Author's Note

Fair warning, this chapter's gonna be a bit sad. Still, hope you enjoy. The next chapter is progressing slowly.

Chapter 5: Moonlit Willow

Princess Luna watched as the Night Guard cadets went through training, the sun slowly sinking into the horizon. It gave a wonderful glow to things as the city’s lights lit up like stars in the sky. As she walked along the windowed halls of the castle with a bushel of lavender, she spoke to her escort.

“So you say these new cadets have potential?”

North affirmed with a nod. “They aren’t the picture-perfect soldiers, but they have a lot of talents there. The one in glasses has very extensive knowledge of weapons. He rambles more than me, though, so they’re training him to get to the point. The twins, they seem to have a very symbiotic relationship. Problem is, if you separate them, they’re basically useless.”

“Interesting… So my assessment that you would make a fine profiler for the soldiers was correct?”

North looked up confused at Luna, who simply looked down with a coy smile. “Did you simply believe that I picked you because you were just a criminal? I’m actually quite selective on who I choose for forgiveness, starshine…”

“I-I just thought that…” North’s words trailed off as he was pulled by Luna’s magic to look her in the eye.

“North. I choose who I believe will benefit best from my saving moonlight. Each one has struggled greatly and lashed out at the world around them, and it is the Guard’s duty, and thus my own, to mend them back. Some choose to stay, others walk back into the daylight. I accept this fate…”

He watched as Luna looked down sadly. It seemed like there was so much weighing her down from her life, and not just from her time as Nightmare Moon.

“Princess…” He spoke slowly, a smile creeping on his face. “Your eyes are so beautiful, you know that?”

She blushed and quickly let him go. “S-Silence, you…” She mumbled as she walked away. As she placed another batch of lavender up. When she reached for the next, her eyes filled with panic.

“This… This cannot be!”

“What? What is it, Princess??” He ran to her side to look in the basket. There, he saw that the remainder of the lavender bushels were wilted and crumbling away. He looked up to see a look of dejection and frustration growing in her eyes and knew to act fast. “H-Hold on, Princess! I think I have a plan.” With that, he quickly ran downstairs towards the courtyard.

“Lily! Lily, pause training!”

Lily Breeze had just finished throwing a sack over her shoulder, panting tiredly. The moment she saw North running over, she stood at attention with a salute. “Y-Yes, sir! What do you need sir??”

“Lily, you said you had family who ran a flower shop, yeah?”

She blinked in confusion. “W-Well, technically it’s a horticulture practice-”

“Yeah yeah yeah, does it sell lavender?”

“Oh, yes! We have large supplies of lavender for all sorts of-!”

She squeaked as she was dragged away by North right past Nightshade. North shouted out to his superior. “I’m taking Lily on an assignment, bye!”

Nightshade didn’t bother to stop them, only sighing with a shake of his head. When the cadets looked in confusion, he looked back and shouted, “What are you staring at?? Back to training, or I’ll find an even more grueling exercise!!”

~~~

When North Star asked Lily about her family’s horticulture practice, she assumed it was for himself. He did seem like he was in need of better sleep. What she hadn’t expected was to be put on emergency escort for Princess Luna herself, and suddenly, her mind was panicking. She was worried her mane wasn’t quite right as she adjusted her helmet, or that she smelled despite her armor shielding their scent for the purposes of camouflage, and there were definitely fears of her being watched and judged by her idol, despite the fact that Luna’s eyes were solely focused on the wilted flowers in her basket.

“Okay, uhhh… Th-This is it, Your Highness!” Lily spoke with a salute in a tone just a bit too high before covering her mouth in embarrassment. “Th-This is my family’s horticulture practice, The Moonlit Willow!”

Luna froze as soon as she heard the name. Her gaze went upward as she saw the tiny shop standing among the glamorous buildings. Its brown bricks seemed so out of place with the white marble and gold-and-purple features, an old relic of a time long past. Both guards looked confused as Luna stared for a long time before slowly walking inside, soon overcome by the muggy heat that brewed inside.

~~~

It had been just over a thousand years ago, with the defeat of Discord bringing a new era of peace and harmony. The citizens of Equestria cheered for the Royal Sisters, but only flung one banner in the air, that of Celestia’s. It was especially true in Canterlot, where Luna could count the number of Lunar Banners on a dragon’s claw. However, she was obligated to attend a few events, including the competition for the castle gardens. The theme had been 'a harmonious future in Equestria', and it gathered many from the kingdom. Celestia was flanked by judges, who commentated on every single flower arrangement. All Luna saw, however, was a field of suns. Golden flowers dedicated to her sister which showed that Equestria’s bright future was in the day.

As she walked through the flower patches, her cold, quiet face making many ponies step away nervously, she found that one of the contenders did not step away and instead smiled at her.

“Hello, Princess Luna,” The stallion spoke with a quiet, yet confident tone in his voice. “I hope you find the competition exciting. There are many great ones here. I’m afraid I might be out of my element.” He gave a quiet laugh, despite Luna’s expression never changing.

“We find it… Adequate…” She muttered as she looked down at him. Her mind spoke differently. A Pegasus speaking with me so casually… It appears that those within the villages below are far more carefree than I anticipated.

“I suppose you are correct,” the stallion continued as he looked around. “Although, none of these are to my liking if I may be permitted to speak freely before you.”

This piqued Luna’s curiosity, and she slowly raised an eyebrow. “Thou feel as if thine work is better than thy pees?”

“Well, perhaps not better but more complete. I feel mine is actually finished.” He bowed his head low before her. “I would be honored if I could show Your Highness my simple work…”

“Hmph…” She looked down at him with an upturned nose. “We will allow thou to present this ‘completed work’.”

With an eager step, the stallion trotted to a tarped part of the garden. He stepped towards the tarp and took hold of it in his mouth. As he unveiled it, Luna’s eyes grew wide. Before her was a garden patch split in two. On one end was a patch of yellow roses just above a patch of daisies, all surrounded by a field of forget-me-nots. Right next was a patch of white roses above a patch of blue poppies, all surrounded by lavenders.

She stared at it for what seemed like forever, her heart slowing down as if time itself was moving at a snail’s pace. She didn’t know how long it was, but her sister’s voice slowly awoke her from her trance.

“Sister? Hast thou found a worthy choice?”

Luna didn’t speak, her eyes focused on the flowers and the arrangement before her. Tears began to shed down her cheek, much to everyone’s shock. She looked at the stallion.

“What… Wast thy name…?”

He smiled and bowed low before her. “Willow Gale, Your Highness…”

She nodded quietly and then looked back towards Celestia. “We… We have chosen Willow Gale as our choice.”

~~~

She couldn’t remember the last time she was in this shop. It still smelled of flowers from across Equestria, a veritable smorgasbord of smells that made most dizzy. North himself stepped in and gripped his head. “Agh… What’s the deal with all of this…?”

Lily giggled and looked over at Private Star. “Not used to so many fragrances, sir?”

“Fragrances, I’m used to, like fumes from factories, cigarettes, dust, all that jazz. This? It’s like the perfume department-”

Lily jabbed him in the head, his helmet making a loud DING. “Hey. We’re better than the perfume department. Our scents are all natural.”

“Yeah, naturally headache inducin-”

DING!

“Knock it off!”

“Somebody ding?”

The trio looked over at the sound of the new voice, a bespeckled unicorn mare with freckles and a cloak who trotted to the counter. Her head was buried in a book, humming as she flipped through the pages. Luna prepared to speak but Lily motioned for her to keep quiet for just a moment.

“Peach Blossom, hi! How’s the shop??”

Peach rolled her eyes and slowly looked upwards from her book. “Ugh, Lily. What do you want? You’ve got some nerve coming back after leaving me with the stoooohhh…” Her words trailed off as she gazed at the alicorn before her. Her jaw hung low as she transfixed at the stiff, awkward princess.

“P-Puh puh puh… Puh priii…”

Lily smugly leaned against the counter and smiled at Peach. “Heeeey, Peachy~ Just here on a special assignment for Princess Luna~ Was wondering if you could help your favorite cousin out~”

Peach nervously adjusted her glasses. “O-Of course! Anything the princess needs! We have plenty of shipments of flowers in, especially Nightbloomers! They’re especially beautiful during the night when paired with the Bitter Oyster mushroom! Fun fact, did you know that if you mixed it with the Jack-o’-Lantern Mushroom and dred Nightbloomers, you can actually create a brew that glows for 72 hours straight? Helpful for an emergency in case you need to navigate in the dark! We also have some Sleeping Nettles, perfect for a quick sleep potion, and you can flavor it with Honey Mushrooms to mask the bitter taste…!”

As Luna watched the proprietor of the store ramble on and on about the many plants in the shop’s inventory, she couldn’t help but feel like she had been here before…

~~~

Despite her insistence, the judges opted to ignore Luna’s request, citing the darker colors as “too bleak to fit the theme”. To appease her sister’s ranting at what she called “cruel and ignorant simpletons”, even if Willow Gale had not been made the royal gardener, he was allowed to establish his own horticulture practice within Canterlot. He was eternally grateful, and before long, a brown brick hut had been set up among the opulent buildings of Canterlot.

Every day as she awoke, she took the time to visit Willow at the humid building. There, he would passionately discuss the plants that he discovered on his many travels before coming to Canterlot. His discussion was fiery, often going into rants about other plant enthusiasts and how he felt them incorrect towards the most minute of details.

The constant presence of Luna did actually spring up a bit of business for Willow, as they saw what he did as approved by royalty. Naturally, a few curious nobles came in regarding his services, and soon, word spread of the mysterious pegasus with wares for many ailments.

One day, Willow spoke a rather simple, yet powerful question. He just finished handing some guards some plants to aid in muscle exhaustion when he turned to Luna. “Princess… If I may… Why does thou reward this humble servant with your presence every day?”

Luna paused and looked out towards the window. “It… It is within our best interests that our champion receive support, and if it were to mean visiting to produce greater business, then that is the cost.”

“I see…” Willow sighed, bowing his head. “Mine apologies for being such a burden upon you.”

“N-No!!!” Luna snapped back, covering her mouth as she realized she had used her Royal Canterlot Voice instinctively. “N-No… That is not it. We… We want to help. We like being here…”

Willow noticed as the princess blushed and looked away, feeling his own face become hot. He looked away to hide it, but couldn’t help but smile to himself. After a tense and awkward moment, the two turned towards each other.

“P-Princess.”

“W-Willow.”

The two blushed harder and covered their mouths in unison.

“M-My apologies, Your Highness.”

Luna shook her head. “It is quite alright. You may speak.”

“Th-Thank you,” With a bow of his head, he cleared his throat. “I-I was wondering if… You’d like to stay for dinner.”

Until that moment, all who saw Luna thought of her as a cold, stoic princess who felt very little for the subjects. None saw her emotions. Nopony ever witnessed her express pure joy. Now, Willow saw as Luna’s wings sprang up wide, her cheeks red and whimpering adorably behind her hooves.

“Th-That… That would be lovely…”

~~~

Luna blinked as she saw that Peach was still rambling, holding a potted plant with eagerness. Lily and North, on the other hand, looked mentally wiped from the sheer information overload.

“Peach, you may stop…” Luna interrupted with a giggle. “I was actually going to inquire if the lavender garden in the back is still around. I appear to be short a few…”

She showed the basket to Peach, who looked quite shocked. “I… I’m surprised you know about the Lunar Garden, Princess. That’s a family secret.”

“Well, I knew the one who planted that garden… Very long ago…”

“See, Peachy??” Lily poked Peach’s cheek. “I told you it wasn’t just a bunch of fairy tales!”

Luna could see the logic-minded Peach struggle with this information and took her chin to look her in the eyes. “Tell me… What were these fairy tales…?”

Peach nervously adjusted her glasses, looking down. “I-It was just some tales grandma would tell us every night about how our ancestor Willow Gale, the one who first founded The Moonlit Willow, was your closest companion.”

Luna looked away and blushed slightly. “It was… A bit more than that. Willow… He was the only mare who loved me before I had become Nightmare Moon…”

Lily gasped and squealed. “Oh my goodness! Really? You were into Willow Gale?? What was he like?? What did you two do together??”

North’s attention had been grabbed, and he watched as Luna’s expression changed to that of a bashful mare talking about a romance she’d lost. He kept his mouth shut, letting her speak.

“Willow Gale was a stallion that I could only describe as an anomaly. He was a pegasus, yet he enjoyed plants more than combat or flying. He was skilled in flying, and he used it to travel and pursue his passions. He never once judged someone higher or lower than him as anyone but another pony. Most importantly…” She looked down at the plant Peach held. “He saw me as part of Equestria’s peace and not just a thing to be shunned… He cared for me as much as he did for Celestia…”

The trio watched as Luna began to shed quiet tears. Her heartbreak could be felt by all of them, and it caused them to become dewey eyed. Peach and Lily especially, as Lily had already begun to cry while Peach rubbed her eyes.

“I-I’m so sorry Princess…” Lily mumbled. “I-I never realized that Willow meant so much… I-I hope I don’t open up old wounds, but… W-What happened after…?”

“B-Before I say… I would like to go to the garden, please,” Luna looked to Peach as she bowed and opened the counter to them. As they wandered inside and past halls of flowers, she continued. “It had begun on the night before I would meet my sister for the final time before my release…”

~~~

Willow stood in the middle of the field of lavenders, looking up at the princess. “Luna, I know thine pain strikes hard but is making night eternal the thing to make them love Her Highness?”

Luna glared down at her lover, a scowl on her face. “Thy ears have been tainted by the nobles, surely… Thou would oppose us in our glorious purging of the day? Thou would prefer to play with the others?”

Willow shook his head. “Princess, thine mouth forces words into mine own like one force feeding bitter fruit. Your Highness knows that my heart rests in one place… However, if…” He paused and grit his teeth. “I-If you attempt to fight… You may lose. A-And I would lose my true love…”

“Such a selfish desire… To think you would try to claim the night as your own. All of Equestria will share in the night, whether they truly desire it or not!!” Her eyes started to become slit as her teeth sharpened with her wide grin.

Out of options, Willow rushed at her like a stallion possessed. Luna fired a blast that hit his left wing, but even as he stumbled to the ground, he slowly picked himself up and galloped toward her. He tanked every shot that landed, soon within hooflength. As soon as he got close, he embraced her tightly, tears falling down his face.

“I’m sorry… I’ve tried all this time to mend the rift between you two, thinking that I could make peace between my love and her sister… I-I suppose it was foolish of me to assume I could have a chance…” He looked up, smiling sadly. “Y-You have your heart set on this, and all I ask is that you please be careful… I-I just hope that we will see each other again.”

As the partially transformed Luna glared at her lover, the hatred in her heart parted with a small ounce of regret. She kept her expression still, but only allowed herself to be hugged. In her mind, it was an adequate way to begin her conquering of Equestria. She slowly stepped away from him, her wings spread wide.

“Willow Gale… By the end of tomorrow… Equestria will be in our clutches. We will permit you to ask for forgiveness then and will happily take you as our husband.” Without another word, she flew up through the roof, leaving a big hole that shone moonlight down on the injured Willow. All he could do was collapse as his injuries kicked in, closing his eyes and letting the moonlight bathe him.

~~~

By now, both Lily and Peach cried as they held each other in front of the door to the Lunar Garden. Lily was in far worse shape, but Peach still sobbed as her glasses became askew.

“W-Willow just wanted love…!” Peach sobbed into her cousin’s shoulder.

Lily squeezed her cousin tightly. “H-He’s such a g-g-good great-great-great-great-great-great-great-”

“U-Uhhh…” North raised a hoof. “Sorry to butt in, but we really need to get the lavender.”

“R-Right!” Peach sniffled and rubbed her eyes to compose herself. She reached into her bag with her magic to produce the keyring and began going through the keys.

“W-What the heck, North??” Lily mumbled with a weak jab. “W-Why aren’t you sad?? Do you have no soul or something??”

North looked away with a sigh. “I’m bad at showing emotion, I guess.”

Luna looked at North, seeing a mix of sadness, pain, and understanding about him. Surprisingly, she couldn’t sense an ounce of jealousy. Odd… Luna thought. Cadence told me that stallions don’t like it when you talk about your ‘exes’.

“Aha. There it is…” Peach smiled as she pulled out a key with a moon inscribed on it. Unlocking the door, she revealed the Lunar Garden to everyone. Fields of lavender decorated the area, with patches of glowing flowers and mushrooms making it seem like stars in the sky. In the center of it was a weeping willow tree, white flowers decorating its limp branches.

Luna looked on in amazement at the beauty that came from centuries of hard work, and Peach smiled next to her cousin. “Grandma Petal Dance had said, Willow was found very injured by some regulars and taken to get healed. He had fallen for the nurse, Aura Cleanse.”

Lily nodded and continued. “But Aura knew that her husband’s heart belonged to you. Every night, he would go out to the garden and look up at the moon from the hole, like he was waiting for you. He spent the rest of his life perfecting the garden for your return, and planted the willow in case…”

She didn’t finish the sentence, but Luna knew exactly what she meant. She slowly approached the tree and touched the trunk. Although her heart cried harder than before, it felt like she had finally found the conclusion to a story moons in the making. Still, she could not help but kneel before the tree, a sad smile accompanying her tears.

“Thank you, Willow. Thank you for waiting…”

North watched as Luna sat there, then turned to Lily. “Here. Take the basket and get the best lavender bushels you can. You’re better at this than me, I’m sure.”

Lily took the basket and saluted, and as she left with Peach for good bushels, North turned back to the tree. He stared at it for a long time, his face unreadable for emotion. After a few minutes, he saluted the tree. Thank you for everything you’ve done, Willow Gale. I promise I’ll do everything I can to love her like you did.