After Midnight

Chapter Three: Forgotten

Luna stood in front of her mirror, smiling. Before her on the dresser were many things, placed there by servant ponies: curlers, straightening irons, perfumes, and mane dye. Luna was smiling because she realized she didn't use any of it. Her mane had never been stained with dye, as Celestia's had. Long ago, the vibrant colors had become permanent in her hair, a reminder that nothing could ever be exactly the same as it was a thousand years before. But I'm going to try... Tonight was Luna's first public appearance in Canterlot since her return. Sure, she had raised to moon every night. But she did it from a doorway or window. Tonight, Luna would walk among the ponies of Canterlot not as a Nightmare, but as their Princess. Things have changed. Like this mirror.... Luna's old mirror had been the portal the Nightmare had used to get to Luna in the years leading to her fall. It had been broken, smashed by Luna in an effort to make the Nightmare stop. But that was then. Celestia never knew the struggle of the mirror. Luna had it swept up and burned. So this new, silvery pale blue mirror was another sign of change. Now just to convince Canterlot...maybe I do need some of that perfume...
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Luna had insisted on being alone for her visits, despite the displeasure of Midnight Winter, whom Luna was considering placing in command of her personal guard. Luna stepped down the last step of the palace and looked around. Where to start.... Luna began to walk through the city, smiling and greeting everypony she saw.

None of them greeted her back.

Instead of smiles or a cheery "hello", Luna was met with silence and a few hostile stares. They don't remember! The last good act I did was hundreds of years before they were born! Luna felt tears coming to her eyes and lifted off from the ground, flying high and far until she reached a familiar place. It was a cave, the very one where she had met Midnight Winter more than a thousand years before. Now it was a refuge, a reminder of the ponies who did not see Luna as a monster. Luna wandered around the space aimlessly, too wrapped in her thoughts to care where her hooves took her. What must I do to remind them of who I really am? I created constellations, for Night's sake! Luna found herself sitting at the edge of a glimmering pool with two waterfalls flowing into it. Around it were an assortment of greenery and rocks. Something about the way the water moved gave Luna an idea. What if that water were as many colors as the coats of the ponies in Canterlot? What if I could put that in the sky? A smile flashed across Luna's face as she flew back to Canterlot.
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After Luna raised the moon from her window, she stayed there for another moment. Looking around at the great expanse of night sky, she selected a place for her creation. She lit her horn and smiled as the first wave of color swept the northern sky. Below, a few ponies stood shocked at the pink light in the sky. When the green light joined it, some rushed to get their friends or family. Blue, purple, green, and pink lights danced in beautiful array in the sky above Canterlot. Luna silently took flight, still making the lights swirl. She flew unseen, listening to the ponies:

"What in Celestia's name..."
"Such colors!"
"Oooooo....."
"Come look at this, Swan Scroll!"

But the best of all were the words of a little filly with her mother:

"Mommy! Princess Luna is back!"

Luna let the lights stay for hours, but at last they faded, and the starry nifty was clear once more. Luna flew back to the palace content. I have begun to clear away the past and create the future. Luna guarded Canterlot that night with the forgiveness of a precious few ponies in her heart.