The Garden of Symmetry

by Cyberbard

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 5796

Twilight Sparkle looks into the complex mind of a Princess.

Twilight Sparkle recounts a unique experience she had while studying with Princess Luna; a journey into both outer and inner space.

Cover image used with permission of Akili Amethyst.

Published 2013-03-24 21:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-03-24 21:40:02 UTC

The Garden of Symmetry

The Garden of Symmetry

By Erudite Spectre

An excerpt from the personal journal of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

It goes without saying that my studies are extensive, and sometimes lead me down paths I could never have imagined. But there is one lesson in particular that I will never forget.

It started out very simply. I was learning about astroharmonics, which deals with the way the moon and stars affect the life magic of Equestria. It’s a pretty arcane subject even for me.  But it’s something that Princess Celestia wants me to understand, if only in theory, because of the effect it can have on other forms of magic. So she asked me to come to Canterlot for a few days and receive some instruction on the topic from Princess Luna.

For most of a week I slept at my parent’s house during the day and studied with Luna by night. As Luna would walk around her huge astrolabe chamber adjusting the stars and such, she would explain to me what she was doing, why she was doing it, and the eventual effect it could have on Equestria. Luna’s style of teaching was very different from that of Celestia. Luna uses what many call a practicum style of teaching, which means she teaches while doing.  That didn’t matter to me. I’m always ready to learn something new. And in spite of her sometimes archaic word choices and occasional slips into the Canterlot voice, I found Luna to be excellent company!

But at the same time I found her rather aloof, at least compared to her sister. I knew that she was still having difficulty adjusting to the societal changes that occurred while she was away, but there seemed to be something more to it. There seemed to be a certain melancholy about her.  I tried to ask her about this, but I couldn’t find an opportunity. It’s almost as if she knew what I wanted to ask her about, and she made sure I never had a chance. Given that Luna and Celestia have a certain level of precognition I suspect that’s exactly what was happening.

Celestia might have sensed something, because she approached me on my last night. I had just rousted myself, and the Princesses had just exchanged the sun for the moon. I asked Celestia why Luna always seemed so distant. Her difficulty fitting in would be greatly alleviated if she would just talk with other ponies!

Celestia explained that for beings like Luna and herself, things are never as easy as they appear. The feelings and emotions of a being that has lived for centuries can be difficult to fathom. But she encouraged me to work with Luna this one last night.  She said that a lot of things should become clear by dawn.

I wasn’t sure how to take that, because Celestia generally doesn’t talk in riddles.  I couldn’t possibly see how I could understand Luna’s melancholy after just one night, especially after I had been studying with her for the previous five.  The psychology of a normal pony can take months to figure out.  But Celestia expected me to understand the mind of a near immortal Princess after just one night?  If Celestia had not been talking in riddles, then the only other explanation was that she had been sampling Applejack’s special brew!

Still, I ascended to the astrolabe chamber, where Luna was waiting. She had one of the larger telescopes focused on the moon itself, and she instructed me to look a set of special features on the lunar surface.  She called them mana vaults, which were like geysers of pure magical energy. They weren’t very clear from this distance, even with the special telescope.  Even so I could tell they were important locations for the flow of magic.

She asked me if I had seen anything else of interest. I got the impression that she was thinking of something very specific.  I told her that there was something I saw that confused me.

On one of the large, flat plains of the lunar landscape (Lana called them mara), I saw something that didn’t seem to belong. It looked like a large topiary maze in the shape of a diamond. I couldn’t tell how large it was, but given that I could see it through the telescope implied that it was enormous.

Luna smiled. Apparently I had seen what she wanted me to see.

She quietly asked me to walk with her, saying that she could explain the mysterious feature. As she walked with an almost fluid motion onto one of the balconies, the night mist seemed to follow her. I timidly walked out on to the balcony and stood beside her.

Luna said to stay close, and that she could keep me safe if I did so.

I was suddenly very afraid. Luna’s ethereal mane spread out like a cloud, and everything around me seemed to loose form. One moment I was looking out over Canterlot, and the next I was looking into a sea of nothingness!

I was terrified, and frantically asked Luna what was happening. Luna calmly said that all would be well. As soon as she said that, I could again feel solid ground below my hooves. But I wasn’t on the balcony any longer.

Luna and I were on a vast rocky plain, with towering mountains in the distance. Everything seemed to be covered with fine, gray sand, and the night sky was far clearer than I had ever remembered seeing it.

Luna quietly asked me to look in front of me. We were on a small rise, and some distance in front of us was what appeared to be a large, fortress-like structure. It looked like it had been carved and shaped from the very rock of this land.  Then I understood what had happened. What I was seeing was the outer wall of a huge, stone maze. It was the same maze I had seen through the telescope.

I was on the moon.

Luna chuckled. She had wondered how a normal pony would react to being transported to the moon.  Apparently I did exactly what she had expected, which was panic. She spoke soothing words me, and explained that so long as we were in close proximity no harm would come to me. She then asked me to walk with her.

We slowly approached the stone structure.

Luna explained that she had built the structure, and called it the Garden of Symmetry. She explained how every part of the garden’s layout was mirrored somewhere else, and that in terms of physical layout the entire garden was perfectly balanced. She had taken simple mathematics and geometry and turned them into a giant work of art.

As we came closer to one of the garden entrances, I could see that the structure was made from the same stone as the land around it. Luna described how she had magically pulled the stone from the ground and molded it like clay. It was all an exercise in self discipline, she said.

But when we crossed the threshold of the gate, I looked with horror at the images carved into the walls.  Luna hung her head. The self discipline, she said, wasn’t born of a desire to better herself, but of a need to quiet the insane ravings in her fractured mind.  She had built this during her exile. It was Nightmare Moon who created this ominous structure. The images along the walls gave testament to that.

Unspeakable visages adorned the walls.  They depicted horrors that went beyond what my mind could imagine.  Ponies were being tortured and killed in the most horrific ways imaginable.  Not even the macabre images of Donkay’s Inferno compared to what was carved on the walls of Luna’s giant stone sculpture!

Luna said that these were the first portions of the garden she built, during the first few years of her exile.  This was the time when her anger was at its greatest. We entered a small courtyard with vaulting arches over it, and within the center was the most horrific image that I had yet seen.

It was Celestia, pleading for her life as small, deformed monsters resembling scarab beetles gradually ate and dismembered her. Above Celestia was Nightmare Moon, gloating, and gleefully watching her sister writhe in agony.

I moaned like a filly and looked away.

Luna explained how she was once capable of such acts, or at least thought she was. Her voice sounded strained, as if she were ready to cry. She said that she had spent months magically carving this horrific sculpture, lovingly depicting what she wanted to do to her sister if she ever had the chance. Then she lowered her head in shame.

I pleaded for us to leave that courtyard.

Luna led me into one of the other passages. Once clear of the horrible sculpture, I asked Luna why she had not destroyed it.

Luna said that the darkness that became Nightmare Moon still exists within her, and that she needed to remember what that darkness was capable of. The sculpture, which had started as a wish fulfillment, had become a warning. She had to resist, or at least control, the raging spirit within her.

As we progressed through the stone maze, the images became less gruesome, but equally violent. There were depictions of Luna in battle, usually leading Equestrian soldiers.  The various images portrayed battles against griffons, changelings, canines, and even other ponies. I remembered reading historical accounts of Luna leading soldiers into battle. I asked her to elaborate.

Below one of the larger murals was a phrase written in old Equestrian: Vinco vinco prodeo equinus. I recognized this as the battle cry of the Equestrian military. I remember my brother mentioning this phrase. The most literal translation is “Ponies go forth, vanquish and conquer.” My brother, like many soldiers, prefers the less formal, idiomatic translation: “Ponies, go kick some flank.”

According to legend, that phrase was first used when a large company of ponies met the minions of Discord near the Everfree forest, and successfully drove them off. I asked Luna if this was true. She said not only was it true, but that she herself had spoken them. After their first decisive victory against Discord, the emboldened ponies continued to use Luna’s words as a rallying cry.

Many times Luna led the Equestrian cavalry into battle, and she was usually victorious. Apparently she could use her magic to inspire bravery, while simultaneously striking fear and terror in their opponent. This surprised me. Luna had always struck me as an artist and a dreamer, not a warrior. But history usually doesn’t lie. Luna was also a warrior, and apparently she was a very good one.

Luna explained that this was part of the division of duties between her and Celestia. Celestia was the negotiator. She solved problems by analysis, and by using words and reason to find solutions. By contrast, Luna was a fighter. When words and reason failed, Luna would respond with cunning manipulation, and if necessary, direct confrontation.

Luna now dreaded that part of herself. She said that the inherent violence in her spirit was a large part of what once took away her sanity. She feared that if Princess Luna ever took to the battlefield again, it would be Nightmare Moon that returned from it.  Luna solemnly said that war can have a strange effect on a pony’s mind.

I didn’t know what to say.

I know about war. I was still in school during the last major war Equestria was involved in, and I remember hearing about how horrible it was. I remember wondering why Celestia wouldn’t use her power to simply stop it. Luna sadly explained to me that such isn’t Celestia’s way. Direct confrontation of that type simply isn’t part of her nature. Celestia will always try to use words and reason, even after they have proven themselves ineffective. For Celestia, if victory required large scale death and destruction, then it was no victory and simply wasn’t an option. The very thought of war is so horrible to Celestia that she has difficulty giving it any serious thought.  But Luna can.

Many times in Equestria’s history, when Celestia’s appeals to reason failed, Luna’s ability to meet violence with violence has worked well. This was something that Celestia was never comfortable with, but reluctantly accepted. Celestia had once told Luna that there are some tasks that some ponies simply can not do, but that others can. Not every pony, not even a semi-divine one, is able to perform every task with equal skill.

I then remembered a specific night from when I was a filly. My brother had come home from training for a few days, and it was time for him to return. My great uncle, also a soldier, had traveled to our home to retrieve him, and to pay a family visit. After dinner, my father and his uncle spoke at length about the political drama that was unfolding near a neighboring province.  History now calls this time the Revisionist War. My uncle was exasperated at how the war was being conducted. In a fit of despair he described the actions of the Equestrian government to be timid and indecisive.  For the first time in his life he was questioning Celestia’s ability to lead.

I didn’t understand this, and was outraged. I couldn’t believe how anypony, especially a soldier, could speak out against the Princess like that!  I told my mentor about what I perceived to be treasonous thoughts, and Celestia’s response wasn’t what I expected. Her face fell and her hair briefly went limp. She sighed, and said that the frustrated soldier had a valid concern. She then tried to explain the difference between criticizing a leader and inciting treason. I couldn’t understand what she was saying. I was, apparently, too young or too naïve to see the difference.

About a week after I spoke with Celestia about this, something happened that astonished everpony in Equestria. Celestia turned all handling of the war over to the Parliament, stating that they were better suited to these matters than she. I still couldn’t understand it, and Celestia never discussed the issue again.

Celestia started excusing herself from government proceedings regarding the handling of the war, opting to only periodically advise Parliament.  I remember being dismayed when, after turning the operation of the war over to the Parliament, the tide of war turned. Over the next few months, Equestria launched a series of aggressive offences against Revisionist strongholds, and made considerable progress. For example, the long, horrible siege of Stalliongrad was decisively ended in three coordinated attacks over a two week period. Casualties were high on both sides, but the Revisionists were forced to retreat, and the beleaguered city was freed.

The Revisionist War largely ended a year later. Officially it continued for several months beyond that, and some cells of the Revisionist movement still exist even today. But under the leadership of the Parliament – regular ponies, not the Princess – the war was successfully concluded.

Celestia had no hoof in the planning of the final campaigns, nor did she ever take any credit for the successes of the Cavalry. In fact, she considered the Revisionist War to be the greatest failure of her life.  Words, reason, and negotiation ultimately had no effect. I remember the ceremony where Celestia awarded General Stratigos – commander of the Equestrian military forces – the highest honors a soldier can earn.  Celestia was rightly proud of the grizzled general. But I could also see, in her face, the feeling that his resounding success was mirrored by her dismal failure.

After listening to Luna, certain things began to make sense. The Revisionist War was something that Celestia simply wasn’t designed to handle. War, when necessary, was Luna’s duty. But when that particular war broke out, Luna was still in exile. That forced Celestia to handle a situation for which she had no real aptitude.

The Revisionist War had ended eight years ago.  Luna didn’t return from exile until four years after that.  I wondered what might have happened if Luna had not been in exile when the Revisionist War began. I reluctantly asked Luna for her thoughts on this, and the Princess honestly couldn’t answer. She said it was possible that she could have risen to the role of war leader again, and ended the Revisionist offensive quickly and decisively. But it was also possible that she could have fallen into the spiral of rage and violence that defined Nightmare Moon. And if that had happened, then Equestria could now be in a state far worse than anything the Revisionists, or any other agitator from history, could have brought about.

History had shown the Princess of the Night to be a great warrior.  But the role of warrior was one she never wanted to play again. She no longer wanted to risk bringing the violent part of herself to the surface.  And yet, her precognition told her that eventually Equestria would need its warrior princess again. She didn’t know exactly when, or what the reason would be, but the warrior would one day be needed.

This frightened Luna beyond imagining.

The next set of corridors depicted images of pastoral landscapes, sweeping mountain ranges, lush meadows and other views from the world of Equestria. I even recognized a few of the geographic formations. None of the city images looked familiar, but given that the images were carved as much as 10 centuries ago that wasn't surprising.

These images were beautiful. Princess Luna, ever the artist, had recreated her favorite vistas of Equestria in perfect detail. But there was another element to the images. It wasn't so much a part of the images per se, but the emotions they evoked. Where the previous set of images evoked feelings of aggression, and the ones before that evoked hate, these images did something different. I was having trouble putting my hoof on what I was feeling, so I asked Luna what was special about these images.

Luna wasn't looking at the images.  Instead, she was looking at the floor.

These images were made during the middle period of her exile, she explained. Wallowing in the rage she harbored hadn't achieved anything, nor had basking in her memories of military glory. She was trapped on this lifeless world, and at the time she believed she would be there forever.

So, in an attempt to comfort herself, she carved landscape images depicting the world of Equestria. These had been her favorite places, and if she couldn't see them directly, she elected to re-create them. Her hope was that if she couldn’t go to Equestria, then she could bring Equestria to her, after a fashion.

Luna led me into another courtyard with a partial domed ceiling. It showed a large elliptical projection of the Empire of Equestria. I suddenly felt disoriented as Luna unexpectedly levitated both of us toward the carved map on the curved ceiling. Luna asked me to move in close and examine the detail.  I willed myself closer to the map, and settled on a section of the Unicorn Mountain Range. The city of Canterlot was instantly recognizable, even when reduced to the size of a carving that would have fit on a single hoof. From the position of the various towers and domes, I could tell what historical period the carving represented. Not surprisingly, it was from the time shortly before Luna’s exile.

I looked at an intricate stone carving of a small village in the clouds near Canterlot, presumably the future Cloudsdale. Slightly further away, a small nameless hamlet rested at the junction of three major roads. That hamlet would later become Ponyville.

Luna explained how she had worked for years on what she called the Map Room.  It was her attempt to re-create Equestria in miniature. She smiled when she said this, but the smile vanished when she gestured to the opposite side of the dome. The map ended very abruptly. It looked as if Luna had just simply stopped in the middle of her carving and never came back. She said that once she realized that she could never re-create Equestria, and that the best she could ever hope for was a pale and lifeless imitation, she abandoned the project.

Then I realized what emotion I was feeling: loneliness.

In attempting to bring back the aspects of Equestria that she missed the most, she became more and more aware of how lonely she was. Every hour spent working on the Map Room was an hour longing to see her home again.  And at the time, it was a home she believed was forever lost to her. She decided it was better to be honest in her feelings and be openly lonely, than to attempt hiding behind a piece of art.

We slowly descended to the floor of the room and walked through one of the side doors. The problem with loneliness, Luna said quietly, was that it is impossible to escape.

In the next room was a sculpture of a mountain range, which looked like another part of the Unicorn Range. Luna confirmed that it was a similar, but it was in a part of Equestria far removed from my experience. These mountains were more rugged than most, and more importantly there was one particular mountain that was incredibly tall. Where as most of the mountains on the sculpture were perhaps one or two hoofs high, this one extended dozens of hoofs into the air. I asked Luna if this depicted a real place.

In answer, she led me out of the room and into a wide, unadorned corridor. She asked me to look up. Above me was the world of Equestria. Even while shrouded in night it looked like a large, multicolored disc with clusters of mist scattered across its surface. I squinted, and could make out some of the coastlines I recognized from the maps I had studied as a filly. I was astonished to see, coming from the very center of the world, a long pronounced shadow extending almost a quarter of the way across the world. I became dizzy at the implication.

Luna said that the mountain I had seen on the map sculpture, the same one that was creating the enormous shadow, is called the World Spire. She said that this mountain was literally the center of Equestria. It was from there that the life force of the world itself came from.

I asked her why I had never heard of this place before. Luna chuckled and answered that she and Celestia generally didn't talk about it.  They didn’t want to keep it a secret, but in the past the World Spire had been a source of numerous misunderstandings, many of them violent.   Luna was quick to point out that they never actively suppressed knowledge of the World Spire. They simply didn't bring attention to it. Many beings had in fact explored parts of it, and there had been extensive study into the mysterious mountain. Even the legendary Starswirl the Bearded had studied the World Spire. Luna chuckled and was certain that I would have learned of the mountain sooner or later, and would have studied it myself.

Confused, I asked Luna why she and Celestia refrained from speaking of the World Spire. Luna explained that there were secrets on that mountain that even she and Celestia weren't meant to understand.

Of course, I balked at that. Knowledge is always a good thing, I insisted. The old expression "Ignorance is bliss" was something that I always considered a fallacy. What could a mountain hold, I stammered, that could be so terrible that Luna and Celestia avoided speaking about it?

She said that World Spire held secrets about the origin of Equestria, and insights into the nature of the world itself. Luna knew only a few of these secrets, and Celestia knew only a scant few more. But what she did know humbled and terrified her. I could actually see the fear in the Princesses’ aquamarine eyes.

Some things are better left undiscovered, Luna said solemnly.  But one day they would be discovered, and Equestria might never be the same after that. She said that hopefully, when that time came, I would be able to calm some of the resulting panic.

I was taken aback. I knew that the Princesses had insight into the future, but Luna had just implied that one day I would know things about Equestria that perhaps no pony else knew.  Luna had also expressed hope that when that time came, I would be able to help other ponies understand whatever terrible truths were discovered.

On the one hoof, I was angry that the Princesses had put such a burden on me.  But at the same time, I was honored to know that whatever terrible truth were eventually discovered, they believed I could handle it.  And more importantly, they trusted me to help others understand.

I don't know how long we walked in the stone maze, but at long last we emerged in a courtyard that was largely circular in shape. The large courtyard was dominated by two large statues, but what initially caught my attention was a small statue resting in a niche in the wall near one of the large doors.

A small statue of Discord looked back at me with maniacal eyes. I asked Luna why this statue was here. Luna said that this statue of Discord was actually a recent addition. Two years ago, after Discord had been defeated by the Elements of Harmony, a part of him had been taken here.

I was confused. I remember how Discord was brought to Ponyville to learn the value of friendship.  How could he still be encased in stone?  And why was he on the moon?  Luna explained that only part of his life force was encased here, and that most of him was indeed still on Equestria.

I reluctantly asked her what part of him was contained in this statue.

She said that Discord, like any being, had the potential to be truly evil. Generally, we had only seen his mischievous nature, which while dangerous in its own way, wasn't inherently evil. His recent takeover of Equestria had been relatively brief. Luna explained that had he remained in control, his evil nature would have eventually emerged, just as it had done in the distant past. This statue contained what were the worst parts of Discord.  That is, the part of him that was destructive, vicious, and enjoyed watching other beings suffer.  Apparently, before turning Discord over to us for therapy, Celestia and Luna had somehow removed or diminished these facets of him.

This made me uncomfortable. I can understand why Celestia and Luna wanted to keep Discord's evil aspects contained, but the notion of breaking the life force - the soul - of a being into multiple pieces alarmed me. I asked if Discord knew about this. Luna said that he did, and generally didn't seem to care. He apparently no longer had interest in what he liked to call "big picture concerns.” Also, the moon was one place that was beyond Discord's reach. Thus far he had made no attempt to recover this aspect of himself.

Celestia liked to think that Discord had moved beyond his warped ambitions and had no further use for these aspects. Luna had a more cynical explanation. She believed that Discord knew he had been defeated.  He also knew that if he ever became unmanageable again, the two Princesses would call on the Elements of Harmony to imprison him again. Perhaps Discord considered limited freedom preferable to none at all? At any rate, with his more aggressive and destructive nature trapped on the moon, Discord was on a subtle, but very real leash. I remember being very upset with my mentor at unleashing Discord on Equestria again. But apparently, Celestia had already dealt with his worst aspects long before he was turned over to us.

Even so I suspected I would have to have some uncomfortable words with Celestia on this matter.

We turned back to the large, circular courtyard with the two enormous statues. They were of two towering mares, each almost four times life size, squaring off for mortal combat. I knew they were made of stone, but they looked alive, and were frightening to behold. It took me a few moments to realize that the two mares were actually the same being.  It wasn’t difficult to guess who they represented.

Luna told me that this display was the center, both literally and thematically, of the Garden of Symmetry. One of the statues was Princess Luna as she appeared before her exile. She was clad in full battle armor with a formidable pair of shoulder spears and a frightening horn spear on her helmet. Her opponent was her insane alter-ego, Nightmare Moon, brandishing a gruesome pole-arm. The armor was the largely same on both, but the face of Nightmare Moon had the enraged, demonic expression that I remembered too well. By contract the face of Princess Luna appeared weary, drawn and tired.

The constant battle between the two halves of her soul had taken a toll on Princess Luna. Luna told me that this was the very purpose of her spectacular garden.  It was a physical manifestation of her relentless, internal struggle.  From a distance, the garden was an image of perfect balance and order. But up close, images of rage, aggression, loneliness and self doubt were abundant. Rhetorically, she asked me which of the two statues the real Princess Luna was.  Is she the benevolent creature who guards the night from danger? Who visits and assists ponies through their dreams, while maintaining a beautiful artistic vista in the night sky? Or is she a creature of aggression, anger and war, all too eager to use her dark powers for nefarious reasons, and bend others to her will?

I struggled for an answer, and realized that there really wasn't one. Princess Luna, like any other pony, had many different facets. She was one, the other, neither, and both. Every one of us needs to balance the various conflicting elements within us, and for some this is more difficult than others. For Princess Luna, this is an ongoing struggle. She is always working to maintain her calm, collected appearance, while keeping her conflicting emotions in balance.  And more importantly, keeping Nightmare Moon subdued.

I still didn’t know what to say, but I told Luna that I had no idea she had been under so much pain.

Luna looked at me with a soft, caring expression.  Then everything shifted and went black.

When I opened my eyes, I was back on the balcony of the high tower in Canterlot. The telescope I had been using earlier that night was resting on its rack, and the moon was again a distant form in the sky. Princess Luna was a few hooves away, looking at the moon with a contemplative expression on her face. She looked at me, smiled and thanked me for allowing her to show me her garden. I quickly said that it was I who should be thanking her. Luna had just shown me something that, to my knowledge, no other pony had ever seen before. And it wasn't just the garden she had shown me, but a look into her soul. That a Princess would entrust me with such a gift was an honor I couldn't put into words. I asked her why she had chosen me for this honor.  She simply said that it was something I needed to understand.

Yet another riddle from an immortal princess, I thought, slightly irritated.

It was almost dawn, and in a few minutes Celestia and Luna would be exchanging the moon and the sun.  Before Celestia arrived, I managed to ask one last question of Luna. I asked her how she did this.  How did she manage to keep her various facets in balance? Luna responded with a warm, loving smile, and said that there is no one clear answer.  We all have to balance our facets in our own way, and each of us finds the way that works best for us.  She added that over time our facets change.  Sometimes new ones appear in place of old ones, or old ones take on different meanings. We are always adding to and changing the array of images that adorn the corridors of our own soul.

I thought about my own life, and the various conflicting elements I carried within myself.  I wondered how my soul would look if it were represented in sculpture.

As Celestia emerged on to the balcony, Luna stated that in recent months she had resumed working on the images in her Garden. There were parts of it she hadn't shown me, and there were parts of it that were still blank. These were the facets that would continue to change and evolve, and in so doing alter how the other facets relate to one other.

The Garden of Symmetry would never be finished.

Afterward...

It turns out that several astronomers know about Luna’s stone garden. If you look at the correct part of the lunar surface it’s hard to miss. Most believe it to be the remains of Nightmare Moon's prison, and now a dead structure. It is, of course, more complex than that.

I've never discussed my visit to the moon with others. I suspect it would be hard to describe in any detail, and I'm not sure there is an effective frame of reference that I could use.  To my knowledge, the only other pony that really knows what the Garden of Symmetry contains is Celestia, and I suspect I have a more intimate knowledge of it than she does. I don't think Luna has ever taken her sister to the garden, and Celestia isn't likely to force the issue.  Considering what some of the artwork portrays, this is probably for the best.

On the balcony of my tree house in Ponyville I have a telescope, not unlike the ones used in Canterlot.  On a clear night I can see the moon, and if the conditions are right I can see the various mara, the mana vaults, and the diamond-shaped structure that is the Garden of Symmetry. I can't see many details, even with the telescope magically enhanced. But I recognize some of the larger features, and I can clearly recall what they look like from up close.

Sometimes I look at the distant maze and I wonder if Luna is up there, traversing her memories, or adding to one of the numerous art galleries.  Sometimes I can even see a tiny dark spot moving between the stone walls. And on one occasion, the tiny dark spot seemed to hold still for a moment, during which I could sense a familiar presence watching over me.

Fin.