//------------------------------// // Still Walking On The Moon // Story: Ten Years // by G r e y //------------------------------// Ten years have passed as you and the princess of the night have known one another. The first one percent of the next thousand years, the time it will take Princess Luna to redo that previous millennium and replace tears and loneliness with warm memories. And the next ninety-nine percent coming up better feel like it's taking just as long as that other ninety-nine percent on the moon had. The time to do fun things is more a-plenty than anything the desolate surface of the moon could ever offer, but even if this was on there, it wouldn't feel desolate at all to Luna so long as you were by her side. Luna's welcoming smile greets you as you enter her chamber, pretending the two of you don't already live within the same castle together but are two friends on the same neighborhood block. The concept of sleepovers has already existed in Equestria, and you're glad they have. What you'll be even more glad about is if that immortality spell begins to take affect. It hasn't so far, but Princess Celestia had reassured you that it may take a while before your aging would reverse, after the magic zeroed in on a good idea of your species's aging process. It illuminates your heart to know that this "if" is growing smaller and smaller as Celestia lets you know that the spark of magic within you is beginning to becoming permanent. Both she and Luna have always wanted a friend who wouldn't have to pass on after a lifetime's worth. It happened to so many old friends that they had been rather afraid to befriend you at first, afraid to grow connected, hesitant to become attached and invested in the friendly company you had to offer. You were more than happy to become the test subject for this new and risky kind of magic that could be used for any recipient across the vast landscape of Equestria. After all, why not make this vibrant, ever-welcoming utopia under benevolent rule your own kind of heaven? Especially after you had met Princess Luna, the immortal alicorn princess who proved herself to be a defacto reflection of you, existing immediately in your humble presence. Both you and her were out of your element, hailing from a world away in each of your own contexts: Luna from a thousand years on the moon, and you from a thousand universes away having lived your then-brief life up until that point. You weren't alone, and neither was Princess Luna, because crashing between awkward silence and awkward conversation was what bonded you after each of you had been so new to this new and promising Equestria. Celestia always knew a human from such a distant dimension would love living in Equestria, the level at which she believed in you shone through her eyes every day she set her gaze upon you with a lovely "good morning" when you had gotten up in the royal castle for a delicious plate of pancakes and waffles she made for you and a very tired younger sister of hers. And in this test of the pursuit of perpetual youth, being performed on your own years of your life and how they passed you as time went on, you were blessed with the hospitality of Canterlot Castle. Allowed to roam the halls and corridors before lounging in the dens and living rooms. Some accommodated with things a human such as yourself would need or prefer to amuse himself or simply be happy in general. A couch, a TV, possibly a gaming system, among other things that Luna herself has taken interest in ever since she came back here and met you at the behest of her older sister Celestia. It took time for the ponies of Equestria to accept you, as already fair-willed as you were when you arrived. They didn't understand, but the royal sisters did, as well did their loyal students and subjects, the mane six. Princess Luna especially understood and couldn't help but accept you, seeing you as a reflection of herself as you had regarding her. She had witnessed the state of disenchantment you were bound for, how out of place you were, and instantly felt for you. With her understanding of it coming from a place of empathy. And through thick and thin, you and Princess Luna had endured eachother's mutual out-of-place-ness by doing odd things for eachother just to make the other feel accepted, just anything one might had assumed about the other, but the details are to be spared. That's not what is important right now. Princess Luna's older sister Princess Celestia had certainly made the right choice when she decided to pair the two of you up, notably after a few heated altercations amongst many of the ponies of Equestria had to be resolved. She watched Luna stick by your side, unable to pull away from how much she deeply cares about you. Unable to deny how aligned the two of you were and still are to this very day. She didn't even want to turn away or cease to acknowledge all those times you and her had to learn to understand what the other meant just as clumsily as you had to with all the other ponies. How you two found common interests and began to bond had occurred very rapidly. After all the stress of finding and establishing your place in equestria was all said and done, Princess Luna was still right there by your side, happy to be in your company as you were in reciprocation to being in her company. And that's when Walking On The Moon by The Police ever-began to play in your heart, and the song has persisted ever since, even to this very day. This, all of the above, is the reason why Princess Luna's warm smile welcoming you as you enter the chamber makes your heart flutter with serenity once more like it always does. "Greetings once again, Anonymous!" Princess Luna's royal Canterlot voice sings its tune, slightly more quietly after some time of adjusting to Equestria's more acceptable volume levels. ~ "Tonight's going to be extra fun." You grin at her. "You did bring the round flat pies, yes?" "The pizzas, of course, I brought the pizzas. I have them stacked up next to the table. There's enough for your guards to enjoy." Luna's excitement at this news makes her hop around in ecstatic glee, knowing even her guards will have a way to keep themselves entertained should they get bored once in a while. Luna's nocturnal sleeping pattern makes sleepovers perfect to have, to which you found no difficulty in adjusting to. With open arms, you embrace Luna as she wraps her forelegs around you for seemingly the millionth time. "Let us embark on a 'night in the town'!" Luna excitedly raises her hoof. "While the sky is still light above the rooftops, and our other friends haven't retired to their slumber yet." With a sharp nod, you agree. The stack of pizzas next to the table are sealed into a time-freezing magic aura that will keep them nice and fresh when you and Luna return from an early evening hanging out around Canterlot and maybe Ponyville if you feel up to it or have time. You've befriended many pf the residents these days, it wouldn't be too left field to stop by and say hello to somepony every once in a while. ~ 5:00 PM. Like a proud knight riding into a sky battle, you rest yourself atop Princess Luna's back as the rose-tinted sky deepens in its colorful gradients of clouds. Holding onto her as she majestically soars through the air with her wingspan casting a shadow across the grass and snow-covered hills facing the setting sun. The two of you take the route you've usually chosen to take. There should be something tasty to drink at Sugarcube Corner, especially to go with a bunch of pizza slices even if you're experimenting with different flavors. And so, the common sight of you and Princess Luna appearing together in town at the end of the day is easily recognizable to the hooved citizens getting ready to wrap up their activities for the day. Wave hello to a number of the ponies before entering Sugarcube Corner. Luna knows already that caffeine had made her really hyper in the past, and Celestia forbade her from intaking it any further until she found a way to mitigate the effects of it that kept her from obtaining her beauty sleep. But Celestia never said anything about regular sugary beverages, ice cream included or not. Some sort of milkshake will go perfectly with pizza; you've done it before! 7:00 PM. After a little bit of sightseeing and catching up with friendly neighbors, you and Princess Luna returned to the castle while the night sky began to return itself over Ponyville and Canterlot. Just like you two have always dreamed of happening every night while you were inseparably enjoying life in Equestria right under its endless theater of stars waking up for the night with you. You know all of Luna's guards by name now, and informally greet them with a friendly smile as they watch Luna free the stack of pizzas from the magic aura. Like a party of children at the local Chuck E. Cheese, the lot of you begin chowing down on the delicious foods together at the long table, with Celestia warmly smiling at you all from the other side of the room in a sentimental way before you all finally finish eating. As though the lanterns at the middle of the table are a campfire, everypony sits around in their chairs and tell ghost stories. With you and Luna coming up with the craziest and most outrageous ones of the group (in your opinion). The enthusiastic and enthralled faces of the guards lit by mystical candlelight all react to Princess Luna's tale about a haunted ship quietly drifting along placid waters of the open sea. Her flowing, ethereal mane glows in the soft illumination of the candle light, adopting the orange glow into the tiny stars surrounded by a translucent deep blue, indigo and purple as her voice grows tense with might and fervor as soon as her story reaches the best part. Princess Luna always had fun spooking her own guards, especially during times such as now when they wanted to see how scared they can get at the thought of something they will never have to deal with in their line of work... hopefully... 9:00 PM. Celestia has retired to her own chamber now, and the night once again begins for you and Princess Luna. All of Luna's nighttime guards are allowed to take breaks from their shifts to chill out in their dormitories and enjoy their extra slices of pizza. It's a good thing there haven't really been any sizable threats to Canterlot or Equestria lately, and it's a bit safer to have the guards relax and have fun for a bit every once in a while. With a whimsical smile, Princess Luna leads you back into her chamber while you stretch and yawn a little after finally waking all the way up. "We're so happy you've stayed with us." Luna declares with a thankful tone. "As in... all these years." Her cheerful expression becomes so sweet with her raised lower eyelids complimenting the gentle tilt of her head. "I wouldn't have wanted it any other way." You reply with a nod. "You've gotten me through more time than I ever would have endured long ago in my world." The two of you share another wholesome hug together, appreciating eachother's much needed presence that shall be persistent for many years to come. 11:00 PM You and Princess Luna are now enjoying the first leg of a very lengthy movie-watching session together, with you helping her discover some of the favorite movies from your world that had managed to have been brought over. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, something you had recommended to Princess Luna multiple times. It's easily going to take you the rest of the night to watch it all, and you had already started with the first one for a bit before it was 11. But it didn't take long for Luna to become so amazed with what she had been witnessing that she couldn't decide which she wanted more by around midnight: to watch the next movie immediately or to act out her favorite scenes with you in the courtyard with some of the guards chipping in on it too. 1:00 AM It ended up being a little bit of both, as you and Luna and a number of her guards playfully acted out battle scenes while you rode on her back once again, sensing the adrenaline charging through her as the sugary drinks you got together keeps her just as hyper as her older Sister had warned her about. But all is well and good in this moment, on this night. The two of you are happy and having fun for as long as you want. At any capacity as you want (so long as Celestia still gets her beauty sleep). The two of you soon go back inside and watch the next movie together, becoming deeply invested in the experience while finishing off the last of the pizza slices. 3:00 AM The two of you continue your fun endeavor, feeling like you could have done this on the surface of the moon for a thousand years and have just as much fun together. Luna turns to you once again. "We're so happy you've stayed with us. All of these years." She repeats, being unable to help but say it again what with how sincerely she means it from the bottom of her heart. The two of you share another hug then snuggle together in the dark chamber.