Princess Luna and the Festival of the Winter Moon Read online

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  For Meghan, who helped to make my dreams come true

  The Glorious Sun

  Darkness shrouded the spires of the castle and enveloped the kingdom. Every corner and curve of the shimmering buildings of Canterlot was covered with the sheen of moonlight. It was a subtle beauty, but a comforting one. Normally, the graceful blue Alicorn felt perfectly at ease during this hour, but tonight was a different story. Tonight had social obligations.

  “For Celestia,” Princess Luna whispered, reminding herself. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and peered around the corner of the castle’s back gate. There were hundreds of ponies spilling out on the lawn. Ponies from all over Equestria were here in the capital for Luna’s most dreaded night of the moon: the Summer Sun Celebration. Everypony in Equestria loved the annual event.

  It was supposed to be a joyous occasion to acknowledge Luna’s own return from her lengthy exile as Nightmare Moon, when she’d transformed back into her true self some moons ago—at least that’s what Princess Celestia had assured her. But all Princess Luna could see now was a reminder of her past mistakes. It was not something she liked to relive.

  Luna knew that the Summer Sun Celebration had existed prior to her return, and back then, it was started to celebrate her own sister’s triumph over her. But now she was a leader of Equestria once more, and it was her duty to show her face as the guest of honor. The citizens would expect her to smile and wave, making a rare appearance outside of the ones she made in their dreams.

  A group of palace guards trotted past. Luna could tell they were searching for her. She could delay no longer. It was time. Luna made her way toward the crowd, filled with a sense of dread.

  “THOU MAYEST ESCORT ME TO THE CELEBRATION STAGE!” Princess Luna bellowed at the guards. Startled, they whipped their heads toward her, ruffling the blue plumes on their helmets.… She cleared her throat, once again surprised by her own voice’s volume. Luna lowered her head, and her sparkling blue mane flowed forward. “Excuse me. I kindly beg your pardon, Officers. At large events, I often use the Royal Canterlot Voice. Old habits…” Luna forced a congenial laugh. They smiled back, but she could tell she’d scared them. Not again, she thought.

  “It’s no problem, Princess,” said Glimmering Shield, bowing. “Follow me.”

  Luna nodded to convey her gratitude but didn’t speak. She didn’t want to make anypony else nervous. The way Glimmering Shield kept looking back at her over his shoulder as they trotted to the stage made her feel awkward enough. Even after all this time, social skills were something that didn’t come as easily to her as they did to Princess Celestia.

  As if she could read Luna’s mind, Celestia appeared in front of her. “Sister!” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with delight. The tall white Alicorn moved toward her, the gold crown atop her head catching the light. It was Princess Celestia’s favorite day. “Welcome to the celebration. Everypony is very excited to spend time with you this evening!”

  “They are?” Luna asked, scanning the massive crowd. Most of the ponies in sight seemed to be staring at Celestia in admiration. They wore blue, green, and purple ribbons in their manes and waved little pennant flags with a picture of the sun on them—just like her sister’s famous cutie mark. When their eyes drifted over to Luna, their expressions were a mixture of curious and frightened.

  “Of course,” Celestia answered. She gestured her gold-plated hoof at the crowd. “Besides, it’s one of the only nights a moon when everypony gets to see us together. For some reason, they are still always surprised when you aren’t in attendance at the Grand Galloping Gala.…” Celestia laughed, and her almond-shaped eyes crinkled at the corners.

  “But I never go!” Luna smiled back. “Why would I change that now?” She always loved hearing Princess Celestia’s stories about the Gala each moon, but Luna was very glad that her night shift allowed her to decline attendance. Fancy dresses and small talk were not her idea of a pleasurable evening, though the story from this moon about Discord bringing The Smooze had sounded quite amusing.

  The chatter of the crowd gathering nearby in Canterlot’s main square was growing louder with each passing minute. They were getting excited. Soon, it would be time for the morning, and Celestia would break the dawn by raising the sun. She would fly up to the sky, spread her wings, and use her powerful magic in front of everypony. Until then, Princess Luna couldn’t help but feel odd about the fact that the time that normally belonged to her—the peaceful, silent night—was being disrupted. It was just one night.

  “Almost time,” Princess Celestia nudged Luna. “Are you ready, Sister?”

  “WE ARE PREPARED TO PROCEED WITH THE SUMMER SUN CELEBRATION CEREMONY!” Luna thundered. The two sisters stepped onto the stage and were enthralled by the sight of the joyous citizens of their kingdom and the stars twinkling above.

  Royal Business

  The three little fillies stared up at Applejack, wide-eyed. They shifted from hoof to hoof anxiously. “You need to take the train to Canterlot to do what, now?” Applejack, with her yellow mane and brown cowpony hat, made a face that only big sisters were capable of.

  “To talk to Princess Celestia about our idea!” Apple Bloom whined. She gave an exhausted sigh and began to pace back and forth in front of her best friends—Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Her tiny hooves clip-clopped against the wooden floor of the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse, and her pink bow bounced up and down. “It’s really, really important!”

  “Don’t go gettin’ yer bridle in a twist, now,” Applejack said, transferring Golden Delicious apples from a basket to a barrel. The yellow orbs fell into the barrel with a loud series of clunks. “What is it that ya want to tell her? We can write a letter—”

  “It’s something she’ll want to hear about face-to-face, for sure. Official royal business!” squeaked Sweetie Belle. She nodded, her pink-and-purple mane fluffy and her face serious. Scootaloo joined in, eagerly nodding.

  “Royal business? Well, why don’t y’all talk to Twilight about it?” Applejack shook her head. “She’s right down the street, ya know.”

  “We can’t,” the three Cutie Mark Crusaders chorused, looking to one another. They were clearly hiding something.

  Applejack raised a suspicious brow. “And why not… ?”

  “Because she already told us to go to Princess Celestia with this particular thing,” Apple Bloom lied. “And we can’t tell you what it is.”

  “Yet,” added Scootaloo. “We can’t tell you yet.”

  Applejack saw their expectant, innocent faces and crumbled. Her little sister usually had that effect on her. “All right, all right! Fine. But there is no way I’m lettin’ three li’l fillies go to Canterlot all by themselves. Granny’d have mah neck faster than ya can shake an apple-seed maraca at a tree bear!”

  “We thought you might say that.” Apple Bloom smiled, triumphant. “So we already asked Big Mac to chaperone and he said—”

  “Eeyup,” Big Mac interrupted with a smile, poking his head in through the door. The bulky red stallion stepped inside the farmhouse. He was covered in dirt, but looked pretty pleased about it.r />
  Applejack sighed with a chuckle. “Go on, then, sugarcube. Ya better get washed up and take these youngsters to Canterlot so you can hurry yer hide back here and finish planting the new field.”

  “Woo-hoo!” squealed Apple Bloom.

  “Meet us at the station in ten minutes!” shouted Sweetie Belle as the three friends zipped out the door.

  As the Friendship Express chugged through Equestria toward the capital, Sweetie Belle smooshed her face against the window to get a better look at the passing scenery. Fields of green with splashes of color zipped by. Sweetie Belle wondered what it looked like out here at night. Probably pitch-black and scary. It seemed like a good spot for stargazing, though. She made a mental note to consider the spot for a possible party venue.

  “Do you think Princess Luna will be mad at us for going behind her back?” Scootaloo wondered aloud to the other two. She could speak freely since Big Mac was definitely not listening. As soon as the train had left the station, he’d fallen asleep. Nopony could hear their conversation over his snores.

  “I don’t know,” replied Apple Bloom. A look of concern flashed across her face. “But maybe. When we saw her in Ponyville last Nightmare Night, she did seem a little bit annoyed with us.…”

  “I don’t know why,” Sweetie Belle said, turning to them. “Planning a festival for Princess Luna is a brilliant idea! There is a Summer Sun Celebration, so why not a party for the moon?” The little filly stood up, determination in her eyes. “Besides, we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and it is our duty to help other ponies appreciate their true selves.”

  “Yeah!” shouted Scootaloo and Apple Bloom together. All three ponies bumped their hooves together.

  “Eeyup!” Big Mac added in between snores, causing himself to awaken. He looked around in confusion. The fillies turned to one another and giggled. Even Big Mac agreed and he was asleep. Now all they had to do was convince Princess Celestia to go along with their plan, too. It would be a piece of mooncake.

  An Unwelcome Visitor

  The light from the bright moon sparkled on the shifting sea. The sensation of the soft, cool sand on Princess Luna’s hooves paired with the sound of silence soothed her after a long night spent watching over Equestria’s skies and lands. Guarding the night was no easy undertaking, but somepony had to do it. Princess Luna felt lucky that the job was hers. All those moons spent in exile made her appreciative of everything around her.

  Luna settled into a comfortable position, lying down on the sand. She took in the peaceful glow and reflected on the moon. It had gone by so fast! Now that the events of Nightmare Night had passed by, the only thing left was the midwinter holiday—Hearth’s Warming Eve. She would never admit it, but it was her favorite one of the whole bunch. There was something undeniably charming about the way white snow shone under moonlight, and the pleasant things ponies dreamed about during the holiday. It was all toys and treats, families and warmth. Togetherness. Luna always looked forward to the holly wreath Celestia would hoofmake for her and hang on the door of her castle quarters. It was a tradition she’d kept up since they were fillies, when they were just two little Alicorn sisters who had no idea they would someday become the leaders of Equestria.

  No idea that one of them would betray the other someday.…

  The familiar thought crept into her mind, and Luna tried to muster the strength to push it away. But there she was. Across the water, standing in the ocean, was Luna’s worst enemy—Nightmare Moon! The towering dark pony flapped her massive wings and smiled. Her purple armor glistened, wet with sea spray. A devious look shone in her evil, catlike green eyes.

  “You can’t escape me!” Nightmare Moon cackled, kicking out her front hooves. “I will always be a part of you!”

  “You may be right about that, Nightmare Moon.” Princess Luna stood up, determined. Her flowing mane flew out behind her as the wind began to pick up. “We shall forever be connected, but your time here is finished!” Luna closed her eyes and summoned her magical strength. The wind grew stronger, causing the waves to churn and splash into tall peaks. Nightmare Moon took off, barreling toward the shore.

  A blast of light flashed across the ground and spread to the sky. The dreamscape began to crumble and fall apart. In a matter of moments, everything disappeared into a cloud of glittering dust, and Princess Luna sat up. She was in her crescent moon-shaped bed in Canterlot Castle, and it was the middle of the afternoon.

  Luna yawned and stretched her hooves out in front of her. She blinked her eyes awake and shook off the sour feeling of the dream.

  Thankfully, the appearance of Nightmare Moon in her dreams was becoming more and more rare now that Luna was finished feeling guilty for her actions. Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends—Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Spike—had helped her overcome those emotions. A scary dream creature called Tantabus had threatened both the dream world and Equestria. The more Luna’s guilt grew, the stronger the monster had become. It was only when the ponies helped Luna realize that she was punishing herself for her past mistakes that the enemy could finally be contained.

  The sound of distant laughter echoed from the courtyard below, drifting up to Luna’s balcony and through the open doors. She left her cozy nest of soft, dark linens and peered down below. There were three little ponies, skipping and giggling to one another. It was the young ones from Ponyville, accompanied by the big stallion. Luna chuckled to herself, even though she was a little annoyed. Those fillies were persistent, if nothing else.

  But it didn’t matter. Whatever they said, Luna was not going to let them convince her. Her only goal now was to stay out of the spotlight and in the moonlight.

  Princess in the Shadows

  Princess Luna trotted across the vast quarters, past her star-map-covered walls and the glowing dream orbs that hung from the ceiling. She made her way down the winding staircase, spreading her wings out just enough to float down the steps.

  When she arrived at the set of massive arched double doors that led into the throne room of Canterlot Castle, she heard the chatter of voices. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were already inside. They were excited, never letting one another finish a full sentence. She paused for a moment, listening.

  But Luna didn’t enter the hall. She crept to a side entrance, sneaking in a secret door that led to a balcony overlooking the hall. She flew up and landed softly on the glittering stones. As Luna looked over the balcony, she was careful not to let her midnight-colored flowing mane give her away.

  “And there could be a big ceremony where we drape her in a fancy robe, and I’m sure Rarity could sew something really pretty.” Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and kept talking. “With stars on it—”

  “Games! We could play all of Princess Luna’s favorite games!” Scootaloo shouted. “Does she like—”

  “Mooncakes?” Apple Bloom asked, hopeful. “Or maybe moonpies?”

  “These all sound like wonderful suggestions for a Winter Moon Festival.” Princess Celestia chuckled. “I’m definitely interested.” The three fillies responded with toothy smiles. Princess Celestia stood up and made her way across the room. She paused in front of the stained-glass portrait of her sister. “And you already asked Princess Luna about it?”

  “Well…” Apple Bloom bit her lip. “We did ask her.”

  “She sorta said no,” Scootaloo admitted, looking down at her orange hooves in defeat.

  “I’m not surprised.…” Princess Celestia furrowed her brow, deep in thought. “But that does present a problem.” She motioned for the fillies to come stand beside her. The four of them looked to the picture of Luna as if it would start giving them answers. “My sister is not fond of admiration in the same way she once was.”

  “Because of when she turned into Nightmare Moon?” asked Sweetie Belle in hushed reverence. Her big green eyes were wide and sparkling.

  “That’s part of it, Sweetie Belle,” Celestia acknowledged. “But it is also another quality in my sis
ter that makes her uneasy around others. It’s Luna’s nature to seek solace in the places other ponies do not dare go.” The Alicorn closed her eyes, unearthing a distant memory. “Did you know that back when we were young princesses, she was the first pony to discover the mountain dragon colonies? And to solve their conflicts with the bat ponies of the western caves?”

  “Hot diggity!” exclaimed Apple Bloom. “I did not.”

  Up above, Luna gasped. “My stars…” she whispered, caught off guard by the memory. It had been so thrilling to help the mountain dragons and the bat ponies find peace with one another. Luna always remembered it as one of the first times she’d felt useful as a princess of Equestria, when she’d found her true path to earning her cutie mark.

  Scootaloo leaned in. “She did that all by herself?”

  “That’s right.” Celestia nodded. A small burst of magical energy emanated from her horn and projected a three-dimensional depiction of Luna, standing in between a dragon and a bat pony. It was like a floating snow globe. The Cutie Mark Crusaders cooed.

  “At the time, I was so worried that she’d wandered off in the Everfree Forest alone like that.” At this, Celestia looked directly up at her sister and made eye contact. She gave her a little knowing nod. “But I came to realize over time that Luna will always try to do things her own, special way.”

  She’d been spotted! Princess Luna recoiled. But rather than revealing Luna’s presence to the young fillies, Celestia turned her attention back to the conversation. “Maybe we can find another way to celebrate Princess Luna,” she said flatly. “Let’s go have a look around the castle.”

  “Okay,” said the little ponies, slumping in disappointment as they followed the regal Alicorn out of the room. Once they were in the hallway, Princess Celestia made sure the coast was clear of lurking little sisters. Then she bent down, a smile spreading across her face, and whispered, “Or perhaps we could make the Winter Moon Festival a surprise?”