I listen intently as the last songbird hushes with the setting sun. The cicadas have been practicing all afternoon, and I nod as they settle into a perfectly synchronized zing, zing, zing. Then I fill my horn with magic, bringing my namesake up into the sky, signaling all of the crickets to begin their nightly chirping. Sighing with relief, I release the moon, as it is well on its way, and turn to the stars. One by one I paint a beautiful twinkling canopy across the sky, taking special care to name and place each one just so. Once they are all in their places, shining as they have not for a thousand years, I signal the katydids to begin their quiet thrum. Few ponies notice them, but I am enough of an audience to have them practicing until the early hours of the morning.
Finally satisfied that all is in order here, I turn around and head to my corner of the garden. Oh, how I have missed my old friends, who kept me company during the night's lonely hours! I lean in to sniff each one in turn. Night-blooming Cereus, so sweet that I cannot resist a nibble on one of the petals, Lady of the Night, Night Orchid… of course all of them are collectively called "moonflowers", but I prefer to know each one individually. Unfortunately, these are hardly recognizable as the tiny cuttings I planted so long ago. I sigh again. So much has changed…
Shaking myself from my reverie, I mentally remind myself that I must speak with the gardener who was able to synchronize their blooming. I idly wonder if magic was involved as I turn back toward the castle. As the two guards who I left stationed at the entrance of the garden fall in step behind me, I begin making my way towards the nearest entrance.
Of course the instant I got back, the first thing I did (after fully enjoying my reunion with Tia, of course) was familiarize myself with the entire layout of the new castle. I spent a few days exploring, with Tia popping in every now and then when she had the time, and am now able to get almost anywhere I wish to in a timely manner. I prefer not to use the secret tunnels when I have guards about, (especially since I have a brilliant prank planned for them later!) so I take the long way around, arriving at my destination in fifteen minutes rather than five.
The royal library. Imagine my surprise when I popped in here one night, only to find other ponies awake! Apparently Tia allows the unicorn students from her university access to some of the archives, and there is always somepony about, reading, studying, or doing something private in a dark corner. I had stumbled upon a few of these couples, and have taken to using the secret tunnels to get around while the guards remain at the entrance. It just wasn't seemly, in my opinion, but the culture has changed so much since…
Moving on. I cannot allow myself to think about that. I nod and smile in greeting to the librarian on duty, and she reciprocates a tired smile before returning to her novel. Satisfied that nopony will bother me so long as I don't make a big production of myself, I head in the direction of the tax records. I run the risk of stumbling upon some of the aforementioned couples, but the nearest secret entrance is hidden there. But first I must retrieve a key from the 947 ledger.
That year had been a slow one, and so was naturally small, made even smaller by the tiny script of the unicorn who wrote it, so some past librarian had padded the back with extra blank pages. A tiny square was cut into each extra page, making it the perfect hidey-hole for a key.
Quickly looking around to be sure no one is watching, and then risking the glow to do a simple revealing spell, I am surprised to find someone there. Following my horn to see what it has unveiled, I am surprised, and relieved, to find the library cat, Moonpaw.
He is a favorite of mine, not the least because he's as nocturnal as I. He is black from tip to tail, but when he was a kitten he had snuck into the palace kitchen after a mouse. (It is still a mystery how the mouse got in there, as the palace wards should have kept it away.) As cats are wont to do, he stalked it, following it to and fro through the maze of stoves, sinks, and hooves. Finally the mouse darted into a bag of flour, and Moonpaw's paw followed it. The black kitten then proceeded to present his catch to the executive chef. The chef, seeing his one white paw, named him Moonpaw, and the name stuck even after he had washed the flour off.
Smiling down at the cat bearing my namesake, I gently lift him and deposit him on my back before retrieving the key. Finding the statue of the librarian I suspected had placed the key, I slip it into the book she is holding and watch a section of the nearby bookcase open just enough to squeeze through.
Sparing one last glance to be sure I am not followed, I slip into the secret passageway and ignore the resounding click of the closing mechanism. Igniting my horn once again, I use its pale glow to locate a quad of slippers. These had been haphazardly strewn about the corridors when I discovered them, but I had placed a set at each of the entrances I was aware of. Slipping them on, I tap one hoof upon the ground, and am satisfied that my clopping will be sufficiently muffled.
I set off at a brisk trot, my magic keeping Moonpaw on my back while keeping his claws out of it, and allow my anticipation to grow. I am headed for a "forbidden" archive, one I helped to create over a millennium ago. Even dear sister Celestia did not disturb the files, for she left the magical wards intact when she moved them to this secret recess. Of course, I would not have minded much if she had allowed copies of the material to circulate, but she stated that it was my private library, and mine to command. She probably thinks my diary is in there.
Sighing again at the reminder of all the time I have lost, I make the now familiar turns and arrive at the doorway of a subterranean room. Transferring my magic from the simple light spell to the remarkably more complex opening spell, I silently answer the question the night guardian has used ever since I became ruler of the night. Of course, Tia could have opened it herself after I … left, but she said she didn't want to spoil her memories of me by seeing what was in there.
"Man eneth lin?"
"Isildur."
"Heniach nin? Pedich edhellen?"
"Lau."
"Hi Luna."
"Hello Harmavaryon. How's it going?"
"Fine. Tia moved me here after that amazing spectacle you put on, and I haven't seen anyone since. Seriously Luna, a thousand years isn't much from my perspective, but come on! I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me. How'd the prank go?"
I smiled. Somehow it didn't hurt so much to talk it through with Harry, and his Old Equestrian was music to my ears.
"It didn't go over so well. Remember the More Harma I tracked down? Well, turns out it was more More than I thought it would be."
Harry groaned. "Sorry Luna, but your puns have not improved. Seriously, what happened? When the ponies moved me, they seemed nothing short of terrified. I tried asking Tia, but she seemed… not her best. I mean, come on, one of the benefits of being essentially a giant treasure box is that I don't have to worry about ponies besides you, but without you around, I ended up having to provide my own entertainment. You know how many pranks I've been able to pull? Three! Three in a thousand years!"
Sensing a lull in the torrent, I reply, "It was Nightmare."
.
.
*Author's Note* Thanks for reading! Just so you know, Harry and Luna are saying phrases of Elvish I found online. If I translated anything wrong, please let me know!
Here's what the translation's supposed to be:
"Man eneth lin?" "What's your name?"
"Isildur." "Servant of the Moon."
"Heniach nin? Pedich edhellen?" "Can you understand me? Do you speak Elvish?"
"Lau." "No."
"More Harma" is supposed to be "Dark Treasure".