Lunar Lamentby HuskSummersChaptersEnshrined in the StarsA Blank SlateA Darkly Bright NightEnshrined in the StarsEven after all these years, they had left the room untouched, magically preserved. He had always been her favorite teacher, and she could still smell him amongst his old things. All the books, quills, and magical artifacts were infused with the smell of the old stallion. He had meant so much to the young ruler that, even when she had been corrupted, she still thought of him. And when she was banished to the moon, there was not a day that went by that she did not feel regret for the last things she had said to him. The Princess of the Night remembered it as clearly as only an immortal could. Luna always loved going to the castle library. The books held within were among her favorite items in all the world. But the books were not her favorite part of the library. No, that title belonged to the curious set of rooms tucked away into the North side of the topmost floor of the library. There countless potions stewed, numerous magical artifacts whirred, and a seemingly endless number of hoof-written texts packed the shelves and littered the tables. The old stallion that lived and worked here was one of the most talented unicorns that had ever lived, and more importantly, he was her teacher. The ponies of Equestria knew this pony as Star Swirl the Bearded. He was one of the representatives for the pony nations that had been tasked with finding a new home. The stallion who would have failed had it not been for his apprentice, and one of the founders of Equestria, Clover the Clever. This meant he never got the praise he truly deserved, despite his contribution to the magical world of spells, of which he created over 200. Luna had always felt as though she could trust him without reservation. In him she felt a kindred soul, somepony whose greatest works were severely under-appreciated. In fact, that was what had led Luna to the library that night. She was still attending to her duties with the moon, but, she felt she needed to talk to the old stallion, for maybe he would be able to commiserate with her. When she reached his rooms, she knocked on the door frame. “Come in,” she heard the old mage’s voice say from within. She entered his workspace, and, after checking a few room, found him reading an ancient tome. “I expected that I would receive a visit from you on this fine night my dear Princess Luna.” Luna had gone in hoping to maintain a regal bearing, but hearing the tone of his voice, she couldn’t do it. She broke down and ran to the stallion. “Oh Star Swirl! We know not what to do!” she exclaimed. She sat there, crying into his shoulder as he comforted her. “Shhh, my child. What has brought you to such a state?” Star Swirl continued to hold the young ruler. Though he was not normally a pony to comfort another, he held a special place in his heart for his greatest pupil. He also thought he knew what was bothering her, and he worried that, if he was right, he may have little hope in helping her. Luna, after composing herself enough to speak, answered his question. “Every night have we painted the sky with our stars. We make our masterpieces, with the moon as the crown jewel, and none of the ponies dost view them for they are slumbering!” The frustration in Luna’s voice was almost magical, infusing the air with enough energy to send a chill along Star Swirl’s spine. He looked upon the younger of the Princesses that had taken over rule of the land when they defeated Discord, and he felt pity. He wanted to speak, but he hesitated, and it was good that he did, for Luna continued, “Our SISTER receives all of the praise! She gets all of the attention! We are pushed aside as if we have done nothing! She is treated as the hero and the only true ruler of the land!” Star Swirl wanted to stop her, cut off this tirade before it had an opportunity to grow further, but he was not fast enough. “We were there too! When the great Princess Celestia sealed the evil Discord in stone…She would not have been able to do so without our help! She needed us, and yet, she seems content with taking all the praise!” At this point, Luna had stood and was pacing as she spoke. Frustration was clearly giving way to less pleasant emotions as she added, “She is just fine with shoving us to the side and acting as if we do not exist! She is not the great ruler she pretends to be! Without us she would not sit the throne! SHE IS NOT PERFECT!” Now Star Swirl’s only goal was to calm the storm raging in his pupil’s heart. “Luna my dear. Nopony is perfect. Your sister loves you with all her heart. She cares very deeply for you. You may not feel like this is the truth, but deep in your heart, you know it to be so,” he explained calmly. He hoped he could get through to her, but he had been observing her for some time now, and this descent had occurred as he had predicted it would. “Your nights do not go unappreciated either. Countless ponies look up into the night sky and see the beauty that you bring to the world. I am among those that cherish your starry nights, child.” His voice, though calm, hinted at his desperation to save his pupil and to stop her fall from grace. Luna seemed to calm as she tried to process what he said. All was silent for a few minutes, but her anger returned, and this time, it was directed not at her sister, but at her teacher. “We knew it! You always did like her better didn’t you? No pony on this world could ever understand us! We should have known this is how it would end! THOU ART NO BETTER THAN OUR SISTER!” Her yelling was bound to wake up half the castle, but she did not care, she was too far into her stride. “How couldst thou do this to us? We cannot understand…” Her voice trailed off, and Star Swirl was about to speak when she burst out again, “NO! We care not for thy excuses! We shall leave, and when next thou seest us, we shall be at the head of an army so great that even the great Sun shall tremble before its might! Thou hast betrayed us, and for that we despise you…” Without another word the Princess of the Night took off, and Star Swirl was left there, standing alone in his study. That night the stallion that was oft considered emotionless by those who knew him shed the first tear of many to come. Luna’s eyes teared up after recalling all of the spiteful things she had said to her beloved mentor. She wished that she could go back, if only for a moment, to see the old stallion one more time and beg his forgiveness. She had been a foolish mare, tainted by jealousy and disillusioned with the world. “You know he never stopped trying to find out a way to save you,” Celestia told her younger sister. Luna had been so absorbed in her own thoughts that the sudden closeness of the Solar Princess’s voice startled her. Celestia beckoned for Luna to follow her, and she led the Princess of the Night into Star Swirl’s sleeping quarters. When they entered, the entire room was covered in books, most of them diagramming the night sky, the moon, and so many spells that many were hard to decipher from the others. “Even as he lay dying he was working on a way to return you to us in your normal form. He tried so very hard, and he never once lost faith in you. Even through the war…he thought he might be able to change you back,” Celestia spoke, remembering the desperation that struck the old mage in his final days. She held back a tear as she remembered him, trying his best to finish his work before he passed in the hopes that he may save her sister. Luna did not have as much luck in holding back the flow of emotions. She had always been the more intense of the two sisters, and the tears flowed as she wandered about the room. “I wish I could see him one more time Tia. He tried to save me…even after all those horrible things I said to him,” Luna spoke in a pained tone. Celestia crossed the room to her, and her sister close. “I miss him so very much sister.” “As do I Luna.” She held her younger sister until the tears stopped flowing and the starry-maned princess pulled away. “I think I would like to be alone for a little while now sister,” Luna said shakily. She knew that Celestia only wanted to help, but for now, that was one thing she did not want. The Princess of the Sun nodded in understanding and left her sister to the memories of the room. Looking around, a tome caught her eye. It was the same ancient one that Star Swirl had been reading that painful night over 1000 years ago. She opened it carefully with her magic, and turned it to the exact page he had been on that night. As she did, a piece of parchment fell from the large book. It was much newer than the book though. It was addressed to her, so she opened it. She wasn’t surprised to see Star Swirl’s scribbling hand writing. My dear Luna, I know that, despite my best efforts, I will not see you return in my lifetime. That means that since you are reading this, I am gone. I wanted you to know a few things, and hopefully you may be able to forgive me. I hope that you may forgive me for being unable to stop your fall. If only I had acted on my initial observations, maybe you would have never had to suffer that horrible exile. I blame myself for not being able to save you, for that ability rested with me alone. Please know my little one, you were not unloved. You were not unappreciated. Your beautiful night skies were beloved by many, myself chief among them. They were works of art that nopony could recreate, and only the little Snowdrop could capture their beauty within her snowflakes. You were a beautiful young mare, a gracious ruler, and the greatest pupil I ever had the pleasure of mentoring. I hope that, whenever you next feel unappreciated, you look back upon this letter and know that you have never gone unloved. Farewell little one. Go forth and retake your mantle as Princess of the Moon. I know you will be a fair and just ruler. Love, Star Swirl Luna’s heart ached as she read the letter. He had always known just what to say to cheer her up. Even in her heartache she felt the happiness. “Oh, if only I could have seen things as I do now. We could have had so much more time together…I must make do with my memories of you instead. But, I promise you that you will never be forgotten,” Luna spoke solemnly to the room. After staring at the letter for a few moments more, she strode to the doors set into the far wall that led to Star Swirl’s balcony. Looking up into her night sky from the balcony, she hatched an idea, and she set the letter down before going to work. It took her hours, but she finally finished her masterpiece. She considered it her greatest piece she had ever wrought on the sky, and it also allowed her to honor the stallion that had been like a father to her. His likeness would forever remain in her sky, one of the great constellations. Anypony could now look up and see him, Star Swirl, forever enshrined in the stars. Author's Note Well, this was a project that appeared out of the blue in my mind. I just couldn't stop thinking about it, so I had to write it down. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to some good constructive criticism! Thanks for the support y'all! A Blank SlateJust under a week had passed since she had placed Star Swirl amongst the stars, and already the light clouds of the season were blocking it out. This didn’t bother Luna too much. No, tonight she had a different mission in mind. This mission was her reason for travelling so very far from Canterlot. She wanted to be without guards for this. Besides, the clouds provided her with an excuse to let the moon sit still every so often without anypony but a stray pegasus or two to notice. Luna was flying as fast as she could through the night in order to reach her destination in time. She had been very lucky that it hadn’t started yet. She hoped the pegasi would hold off until she was there. The event that was about to occur was one that she hadn’t seen in just over 1000 years. As always, her actions before her banishment had been most regrettable. They had caused her to miss out on so very much. Now though, given a second chance by the Elements, she would do whatever she could to right the wrongs she had committed. Though much of what she did could never be fixed…the faces of ponies who had marched away from their families, only to die in a civil war that she had started haunted her daily. Luna wanted to wash away everything, go back in time, and never turn down that path. The tears started to well up, but she refused to allow them to fall, not yet at least. Luna finally reached her destination after a few hours of flight. What she was doing had been agreed upon before she had turned into Nightmare Moon. She never thought that, after her change, this agreement would have been honored. Especially after 1000 years of imprisonment upon the moon. But, looking upon the main square of Cloudsdale, she saw them; the descendants of the only pony to understand all of the intricacies of Princess Luna’s stars, little Snowdrop. “Princess!” Snowdrop exclaimed upon Luna’s arrival. It always amused Luna how she could tell Luna’s wing beats, walk, and landing from those of other ponies. Even if that was the only skill this pegasus possessed, it would have made her unique. However, she had more skills than that, and these skills were what had brought her to the attention of both Celestia and Luna. Ever since that Spring Sunrise a decade prior, Luna had taken a very special interest in this young, blind, pegasus. Luna had taken her under her wing, making Snowdrop her own personal student, even though she was still taking her own lessons with Star Swirl, and despite the fact that Snowdrop was not a unicorn. Luna forced herself to stop thinking of Star Swirl. She would not go back down that road, not after what happened the previous week. His betrayal was too fresh. Snowdrop had grown into such a beautiful young mare before the Princess’s eyes. Her physical growth was not the only one that this young one had gone through. Luna had watched as the quiet little Snowdrop grew into a mare that could socialize as easily as any other pony, though she tended to remain withdrawn at times. Not unlike the way the Princess had matured, and so Luna saw much of herself in Snowdrop. The snowflakes that Snowdrop made…they fascinated Luna so. She could spend hours sitting with Snowflake, just talking with her as she worked. The many conversations they had together influenced both of their works. Luna reminded her student often that hearing isn’t the only sense that she could rely upon to create her art, and Snowdrop consistently showed that hearing and listening were very different things. “Princess, I’ve been listening to your stars tonight. They sound beautiful as always,” The little pegasus said as Luna sat next to her. This one comment, oft repeated by Snowdrop during their meetings, brightened Luna’s day every time she heard it. “Thank you Snowdrop. We take it you are nearly ready for your big event?” Luna asked, happiness piercing through the sadness that had, until that point, consumed Luna for days, but it could not completely drive it from her heart. Nothing could, because it had anchored itself there like some parasite, feeding off her jealousy. The question caused Snowdrop to respond animatedly. “Oh! I’m so close! I’m already done! I’m just making extra for later! I’m hoping to make enough snowflakes to last a thousand years!” Her enthusiasm was clear, and her dedication to the position she had been appointed to could not be matched. However, Luna, despite being happy for her student, couldn’t help but wonder why ponies enjoyed Snowdrop’s snowflakes so much more than Luna’s own star-filled nights. It just didn’t seem fair that ponies should like something based off her stars more than her stars themselves. Luna’s thoughts were interrupted by Snowdrop’s voice, “Princess? Why are you sad? And, why do you sound so tired?” Luna should have known that such a perceptive little pony would pick up on things such as this. It had only been a few days, the wounds ran deep, and they were fresh, and so, even though she expected the question, she was not ready for it. “I…We do not wish to speak of it Snowdrop. It hurts us too much,” the Night Princess responded, hoping that Snowdrop would let the issue go. Her student had learned much from her though, and she turned her lessons against her. “But…didn’t you say that the best way to make another feel better was just to listen to their problems, and that the best way to feel better about your own issues was to speak to someone you trust?” Snowdrop asked with the innocence of freshly fallen snow. Luna couldn’t believe that her own words were being used against her, but she knew she had no choice. “I am sorry my friend. We did not mean to snap at you. I…someone we trusted dearly has hurt us, and our relationship is irretrievably ruined. He told us things…things that were simply untrue, and we could not stand to hear him, someone we had held so close, lie to us. We have not returned to Canterlot since that day. Instead, we have been living where we please, building our own place in the Everfree Forest,” Luna told her student. As she watched Snowdrop, Luna could see her trying her best to formulate the question. The pegasus clearly did not want to upset Luna, and this tip-hooving around made Luna feel even more helpless. “Wha…um…What could he have possibly said to hurt you? I’ve never felt you this upset.” Snowdrop’s question, though well thought out, caused that pit in Luna to grow, ever so slightly. Luna, however, held herself back from lashing out. “He tried to convince us of many things. He said that many ponies enjoy the glow of my stars, the art of the night. ‘Tis a lie! Nopony truly loves the night! They are all too busy basking the glow of my sister’s radiant sunlight!” Luna’s thoughts turned to jealousy as she remembered the conversation from a few days before. Snowdrop tried to convince her that Star Swirl had not lied. “But Princess! I love your night! Your night is as beautiful as any sunrise! Your star-,” Snowdrop tried to salvage her mentor’s relationship with her close ‘friend’, but Luna had already lost what little hold she had over her emotions. “No! Do not patronize us! We will not stand by and let you say things you do not mean in order to try and calm us! We are not to be treated like a little filly, consoled at the loss of someone who would betray us! Just because all ponies relish the chance to see your snowflakes does not mean you may treat us as if we are below you!” Luna’s instability grew by the moment, and with her final words she took off from the cloud. Tears were already streaming down Snowdrop’s face before Luna tore into her again, “Someday soon, you will remember these things you have said to me, and you will beg my forgiveness! But you will never receive it!” The princess spat out the words like poison, and Snowdrop recoiled from each, as if they physically hurt her. The Princess of the Night flew off, down to the palace she was slowly building in the Everfree, turning her back on the student she had loved as her own child for little over a decade. For hours did she work, her mind consumed by hatred and jealousy. If anypony had been there to notice, they would have noticed her coat slowly darkening. Hours later, after Luna had calmed, and as the sun rose in the East, Luna noticed that a large cloud drifted overhead. It swooped particularly low once it reached her castle grounds. Only one pony in all of Equestria knew where Luna was building her palace. Only those she told could find it, otherwise it was undetectable because of one of her spells. The cloud, which stayed overhead for a short time, suddenly let loose with a plethora of snowflakes. This was the first snow of the year, Snowdrop’s big event. Luna watched in disgust as the snow fell, buy when it got to her, she could not help but put a hoof up and catch a flake or two. What she saw surprised her. The only snowflake she caught, an extremely large one, happened to be shaped just like her cutie mark and Snowdrop’s entwined together. How could a blind pegasus do this? This made it even harder on Luna, who felt that the snow flake maker was mocking her, and so, she crushed the flake, relishing in its destruction. Little did she know that Snowdrop was listening, and the sound of that snowflake being broken to pieces was enough to finish breaking her heart. Once again, the memories of what Luna had done during her transformation from the Nightmare parasite haunted her. Each of them were painful lessons, reminding her that, though she be a goddess and a princess, she was far from perfect. They were costly lessons, each and every one of them. With that thought, Luna looked on at the gathered descendants of her faithful student. Luna, knowing the great honor that was being given to her, stood tall in front of her subjects, and they looked on, wondering what a princess could say after so long. “Thank you all for upholding that agreement made so very long ago. I wish that I could have seen Snowdrop grow old with such a family as this. She would have made me proud, and indeed she has made me proud,” Luna spoke. Her voice, though loud, was gentle and full of emotion, and it faltered at times. “Snowdrop was ever the faithful and caring student, always wishing for my approval, and always knowing when I needed a friendly ear, or a kind word. If only the teacher had remained as faithful and true, so many unneeded events could have been avoided. I hope that you all will find it in your hearts to forgive me for leaving your beloved Snowdrop, though I understand if you do not. However, tonight, Snowdrop receives her final release, as she wished.” As Luna finished, a pegasus bearing a vase stepped forward. Her long march was a silent one, as even the night seemed to hush in anticipation for the coming event. Right before the filly reached Luna, the princess heard a pony in the crowd cough. At the sound of the cough, the little filly’s eyes widened, and she came to a screeching halt, bowing before the princess and presenting her with the vase. Luna was quite taken aback by her eyes, but she did not speak on it. She would wait until after the ceremony to do so. Luna took the vase in her magic, floating it up to eye level before she turned and walked to the edge of the cloud. Snowdrop’s family members followed, and all stood silent once again, waiting for Princess Luna to act. “Thus do we give you release dear Snowdrop!” Luna cried, and she tipped the vase with her magic. Right as she did so, a curious wind picked up, blowing the ashes outward, mixing in with the snowflakes that were just beginning to fall. The first snowfall of the year. “Goodbye my student…my friend,” Luna whispered her final goodbye. After several minutes of standing there and watching the snow fall, Luna felt somepony’s hoof touch her own hind hoof. Luna smiled softly. It was the young pegasus filly that had brought Snowdrop’s ashes forward. She was a beautiful white coated filly, with a matching white mane that was accented with a blue strip down the middle. However, her eyes were the most important. Those pale-blue, unseeing eyes. Snowdrop’s eyes. “Yes little one?” Luna asked. The filly shied a bit, but stood fast and eventually, after a little encouragement from her mother, spoke. “Um…Princess? My name…is Crystal Frost. I was…uh…I meant to ask…well, if you were willing…would you…would you take me as a student? I…well, if you look at my cutiemark…” The little filly spoke very softly, and it was almost overwhelming to Luna. Looking at the young one’s cutie mark, Luna could see an embellished snowflake. It was extremely ornate, a far cry from Snowdrop’s simple flake, but there was no denying what this young filly was destined to do. One time, not to long ago, Luna had believed there were no second chances. Now though, she knew better. She’d already been given a second chance at living with her sister, and now she was being given another chance at mentoring a pony. She only hoped that she would be able truly deserve these second chances someday. With tears in her eyes, Luna swept up the apprehensive Crystal Frost, giving her a hug as she answered, “Oh little one, I would love nothing more than to take you under my wing!” It was abundantly clear to Luna now that her slate had been wiped clean by the ponies in front of her, just like the falling snow wiped clean the face of the earth. Author's Note I apologize to all my readers for my extensive lack of content production. I have a job that I currently work somewhere between 45-50 hours a week. It is labor intensive so I often just do not have the energy to devote to my writing. That being said, I will try my best to focus a bit more on my fics. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! As always, any feedback is always appreciated. If you hated it, tell me, and I will endeavor to make it better based upon your advice and my own experience. Any formatting, spelling, and grammar issues are also always welcome to be discussed! A Darkly Bright NightAN: Here y'all go! After such a long time not updating this story, I finally sat down and had enough drive to write a chapter. All in one go I might add. As always, constructive criticism is encouraged as it helps me become a better author and to improve the quality of my chapters! It's always good to have fresh eyes take a look at your writing! As Princess Luna started falling into a routine teaching young Crystal Frost, she came to regret her past decisions more, and she did her best to make up for them with the second chance given to her. She gave lessons to Crystal Frost that she taught to Snowdrop, and passed on knowledge that Snowdrop had bestowed upon her despite her young age. One night however, when she was not teaching young Crystal Frost, she stumbled upon an old memory within her room. Many of the books and tomes in her room had gone untouched since she had returned, and she only slowly looked over them. Most nights they brought back small memories. In the one she had read the night before it reminded Luna of the time the Princesses had traveled to the ancient home of the dragons in order to meet with their High King. It had been such a fantastical journey in which they experienced many of the wonders this world had to offer. As good as that memory was, this night brought back bittersweet memories that suddenly, and without warning, gave way to heartbreak. The set of books were a retelling of the many adventures upon which the Midnight Guard had embarked in Luna’s name. Reading about the ponies who so loyally guarded her brought many-a-face to mind, and with each story her longing for their company grew. Ponies long since dead came to life around her, once more performing their greatest feats, telling their finest moments, and sacrificing themselves again for her sake. Each page hoof-written by either the pony who performed the feat, or the head of the Midnight Guard for those whose sacrifices had been final. As the Princess of the Night neared the end of the final volume, neared her inevitable loss of sanity, her change, she knew that it would be an abrupt end. This was due to the fact that she had not taken the tome with her when she claimed her own castle in the Everfree. Many of her guard followed her to the forest, hoping, if anything, that they could at least protect her, if not save her from her own destruction. One such guard that had followed her was the always valiant Captain of the Midnight Guard, Bright Night. He was a large unicorn stallion with a black coat, charcoal mane, and a cutie mark depicting a shield overlayed with a sword and star. She had always kept him close no matter where she went. Though she shouldn’t have had one, he was always her favorite. His charming personality and great wit kept her entertained for hours on end, and his dashing looks meant she never tired looking upon him. It was he who wrote the final entry into the book, an entry that had very clearly been written after her transformation. Luna read the entry in near disbelief. She had thought that he had been killed by Celestia’s forces in a chance skirmish. Now, seeing his hoof-writing, it was very clear he had not been killed. My Beloved Princess Luna, I pray that one day you may return, become what you once were; I wish you all the happiness of being amongst your family once more. However, I know that it is not to be within my time, and so I am writing you this final letter, here in the annals of my proud heritage, in the hopes that you will find it. You stated so often that the reason you left, the reason you rebelled, and the reason you wanted to claim what you felt was yours by right was that there was nopony who truly loved your night. You wanted ponies to adore you, bask in your beautiful night, and make them love you. When you felt that wasn’t possible, you decided to rule by fear. This change, though I should have seen it occurring, was startlingly rapid. However, you never seemed to realize that there were so many who cared for you. So many of us who dedicated ourselves to you out of the love we bore you. So many ponies that were greatly saddened by losing you. Every word he wrote made Princess Luna’s throat constrict more and more. He had every right to be angry with her, to tell her just how much she had hurt others. She did not deserve the dedication with which all those great ponies had served her. And she knew that she could never live up to all the sacrifices made for her. She didn’t want to keep reading, but she knew she must, if only to see his signature… There are so many who mourn for you every night, pray to you every night, and hope that you may return to us in due time. But, as I stated before, I know it is not to be within my time. I carry with me many regrets of my time as the Captain of your guard. I regret not being able to save you, and not being there for you when you needed me most. I regret having to fake my death in order to escape to Celestia to aid her in trying to save you. Most of all, I regret never having been able to establish my true feelings for you. Though you were my princess, the royal whom I was sworn to protect and to whom I owed a love that drove me to protect you, it was not all that I felt. As our time together grew, I realized that you were not a Goddess-Princess that was above everything. You were a pony like any other. You had dreams of things to come, fears of the unknown, and a great many emotions that you did not display to the outside world. However, when I became the Captain of your guard, and even before that, I became your confidant. You bestowed upon me all of your secrets, all of your worries and your triumphs. Anything you felt worth telling, you told me. And so, when you began to grow quieter, I should have realized that something was wrong. I should have been able to save you, and I am utterly sorry for my inability to do so. If only I had been able, so much hurt could have been avoided. And so I leave you with my parting words. Luna, Princess of the Night, you were my whole world, and the one thing I do not regret is having fallen for you. With a heavy heart, and all the love it bears, Bright Night Ex-Captain of the Midnight Guard Luna did not know when the tears had started, but they flowed freely now. A stream that threatened to ruin the ink and stain the pages of this book she held so dear. She gingerly placed the book down upon her desk and went to the comfort of her bed. If only she had not been so foolish, so blinded by her own jealousy, she could have seen the feelings he bore her. The same feelings that she had for him, but she had kept secret for she thought he could never reciprocate them. Even if he had, she knew they could never have had a relationship...or maybe they could have. Thinking now to Shining Armor and her young cousin Cadenza..the Captain of the Royal Guard and a princess…the tears flowed with renewed strength at this realization. As she lay there, she heard her door open and quickly shut. “Oh Luna…” Celestia spoke softly after seeing what he younger sister had been reading. She knew that was written there, for she had read it countless times over the centuries, and she knew only heartbreak resided there. Wrapping Luna up in a comforting hug, she spoke again, “I’m sorry my sister. He was a great pony, completely and utterly dedicated to you.” “Why does it never get easier sister? Why must we always suffer, always outlive those we love? Why must I hurt so?” Luna asked her sister in desperation. Celestia, pitying her tear-filled sister’s state, answered, “It is always hard to lose those we love. It is who we are and the burden we must bear. But it does not always have to hurt. Because, as long as we remember, they don’t ever truly leave us.” With her sister’s explanation, Luna, finally starting to calm herself, looked up once more to her older sister. “What became of my beloved Bright Night?” She asked the Princess of the Sun. Celestia smiled at her sister’s question, because it was an answer she had prepared to give for so long. She hoped that it would suffice to bring her some solace. “At my request, he moved back to the castle, under the assumed name of Starshine, and became an instructor at both the School for Gifted Unicorns, and the Military Institute, but he refused to ever again pick up a weapon. Instead, he taught defensive magic and military tactics,” she stated fluidly. She had more, but she wanted Luna to ask the right questions. “And did he move on? Did he find somepony? Please tell me that he lived his life sister…” Luna nearly begged. Giving her sister a gentle, reassuring smile, Celestia answered, “Eventually he did move on, and he did find somepony. A rather gifted unicorn who started teaching at the same time he did. It took her quite some time, but she was able to help mend his heart.” Once again she did not finish everything she had to say, because she still wanted her sister to piece it together. “And did they have children? What was her surname?” Luna’s questions came rapidly with great hope. This gave Celestia all the confirmation she needed to know that she had wisely placed her faith in her sister’s inquisitive nature. With a smile, she answered her sister… THUMP THUMP THUMP A loud banging at the door of the Library woke Twilight Sparkle from her slumber. Ever the Night Owl and never the Morning pony, she grumbled at having been woken up at 3 in the morning. Prepared to be short with whomever was at the door, she opened it with magic. The appearance of both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia made her jolt out of her half-sleep state and suddenly try to fix her rather disheveled mane. She barely had time to react before Princess Luna tackled her to the ground with a hug. She did not even have to ask the Princess what it was for, as Luna spoke, “Oh Twilight. You make your ancestors so proud. The fact that you were the one to rescue me, save me from myself. I am absolutely positive that Bright Light is beaming from his place looking down upon us.” Twilight could only wonder at who Bright Night was. She had extensively researched her family’s history and she had never come across a Bright Night, but the name did sound familiar. Upon seeing her inquisitive look, Luna remembered what Celestia had told her about the alias. He must have never told a soul his real name. Maybe it had been a way to distance himself from the pain. Either way, Luna knew she had to clarify and so she told Twilight, “Your ancestor, the man you know as Starshine Sparkle, was once upon a time known as Bright Night, famed captain of the Midnight Guard.” With the revelation that Starshine and Bright Night were one and the same, Twilight’s eyes widened. “Bright Night was declared Killed in Action against Loyalist forces during the rebellion though...how could he be Starshine?” She asked the princesses, utterly confused. Celestia, having been watching the excitement of her sister all this time, stepped forward, “I can answer that for you my star pupil.” And so she recounted how he had not died, but false information of his death had been widely spread in order to smuggle him into the castle in secret, his name change, and his eventual falling for a young mare with the surname of Sparkle. With that revelation, and further explanation from Princess Luna about her relationship with Bright Night, she and Twilight had much to talk about. And as Celestia watched the two converse for the rest night, she could not help but think to herself… Even on the darkest of nights, there will always be a light to guide you through, and none knew that better than Luna.
Enshrined in the StarsEven after all these years, they had left the room untouched, magically preserved. He had always been her favorite teacher, and she could still smell him amongst his old things. All the books, quills, and magical artifacts were infused with the smell of the old stallion. He had meant so much to the young ruler that, even when she had been corrupted, she still thought of him. And when she was banished to the moon, there was not a day that went by that she did not feel regret for the last things she had said to him. The Princess of the Night remembered it as clearly as only an immortal could. Luna always loved going to the castle library. The books held within were among her favorite items in all the world. But the books were not her favorite part of the library. No, that title belonged to the curious set of rooms tucked away into the North side of the topmost floor of the library. There countless potions stewed, numerous magical artifacts whirred, and a seemingly endless number of hoof-written texts packed the shelves and littered the tables. The old stallion that lived and worked here was one of the most talented unicorns that had ever lived, and more importantly, he was her teacher. The ponies of Equestria knew this pony as Star Swirl the Bearded. He was one of the representatives for the pony nations that had been tasked with finding a new home. The stallion who would have failed had it not been for his apprentice, and one of the founders of Equestria, Clover the Clever. This meant he never got the praise he truly deserved, despite his contribution to the magical world of spells, of which he created over 200. Luna had always felt as though she could trust him without reservation. In him she felt a kindred soul, somepony whose greatest works were severely under-appreciated. In fact, that was what had led Luna to the library that night. She was still attending to her duties with the moon, but, she felt she needed to talk to the old stallion, for maybe he would be able to commiserate with her. When she reached his rooms, she knocked on the door frame. “Come in,” she heard the old mage’s voice say from within. She entered his workspace, and, after checking a few room, found him reading an ancient tome. “I expected that I would receive a visit from you on this fine night my dear Princess Luna.” Luna had gone in hoping to maintain a regal bearing, but hearing the tone of his voice, she couldn’t do it. She broke down and ran to the stallion. “Oh Star Swirl! We know not what to do!” she exclaimed. She sat there, crying into his shoulder as he comforted her. “Shhh, my child. What has brought you to such a state?” Star Swirl continued to hold the young ruler. Though he was not normally a pony to comfort another, he held a special place in his heart for his greatest pupil. He also thought he knew what was bothering her, and he worried that, if he was right, he may have little hope in helping her. Luna, after composing herself enough to speak, answered his question. “Every night have we painted the sky with our stars. We make our masterpieces, with the moon as the crown jewel, and none of the ponies dost view them for they are slumbering!” The frustration in Luna’s voice was almost magical, infusing the air with enough energy to send a chill along Star Swirl’s spine. He looked upon the younger of the Princesses that had taken over rule of the land when they defeated Discord, and he felt pity. He wanted to speak, but he hesitated, and it was good that he did, for Luna continued, “Our SISTER receives all of the praise! She gets all of the attention! We are pushed aside as if we have done nothing! She is treated as the hero and the only true ruler of the land!” Star Swirl wanted to stop her, cut off this tirade before it had an opportunity to grow further, but he was not fast enough. “We were there too! When the great Princess Celestia sealed the evil Discord in stone…She would not have been able to do so without our help! She needed us, and yet, she seems content with taking all the praise!” At this point, Luna had stood and was pacing as she spoke. Frustration was clearly giving way to less pleasant emotions as she added, “She is just fine with shoving us to the side and acting as if we do not exist! She is not the great ruler she pretends to be! Without us she would not sit the throne! SHE IS NOT PERFECT!” Now Star Swirl’s only goal was to calm the storm raging in his pupil’s heart. “Luna my dear. Nopony is perfect. Your sister loves you with all her heart. She cares very deeply for you. You may not feel like this is the truth, but deep in your heart, you know it to be so,” he explained calmly. He hoped he could get through to her, but he had been observing her for some time now, and this descent had occurred as he had predicted it would. “Your nights do not go unappreciated either. Countless ponies look up into the night sky and see the beauty that you bring to the world. I am among those that cherish your starry nights, child.” His voice, though calm, hinted at his desperation to save his pupil and to stop her fall from grace. Luna seemed to calm as she tried to process what he said. All was silent for a few minutes, but her anger returned, and this time, it was directed not at her sister, but at her teacher. “We knew it! You always did like her better didn’t you? No pony on this world could ever understand us! We should have known this is how it would end! THOU ART NO BETTER THAN OUR SISTER!” Her yelling was bound to wake up half the castle, but she did not care, she was too far into her stride. “How couldst thou do this to us? We cannot understand…” Her voice trailed off, and Star Swirl was about to speak when she burst out again, “NO! We care not for thy excuses! We shall leave, and when next thou seest us, we shall be at the head of an army so great that even the great Sun shall tremble before its might! Thou hast betrayed us, and for that we despise you…” Without another word the Princess of the Night took off, and Star Swirl was left there, standing alone in his study. That night the stallion that was oft considered emotionless by those who knew him shed the first tear of many to come. Luna’s eyes teared up after recalling all of the spiteful things she had said to her beloved mentor. She wished that she could go back, if only for a moment, to see the old stallion one more time and beg his forgiveness. She had been a foolish mare, tainted by jealousy and disillusioned with the world. “You know he never stopped trying to find out a way to save you,” Celestia told her younger sister. Luna had been so absorbed in her own thoughts that the sudden closeness of the Solar Princess’s voice startled her. Celestia beckoned for Luna to follow her, and she led the Princess of the Night into Star Swirl’s sleeping quarters. When they entered, the entire room was covered in books, most of them diagramming the night sky, the moon, and so many spells that many were hard to decipher from the others. “Even as he lay dying he was working on a way to return you to us in your normal form. He tried so very hard, and he never once lost faith in you. Even through the war…he thought he might be able to change you back,” Celestia spoke, remembering the desperation that struck the old mage in his final days. She held back a tear as she remembered him, trying his best to finish his work before he passed in the hopes that he may save her sister. Luna did not have as much luck in holding back the flow of emotions. She had always been the more intense of the two sisters, and the tears flowed as she wandered about the room. “I wish I could see him one more time Tia. He tried to save me…even after all those horrible things I said to him,” Luna spoke in a pained tone. Celestia crossed the room to her, and her sister close. “I miss him so very much sister.” “As do I Luna.” She held her younger sister until the tears stopped flowing and the starry-maned princess pulled away. “I think I would like to be alone for a little while now sister,” Luna said shakily. She knew that Celestia only wanted to help, but for now, that was one thing she did not want. The Princess of the Sun nodded in understanding and left her sister to the memories of the room. Looking around, a tome caught her eye. It was the same ancient one that Star Swirl had been reading that painful night over 1000 years ago. She opened it carefully with her magic, and turned it to the exact page he had been on that night. As she did, a piece of parchment fell from the large book. It was much newer than the book though. It was addressed to her, so she opened it. She wasn’t surprised to see Star Swirl’s scribbling hand writing. My dear Luna, I know that, despite my best efforts, I will not see you return in my lifetime. That means that since you are reading this, I am gone. I wanted you to know a few things, and hopefully you may be able to forgive me. I hope that you may forgive me for being unable to stop your fall. If only I had acted on my initial observations, maybe you would have never had to suffer that horrible exile. I blame myself for not being able to save you, for that ability rested with me alone. Please know my little one, you were not unloved. You were not unappreciated. Your beautiful night skies were beloved by many, myself chief among them. They were works of art that nopony could recreate, and only the little Snowdrop could capture their beauty within her snowflakes. You were a beautiful young mare, a gracious ruler, and the greatest pupil I ever had the pleasure of mentoring. I hope that, whenever you next feel unappreciated, you look back upon this letter and know that you have never gone unloved. Farewell little one. Go forth and retake your mantle as Princess of the Moon. I know you will be a fair and just ruler. Love, Star Swirl Luna’s heart ached as she read the letter. He had always known just what to say to cheer her up. Even in her heartache she felt the happiness. “Oh, if only I could have seen things as I do now. We could have had so much more time together…I must make do with my memories of you instead. But, I promise you that you will never be forgotten,” Luna spoke solemnly to the room. After staring at the letter for a few moments more, she strode to the doors set into the far wall that led to Star Swirl’s balcony. Looking up into her night sky from the balcony, she hatched an idea, and she set the letter down before going to work. It took her hours, but she finally finished her masterpiece. She considered it her greatest piece she had ever wrought on the sky, and it also allowed her to honor the stallion that had been like a father to her. His likeness would forever remain in her sky, one of the great constellations. Anypony could now look up and see him, Star Swirl, forever enshrined in the stars. Author's Note Well, this was a project that appeared out of the blue in my mind. I just couldn't stop thinking about it, so I had to write it down. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to some good constructive criticism! Thanks for the support y'all!
A Blank SlateJust under a week had passed since she had placed Star Swirl amongst the stars, and already the light clouds of the season were blocking it out. This didn’t bother Luna too much. No, tonight she had a different mission in mind. This mission was her reason for travelling so very far from Canterlot. She wanted to be without guards for this. Besides, the clouds provided her with an excuse to let the moon sit still every so often without anypony but a stray pegasus or two to notice. Luna was flying as fast as she could through the night in order to reach her destination in time. She had been very lucky that it hadn’t started yet. She hoped the pegasi would hold off until she was there. The event that was about to occur was one that she hadn’t seen in just over 1000 years. As always, her actions before her banishment had been most regrettable. They had caused her to miss out on so very much. Now though, given a second chance by the Elements, she would do whatever she could to right the wrongs she had committed. Though much of what she did could never be fixed…the faces of ponies who had marched away from their families, only to die in a civil war that she had started haunted her daily. Luna wanted to wash away everything, go back in time, and never turn down that path. The tears started to well up, but she refused to allow them to fall, not yet at least. Luna finally reached her destination after a few hours of flight. What she was doing had been agreed upon before she had turned into Nightmare Moon. She never thought that, after her change, this agreement would have been honored. Especially after 1000 years of imprisonment upon the moon. But, looking upon the main square of Cloudsdale, she saw them; the descendants of the only pony to understand all of the intricacies of Princess Luna’s stars, little Snowdrop. “Princess!” Snowdrop exclaimed upon Luna’s arrival. It always amused Luna how she could tell Luna’s wing beats, walk, and landing from those of other ponies. Even if that was the only skill this pegasus possessed, it would have made her unique. However, she had more skills than that, and these skills were what had brought her to the attention of both Celestia and Luna. Ever since that Spring Sunrise a decade prior, Luna had taken a very special interest in this young, blind, pegasus. Luna had taken her under her wing, making Snowdrop her own personal student, even though she was still taking her own lessons with Star Swirl, and despite the fact that Snowdrop was not a unicorn. Luna forced herself to stop thinking of Star Swirl. She would not go back down that road, not after what happened the previous week. His betrayal was too fresh. Snowdrop had grown into such a beautiful young mare before the Princess’s eyes. Her physical growth was not the only one that this young one had gone through. Luna had watched as the quiet little Snowdrop grew into a mare that could socialize as easily as any other pony, though she tended to remain withdrawn at times. Not unlike the way the Princess had matured, and so Luna saw much of herself in Snowdrop. The snowflakes that Snowdrop made…they fascinated Luna so. She could spend hours sitting with Snowflake, just talking with her as she worked. The many conversations they had together influenced both of their works. Luna reminded her student often that hearing isn’t the only sense that she could rely upon to create her art, and Snowdrop consistently showed that hearing and listening were very different things. “Princess, I’ve been listening to your stars tonight. They sound beautiful as always,” The little pegasus said as Luna sat next to her. This one comment, oft repeated by Snowdrop during their meetings, brightened Luna’s day every time she heard it. “Thank you Snowdrop. We take it you are nearly ready for your big event?” Luna asked, happiness piercing through the sadness that had, until that point, consumed Luna for days, but it could not completely drive it from her heart. Nothing could, because it had anchored itself there like some parasite, feeding off her jealousy. The question caused Snowdrop to respond animatedly. “Oh! I’m so close! I’m already done! I’m just making extra for later! I’m hoping to make enough snowflakes to last a thousand years!” Her enthusiasm was clear, and her dedication to the position she had been appointed to could not be matched. However, Luna, despite being happy for her student, couldn’t help but wonder why ponies enjoyed Snowdrop’s snowflakes so much more than Luna’s own star-filled nights. It just didn’t seem fair that ponies should like something based off her stars more than her stars themselves. Luna’s thoughts were interrupted by Snowdrop’s voice, “Princess? Why are you sad? And, why do you sound so tired?” Luna should have known that such a perceptive little pony would pick up on things such as this. It had only been a few days, the wounds ran deep, and they were fresh, and so, even though she expected the question, she was not ready for it. “I…We do not wish to speak of it Snowdrop. It hurts us too much,” the Night Princess responded, hoping that Snowdrop would let the issue go. Her student had learned much from her though, and she turned her lessons against her. “But…didn’t you say that the best way to make another feel better was just to listen to their problems, and that the best way to feel better about your own issues was to speak to someone you trust?” Snowdrop asked with the innocence of freshly fallen snow. Luna couldn’t believe that her own words were being used against her, but she knew she had no choice. “I am sorry my friend. We did not mean to snap at you. I…someone we trusted dearly has hurt us, and our relationship is irretrievably ruined. He told us things…things that were simply untrue, and we could not stand to hear him, someone we had held so close, lie to us. We have not returned to Canterlot since that day. Instead, we have been living where we please, building our own place in the Everfree Forest,” Luna told her student. As she watched Snowdrop, Luna could see her trying her best to formulate the question. The pegasus clearly did not want to upset Luna, and this tip-hooving around made Luna feel even more helpless. “Wha…um…What could he have possibly said to hurt you? I’ve never felt you this upset.” Snowdrop’s question, though well thought out, caused that pit in Luna to grow, ever so slightly. Luna, however, held herself back from lashing out. “He tried to convince us of many things. He said that many ponies enjoy the glow of my stars, the art of the night. ‘Tis a lie! Nopony truly loves the night! They are all too busy basking the glow of my sister’s radiant sunlight!” Luna’s thoughts turned to jealousy as she remembered the conversation from a few days before. Snowdrop tried to convince her that Star Swirl had not lied. “But Princess! I love your night! Your night is as beautiful as any sunrise! Your star-,” Snowdrop tried to salvage her mentor’s relationship with her close ‘friend’, but Luna had already lost what little hold she had over her emotions. “No! Do not patronize us! We will not stand by and let you say things you do not mean in order to try and calm us! We are not to be treated like a little filly, consoled at the loss of someone who would betray us! Just because all ponies relish the chance to see your snowflakes does not mean you may treat us as if we are below you!” Luna’s instability grew by the moment, and with her final words she took off from the cloud. Tears were already streaming down Snowdrop’s face before Luna tore into her again, “Someday soon, you will remember these things you have said to me, and you will beg my forgiveness! But you will never receive it!” The princess spat out the words like poison, and Snowdrop recoiled from each, as if they physically hurt her. The Princess of the Night flew off, down to the palace she was slowly building in the Everfree, turning her back on the student she had loved as her own child for little over a decade. For hours did she work, her mind consumed by hatred and jealousy. If anypony had been there to notice, they would have noticed her coat slowly darkening. Hours later, after Luna had calmed, and as the sun rose in the East, Luna noticed that a large cloud drifted overhead. It swooped particularly low once it reached her castle grounds. Only one pony in all of Equestria knew where Luna was building her palace. Only those she told could find it, otherwise it was undetectable because of one of her spells. The cloud, which stayed overhead for a short time, suddenly let loose with a plethora of snowflakes. This was the first snow of the year, Snowdrop’s big event. Luna watched in disgust as the snow fell, buy when it got to her, she could not help but put a hoof up and catch a flake or two. What she saw surprised her. The only snowflake she caught, an extremely large one, happened to be shaped just like her cutie mark and Snowdrop’s entwined together. How could a blind pegasus do this? This made it even harder on Luna, who felt that the snow flake maker was mocking her, and so, she crushed the flake, relishing in its destruction. Little did she know that Snowdrop was listening, and the sound of that snowflake being broken to pieces was enough to finish breaking her heart. Once again, the memories of what Luna had done during her transformation from the Nightmare parasite haunted her. Each of them were painful lessons, reminding her that, though she be a goddess and a princess, she was far from perfect. They were costly lessons, each and every one of them. With that thought, Luna looked on at the gathered descendants of her faithful student. Luna, knowing the great honor that was being given to her, stood tall in front of her subjects, and they looked on, wondering what a princess could say after so long. “Thank you all for upholding that agreement made so very long ago. I wish that I could have seen Snowdrop grow old with such a family as this. She would have made me proud, and indeed she has made me proud,” Luna spoke. Her voice, though loud, was gentle and full of emotion, and it faltered at times. “Snowdrop was ever the faithful and caring student, always wishing for my approval, and always knowing when I needed a friendly ear, or a kind word. If only the teacher had remained as faithful and true, so many unneeded events could have been avoided. I hope that you all will find it in your hearts to forgive me for leaving your beloved Snowdrop, though I understand if you do not. However, tonight, Snowdrop receives her final release, as she wished.” As Luna finished, a pegasus bearing a vase stepped forward. Her long march was a silent one, as even the night seemed to hush in anticipation for the coming event. Right before the filly reached Luna, the princess heard a pony in the crowd cough. At the sound of the cough, the little filly’s eyes widened, and she came to a screeching halt, bowing before the princess and presenting her with the vase. Luna was quite taken aback by her eyes, but she did not speak on it. She would wait until after the ceremony to do so. Luna took the vase in her magic, floating it up to eye level before she turned and walked to the edge of the cloud. Snowdrop’s family members followed, and all stood silent once again, waiting for Princess Luna to act. “Thus do we give you release dear Snowdrop!” Luna cried, and she tipped the vase with her magic. Right as she did so, a curious wind picked up, blowing the ashes outward, mixing in with the snowflakes that were just beginning to fall. The first snowfall of the year. “Goodbye my student…my friend,” Luna whispered her final goodbye. After several minutes of standing there and watching the snow fall, Luna felt somepony’s hoof touch her own hind hoof. Luna smiled softly. It was the young pegasus filly that had brought Snowdrop’s ashes forward. She was a beautiful white coated filly, with a matching white mane that was accented with a blue strip down the middle. However, her eyes were the most important. Those pale-blue, unseeing eyes. Snowdrop’s eyes. “Yes little one?” Luna asked. The filly shied a bit, but stood fast and eventually, after a little encouragement from her mother, spoke. “Um…Princess? My name…is Crystal Frost. I was…uh…I meant to ask…well, if you were willing…would you…would you take me as a student? I…well, if you look at my cutiemark…” The little filly spoke very softly, and it was almost overwhelming to Luna. Looking at the young one’s cutie mark, Luna could see an embellished snowflake. It was extremely ornate, a far cry from Snowdrop’s simple flake, but there was no denying what this young filly was destined to do. One time, not to long ago, Luna had believed there were no second chances. Now though, she knew better. She’d already been given a second chance at living with her sister, and now she was being given another chance at mentoring a pony. She only hoped that she would be able truly deserve these second chances someday. With tears in her eyes, Luna swept up the apprehensive Crystal Frost, giving her a hug as she answered, “Oh little one, I would love nothing more than to take you under my wing!” It was abundantly clear to Luna now that her slate had been wiped clean by the ponies in front of her, just like the falling snow wiped clean the face of the earth. Author's Note I apologize to all my readers for my extensive lack of content production. I have a job that I currently work somewhere between 45-50 hours a week. It is labor intensive so I often just do not have the energy to devote to my writing. That being said, I will try my best to focus a bit more on my fics. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! As always, any feedback is always appreciated. If you hated it, tell me, and I will endeavor to make it better based upon your advice and my own experience. Any formatting, spelling, and grammar issues are also always welcome to be discussed!
A Darkly Bright NightAN: Here y'all go! After such a long time not updating this story, I finally sat down and had enough drive to write a chapter. All in one go I might add. As always, constructive criticism is encouraged as it helps me become a better author and to improve the quality of my chapters! It's always good to have fresh eyes take a look at your writing! As Princess Luna started falling into a routine teaching young Crystal Frost, she came to regret her past decisions more, and she did her best to make up for them with the second chance given to her. She gave lessons to Crystal Frost that she taught to Snowdrop, and passed on knowledge that Snowdrop had bestowed upon her despite her young age. One night however, when she was not teaching young Crystal Frost, she stumbled upon an old memory within her room. Many of the books and tomes in her room had gone untouched since she had returned, and she only slowly looked over them. Most nights they brought back small memories. In the one she had read the night before it reminded Luna of the time the Princesses had traveled to the ancient home of the dragons in order to meet with their High King. It had been such a fantastical journey in which they experienced many of the wonders this world had to offer. As good as that memory was, this night brought back bittersweet memories that suddenly, and without warning, gave way to heartbreak. The set of books were a retelling of the many adventures upon which the Midnight Guard had embarked in Luna’s name. Reading about the ponies who so loyally guarded her brought many-a-face to mind, and with each story her longing for their company grew. Ponies long since dead came to life around her, once more performing their greatest feats, telling their finest moments, and sacrificing themselves again for her sake. Each page hoof-written by either the pony who performed the feat, or the head of the Midnight Guard for those whose sacrifices had been final. As the Princess of the Night neared the end of the final volume, neared her inevitable loss of sanity, her change, she knew that it would be an abrupt end. This was due to the fact that she had not taken the tome with her when she claimed her own castle in the Everfree. Many of her guard followed her to the forest, hoping, if anything, that they could at least protect her, if not save her from her own destruction. One such guard that had followed her was the always valiant Captain of the Midnight Guard, Bright Night. He was a large unicorn stallion with a black coat, charcoal mane, and a cutie mark depicting a shield overlayed with a sword and star. She had always kept him close no matter where she went. Though she shouldn’t have had one, he was always her favorite. His charming personality and great wit kept her entertained for hours on end, and his dashing looks meant she never tired looking upon him. It was he who wrote the final entry into the book, an entry that had very clearly been written after her transformation. Luna read the entry in near disbelief. She had thought that he had been killed by Celestia’s forces in a chance skirmish. Now, seeing his hoof-writing, it was very clear he had not been killed. My Beloved Princess Luna, I pray that one day you may return, become what you once were; I wish you all the happiness of being amongst your family once more. However, I know that it is not to be within my time, and so I am writing you this final letter, here in the annals of my proud heritage, in the hopes that you will find it. You stated so often that the reason you left, the reason you rebelled, and the reason you wanted to claim what you felt was yours by right was that there was nopony who truly loved your night. You wanted ponies to adore you, bask in your beautiful night, and make them love you. When you felt that wasn’t possible, you decided to rule by fear. This change, though I should have seen it occurring, was startlingly rapid. However, you never seemed to realize that there were so many who cared for you. So many of us who dedicated ourselves to you out of the love we bore you. So many ponies that were greatly saddened by losing you. Every word he wrote made Princess Luna’s throat constrict more and more. He had every right to be angry with her, to tell her just how much she had hurt others. She did not deserve the dedication with which all those great ponies had served her. And she knew that she could never live up to all the sacrifices made for her. She didn’t want to keep reading, but she knew she must, if only to see his signature… There are so many who mourn for you every night, pray to you every night, and hope that you may return to us in due time. But, as I stated before, I know it is not to be within my time. I carry with me many regrets of my time as the Captain of your guard. I regret not being able to save you, and not being there for you when you needed me most. I regret having to fake my death in order to escape to Celestia to aid her in trying to save you. Most of all, I regret never having been able to establish my true feelings for you. Though you were my princess, the royal whom I was sworn to protect and to whom I owed a love that drove me to protect you, it was not all that I felt. As our time together grew, I realized that you were not a Goddess-Princess that was above everything. You were a pony like any other. You had dreams of things to come, fears of the unknown, and a great many emotions that you did not display to the outside world. However, when I became the Captain of your guard, and even before that, I became your confidant. You bestowed upon me all of your secrets, all of your worries and your triumphs. Anything you felt worth telling, you told me. And so, when you began to grow quieter, I should have realized that something was wrong. I should have been able to save you, and I am utterly sorry for my inability to do so. If only I had been able, so much hurt could have been avoided. And so I leave you with my parting words. Luna, Princess of the Night, you were my whole world, and the one thing I do not regret is having fallen for you. With a heavy heart, and all the love it bears, Bright Night Ex-Captain of the Midnight Guard Luna did not know when the tears had started, but they flowed freely now. A stream that threatened to ruin the ink and stain the pages of this book she held so dear. She gingerly placed the book down upon her desk and went to the comfort of her bed. If only she had not been so foolish, so blinded by her own jealousy, she could have seen the feelings he bore her. The same feelings that she had for him, but she had kept secret for she thought he could never reciprocate them. Even if he had, she knew they could never have had a relationship...or maybe they could have. Thinking now to Shining Armor and her young cousin Cadenza..the Captain of the Royal Guard and a princess…the tears flowed with renewed strength at this realization. As she lay there, she heard her door open and quickly shut. “Oh Luna…” Celestia spoke softly after seeing what he younger sister had been reading. She knew that was written there, for she had read it countless times over the centuries, and she knew only heartbreak resided there. Wrapping Luna up in a comforting hug, she spoke again, “I’m sorry my sister. He was a great pony, completely and utterly dedicated to you.” “Why does it never get easier sister? Why must we always suffer, always outlive those we love? Why must I hurt so?” Luna asked her sister in desperation. Celestia, pitying her tear-filled sister’s state, answered, “It is always hard to lose those we love. It is who we are and the burden we must bear. But it does not always have to hurt. Because, as long as we remember, they don’t ever truly leave us.” With her sister’s explanation, Luna, finally starting to calm herself, looked up once more to her older sister. “What became of my beloved Bright Night?” She asked the Princess of the Sun. Celestia smiled at her sister’s question, because it was an answer she had prepared to give for so long. She hoped that it would suffice to bring her some solace. “At my request, he moved back to the castle, under the assumed name of Starshine, and became an instructor at both the School for Gifted Unicorns, and the Military Institute, but he refused to ever again pick up a weapon. Instead, he taught defensive magic and military tactics,” she stated fluidly. She had more, but she wanted Luna to ask the right questions. “And did he move on? Did he find somepony? Please tell me that he lived his life sister…” Luna nearly begged. Giving her sister a gentle, reassuring smile, Celestia answered, “Eventually he did move on, and he did find somepony. A rather gifted unicorn who started teaching at the same time he did. It took her quite some time, but she was able to help mend his heart.” Once again she did not finish everything she had to say, because she still wanted her sister to piece it together. “And did they have children? What was her surname?” Luna’s questions came rapidly with great hope. This gave Celestia all the confirmation she needed to know that she had wisely placed her faith in her sister’s inquisitive nature. With a smile, she answered her sister… THUMP THUMP THUMP A loud banging at the door of the Library woke Twilight Sparkle from her slumber. Ever the Night Owl and never the Morning pony, she grumbled at having been woken up at 3 in the morning. Prepared to be short with whomever was at the door, she opened it with magic. The appearance of both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia made her jolt out of her half-sleep state and suddenly try to fix her rather disheveled mane. She barely had time to react before Princess Luna tackled her to the ground with a hug. She did not even have to ask the Princess what it was for, as Luna spoke, “Oh Twilight. You make your ancestors so proud. The fact that you were the one to rescue me, save me from myself. I am absolutely positive that Bright Light is beaming from his place looking down upon us.” Twilight could only wonder at who Bright Night was. She had extensively researched her family’s history and she had never come across a Bright Night, but the name did sound familiar. Upon seeing her inquisitive look, Luna remembered what Celestia had told her about the alias. He must have never told a soul his real name. Maybe it had been a way to distance himself from the pain. Either way, Luna knew she had to clarify and so she told Twilight, “Your ancestor, the man you know as Starshine Sparkle, was once upon a time known as Bright Night, famed captain of the Midnight Guard.” With the revelation that Starshine and Bright Night were one and the same, Twilight’s eyes widened. “Bright Night was declared Killed in Action against Loyalist forces during the rebellion though...how could he be Starshine?” She asked the princesses, utterly confused. Celestia, having been watching the excitement of her sister all this time, stepped forward, “I can answer that for you my star pupil.” And so she recounted how he had not died, but false information of his death had been widely spread in order to smuggle him into the castle in secret, his name change, and his eventual falling for a young mare with the surname of Sparkle. With that revelation, and further explanation from Princess Luna about her relationship with Bright Night, she and Twilight had much to talk about. And as Celestia watched the two converse for the rest night, she could not help but think to herself… Even on the darkest of nights, there will always be a light to guide you through, and none knew that better than Luna.
