The Moon, in Full View

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Luna breathed heavily, not so much from exhaustion as adrenaline. She no longer felt dizzy, but was still in a bit of shock. Her body appeared, for the most part, unscathed, although there were a few scrapes and several smears of dirt. Though it really wasn't all the bad, Luna herself felt filthy.

Luna was outwardly alarmed when Cerena mentioned her missing crown. “I have to find it! I—” she looked down at herself, showing displeasure at her awful appearance. Surely, she was worried about the crown, but it wasn't going anywhere and nopony but they would find it.

She brushed her horn free of any earth, using it to brush off her front hooves and legs as well. She clacked her back hooves against her front ones in turn to remove further dirt. She became altogether very enthralled with becoming clean, seemingly unamused with Cerena antics, or else just too distracted.

To clear the rest of her body, Luna took to the air, in order to let the breeze and the jostling of her figure do the work. She only got a couple of flaps in, however, before she came crashing down again. After picking herself up, Luna stretched out both wings evenly, turning first to one and then the other, and back again. She began to tilt and reposition them in turn, seeming to be testing them. She winced slightly upon moving her left wing, no matter the direction. Luna was totally absorbed and focused, examining her wings in a methodical manner.

[knight]

Cerena cocked an eyebrow curiously at the princess as she tediously groomed herself, and plucked through her feathers. She looked at her filthy self and felt a little bad . With the princess distracted, she turned her attention to her tumbling trail, and rose to her hooves, quietly heading off towards a faint glimmer she saw near the first place where the flowers were smooshed to the earth.

As she approached, and cast her shadow over the area, the glimmer faded from the moonlight, and she had to squint to find the odd shape in the dark, and ultimately ended up finding it only by the coincidence of tripping over the pointy thing. She lifted off the earth and held it in the pearly sheen of the moon, checking to see that the regal crown of the night was not tattered. She debated a moment on where to carry it. Of course, it would be easiest to place it atop her head where it was supposed to rest, but that.....that would be most inappropriate. Not that she didn't want to, of course.....who didn't love a dashing tiara upon occasion?

She tucked it under her wing awkwardly, the round shape giving it a mind of its own as it slipped about, and as she headed back to Luna, she had to stop frequently to nose it back into her wing.

"Uh...here....here is your crown......uh..." with a light plop her wing slapped to her side and the crown popped forward, smacking her in the jaw just as she turned to reach for it, but she managed to turn quickly and catch it in her teeth--something she had avoided completely--with a soft CLAAANG---that seemed all too loud as it rang in her ear. She quickly put the crown in her hoof, looking as though she had just done something unthinkable, "S-sorry! I'm so sorry! Here!"

She thrusted the crown forward on her hoof towards the princess, trembling nervously, "And I...I'm sorry I laughed when you fell---are...are you okay...?"

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Luna looked up, startled, at Cerena's voice upon her return. But, ever the princess, she was quick to compose herself. She let out a sigh of relief as the periwinkle mare produced the crown from her wing. She was about to reach for it herself, wanting it back in her possession as soon as possible, but in the next instant it was in Cerena's teeth.

Luna froze, in utter shock at what had just occurred. Her crown was in somepony's mouth. She was stock still and stiff, and would have slapped it right from the mare's mouth if she had been able to react quicker. As it were, she found herself simply staring down at the hoof and crown, until she was finally brought back to reality when Cerena inquired about her condition.

“Just a sprain!” she said, clamping her wings to her sides a bit roughly. She unceremoniously grabbed the crown from Cerena, scanning it for any scratches or dents. She placed it on her head as she said, “I don't mind the laughter at all. But don't ever touch this.” she gestured to the crown, now adorning her head, with a hoof, all the while glaring daggers at the Pegasus.

[knight]

Cerena looked, bewildered at the ungrateful princess, and suddenly she didn't care who she was--that was just rude!

"I'm sorry, your majesty, if I got my normal-pony germs all over your perfect little crown--but at least I FOUND it, didn't I? YOU were too busy trying to maintain your stupid appearance to even look for it!" She humphed at the princess angrily, whipping her head away, "If you were anypony else I'd say you were a stingy, self-centered little....GRRR!!"

Cerena stormed away, leaving the princess to continue or cease whatever it was she was doing with an agitated, "You're WELCOME!" as she vanished over the next hill rise.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Luna stood dumbfounded, unsure of how to respond to Cerena's sudden tirade against her. The Pegasus disappeared, and Luna continued to stare in the direction she had been while her mind attempted to comprehend what had just occurred.

Once she was recovered, Luna sat down on the ground, still pondering Cerena's words. She dug a contemplative hoof into the Earth, pawing at the ground in thought. Appearance... appearance was everything. How you looked reflected not only on yourself, but on your family. One should take pride in her appearance. The words echoed in her head. It confused Luna very much that Cerena had no concept of this... After all, Celestia was always clean and tidy; she always looked her best, as always on time, gleaming coat and flowing hair...

The harsh words rang freshly in Luna's head, bringing her back to the present. ”...stingy, self-centered little...” Luna whimpered quietly, a tear or two managing to escape her before she quickly brushed them away. Only weak ponies cried, she thought with a sniff.

But Luna knew she needed to 'buck up' and fix this. Standing, she grimaced, knowing what she had to do. With a sigh, Luna trotted forward, easily catching up with the periwinkle Pegasus. Luna instantly noticed the look of disdain on Cerena's face as she came up beside her. She may not have been completely sure of everything she'd done wrong, but she knew what she had to do anyway.

“My apologies. The crown is very special. It—“ she bit her lip for a moment in thought. “—it belonged to my mother.”

Luna fell behind Cerena at that, a sad look on her face. Her shoulders were hunched, and her head a tad lower than it should have been. She'd failed at being a princess. Crashed and burned like... like the way she'd fallen down the hill. She didn't even entirely understand, but somehow... somehow she'd royally botched things up.

[knight]

Cerena turned to Princess Luna, mouth open, her tongue still barbed as she spoke, "Well, even if it is from your mother, that's no excuse to treat somepony that way!" She tried to maintain a look of anger, but at the glum, hollowed look on Luna's face, she found she could not hold up such a front. She sighed, blowing her hair up out of her face before turning away from the princess of night, "You don't have to be all perfect, y'know? Even....even if you are a princess....you're still a pony deep down..."

She couldn't even stop the words as they plummeted out of her mouth. A moment ago, she would never have spoken so freely to Luna, and yet here she was now, letting the words flow like a waterfall from her lips, "You're really pretty and nice and all, but you're also kind of.....well, you're so STIFF! Like....like you don't even enjoy what you're doing or something....like even your sister does fun stuff every now and then....I've heard she likes to play little jokes on ponies and stuff....and that she's always out with the ponies that beat Nightmare Moon and--"

She stopped, as she realized she had just brought up the princess' dark past, and bit her lip tentatively, still refusing to look at the princess, "I--I think....in my own, personal opinion, anyway...that one mistake--no matter how grand--isn't worth living....a forced life afterwards...."

She huffed another sigh, "Listen to me. Babbling on about stupid things...I'm sorry about your crown. It really was an accident--I would never normally put any sort of jewelry in my mouth...especially that of princesses such as yourself...."

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Luna walked along and allowed Cerena to berate her. She'd let emotion get in the way of duties. There really was no excuse; she should have been grateful that she got the dark crown back at all. She'd just... she'd just been so flustered. She sighed, perking her ears and head up at what else Cerena had to say.

The mention of Nightmare Moon no longer had much effect on her. Sure, it didn't bring back fond memories, but she didn't harbor any ill feelings towards anypony who mentioned it... or even anypony who thought she was Nightmare Moon. It was just part of the punishment for her crimes.

“It's—it's alright, and I'm sorry. I acted rashly. The crown—well, to me, it's priceless. I can't let anything happen to it.” she said solemnly.

Then she became more firm. “And I don't live forcedly because of things my past. I'm merely acting as a Princess should. It's... how I was raised. Of course, I've found that 'fun' can be acquired, should the situation and ponies present call for it. Celestia knows her duty just as well as I do.” Luna had regained her stature, walking tall and bold.

[knight]

Cerena thought quietly to herself as the princess spoke, maintaining a polite silence and not interrupting her, "Well....I...I understand...." she said, though her tone gave the acknowledgement that of COURSE she could not fully understand, because she was NOT royalty, but she was trying her best to show a sincere empathy with the princess, "I understand that you act like a princess should act....but...."

She debated whether or not to ask her following question, and found that it would be pointless to have come thus far and suddenly stop speaking freely towards Luna, "How does a princess....how do YOU....WANT to act? Or....better yet, what is it you WANT to....do...."

Cerena sat down in the feather-soft buds, "I believe...that duty and who you are--and what you want to do with your life--can be coexistent...."

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Luna walked forward a few paces ahead of Cerena before she realized the Pegasus had stopped. Luna stared ahead at the trees, unmoving except for her billowing mane and tail. But then her gaze drifted to the sky; the shining stars and brilliant moon. She seemed to become lost for a moment, getting a faraway look in her eyes. Crickets chirped and a breeze ruffled the the flowers and leaves of the nearby trees. It was quite serene.

Luna suddenly cleared her throat, turning in Cerena's direction. “Well, they are one and the same. Being a princess is a full time job. There are no breaks, no weekends off, no vacations. It wouldn't matter if I wanted to do something different, be somepony different. This is who I am. I don't get any other option.”

“But—“ she came closer, tucking her back hooves under her and laying on the ground, and crossing her front hooves, “—since you're obviously so curious for reason's I cannot understand... I may be able to indulge you.”

Luna placed a hoof on her chin in thought, 'hmmm-ing' to herself as she did so. “Now, I may at times indulge myself in a book—a fictitious one— because that still makes me look like I'm studying. I often take walks in the private castle garden, to enjoy nature. Of course, I do practice identifying plants, so that might not count... um... oh, on my Birthday, I eat an entire cake for breakfast, by myself.” Thinking of the notion brought a grin to her face. “And of course, I enjoy all the other things you'd expect—watching and studying the stars... Astronomy and the like.”

“But what about you?” Luna suddenly decided to turn the tables. “What do you like to do?”

[knight]

Cerena stared, wide-eyed as the Princess spoke, revealing things that...that she was not certain many other ponies knew. She was so intent, she did not even realize she had not blinked until a tear slid from her aching eye.

She rubbed her eye furiously as the princess finished, and was left speechless, taking a long moment to try to think of what to say, "I...well, I never meant offense--and I'm certainly not furious with you....I just got mad when you reacted to...."

She stopped trying to defend herself, and turned away, her own, weighted hair began being tussled around as the wind picked up, "....a whole cake? All by yourself?" she giggled out loud, trying to imagine the posed princess before her stuffing herself with cake, and she turned to the princess as the other words she had said sunk in, "That I would like to see....and you say you enjoy fiction?! Oh, who's your favorite author?! Have you read the Daring Do series?! It's absolutely fabulous! I can't wait until the next one comes out!"

Her eyes gleamed in excitement as she stared at the princess, already teeming with excitement, "I love to read! I teach young ponies in Canterlot--well, I'm really more of a tutor....but I also consider myself a constant student! I love to learn!" She grinned widely, "Do you ever do any mare things? I love braiding my mane! I know it's sort of cheesy and childish, but playing with my hair is one of my favorite things to do! I love--that is I used to love-- having my filly friends over to braid eachother's manes and tails, or give eachother silly makeovers--I haven't done that since I was young, but I do enjoy playing with my appearance--though I'd never go out in some of the odd make up combinations I've come up with--I just do it for fun!"

She bit her lip, lower lids pressed upward in an excited grin, as a soft squee came from deep in her throat, "I can't believe you can eat a whole cake by yourself!"

[MyLittlePonyTales]

”Well, it's not that large of a cake.” Luna cleared her throat and glanced down at her hooves for a moment. Of course, her eyes shortly returned to Cerena as she spoke, so as not to be rude. “I don't really have a favorite writer, seeing as I have read thousands of books. As the years go by, the stories tend to become repetitive and monotonous. Authors are always trying to add their own twist or come up with something unique, but really, most of the good ideas have been taken. I can't say that I've never heard of this 'Daring Do'. I admit I am not overly familiar with current literature.”

Luna smiled at Cerena's excitement. It made her happy to see her subjects happy—especially when they were in her company. “A princess always takes pride in her appearance.” She shrugged. “I always have to look presentable to everypony.”

“And it's just a normal sized cake.” Luna fiddled with her hooves. “I'm bigger than a normal pony, so I eat more.”

[knight]

Cerena giggled again at the princess' defense of eating an entire cake, "It doesn't matter what size the cake is! It's just nice to know you're y'know.....a little bit...."

Cerena paused, tapping her chin as she attempted to brainstorm the proper word for the princess, and her eyebrows rose in alarm as she realized the perfect word, "You're a little bit NORMAL, Princess Luna!"

She made a successful swoop with her forehoof, as someone who has just nailed an exam. If she had the fingers of a griffon, she would have snapped! She smiled at the princess, "I've read quite a few books, as well, but I find the Daring Do books always keep me guessing! You should really check them out!"

Cerena's eyes twinged as a flicker of sunlight touched across the horizon. The sky was beginning to purple with the rising dawn, "Oh my goodness! Where on earth did the night go!?"

She gasped with a bit of excitement though. She had thought the princess and she would have taken seperate paths by this time. She was glad the princess would get to stay and see this....

"I know it's uh....early...and you're probably getting tired--I know my eyelids are a little heavy---but don't go yet, please!" She spread her wings and fluttered up out of the flowers, letting the first rays of sunlight touch on her golden hair, "The flowers are so beautiful just at dawn! You get to see them go to sleep!"

She found a nearby cloud, and patted the spot next to her for the princess to sit, "C'mon! It'll happen any second now!"

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Normal... “Oh! I—uh—” she rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof sheepishly. “whu—a—thank you, I think.” She still found it odd that anypony would want to think of a princess as “normal”, or that they could even conceive of such a notion. An Alicorn, being 'just like them'? It was still difficult for her to wrap her head around and adjust to.

“Perhaps I shall...” she flashed a grin.

Thinking back, this night was probably the most pleasant one she'd had in awhile—or at the very least, one of the less lonely. She'd made some mistakes, she obviously knew... but everyday—or rather, night—since her return, life had been a learning experience. Tonight was surely no different.

A tinge of light on the horizon broke into her thoughts, reminding her once again that the night never did last forever. She did enjoy the sunrise though, to an extent. She was lucky though. She always got to see the sunrise, and most times got to see the sunset as well, in addition to the moonrise and moonset. The night was shorter then the day, so it made sense for somepony who was awake all night.

“Oh, I still have a few hours left.” she smirked, not in the least bit tired yet.

She was slightly annoyed at Cerena's excitement at watching the flowers—her special night flowers—go to 'sleep'. She did not relay this though, hiding her feelings well. After all, it was normal for anypony to welcome the dawn. It was a fact that she continually had to live with.

Luna opened her wings, forgetting for the moment about her sprained wing. However, she clearly remembered as a line of pain shot through her wing to her body. She flinched, giving two experimental flaps to be sure she couldn't make it by flying. She grimaced, trying not to show her pain, knowing that it would be unwise to attempt to make it into the air.

Instead, she pulled half the cloud from next to Cerena with her magic, bringing it down to her level and stepping lightly upon it. Her wings remained folded at her side as she tucked her legs beneath her, before bringing the cloud back to Cerena's level. She pressed the two cloud halves together, reattaching them.

She knew well enough that the morning closely of the lunar flowers was quite a site to behold... especially in this quantity. Still, there was no need to rush her. Did Cerena forget who she was talking to? The night princess, who, prior to her banishment, had had the chance to see every bit of beauty—nay, to be able to create it—several hundred times over. Although most times she was alone, and she had to admit this was the first time since she'd been back that she had seen the lunar flowers in such a mass quantity.

“So you've seen it before, then? Most ponies aren't up quite so early.” she scuffed at the cloud wistfully.

[knight]

[[OOC: sorry, Tales....I know....I suck. ]]

Cerena watched the way the princess spread her wings, and visibly flinched as she noticed the princess' twinge at the pain in her wing. She had forgotten that Luna had had quite a bit of a topple. She had not known the princess had hurt her wing....

She seemed well enough with her magic, though, to get up to cloud-level. Cerena thought for certain the princess would merely remain afloat seperately, on her own little puff of cloud, and was quite surprised to see the lunar princess reattach herself to the cloud below her own body. It made her blush, a little. The princess was so...nice. Surely she had been unnecessarily cruel to assess the princess as she had before....

She blinked herself back to attention as the princess honored her with a question, "Oh, yes, of course! These, and the nightworms of the Galapagos are some of my favorite night sites. Though, I figured digging up worms in the moonlight wasn't uhh....Princess-suiting." she giggled at the thought of those fancy silver-shod hooves covered in a layer of mud, "You'll rarely find me in the day time-I usually get to sleep around 6am, and get up around three or four in the evening....I'm always rushing to shops that are about to close at 5!"

She molded the cloud between her forehooves into a bowl-like shape, "Then I have my night class, and I stay up all night either exploring or...." she shrugged, "Doing whatever. Reading, singing, dancing....playing with fireflies--let me tell you, fireflies get REALLY lonely, because all the nature ponies are up with the butterflies!"

She sighed and smooshed the bowl back into the cloud, "It can get kind of lonely by myself....this is the first time anypony's ever stayed up with me all night...."

[MyLittlePonyTales]

”Really?” Luna said in surprise. Ponies were not normally creatures of the night. Plants grew in the daytime, jobs were run in the daytime, and the night was saved for spending time with family, sleeping, and preparing for the next day of work. It wasn't normal for ponies to be awake at night. With all the dangerous creatures that still roamed places like the forests, and even deep in the mountains, daytime was also seen as a safer time. The sun was out, and any approaching threat could be seen. At night, ponies shut themselves away from the world, and the outside.

“Don't you—aren't most—well, what do you do at night that you can't do during the day? Certainly there are much more interesting creatures and ponies during the sunlight hours?” It was hard for Luna to grasp somepony willingly staying awake through the night. Oh sure, some ponies would stay up late, like when they needed to study, or perhaps if they were a scientist looking to document night plants or critters. But Cerena seemed rather ordinary, without nighttime necessary duties.

[knight]

Cerena found that question a bit more quizzical, "Well....um...how....um...how do I put this nicely?"

She tapped her chin, her cheeks growing rosy as she tried to think how best to phrase it, "I think....day ponies....that is, most, if not all ponies, are kind of....boring..." She laughed, feeling awkward for admitting it, "I mean, yeah, the day is great and all, but...who always WANTS to see their own hoof in front of their face, y'know? I think a little bit of mystery is nice. And besides, there's nothing there at night that isn't there during the day, too! I mean...dragons and monsters don't just....POOF! Vanish because it's day time!"

As she spoke she subconsciously buried her hooves into the fluffy white below her, "I mean....I get along with everypony just fine but...." She blushed and turned away a little, "I've never met anyone who was nearly as interesting as you....."

She realized suddenly how that may have sounded, and whipped back around, still flushed in embarrassment, "I mean not because you're a princess! I mean, you are a princess of course, but that's not why you're interesting! I mean, being a princess IS interesting of course, I just meant that YOU--Pfff....gaw. I'm not making any sense, am I?"

She huffed a sigh, shutting herself up before she made herself sound any worse...and also making a quick note how the moon seemed to be still lingering at the edge of the horizon....

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Luna continued to listen, which was what she had spent most of the night doing anyway. She found it a bit odd that anypony in their right mind would want to observe or even go after any kind of monster, including Dragons. Mystery was one thing, danger another entirely.

She laughed lightly though, when Cerena mentioned that she was “interesting.” “You practically had to drill me to get any good answers. If I'm the most interesting pony you've ever met, you really need to get out more.” Luna had been brought up strictly, and thus all she really knew about was being a princess—proper, poised, and more or less perfect. Look good, but be smart. Her head was filled with traditions and rituals and knowledge. Not games and rhymes and imagination.

“I'm... not sure what I said to make me sound interesting. I spend a lot of time by myself, and much of that is just spent studying anyway. I'd say my life is pretty dull, but it suits me just fine. But if you find somepony like me so interesting, no offense, perhaps it's time you made friends with some other ponies.” Luna didn't want to be rude or harsh, but she didn't see herself as being very talkative or fascinating over the course of the evening. Cerena had really done most of the talking.

[knight]

Cerena stared at the princess, jaw agape, eyes stretched wide, blinking dumbfoundedly. For once in the night...she was struck speechless. She stared at the princess, opening and closing her mouth uncomprehendingly. Then she turned her head down to her hooves, and thought a time to think on her words.

"Uh...ah....y...you think you're....dull?!" She was completely flabbergasted. She could not believe the princess had such an opinion of herself, "You....You're not dull! Ponies who spend all day....singing, and gabbing, and dancing, and doing this day in and day out--THAT is DULL!" She crinkled her nose at the thought, "YOU! You...you are by far THE most fascinating pony I have ever met! And I dare say I know nearly every pony in Canterlot! For you to write yourself off so easily....why, I find it....befuddling!"

She looked back to her hooves, trying to think how she could further explain how the princess was so interesting to her. Then she noticed movement. The first, and furthest east buds were closing, and the first rays of the sun were beginning to extend across the field, and one by one, the buds were beginning to shut.

"Look!" She shouted, jumping to her feet on the cloud, eyes gleaming with delight.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Princess Luna at first furrowed her brow at Cerena's surprised expression. She glanced quickly behind herself, to see if there was something amazing or odd that Cerena might have been staring at, but there was nothing unusual. So Luna turned back, realizing that the pegasus was staring at her, and return the expression with that of confusion.

“Well, you certainly have... different ideas about what constitutes as “interesting.” Luna smiled to herself, amused by that fact. Truth be told, Luna was quite a good singer and dancer, having taken extensive lessons in both in her younger days. It had just been part of her training to be a princess, and at that age, she didn't really appreciate it. But there were times now that she was grateful to her parents for making her go through such classes and lessons. “I guess I should have expected that from somepony atypical enough to enjoy the night so much.”

But Luna didn't move a muscle, even in Cerena's excitement. “Amazing, isn't it?” she said, her head swiveling to observe the world around her, but her body remaining relaxed. “You can watch it for thousands of years, and every day it's different, sunrise or sunset.” she paused. “Time, location, season... or even just in the same place, day after day. There's always something a big magical about it.” Her hooves fiddled idly with the cloud in front of her as she momentarily became absorbed in her thoughts.

[knight]

Cerena listened to the princess lament on the changing of the world around her. As she spoke...Cerena became suddenly aware of the reality of the Princess' age. It...was exponential. She never even took a moment to consider the thought of immortality--but she supposed, it was not a thing meant to be intently focused upon, nor something a normal pony should consider at all.

"See?" Cerena smiled at the princess, "There you go again--proving my words true! You ARE interesting-and smart, and pretty, and in my opinion--rather gallant." She chuckled softly, "If it were me, I don't know that I would have been kind enough to accept going out into the Everfree forest with somepony you'd never met before...I imagine as someone of your extensive responsibilities, I was probably a bit of an inconvenience...but even if we never meet again....I was really happy to meet you, Princess."

She smiled brightly at the lunar princess, the rising sun in the distance bringing the familiar pull at the back of her eyelids. She held back the yawn that was threatening to emerge.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

”Wha—I—h-hardly.” Luna blushed, flustered by the compliments being paid her. “I-I'm really not. But thank you.” she certainly appreciated the flattery, and perhaps she was being a bit modest, if she was honest with herself. But compliments were unusual for somepony of her reputation, that was not to say the hours she kept did not have an impact on the amount of ponies she saw as a whole.

“I really had nothing better to do. I mean, I would have done the same for anypony.” she didn't want to sound uncaring or too nonchalant, but it was the truth. “Celestia is far busier than myself, really. It wasn't any trouble. And I must admit, a bit fun.” she looked up and smiled at Cerena.

“Oh! It's late... or, early. Anyway, you should get home.” she stood up, shielding her eyes from the sun with her good wing.