LITTLE ANGEL

Please, turn on a music

Night fell on Equestria, the warm breath of the sun leaving it. In some houses the lights went out, in others they had just been lit, but the moon still shone in the sky.

It is said that at this time the princess moon flies around the country and follows the dreams she has, has dreamt or will dream.

It chases away nightmares and worries, bitter memories or regrets of missed chances. Always, night after night, she protects us.

Every time I fall asleep in bed, I remember that somewhere up there, among the clouds, in the cold light of the moon, a princess protects us.

You know, I have one wish that I can't get out of my head.

Yes, I know, a young pony like me shouldn't be so dreamy as she's working hard for the good of all of Equestria.

But... Even though it's true, I'd like to see her: to stroke her head, to say thank you, to hug her.

I think Princess Luna is so gloomy because she rarely gets a hug from anyone. I'd like to hug her, don't the other ponies?

Recently, she has returned from her confinement and is no longer a moon pony. But everyone at school is whispering and saying that at night she kidnaps children and eats them.

Isn't that silly? How can you eat someone half your size without even having sharp teeth?

I told my friends that the princess is not like that at all: she is kind and takes care of our dreams, raises the moon in the sky and controls the tides. But they didn't listen to me.

- How do you know that? Have you seen her?

Asked me. And I replied that no, I hadn't. But I know that someone who has been through so much and is trying to mend his ways despite hurtful rumours just can't be evil.

They didn't believe me anyway, but at least I tried.

You know, I've heard that Princess Moon can come into your dream if she wants to. Isn't that great? I'd love to be in the dream with her.

I would tell her how important her work is to all of us and to me personally, I would tell her my fairy tales. Oh, and I would show her you.

By the way, remember when I told you that I started writing short stories for the school magazine? I'm getting better and better at it! I recently told one to my sister, at bedtime. She really liked it, though maybe she just didn't want to upset me, heh.

That's all for tonight, I have to go to bed.

Tomorrow my friends and I are going to grow vegetables on a farm, I don't really want to be a farmer, but it's definitely worth a try.

Have a good night.

Luna finished reading the last page of the small notebook and placed it carefully on the table.

She came here quite by accident: one mischievous dream did not want to change its plot and decided to escape. She flew into this pony's room, and the dream was no longer running away.

The glowing ball stopped over a table of books, among which was one in particular, with a very worn, dull cover.

- What's wrong with you? You wanted to get away from me, didn't you?

Princess Luna asked in a whisper, turning to sleep. But he only swung forward, flying through the special book.

Then Luna picked it up carefully with her horn, opened the first page and decided to read just a little bit. She knew it was very mean and dishonest, good ponies certainly wouldn't do that, but the dream was no fool either, it had brought her here for some reason.

But after the first page, she read the second, the third, then the fourth, devouring with her eyes every headline, every mark in the margin and the crookedly drawn pictures.

Not yet an adult, but not a foal either, the pony who wrote this seemed so wise and kind to Luna, as if everything in Equestria, every flower, pony, cloud or tree had been created by her.

"...He also called me a holodeck today, but I just smiled at him. Travis has a problem with his insignia, he doesn't want to be a woodcarver, thinks it's a stupid thing to do. But it's not! I think he has an amazing talent, and so tomorrow, I'll ask Miss Chirailly to organise a master class, if we all ask him to teach us, he's not likely to say no. Hopefully tomorrow my friends and I can prove that any insignia is beautiful. Oh! I'll also ask my sister to come over, she just wanted something pretty to display in the boutique. Maybe he can make her some beautiful mannequins...?"

She helped everyone for nothing, for the warm feeling of a simple smile... Judging by the pages, sometimes this little pony had a hard time and was sad, but then, instead of dried tears, cute pictures would reappear in the margins. The jagged outlines suggested that she was still bad with her horn, and there was writing about that too.

"... Yeah and I tried to fix it, but I accidentally spilled paint on her dress, too. I didn't mean to, but my horn doesn't listen to me very well, even if Sparkle says I'm good. I had to run to the sugar palace. I'll help my sister wash her dress, but I'll have to apologise first. I have some bits saved up, just enough for her favourite cake or..."

The diary was almost written out, with only one blank page left. And afterwards, on the inside cover was written:

"A message to the future me"

"Zecora said that if you write down your thoughts, you can learn to dream all the dreams you want. Once I finish the last page, I'll try to see the moon pony: I think she's lonely up there on the moon, maybe we can even have a picnic or play charades."

"Do it, future me, I'm sure we'll be welcome!"

A silver tear fell deafeningly to the floor, Luna shuddered quietly, clutching the book to her. Then she inhaled deeply, exhaled, inhaled again. It got a little easier.

It didn't feel like pity, the written words reeked of care and warmth, like my mother once did.

Suddenly, she felt something touch her neck. Namely, a white handkerchief with a lilac rabbit embroidered in the corner.

- Please take it, you will need it.

A quiet, melodious voice came from behind me.

Luna turned round and saw that the baby pony, who had been sleeping sweetly until then, was now propped up on her pillows and squinting sleepily, smiling softly, and probably tiredly. It was as if nothing disturbed her at all.

- Thank you... Aren't you afraid of me? It's night, there's a strange pony standing in your room, you could be screaming at the whole house by now.

She tilted her head to the side, scrutinising her pink-purple mane, green eyes and snow-white skin.

- Of course not, why should I? The right pony comes at the right time, and it's not your fault it's late at night, my sister says. And this handkerchief, by the way, is my gift to you, I could hear your tears through your sleep-" She yawned-"My name is Sweetie Belle.

The little pony yawned.

- The moon... Just the moon.

- Even without a last name? I always thought princesses had them.

Reluctantly, Sweetie asked.

- Hmm, I hadn't really thought about that. Maybe she was once, but I'd forgotten.

Princess Luna hummed thoughtfully and walked over to the bed, placing the diary on the blanket.

- Your wish is at the end of this book. Why did you write it?

- Why do ponies wish for anything at all? I wanted to make you and myself a little happier, I thought that if I saw you in my dream, we would see this dream together. I'm sorry if I did something wrong.

She bowed her head, apparently thinking she was about to be scolded. The princess always frowned a little, out of habit.

- No, no! I'm glad, I really am! I just didn't think anyone would do something like that for me!

Luna was quick to make excuses, it was unthinkable that such a special foal should be upset because of her.

- Ah, good, that's good. Are you here on business? Am I going to have a bad dream?

Sweetie asked again, flapping her long eyelashes.

Luna wanted to answer immediately, but out of the corner of her eye, she hesitated to look at the pictures hanging on the walls of the room. She turned her head to look at them all: One piece of paper showed Celestia raising the sun. Another showed a dragon saving a phoenix egg from falling into the abyss. All of these drawings had different characters on them.

But only one depicted the author: Sweetie Belle sitting under a tree on a moonlit night, apparently having a picnic: there were snacks lying around on a flannel blanket. But in the dark, starry sky, an alicorn soared with wings spread. He was collecting coloured stars in his silver pouch.

Turning around, Luna moved the diary to the bedside table, closed the balcony door through which she had entered here, and said:

- No, I'm only here for you tonight: we can watch dreams together, or we can play in them. I can tell you a bedtime story to make you sleep sweetly, Or maybe sing you a lullaby? Do you like lullabies?

Princess Luna smiled fondly, adjusting the foal's blanket and laying it on the pillow.

- Really?! Oh, then keep it down please, I love them, but Rarity is a very light sleeper, and I'd also really like a fairy tale! Can we have it all together?!

Sweetie whispered happily, covering her face with the blanket. She was clearly excited, for she had never thought such a thing could happen. She just hoped.

- OK, it's all together and just for you, should I lie next to you or just sit by the bed?

Luna clarified, pulling back the curtain because she had unknowingly intensified the moonlight and could not yet settle down to dim it.

- Get in the bed! I'll move, just a second.

The little pony st remorsefully ducked under the blanket and lifted one end of it, marking the entrance to a secret lair just for the two of them.

Luna cautiously climbed inside, taking off her royal horseshoes and tiara. She lay down beside Sweetie, volunteering to be her pillow, and lit her horn quite dimly, just for a few sparks.

Pressing the little angel with the pink-purple mane against her, she moved so that she was above her soft ears.

- Princess Moon, what's the story about?

- Um, which one do you want?

- I don't know, in the end it's not the tale itself that matters, but who tells it.

- ...Then, I'll tell you about a colt who managed to become so special that he befriended an evil ice queen who wanted to freeze the entire pony country.

- Does this tale have a good ending?

Asked Sweetie Belle.

- You'll find out at the end.

- What if, at the end, they become friends, but the queen disappears and that colt never sees her again?

- No, Sweetheart Sweetie, the queen is not going anywhere, I promise you that. They'll go out together whenever they want, eat lots of goodies and give each other presents for the day of the burning hearth. So, do you want to hear such a tale?

- Yes, I've always wanted to...