A Place to Call Home

by EquineTheta

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 6616

Luna comes home to find herself once more

The more you try to forget, the more you remember... Luna couldn't resist the guilt that follows her as the memory of Nightmare Moon haunts her each night. It seemed hopeless that a monster such as her would find redemption among her subjects now that she has returned to her seat in Canterlot. After recounting the past and facing the reality that she no longer lives in the world she once knew, she must now rediscover herself with the help of a few unexpected guides and what she learns may be more than what she wanted.

Published 2012-12-03 14:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-12-03 14:40:01 UTC

A Place to Call Home

A Place to Call Home

A desolate, cratered wilderness far beyond equine contact, that was the only life Luna ever knew after being banished to the moon. As Nightmare Moon, envy and vengeance filled her heart and mind, vowing to rule Equestria in eternal night. Now, as she walks the silent halls of Canterlot’s ivory castle at midnight, she ponders on her troubling past as she stares at the moon, its bright light beaming the sun’s reflected luster through the stained glass windows.

A lone night guard stood by and wondered if a sudden burst of troubled and violent emotion would rattle through the castle, sending chills down his spine. Most ponies wondered if Nightmare Moon would return knowing Luna is back. They were all unsure if Luna even changed, if her reaction to her welcome in Ponyville was merely deception. The guard just pursed his lips and pretended to look away.

Ever since her return to Equestria, Luna couldn’t look herself in the mirror. Not like the way she used to. All she saw was a fragment of her past self staring back at her, haunting her. Each time she did so, she would ask herself two things: “Would things ever be the way they used to?” and “Would anypony accept me?” That one night, after a few months of self imposed trials that would leave her locked up in her quarters for days on end, the young lunar princess emerged from her prison and wandered the moonlit halls. At the end of the stretch of windows, she finds her sister looking down at the statue garden from her balcony.

“Pray tell dear sister, but what are you doing here at this hour?” she said as she inches herself closer. “You know very well that I must guard the night as tradition goes.”

The elder alicorn turned her gaze towards her younger sister and let out a subtle smile before giving her reply. “I’ll watch the night for you but that isn’t why I’m here. I’m worried about you Luna. Why do you hide from the rest of the world?”

Stuttering soon followed. Jumbled and indiscernible words left the younger one’s mouth as she felt like she was going to burst into tears. Celestia walked by and placed her right wing over Luna while her right hoof wiped away her sadness.

“It’s okay to feel this way, little sister. All I ever wanted was for you to come back. Nothing more.”

“Sister,” Luna replied.” I know you’ve been doing my job for the past one thousand years, and we both know that I should be responsible for my actions but could you do me a favor? Could we raise the moon together again? Just like old times?”

“For you, Luna, anything.”

The lunar princess soon departed from the presence of her elder sister, taking one more look at her face before parting ways for the night. Right now, she could rest her head in peace. At least that’s what she thought. With eyes closed and darkness in sight, an unknown spectacle of bright lights drifted to and fro, first appearing as a mist of purple and after, a form vaguely familiar. True enough, the past does come back to haunt those who wish to forget, especially those like Luna, the former persona of nightmares. She soon found herself encircled by the mist with a decapitated voice calling out to her: “Luna, Luna, embrace the power... Don’t you see? This is what you wanted; all the power, all the magic you could ever want and more!”

“NO!” she yelled in response. Somehow, she knew she was in this other world away from the Equestria she knew. Before her, the entirety of the sculpture garden. The effigy of the victory statue lay before her in pieces, replaced with the statue that screamed nightmares when caught in sight. “No. Not this time. I’ve learned my mistake. My cry for vengeance is no more!”

“Then tell me, why do you still feel empty?”

Silence.

Nightmare Moon’s image faded with a slight chuckle, darkness’s temptation to the princess. After turning back to normal, most of Luna’s powers faded away with her old self. Casting away her old shell had also removed a part of herself with the evil side, a consequence like recovering from amnesia - she had to find herself once more after the darkness had consumed her. Once she regained clarity and control of the situation, she ventured into her own quarters where she found herself staring at the mirror once again. This time, the mirror was blank. No reflection, no princess before the object, just the room and a pony tucked under the covers. Just as she moved to the bed, a note safely tucked underneath a few loose sheets of silk resting on the dresser caught her eye. Opening the envelope, she read it’s content and as her eyes gazed upon each word, a voice that echoed Celestia’s began reading along with her.

Dearest Luna,

Ever since I’ve taken your place, things haven’t been the same. It all seemed so quiet without having you around. Day in and day out, I had to do your duties as well as mine and though it was stressful having to wake up earlier than usual just to lower the moon, I never thought twice about doing it. Every night, I would always wish upon a star that you would find the strength inside to come back home and set your grudge aside; it’s all I ever wanted. If you must you know, it wasn’t your fault that you became Nightmare Moon. I am the one to blame. I am truly sorry for letting my ego overwhelm my thoughts. There is no need for contempt between us now because even if you are a monster that Equestria feared, I’d love you just the same. I believe that you would come home someday to find this letter, and when you do, I’d like you to know that while the world will take time to take you back, you can always come back to me. I’ll be waiting in a place you can call home.

Your ever loving sister,

‘Tia

For a while, Luna just stared at the note. The outside world didn’t mean anything to her even if she was just in a dream. To her, the world she ran off to is just as real as the one she left; soon enough, the sun will rise and the boundaries between fantasy and reality will be drawn once more. At least this time, her sister’s assurance of a better future awaits her once the dawn arrives. Before she began her journey back to reality, she set down the note by her nightstand and looked at the framed photo right beside her lamp. Smiling, she lets the memory of the day that photo was taken through her mind, remembering the times she and her sister used to play together in the meadow. That was a moment lost to time, but even the sight of Celestia’s pink mane brought back a rush of memories believed to be long forgotten since Luna was banished from the kingdom. After some time of pondering, she set the photo frame down and closed her eyes. And just as quickly as she drifted into slumber, she awakens.

Things didn’t change as quickly as expected. Luna liked it that way. In the light of day, she performed her duties alongside her sister, taking into account all the things that she had missed over the last one thousand years. A lot has definitely changed - from the modernization of Canterlot to the establishment of a peace treaty with the Griffon Empire. Though the duties of royalty are tiresome, especially for a princess who is catching up with a thousand years of history, Luna was gobsmacked but intrigued.

“...I really think you should meet this one very talented pupil of mine. She is-”

“Wait.” Luna interrupted.” Slow down for a moment. Are you saying what I think I you’re saying?”

Celestia began her reply with a subtle smile. “Indeed. I teach at a school I opened for gifted unicorns. Though very few young and talented individuals enter this prestigious institution, I never expected to become a teacher to a very special filly. Her name is Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn with exceptional raw abilities and a bright future ahead of her.”

“So, where is this Twilight Sparkle? Does she reside in the town center or along the city perimeter?”

“She used to live here but after I assigned her a very important task, she chose to live elsewhere. You’ll find her in the Golden Oaks library in Ponyville. Maybe you should see her sometime and besides, you’ve been gone for a while. It’s about time you make some friends.

“Friends...”

Her sister’s words hit her hard. Luna wasn’t good at making friends. Though she can muster up the confidence required when addressing her subjects, she never really gave much thought about talking to her subjects on a casual level, not even the night guards. The previous night, she learned that something about her return to society didn’t seem right, as if something was missing. Perhaps Celestia’s words might be the opportunity Luna was looking for. Everyday life in the castle was like a military exercise routine, there is always a tight schedule that must be followed. The day may be hectic but the night is unhurried.

Late into the afternoon, just as the sun was beginning it’s timely routine, Celestia called for her sister, eagerly anticipating a time where they would catch up on things unrelated to the annual budget, national treasury, or related matters. Luna, as expected, arrived with joyous, confident look on her face. The two exchanged looks for a brief period of time before beginning the night.

“Are you ready Luna?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, my sister.”

A bright yellow glow emanated from the elder sister’s horn followed by a deep azure glow from the younger one. Together, the sun’s setting was accomplished and was followed by the moon’s rising. For a while, the scenery was that of an aerial ballet - both sun and moon respectively rising and setting in perfect unison. A mixture of bright hues from the west were complemented by the dark shades of the east as the two heavenly bodies found their places in the sky. Normally, such a tedious, and often mundane, job would take a few minutes but both sisters just lost themselves to the beauty of the sky and the speed of such events felt faster than light; just as they had begun, it was already over.

“Sister,” Luna began. “Thank you. For the opportunity, that is. I feel a little better right now. Never felt anything like this in a while.”

“It’s my pleasure Luna,” Celestia replied.” If you want, we can do this again sometime.”

“Indeed. Sometime soon.”

“You know, I never really had a chance to tell you this ever since you came back.” Celestia said as she continued to stare at the moon. Her sister looked at her with an air of curiosity. Luna expected it to be something along the lines of what she had read in the letter the previous night. The elder princess continued after leaving her sister with a brief pause. “Just because you were a monster once doesn’t mean that you are no longer the sister that I love. That goes the same for your subjects. They may not be the ones you ruled over back then but they are still your subjects nonetheless. They will accept you; trust me, they will.”

“But what if they don’t? I’m afraid, my sister. I’m really afraid.”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you that I am no longer connected to the elements of harmony. Neither are you. But you should know that even though the elements have chosen their new physical manifestations, that doesn’t mean that the spirits of the elements are dead inside. Have faith and you’ll see. Anyways, we best get to bed. Goodnight Luna.”

“Good night my sister, I’ll see you in the morning.” The younger sister replied with a slightly somber tone in her voice. Luna may have been genuine in her gesture but she had other plans for the evening. She quickly retreated to her quarters and grabbed her cloak. Standing by her balcony, she took one more look inside her room before flying off into the distance, in the direction of the sleepy town of Canterlot.

It was awfully bright for an evening in Canterlot, just the way Luna remembered it a thousand years ago. The cobblestone roads lit up like little diamonds paved into the road, illuminating the many possible paths the princess would take. Though the time was right for ponies to be asleep, some were unfortunate to have a bad case of insomnia, requiring the need to consume a generous dose of sleeping pills before going to bed. It was these ponies who caught sight of a mysterious figure walking along the streets late at night. Those who saw Luna had initial sightings of a hooded mare strolling along town but upon seeing her face, quickly shut the shutters and hid under the covers. Some dimmed the lights in their homes. Others hid in a dark room where the lunar princess’s wandering eyes couldn’t find them.

Distraught, Luna put up her hood and found herself walking aimlessly around town. To her, the houses she encountered seemed to reflect the situation she had initially found herself in when she first returned to Canterlot - cast out. Soon, she encountered a mirror shop and stared at her reflection upon the many panes of polished surfaces that can be found on display, along with the reflection that was present on the pane of glass before her. Initially, she saw herself on the mirror but later, Nightmare Moon appeared.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my favorite princess.”

Luna pulled herself back without a moment’s hesitation. She was normally accustomed to seeing her alter ego in her dreams, or nightmares. This was the first time the two have met in conscious reality.

“Surprised?” Nightmare Moon added. “I know, so am I. Fancy meeting you here but seeing as we are in the most uncalled circumstance, I’m beginning to think you’re becoming delirious. So, how about that offer? You know you want to assert your power and show everypony that you are their ruler. With my, I mean, our power, you can do all that and more. What do you say Luna? Do we have a deal?”

“Look, I told you before that I am no longer the monster I used to be. No longer will I use my power to strike fear into the hearts of my subjects. I am changed and I will show it to everypony.”

Nightmare Moon remained silent for some time. Luna always found a way to counter their arguments. Now the master of nightmares had to come up with something to fight back. “I suppose you can do what you want your way but think about it. And I mean think about it carefully. Do things your way and see absolutely no results or do it my way and get instantaneous results. I mean really, look around you. Nopony wants to be with you, let alone look at you! Do you really think your methods will suffice?”

Luna didn’t give an answer but it was clear by the perplexed look on her face that Nightmare Moon was right. Would she be successful if she would pursue her goal with her own methods or would she be doomed to failure? Some part of her being tugged at her soul, telling her to take Nightmare Moon’s deal. Eventually, she had to come up with a response no matter how difficult the choice is. She has evaded this chance for a while now but countless sleepless nights spent deliberating with herself has boiled down to this moment.

“Your offer is tempting,” Luna replied with a tone of confidence in her voice. “But I refuse. If I choose to pursue your suggestion, it would make me no different than who I was before I was banished to the moon. I’m sorry but I choose my way.”

“Fine then,” calmly replied the dark mare in the mirror. “Go ahead and do it your way. You wouldn’t succeed. If you ever find yourself regretting your choice, you can always choose my way.”

“I assure you, Nightmare Moon, that I wouldn’t think twice about straying from my choice of action.” Luna’s reflection soon changed back to normal. The mare in the moon’s image vanished from the mirror and the princess regained her sanity, or at least she did. Little did she know that she wasn’t alone - somepony else heard the whole thing. Luna looked at the mirrors once more to find a silhouette of a pony snooping around a corner. Turning around, she began to give chase, silently stalking her prey in the dead of night.

Careful in her approach, Luna checked around the corners leading up to her target. She made sure that she would block off possible escape routes so as to trap the pony, hopefully in a dark alley where she would be able to question him or her. Twisting and turning through tight backroads hidden throughout Canterlot, the intensity of the chase picked up as the princess pursued her target. For a while, it seemed like the two were going around in circles. It went that way until Luna knocked some crates over, sending the chase another way. It seemed unlikely that she was getting any closer until she turned into the alley she had hoped for. Cornering her prey seemed all too easy this time around, no exits, except for the one above. Unfortunately, it was too late for Luna to realize that she was chasing a pegasus who attempted to fly away. The alicorn’s magic was sufficient enough to hold the pegasus down long enough for her to get a good look at.

Her chase was futile. No need to go around chasing a pegasus who appears to be completely out of her mind. The mere sight of her wall-eyed appearance was more than an effective deterrent even for somepony who has high a stature as her. Still, the princess was more than determined to inquire about this pegasus’s reason for following her.

“Speak subject,” Luna began, asserting herself while trying to tone down her voice so as not to wake up the citizens of Canterlot. “State thy name and thy purpose for being outside.”

“Umm...,” The pegasus replied. “M..my name is... Der... Derpy Hooves and I really didn’t mean to be out here at this time. I was just flying by when I noticed you talking to a mirror and wanted to see if you are okay. Is there something bothering you?”

Nopony was ever concerned about the personal affairs of royalty. These kinds of things are often kept out of topic whenever conversations strike up between ponies but to meddle in the personal life of the rulers of Equestria was something like tabloid journalists trespassing into the castle to take pictures and make up wild stories about the everyday life of Celestia. Luna was cautious of releasing too much information but seeing as they were the only two around and everypony was expected to be asleep, she decided to open up.

“Well, yes. Ever since We came back, nothing was the same. We expected that but everypony was just a little too distant. We’re no threat anymore but we couldn’t get that message across. Maybe We can to you but to them, it would take a miracle.”

“I know what can cheer you up!” The grey pegasus mare enthusiastically replied. “How about we get some muffins? They’re delicious!”

“Are you sure? The bakery is obviously closed at this hour.”

“Don’t worry, I know where we can go.”

Donut Joe’s shop was already off the list. Though Derpy has a sweet tooth for pastries, she preferred muffins more than anything. Luna didn’t really know much about these new kinds of delicacies. Back then, hors d’oeuvres of many different types were the in-thing, everypony loved them. Now, such delicacies were reserved for the Canterlot elite and anypony who knew the recipe would be what most ponies would call “the belle of the ball”. Muffins were new to the princess but she willingly wanted to try some. Together with her pegasus companion, the two flew past the borders of the ivory city, moving past the rugged mountain path to a sleepy little town in the south. No words were exchanged between Derpy and Luna, who wished to remain silent and ponder on what could come from a newfound friendship with one of her subjects.

As the two arrived at a little shack along the edges of town, the gray pegasus mare quickly entered a dimly lit corridor and disappeared from Luna’s sight. A pitch-black passage lay before the princess and as she took her first step forward, she was instantaneously met by her acquaintance who was carrying a tray of seemingly fresh muffins straight from the oven. The heat resonated from the confections, tantalizing the senses of the princess. Taking one, Derpy allowed her guest into her home.

“Well, this is it,” Derpy started. “Nothing much to look at but it’s home.”

“Doesn't thou live with anyone else?” Luna replied. “It looks lonely here; hath thou been bothered with loneliness?”

“No not at all! By the way, do you always talk like that? I don’t mean to be insensitive to the way you speak but you don’t need to be formal with me.”

“We... I mean I, don’t?”

“No, I’d actually prefer a more casual experience with anypony. It’s what makes me everypony’s favorite mailmare! No need to be so uptight and just be yourself.”

One too many times had Luna been too uptight, so much so that she had become assertive of herself. It was something the princess had to resort to and it soon grew into a habit. Soon, she was living a strict and straightforward life with few ups or downs. Celestia was the only pony she had ever considered a friend. Now somepony opens up to her without difficulty, willing to expose herself wide open and risking her dignity for a bond that could either last or fade.

"Here, have some of these muffins. I know they aren't fresh from the oven but I hope you like them!"

“Mmm! Their delicious! Thank you Derpy. I’ve never met anypony like you but it feels nice to have somepony open and willing to take me in. If you would excuse me, I just need some time for myself.”

“No problem! If you want, you can take these extra muffins. It looked like you enjoyed them. Anyway, I know you’re a princess and all so I don’t want to hold you here for long. You go do what you need to do!” Luna parted ways with her new friend but not before she was greeted again by a few words from the pegasus just as she was walking out the door. “We should definitely hang out some more! Good night Luna!”

“And a pleasant evening to you, Derpy.”

Ponyville lay silent through the night. A few bumps were heard here and there as Luna walked through the town, the moonlight shining on her cloak. She had plans of going to someplace she had known for a very long time but that place has become derelict, non-existent. Trudging through the Everfree, the sight of that very structure had become synonymous with herself, if not in the bleakest sense. The old castle, a place everypony wanted to forget; now that a thousand years had passed, everypony got their wish. Luna was afraid she too would become just like that castle. At least she knew there was some hope; the first was Derpy, the first pony that had ever willingly opened up to her. Perhaps there is more to the new world that Luna had not known but things tend to start with small steps before making a big impact.

Before entering the rundown building, the princess heard an odd screeching off to the side of the castle. It grew louder and louder until her eyes found a dark cloud rustling by a tree. It appeared to consume the branches of its fruit until the tree was nothing more than trimmed branches and dry leaves. Luna did catch an unkindly sight; a bat amongst the others who struggled to grab a bite but was left out. As the rest of the swarm left, this particular bat remained behind to see if it could grab some leftovers. All it got was scraps of peeled fruit skins and stalks that were all but edible. It was something the princess couldn’t bear to see, an animal that doesn’t live to scavenge for its own food looking through the remains of a feast for a bite to eat. Even its pale and shriveled body told much about this bat. With bones peering from the chest and barely able to fly, the situation seemed hopeless for this creature. Without luck, the bat flew to a branch and hung upside down, preparing to sleep.

Luna carefully approached the creature but it woke up with a stunned look on its face. The princess backed off and tried to calm the bat’s nerves. “No need to be scared little one. Here, have some of this.”

The dark blue alicorn pulled out a muffin from her pack and began to remove the fruits that were baked into the confection. Mostly blueberries but Luna had received muffins with a whole variety of fruits. The creature inched closer to the fruit on the alicorn’s hoof and too a small bite out of the blueberry. It cautiously ate the rest of the fruit, remaining alert in case its generous benefactor decided to turn against it. After a while, the bat gave in; warming up to the princess and putting its trust into her. Delighted, Luna began to converse with the creature.

“You like that, huh? I know what it’s like being separated from your own kind. You and me, we aren’t so different; we may be worlds apart but we found a common ground: we don’t feel like we are part of something big but we’ll find a way to work this out. Hey, how about you come with me? I don’t think you’d want to be an outcast anymore than I do. Don’t worry, where I’m from, there’s plenty of food to go around.”

The creature didn’t think twice. It quickly leapt up and opened its wings, flying around the princess before landing on her back. It screeched with joy, emitting high pitched sounds and letting itself go with the happiness that it has felt inside. Without further hesitation, Luna took to the air and returned to her quarters in the ivory tower of Canterlot Castle, feeling the cool breeze that beat against her face as the late night winds took strength.

Several night guards on patrol swept through the dark hallways of the royal residence, looking out for any late night trespassers. Nopony ever dared to enter the castle but every so often, some ponies who thought they could be lucky enough to swipe a few of the royal jewels belonging to Celestia or even some bits hidden away in the royal treasury. This night felt like any other night though, not one creature stirred in the shadows. The air felt a little stale and dry, the usual expectation of the night guards on duty.

*cough* “Is it just me, or is the air a little too dry this evening?” One of the night guards said as he walked towards a second guard standing by the door to the throne room.

“Not really,” replied the second guard. “Air’s been this dry since last week. Here, take one of these mints; helps me a lot.” Giving his share of mentholated sweets to his comrade-on-duty, he returned to his post without uttering another word. His co-worker ingested the mint and let the cool air circulate through his body; first the nostrils, then the lungs, and out the mouth. It was a deeply rejuvenating feeling that really brought satisfaction for the guard. This satisfaction, however, is to be short lived.

"Hey! Who goes there?!” The guard noticing something wrong. A shadow peered through the side hall close to the sculpture garden entrance. One of the guards approached but was cut when the figure began to move toward him and his comrade before whizzing past them.

“Come on!” said one of the guards, turning his back toward the figure to check on his partner.

The guards gave chase with two objectives in mind. One: to secure their target and two: avoid waking up the princesses. They would be mistaken later on; the gravity: forgivable, but mistaken nonetheless.

Cornered at the southwest tower, the guards lost sight of their target. Instead, the two found themselves in the presence of the lunar princess.

“Oh, your majesty!” said one guard. “Our apologies but we thought we found something flying around the castle. With your permission, we will catch this... this... well, we don’t know what it is but we’ll inform you once we have it in our possession.”

“No need,” Luna replied with a subtle smile. “I’ll handle it for you. You go on back to your posts.”

“Well, um... if you say so, your highness.”

Secretly, Luna had kept herself from chuckling in front of her vassals. Hiding beneath her midnight blue wings was the bat that she had named Nightshade mere minutes earlier. Along with the new member of the castle residents, Luna had found a pouch to carry all of the muffins she had been given by Derpy as well as some materials for her new pet to perch on: a coat hanger and a metal rod that was once used for a fashion designer’s dress form. The alicorn didn’t have a hard time looking for these items; the garbage dumps found in almost every alley in Canterlot was a treasure trove just waiting to be discovered. That is, if anypony ever dared to brave the filth of fruit rinds mixed with a plethora of unwanted waste and undesired excrement unintentionally ejected from the body.

A modified perch for her new companion was the perfect way to settle in the new home. With all the care in the world, Luna polished the surface of the steel until she could see her reflection. It was there when her hallucinations kicked in once more. The mare of the moon saw, once again, the one pony she didn’t want to see: The Mare in the Moon.

“You!” The lunar princess exclaimed, no longer surprised by her alter ego’s haunting presence. “I thought I told you I wasn’t interested in your offer.”

“I know, but I just couldn’t resist,” Nightmare replied. “It gets lonely knowing that I am locked away from existence while you get to see the world in all it’s beauty. I get really envious just thinking about you having all the glory of being free while I am stuck in your mind. I know, how about you change into me? You didn’t lose all of your powers when you came back, you know.”

“I know what went wrong last time. My jealousy got the best of me and it resulted into you! I’m not making that mistake again nor am I taking any chances with you, you... monster!”

“Now don’t be such a stick in the mud, of course you want to. Just for a little while.”

“You know what, after all that time you’ve spent haunting me day in and day out, I’ve learned two things from you. I’ve learned that there are monsters out there in the world, monsters that can come from anywhere. But the real monster that I should fear most is the one inside; that is the monster that has no qualm about what it does and who it hurts, the one that disfigures the genuine article. More importantly, I’ve learned that only I can decide its fate, whether to let it loose or to contain it. Nopony else will know until it is unleashed but I can save them from the harm it can potentially cause.”

As if the reflection of the evil Luna had ceased to continue the argument by saying something else, it just remained silent. Its deathly stare focused on the lunar princess and with that stare came a smile. After some time, the deadlock was loosened as the reflection eased up, eyes relaxing and showing a more calm and easygoing appearance. Nightmare Moon’s image vanished from the metal rod and now appeared on the wall mirror, still showing the same expression she previously had. Luna looked back in confusion.

“Well done, Luna,” Nightmare Moon said in the way Celestia had always complimented her younger sister: with closed eyes and a calm tone. “You've made me proud!”

Bewildered with confusion, the alicorn pondered about her alter ego’s message. It was something different, unusual, and perplexing, mentioning about being happy. Those last few words echoed through her mind, even as she used her last touch of welding magic to finish her pet’s new perch and went to bed. It was bizarre to have somepony she despised actually congratulate her for something. Back then, all of her compliments were given by Celestia; now, it’s from Nightmare Moon. That thought remained bothersome for some time but Luna soon learned to cherish it knowing she may never encounter those same words from that same pony ever again.

The next few days remained as they were: normal. Nothing much happened between the early hours of morn to the wee hours after dark. Cyclical routines continued day by day and things were quiet. A little too quiet. Days passed by and the lunar princess began to notice that her sister was becoming more and more distant, sometimes even disappearing in the crack of day and never appearing until dinner time. At times, dinner would be less than eventful knowing that the co-ruler of Equestria isn’t around to share insightful facts of modern life or new lessons about modern governance.

Doubt gripped the young princess’s heart once more, this time fearing that even her sister may have grown to disliking her. The only thing that kept her unwavered was the thought that she is the closest pony she ever has and while Nightshade continued to uplift her spirit with countless hours of midnight flights and picnics, she could never get a lot of negative thoughts out of her head. She sometimes feared Nightmare Moon’s return, something she greatly despised. As for Nightshade, she has grown a lot since her first encounter with Luna in the Everfree Forest; there is a distinctive change in size, being twice as big as she used to be. Her form had already taken shape into something more graceful without sacrificing nutrition, it surely beats being undernourished and shriveled. Even her pale skin regained its color: an iridescent shade of jet black hide that shifted to hues of brown, the way it had previously been.

Only after about two weeks into autumn did the first sign of change begin to manifest itself. An earth pony guard approached the lunar princess bearing a message from a certain somepony she thought was .

“Your highness,” began the royal guard. ”News from Celestia herself.”

“Go on. What is it?” Luna replied with a feeling of joy building inside, the first news of her sister in what seemed like eons.

“She wants to meet you in the ballroom and asked that don’t delay.”

“Anything else?”

“Nothing, your highness. She just wants you there immediately.”

Luna’s rising pulse quickly faded. Somehow, the invitation from her older sister seemed less than inviting; it felt a little more like a sermon was about to follow. Even if she tried to buy herself some time, she would eventually have to face the music. Perhaps going might prove her wrong but even so, she’ll never know unless she goes. The princess opened her window and told her pet to enjoy herself out in the open, feeding her one more bowl of fruits before parting ways. As she did so, the bat ate without glancing twice at her owner while the door closed.

Silently walking the halls with her mind blank, Luna made her way to the ballroom but not before picking up the sounds of the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra playing the sounds of ancient ballroom music, the same ones she had heard at the last Summer Sun Celebration. Opening the doors, her eyes met her sister’s, who was mingling with some guests and drinking some strawberry punch.

“Luna!” Celestia began as she walked towards her sister with eyes wide open, a sign of great delight. She hugged her sister and continued, “I’m so happy that you could join us here, little sister.”

“My sister, wh...where did you find the time to put all of this together?”

“Well, the night we raised the moon together, I was thinking about finding a way to make you feel right at home and I remembered that you enjoyed the Summer Sun Celebration dinner. I thought you might want to experience it again and so I asked the citizens of Canterlot to help put this event together.”

“You’d do that for me, sister?”

“Of course I’d do it. Always remember this: for you, Luna, anything.”

“I really appreciate your kind gesture but it just doesn’t feel the same. I met some new friends a while back and this surprise doesn’t feel complete if I can’t share my joy with them.”

Celestia stroked her younger sister’s mane and gestured her to the center of the room. Right there, before their very eyes, stood two familiar figures. One was a pegasus whose eyes distinctively set her apart from any other pony in the room. The second, resting on the first one’s back, was Nightshade the bat. Both looked more than happy to be in the company of very significant figures in modern Canterlot. Smiles flashed from face to face as if the whole event was staged just for Luna, and it was. Flattered, the younger sister couldn’t resist holding in her feelings of gratitude. She gave her sister the biggest hug she has ever given anypony, holding firmly to her elder sister while shedding a tear of joy.

“A while back,” Celestia added, “I told you that even if the elements are no longer connected to us, their spirits live on. What you’ve begun to discover is that you possess those spirits; everypony possesses those spirits. It is what brings ponies of all kinds together in friendship and harmony. What we have here is a celebration of harmony the likes that Canterlot hasn’t seen for a long time and one that all of Equestria has yet to see. This is your triumph, little sister.”

“Thank you so much, big sister!” Luna said. “Thank you!”

With that, the young princess ran to her friends, cherished the moment, and laughed the night away while munching on the delicacies Celestia has specifically prepared for the occasion. Luna, now loved by many, has found her place with her sister: among the multitude; the place she is happiest in, the place she can truly call home.

END