This was written entirely on the iPad, with no editing at all. Enjoy!
-What I Have Learned-
-Chapter 1-
Luna lay on her void-black bedding, just looking out of the open window at her moon. At her stars, artfully arranged to the highest degree. A year's effort, a year's toil and hard work, had gone into the night sky. She smiled. Luna could feel the bond between her and the moon and every single star, an invisible pathway of energy that calmly flowed to and fro.
It was almost dawn, as was shown in the pinky-purple hue of the sky. Luna wondered just how many ponies, and other creatures, watched the Moon and the stars and the Sun and the dawn. She wondered if they enjoyed it, or thought it beautiful. She hoped that they did.
She turned away from the window, looking into her room. On her desk lay some paper and a quill, reminding her of the job she had to do.
The Princess of the Night levitated the objects off the desk and brought them towards her, dipping the quill in an ink pot on the way there. She had a letter to write, and, this time, it wasn't a party invitation, or a letter of condolence, as her letters often (too often for Luna's liking) were. No, this letter was...more of a report. To her teacher.
She began to write.
Dear Teacher, she wrote.
When I left, you asked of me that I write a report to you every 1,000 years of what I have learned. I am sorry that this letter will come late by 1,000 years - let me explain.
As you know, my sister and I hold rule over the land we call Equestria - a place built upon trust, peace and friendship. My sister raises the Sun, and I raise the Moon.
For the longest time, I envied my sister in her popularity and favor with our people. They played and laughed in the day, and I felt shunned as they slept through my night. Time passed, and I slowly fell prey to a green-eyed monster called jealousy. It changed me, devoured me and my care for our subjects. Then, one night, I made a mistake that I'll always regret.
I did not bring down the Moon. I refused to let dawn come, and the green-eyed monster finally swallowed me whole. I became Nightmare Moon, and for four whole months, terrorized my subjects. Their homes became prisons, and many ponies died as a result. It almost breaks my mind to think of how many lives I claimed in the name of jealousy. I still do not know where she came from, because the entire time she occupied my body, she was a separate mind, a completely separate entity.
Eventually, my sister banished me to the Moon - my Moon - for 10,000 years as a punishment. She said that every years represented the life of somepony I had killed.
For some reason, I survived. I shouldn't have survived, but I did. I think that it was the sheer power of the Nightmare that did it. She must have kept me alive all those long years, but what I was surprised at the most was how consistent and powerful she was. She never stopped raging, she never stopped hating, and so when we escaped 9,000 years early, she was still there. We proceeded to continue our battle - that is, until my sister's protégé and her friends stopped us with the Elements of Harmony.
It was rather funny, actually. I changed back in what was the Hall of the Night Court and even the bearers of the Elements looked similar to the old ones. I'd completely forgotten about the Elements of Harmony, and before I had a chance to take another life, they vanquished my alter-ego.
I still think, to this day, how many ponies out there must hate me. How many of them, to this day, are scared of me. I wonder if, when they look at the Moon, all they think of is Nightmare Moon. They've even invented a holiday after me!
So, on Nightmare Night, as they have so called it, I tried visiting Ponyville to join in the fun and to sew the rift between me and my subjects together.
It didn't work. Everypony there was scared of me, and only after a little persuasion by my sister's protege were they fine to talk to me. You'd think that this would turn me away from them, but I kept trying. I made mistakes - such as sleeping through the entire Changeling Invasion when my sister needed me, a rather large blunder - but, even after all of that, I still love my sub - no, they're more like my friends. I love my Night Guards, who keep me safe and from harm. I love my sister, who will never let me down. And the Elements of Harmony, who changed me and, most importantly, introduced the concept of fun to me. You should try it some time, I think you'd like it - but I'm getting of track here. And so.
I have a question to answer. What have I learned? There are many things I have learned - such as speaking in modern Equine and the concepts of fun - but there is only one major thing I have to report.
When you make mistakes, no matter how long it takes, you learn from them. You learn that you were wrong, and you learn to sweep up all the litter that you left behind and carry it with you.
I don't feel burdened or sad anymore, because I've learned that there's always somepony out there willing to accept you for what you are. There's plenty of fish in the sea, and there's always one that'll swim towards you. And even if I don't know who they are, or what they are, I know that they're out there, and that's enough for me.
Your most faithful student,
Luna
She wiped the quill clean and placed it back on her desk. Taking a length of midnight blue ribbon and tied it around the scroll, tugging the bow into place. Luna got off the bed and stood up, wobbling slightly. It was now morning - she realized she'd been sitting for over an hour! She walked over to the open window and, closing her eyes, ignited her horn and teleported the letter far away, into the depths of space, past planets and over several suns and through black holes...
She opened her eyes. With a satisfied sigh, she closed the window, drew the curtains and climbed into bed.
