more than ten minutes since she threw that pillow.
"...Okay, fine, whatever..." Starlight sounds defeated, before mumbling under her breath. "Who the heck cares? You're not going to sleep on time..."
Twilight didn't hear that, but she doesn't need to do so to make her hurry up, to the point of teleporting away.
Once she had done her business, she decides to just walk back, and that's when she came across a window. Once again the sight of the night sky fills her vision. It's as beautiful as ever. Maybe Starlight was right, if she really went out to just gaze at the stars, she would've done it in the balcony with a telescope.
Then, she saw it. A brief glimpse of a shooting star.
Every pony knows that they can shoot one wish upon it, but Twilight's wish is a complicated one. One side of her wishes is to return to the simpler times, where all she has to do is to complete tests from Princess Celestia by reading books and researching, sending her friendship report to her at the end of the day, and spend more time with her friends...
But does she truly want that? Nowdays she and the others are much busier with the school of friendship, and her even more since she's a princess now, but on the other side, she has accomplished so much in her life that everypony can be proud of. She saved Equestria multiple times, saved Starlight's life and turned her into a better mare, not to mention she's now spreading the lessons of friendship across Equestria and beyond, something that Princess Celestia is really proud of. Besides, it's not like her friends are gone, they can still meet each other.
"I... can use a wish right now."
Twilight smiles slightly as she closes her eyes, silently saying her wish before continuing her walk. Starlight would've been restless.
However, upon her return, Twilight didn't expect to run into Starlight... with her head leaning on her bed. The mare had fallen asleep, snoring cutely. Poor mare must be tired herself after Twilight kept on singing every night, thinking it'll cure her current ailment. Twilight smiles at the sight, and was about to bring her back to her room... but then realized something.
"Already...? That was fast."
As she levitates Starlight onto her bed, Twilight also does the same as she tucks them both together. Her bed is big enough for both of them after all. She knows Starlight enough that she knows the unicorn won't mind, there's one time where she and her had a sleepover this way. Twilight actually likes to have someone with her this way, something she doesn't get often when Spike got his own room in the castle.
Just like she wished a minute ago. A company for the night.
Author's Note
You ever had those moments where something is just missing, but you don't know what?
