Dear Readers,
This is my first story I ever uploaded. It originally was suppose to be complete after 1,700 words. However, I made a mistake by marking the story as an in-progress story when I never intended to make any further progress on it. I Loved the positive feedback this story received, and I decided to add a second chapter to avoid disappointing anyone that might have been expecting more to come. It never would have happened if my readers weren't so cool! At roughly 7,500 words, this story is now complete. It has gone through a detailed edit on 1-6-13. Now that I'm no longer working on this story, be sure to check out my profile page to find out what I plan to do next. This story is also available on my new weebly web page (you can find the link on my profile page.) On my web page you can download any of my stories as a .Doc or .Pdf in addition to other content.
Sincerely,
Miponiski
To The Moon
"Is something wrong my sister?" Celestia stood over knowing something was troubling her sister Luna. Luna watched the house lights in the distant turn out one at a time. She looked up at the night sky, looking for some sort of flaw that would explain why it failed to impress anypony. It was one of Luna's finest full-moons, and each star twinkled pleasantly in their proper place. For a moment, both Luna and Celestia were silent as the two sisters stood on the castle balcony under the night sky.
Celestia waited for Luna to speak, while Luna was waiting for herself to stir up the right words. Celestia put her hoof around Luna's shoulder to encourage her to say what was troubling her.
Luna sighed before finally speaking. "Look at this night. No matter how much I fill the moon, or how many stars I bring out, not a single pony seems to care."
Celestia leaned toward her. "The night is just as important as the sun no matter how the ponies react to it."
Luna's mood seemed unchanged by her sisters statement. "My stars don't make the crops grow. The moon can barely stay full—not that it would make a difference if it was. Ponies just sleep through it all. After bringing out the moon I nearly collapsed from exhaustion, and look: Not a single pony outdoors. It's not even worth my trouble. I bet if I didn't bring out the moon no pony would notice."
"Luna! Without the moon we wouldn't have such a lovely harmony in all Equestria. Besides, I bet there are ponies in their beds right now—making a wish on one of your stars." Celestia smiled sweetly at Luna, but Luna refused to look her sister in the eye.
Luna maintained a locked stare on the night sky. "You of all ponies would be the last to understand. Ponies praise your name every time a weather pony kicks away a cloud."
Celestia couldn't find a response that would make her sister happy. In all honesty, Luna was right. Whenever anything good happened in Equestria the ponies would say something along the lines of 'Praise Celestia,' and most ponies wouldn't even think twice to give any respect to Luna.
Luna knew that her sister couldn't give a truthful response that would do anything but infuriate her more. Having no desire to talk, Luna felt that leaving was the best option. She opened her wings. Before taking flight she turned to her sister for the first time of the night, and said, "I guess you have to get your sleep too—like everypony else."
Luna flew into the night sky, without looking back. She could hear the wind hiss as it blew across her face. It was cold, but Luna liked it that way. After Luna arrived at her thinking spot, the oldest tree in the Everfree Forest, she made her descent. Luna liked it in the Everfree Forest, because it was the only place where creatures were out and about at night. None of the creatures were ponies, or creatures that had as much as one word to share with Luna, but it was better than waiting in the vacant outdoors of Canterlot for the ponies to wake.
With little to do, Luna practiced some of her simple magic spells. She was never as strong with magic as her sister, but her constant boredom fueled her inspiration to come up with new spells that no pony has probably even attempted.
She used magic on trees to give them funny faces. She also used her magic to alter the clouds. She would see just how long and thin she could stretch them out before they become transparent. Luna would bring them to the ground and cover the forest floor with them; leaving the forest in a haze.
With such little entertainment there was in Equestria at the middle of the night, Luna got a lot of satisfaction with altering things with magic; making the world less boring. She had a creative toolbox of spells that she never revealed to anypony. One of her favorites involved altering the shadows themselves—which at night, there were many at her disposal. She used shadows to create illusions that emulated other ponies, and they looked exceptionally lifelike. She was hesitant to admit having imaginary friends—even to herself—but she enjoyed their company more than anypony else. Despite their muteness, they did more for her than any friends she had.
As the forest was converted into a magic play-place, the constant flow of spells from her horn soon became more exhausting than entertaining. She gave her horn a rest, but first she cleaned up the forest back to the way it originally was. Once done, she began to rest on her favorite tree. It was when she dispelled her imaginary friends, that she was reminded just how alone she was. Luna was alone with nothing but her own thoughts.
There were still hours before the she had to pack up the stars, and retreat the moon. She was left with plenty of time to think. Luna thought to herself, Why couldn't I have been the older sister. Then I could have controlled the sun, and everypony would love me like they do with Celestia, and I wouldn't be alone with nothing better to do, but mess with a couple of clouds, and trees in the darkness. Luna tried to remember a time where she talked to somepony other than her sister, herself, or something non-existent, but she just couldn't remember.
Nopony seemed to appreciate the night, and that often made Luna upset. Luna loved the night. The cooler temperatures were much more bearable than being under the sun, and she always found the darkness exciting as she felt that it made the world have more surprises in it. Every night it was her goal to make the moon glamorous in the sky, without being blinding so that ponies could stare at its beauty all night without hurting their eyes.
But despite her efforts, ponies didn't watch the moon or give a second glance at her stars. Yet something as simple and uncreative as a single ball of light was treasured by the other ponies. Luna would spread the stars across the entire sky as if it was a canvas she was trying to fill. She took the time to make each star beautiful and unique, but ponies slept during the night, and only watched sunsets and sunrises. Luna loved the night, but she hated the loneliness. Why am I the only pony that stays awake through the whole night? she thought.
Luna's eyes began to water. She spent a large portion of her night with one tear or more sliding down her cheek. She's been sad, and alone every night, but for the some reason, today she just wasn't capable of putting her sorrows behind her. Maybe it was because tonight, she put in much more effort in creating beauty than normal, or maybe it was just that she was gradually getting sicker of the constant neglect.
Luna was reminded by the nocturnal creatures in the Forest preparing for their sleep, that it was time for her to clean up her night so that her sister can bring out the sun. She cleared out her eyes, and secured her emotions underneath a stale expression. Luna flew back to the castle in Canterlot, where she could prepare with her sister to say goodbye to the moon, and bring out the sun.
Celestia was already waiting at the castle, when Luna arrived. "Good morning," Celestia greeted. "Are you ready to pack up your night?"
Luna pondered that question much more than Celestia intended her to. For some reason this night felt different than the other nights. She didn't feel so willing to just give up on another unappreciated night. Luna murmured, "This night was one of my finest masterpieces ever, and no pony got to see it."
Celestia sighed, "Are we still on this? I already told you: It doesn't matter if the other ponies see it. It was a fine night—a great night—but it has to go now."
Luna stood her ground, and refused to lower the moon. "What if we just left it out all day, then ponies would have to look at it in awe."
"Now sister. Ponies need the sun during the day so they can see what they're doing. The sun helps them be more efficient, and makes them safer when they're out and about."
Luna understood her sister but it didn't convince her that she couldn't have her moon out for just a little longer. "Raise your sun then! There's plenty of room for both. Look right there! You have plenty of room in the sky to put your sun—just beneath my moon." Luna pointed into an empty space of the night sky.
Celestia began to raise her voice, but still maintained her usual passive tone. "Luna! I lowered the sun for your night. You have to clean up your night for my sun."
"How about just a little longer so that the ponies could see it when they wake up?" Luna asked.
Celestia disapproved her sister's compromise. "It wouldn't be fair if the moon gets to stay out longer than the sun."
Luna was angry that her sister tried to argue that it wouldn't be fair. "Is it fair that my moon only comes out when everypony is sleeping?" Luna asked.
Celestia answered, "We both agreed that you control the sky during the night, and I control it during the day!"
Luna interjected, "I never agreed to that! I said we should rule together—side-by-side. You said we should take turns and divide our authority by time of day." Luna glared into her sister's eyes.
Celestia wasn't intimidated by Luna's stern behavior, and she glared back at her sister. "You just need to lower the moon. We are still ruling 'side-by-side'."
Luna lashed out, "Is that why you do all the planning for the Gala, and your guards are fitted with golden armor, and you get the biggest room in our castle?" Luna's question was rhetorical. The two girls both wore their faces with anger.
Celestia warned, "Last chance my sister. Lower the moon now!"
Luna stood her ground, and made her reply with silence. Celestia was unwilling to share the sky with her sister during her day, and Luna refused to lower her moon until the ponies of Equestria woke up to see it first.
Both girls were ready for a fight. Their Horns glowed bright with a magical essence. A bolt of magic energy fired from each of the girl's horns. Luna's spell was significantly inferior, and withered into the blast of magic Celestia unleashed. Luna knew that she had been beat. She knew that her magic was weaker than Celestia's but she hoped that maybe her rage would put up a better fight against her sister than what it did. Celestia's power was stronger than anypony could have anticipated.
Celestia's spell engulfed Luna in a blinding aura of light. Luna knew that their was no point in trying to escape the inevitable. She stood in shock, realizing she underestimated her sister's power. Celestia's magic surrounded Luna, and Luna was at its complete mercy. When the blinding light finally dimmed Luna found that she was no longer in her castle. Instead, she was on the moon.