Everfree is unusually quiet tonight, Color Wheel said to herself as she trotted through the dark streets. There’s usually somepony having a late-night get-together, but it looks like everypony’s asleep. The purple earth pony wasn’t sure how she felt about that. On the one hoof, everypony had worked hard today to help buck the last of the apples in time for tomorrow’s Running of the Leaves, and they were still behind on the harvest. This change of seasons was one of the toughest Everfree had ever faced, and everypony would need a good night’s sleep if they were going to pull it off.

On the other hoof, there was Princess Luna.

Color Wheel saw the dark blue alicorn standing in the square, her horn enveloped in a blue aura of magic. A warm, gentle breeze began blowing through Color Wheel’s short blue and white mane. Crickets chirped all around, and when she looked up, she was treated with a beautiful view of the Princess’s starry sky. The moon was almost full, and the crescent moon on Princess Luna’s flank seemed to glow in its light.

The aura of power dissipated from around the Princess’s horn, and she surveyed her work. “My, you’ve really outdone yourself tonight,” Color Wheel said as she drew near.

“Thank you, Color Wheel,” said the Princess, “but I fear it’s still not enough.”

“Enough? My lady, this is perfect! Much better than Discord’s dreadful nights,” Color Wheel said.

“Thank you for your kindness,” Princess Luna said with a sigh, “but no matter what I do, nopony ever comes to see it.”

“Well, I come to see it,” Color Wheel said, “and I’m certainly glad I do. Your night has given me so much inspiration – and not just me, but Shuttleweave, too. I hear she’s planning to make a tapestry in honor of everything you do for us.”

“But what do I do, really?” the Princess asked, her frustration evident in her voice. “Everypony works and plays during Celestia’s day, but when my night comes, they go to sleep. Nopony really appreciates my night at all.”

“Of course we do, your majesty!” Color Wheel said. “Before you came, night was a time of terror and unrest. Discord would always conjure a storm or raise the sun every five minutes just to torment us for his own entertainment. Believe me; everypony is grateful for the peaceful, calm night you have given us.”

“I know,” Princess Luna said. “I too remember Discord’s nights. I just wish they would appreciate the true beauty of what I do – the stars, the breeze, the shifting phases of the moon...”

Her voice trailed off with a hint of sadness. Color Wheel understood her despair. She really did work hard to make the night beautiful, and it was a pity more ponies didn’t see it. “You just need to give it time,” Color Wheel said. “Your night is like my artwork. Sometimes, even when I put all my effort into making a masterpiece, other ponies just don’t see it the way I do. But don’t worry,” she added. “With time, I’m sure everypony will come to realize just how wonderful your night is.”

Princess Luna smiled, much to Color Wheel’s relief. “You’re right, Color Wheel,” she said. “I’m glad I have a friend like you who can cheer me up when I’m feeling down.”

“I stood by your side when we defeated Discord, and I don’t plan to stop now,” Color Wheel said. “You just keep making these beautiful nights. Everypony else will come around eventually.”

“Thank you,” the Princess said. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I must go to the library. Scrollkeeper doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

“Of course,” said Color Wheel. “I must be off as well. Have a good night, your majesty.”

“You too, Color Wheel.”

The light was still on in the library when Luna arrived. A dark orange pegasus with a silver mane and a scroll-shaped cutie mark was waiting for her. “Good evening, your majesty,” Scrollkeeper said, bowing his head. “I presume you will be spending the night here, as always?”

“Yes, if it’s not too much trouble,” Luna replied, closing the door behind her. She knew the old stallion needed his rest, but he made an effort to let her into the library every night nonetheless. He and his nephew, along with Color Wheel and Shuttleweave, had helped Luna and Celestia defeat Discord by wielding the Elements of Harmony, and the old librarian made a point of making sure Luna had the time she needed to read.

“Very well,” Scrollkeeper said. “I will leave you to your studies.”

“Thank you,” said Luna. “I will wake you in the morning, as always.”

Scrollkeeper disappeared into a side room that served as his bedroom and closed the door behind him. Luna began searching the shelves for something that would help her improve her night. “Advanced Astronomy, Astrological Phenomena, The Art of Midnight…” she muttered as she scanned the shelves. She’d read almost all of them at least once, but there had to be a way to make everypony see how beautiful her night was. She believed what Color Wheel had said, of course, but in the meantime, she would do everything she could to make sure everypony noticed sooner rather than later.

A soft bump broke her concentration. She heard soft hoof beats coming from across the library, followed by the faint beating of wings. Strange, I thought Scrollkeeper was going to sleep, Luna said to herself as she walked towards the noise. A shadow darted behind a bookshelf. Perhaps it’s a thief, she thought as she crept closer. Well, there’s only one way to find out.

Luna darted around the bookshelf and found herself face-to-face with the intruder, a red-maned gold-coated colt with a broom as a cutie mark. The colt cried out in surprise and released the balloon he was inflating, which whizzed around the room with a high-pitched squeal before landing limply on Luna’s head. Luna stumbled backwards and bumped into a shelf behind her, sending a pile of scrolls tumbling to the floor. “Cleansweep!” she gasped. “What are you doing?”

“Decorating the library for my uncle’s birthday, of course!” Cleansweep hissed. “Keep it down, will you? It’s supposed to be a secret!”

Luna took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves. She should have known it was Scrollkeeper’s nephew. Cleansweep was the head cleaning pony in the royal palace, and somehow he always knew how to make everypony smile. He of all people would make sure his uncle’s birthday wasn’t forgotten.

“You should have warned me you’d be here,” Luna said. “I thought you were a thief.”

“Sorry,” Cleansweep said. “Here, let me help you clean that up.” He scooped up several scrolls and deposited them on the highest shelf. “Hey, what’s this?”

Luna looked up to see the colt holding a small black box in his hooves. “Cleansweep! Put that back this instant!”

“Why? What is it?” Cleansweep asked as he descended with the box in hoof. “It doesn’t look special to me.”

“That’s the Scroll of Eternal Night,” Luna said, snatching the box away with a levitation spell. “Long ago, a powerful centaur tried to take over Equestria by covering the land in an eternal night. The ponies who defeated him locked his powers inside a scroll hidden within this box. If the scroll’s seal is ever broken, the centaur’s power will wreak havoc on Equestria once again.”

“So anypony who opens that box could take over Equestria?” Cleansweep asked. “Shouldn’t it be, you know, protected?”

“It’s locked with a very powerful spell,” Luna said. “Celestia and I plan to build it a more secure home once Everfree gets back on its hooves, but for now, we keep it hidden where nopony will look.”

“Except by accident,” Cleansweep said.

“Listen, you can’t tell anypony about this box,” Luna said as she returned the artifact to its shelf. “If it falls into the wrong hooves, who knows what could happen?”

“Don’t worry, your highness. You can count on me,” Cleansweep said as he placed the last scroll on its shelf. “Well, now that that’s all cleaned up, would you mind helping me decorate?”

Luna sighed. As much as she wanted to help, she really needed to study. “How long will it take?”

“Not too long, now that there’s two of us,” Cleansweep said.

“Make that three of us,” said a voice by the door. Luna and Cleansweep turned to see a gray unicorn with a dark yellow mane and tail and a cutie mark of a spear standing in the doorway. “You forgot to lock the door again, your majesty,” he said with a smile.

“Oh. Whoops,” Luna said with a blush.

“Shieldwall!” Cleansweep hissed. “Keep your voice down! You’ll wake my uncle!”

“Don’t worry,” Shieldwall said, brushing some dust off his royal guard uniform with one hoof. “That old pegasus sleeps more soundly than a dragon.”

“I see you’ve been assigned the night watch again,” Luna said.

“I volunteered,” Shieldwall replied as he hung some streamers using a levitation spell. “The other guards think I’m strange, but I enjoy staying up at night. It’s quite peaceful.”

“Oh! Well, thank you,” said Luna, hoping her face didn’t look as warm as it felt. “I do try to make it as beautiful as possible.”

“And you do a splendid job of it,” Shieldwall said. “It’s a pity more ponies can’t enjoy it like I do.”

“Well, most ponies don’t come to see the Princess at the library every night,” Cleansweep said with a mischievous wink.

“What?” Shieldwall spluttered. “T-that’s not it at all! I only stop by during my rounds to keep the Princess company!”

“Uh-huh,” Cleansweep said. “Okay. I understand. I’ll just finish up these decorations, and then I’ll be out of your manes.”

“Why you,” Shieldwall growled as Cleansweep hung the last of the streamers and vanished into his room. “That impertinent little – I swear, Princess, I only stop by to keep you company. I would never let my personal feelings distract me from my duties – not that I have feelings, of course. I mean, I have feelings, just not-”

“Relax, Shieldwall,” Luna said with a laugh. “He was just teasing. Although, it is odd how often you volunteer for the night watch.”

“As I said before, I enjoy the night,” Shieldwall said. “Though, I will confess I enjoy talking with you, too.”

“As do I,” said Luna as she resumed scanning the shelves. “I find I can study better when I have somepony to talk to.”

“Why do you study so much, anyway?” Shieldwall asked. “What are you looking for?”

“Something to make everypony appreciate my night,” Luna said, levitating a few books from their shelves. “I’ve tried everything I can think of, but so far, nothing’s worked.”

Shieldwall looked at the books as they floated past. “I’ve seen you reading all of these before,” he said. “How much more can you learn from them?”

“I don’t know, but there has to be something,” Luna said. “These books contain everything anypony knows about the night. If there is a solution, I’ll find it here.”

Shieldwall watched her pull several more books from various shelves before speaking. “Perhaps you’re looking in the wrong place, your highness.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, like you said, you’ve already read everything anypony knows about the night,” Shieldwall said. “Maybe you need to find something nopony knows about.”

“Something nopony knows about,” she repeated. “Of course! If I give them something they’ve never seen before, they’re sure to pay attention to my night! But, where should I start?”

“You could try the archives,” Shieldwall suggested. “Look through the old legends for something nopony’s seen in generations. You’ll probably have to figure out how to do it, of course, but I’m sure you’ll be up to the challenge.”

Luna had to resist the urge to throw open all the archives at once. “That’s a great idea! Oh, thank you!”

Now it was Shieldwall’s turn to blush. “It was nothing, your majesty,” he said.

“You’re just being modest,” Luna said as she opened a few archive scrolls. “You’ve been a great help.”

Shieldwall pawed at the floor. “You’re welcome, your majesty. I’ll just leave you to your studies, then.”

“Wait.” Luna set the scrolls aside and followed Shieldwall outside. “Before you go, I just wanted to tell you how much your visits mean to me. I know it’s not easy for a guard to be up every night, but I really appreciate your efforts.”

Shieldwall coughed uncomfortably. “Well, as I said, your majesty, I enjoy the night. But if you ever need anything, I promise I’ll be there for you, no matter what.”

“I knew it!” said a muffled voice from somewhere inside the library, followed by the sound of retreating hoof beats.

“Ignore him,” Luna said with a chuckle as Shieldwall growled disapprovingly. “You have a patrol to cover. Have a good night.”

Luna returned to the library, closing the door behind her. Shieldwall stood there for a moment before continuing his patrol.

Where is she? Celestia asked herself for the tenth time as she paced back and forth in the reception hall. I told her to be here early so we could start the Running of the Leaves. The white alicorn looked out the window across the chasm that separated the castle from the square. A crowd of ponies was already waiting. Everypony else arrived on time. Why can’t Luna?

As if sensing her cue, Luna flew through a high window and landed in front of Celestia, slightly out of breath. “I’m sorry,” she gasped. “I was studying in the library and lost track of time.”

“Again?” Celestia said. “You must have read every book in the library by now.”

“I know,” Luna said, “but I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”

“Are you still obsessing about the night?” Celestia asked. Luna’s guilty expression was all the answer she needed. “I told you to stop worrying. You’re going to wear yourself out, and I’ll have to raise the sun and the moon by myself. Now come on. Everypony is waiting for us.”

Celestia had almost reached the door before she noticed Luna wasn’t following her. She was staring at the ground, her head low. “Listen, I know you’re upset, but ponies have to sleep sometime,” Celestia said, trying to soften her tone.

“But why does everypony have to sleep through my night?” Luna asked. “I work so hard to make it beautiful.”

“I know, little sister,” Celestia said, “but worrying about it won’t make it any better. Before we defeated Discord, this world was in chaos. What everypony needs now is a sense of order and structure. That’s what we give them with night and day, Luna, and they are grateful to us both, even if they sleep during your beautiful night. Just give it time.”

“But I want them to see it now,” Luna said. “I don’t want to wait!”

Celestia waited a moment before responding. “Do you remember the city you told me you wanted to rebuild? The one on the side of the mountain?”

“You mean Canterlot?” Luna said.

“Yes. Do you remember what I told you then?”

Luna’s gaze fell to the floor once again. “That we needed to wait until the time was right.”

“Exactly,” Celestia said. “It’s a wonderful idea, but right now, we need to focus on helping Equestria get back on its hooves. Your night is also wonderful, and I believe everypony will agree, but now is not the time to worry about such things. There is much to do to restore this land, little sister. In time, we will be able to make your dreams come true.”

Celestia’s eyes met Luna’s, and the blue alicorn smiled. “You promise?” she asked, pressing her head against Celestia’s neck.

“I promise,” Celestia replied, returning her sister’s embrace. “Now, shall we proceed with the Running of the Leaves?”

“Of course,” Luna said with a nod. Together, the two sisters walked outside to greet their subjects.

“Color Wheel? Shuttleweave? Are you here?” Celestia called as she looked at all the paintings and tapestries on display. The two were quite talented, but it was sometimes difficult to find them.

“Just a moment!” a soft voice called from within the shop. A few moments later, a teal unicorn with a short brown mane and a cutie mark shaped like a loom appeared from behind some artwork. “Oh, hello, Princess. How are you?”

“Quite well, thank you,” Celestia said. “How’s business?”

“Oh, as usual, your majesty,” Shuttleweave said. “I had a big order of blankets come in today. I always do when winter comes. Speaking of which, how did the Running of the Leaves go?”

“Very well,” Celestia answered. “We managed to shake down all the leaves before midday, even though Luna did arrive a little late.”

“Yes, I heard,” Shuttleweave said with a frown. “Is she all right?”

“She’s upset,” Celestia said. “She thinks nopony appreciates her night.”

“Oh, that’s not true at all,” Shuttleweave said. “Color Wheel and I often stay up to watch the stars. They’re so inspiring.”

“I keep telling her not to worry, but she just won’t listen,” Celestia sighed. “Maybe you and Color Wheel should go cheer her up.”

“I think I can manage that, your majesty,” Shuttleweave said. “We both have a lot of work to do, but if it’s for Princess Luna, I think I can find the time.”

“Oh, good,” Celestia said. “I think she went to the library. I’ll see you later.”

“The library?” Shuttleweave repeated, but Celestia had already left the shop. She’s been up all night, Shuttleweave said to herself. She should be in bed, not studying. How strange…

Luna was surrounded by scrolls when Shuttleweave walked into the library. “Good afternoon, your highness,” she said.

“Huh? Oh, hello, Shuttleweave,” Luna replied, barely glancing away from the scroll she was reading. “What brings you here?”

“Well, you do, your majesty.”

Luna set her scroll aside. “Me? Why? Do you need something?”

“Your sister stopped by my shop and said you were upset,” Shuttleweave said, carefully stepping around Luna’s scrolls. “I just wanted to tell you that Color Wheel and I really like what you’re doing with the night.”

“Oh?”

“Yes,” Shuttleweave continued. “In fact, I’m working on a piece right now that your night inspired me to create.”

“Really?” Luna’s face broke into a smile. “Oh, I’m so glad to hear that! After talking to Celestia this morning, I was a little worried that my plan wasn’t such a good idea, but after hearing that, I think it just might work!”

Shuttleweave frowned as Luna returned to her scrolls. “What are you planning, your majesty?”

“Well, last night, I was trying to figure out how I can show everypony what they’re missing at night,” Luna said. “I thought if I could make the night lighter, like day, everypony might be more interested in seeing what else I have to offer them.”

“Lighter?” Shuttleweave repeated with a quizzical look. “But, your highness, night is supposed to be dark.”

“I know, but I think I can change that,” Luna said. “There are several records of Starswirl the Bearded casting spells to light up the night. They don’t say how, exactly, but I think I’ve figured out how a couple of them work.”

“But, Princess, you can’t light up every night,” Shuttleweave said, moving out of the way as a stack of scrolls floated by. “Everypony’s just getting used to having a real night and day.”

“Oh, it won’t be every night,” Luna said with a laugh. “That would be far too exhausting. But if I can make this work for just one night, I think more ponies will want to see what else my night has in store!”

Shuttleweave’s eyes drifted from the pile of scrolls to the bags under Luna’s eyes. “Speaking of wearing a pony out, don’t you think you should get some rest?”

“I can’t,” Luna said. “I need to figure this out by tonight.”

“But, Princess, wouldn’t it be better to-”

“No, Shuttleweave!” Luna’s sudden outburst seemed to startle both of them. “I mean, sorry, but I need to do this now.”

“Well, okay then,” Shuttleweave said softly as she turned and walked outside. I hope this plan of yours works, she thought. For your sake as well as ours.

Celestia was surprised to see almost everypony in Everfree standing in the square when she left the castle at dusk. I wonder what they’re waiting for, she said to herself, though it was difficult to make out much in all the chatter. Luna was standing in the middle of the square. She looked exhausted, but she was pacing excitedly and smiling. I wonder what’s put her in such a good mood?

“Good evening, sister,” Luna said with a cheer Celestia hadn’t seen in her in quite some time.

“Good evening,” Celestia said. “This is quite a turnout.”

“Yes, isn’t it wonderful?” Luna said. “I discovered a spell that will make this night amazing, and I wanted to be sure everypony could see it.”

“Luna, I thought we talked about this,” Celestia said.

“I know, but this is different,” Luna said. “I thought if I could just make one night spectacular, everypony would realize what my night has to offer, and they might decide to watch it.”

Luna’s enthusiasm was certainly contagious, but as Celestia looked out at the crowd, she began to doubt the wisdom of her sister’s plan. Everypony was exhausted from the harvest and change of seasons, and many were already nodding off. “Luna, I’m not sure this is such a good idea.”

Luna visibly recoiled at her remark. “What do you mean?”

Celestia sighed. “I know your heart is in the right place, but this isn’t the time, little sister. Everypony is exhausted. I think it would be better to wait a while.”

“Wait? But why? Everypony’s already here!” Luna said desperately.

“Luna, please, listen to me,” Celestia begged. “If you do this now-”

“You promised you’d help me!”

“Yes, but-”

“I’ve been working all day for this!”

“I know, but-”

“Don’t you love me?”

Now it was Celestia’s turn to recoil. Luna had never taken such a tone with her, nor had she glared at her with such anger. “I do, little sister,” she started.

“Then let me do this,” Luna said, now sounding more desperate than angry. “Please.”

Celestia looked out at the crowd once again. Everypony was watching them expectantly. “Very well, Luna,” she said with a sigh before turning to address the crowd. “Citizens of Everfree, I thank you all for coming here this evening. As you all know, my sister, Princess Luna, has been working tirelessly to bring us something spectacular.”

“Yes,” Luna said. “I realize that you have all been working very hard and do not have the energy to fully appreciate the night I work so hard to give you, but tonight, I hope I can give you a taste of the beauty my night holds.”

Everypony’s eyes turned skyward as Luna’s horn began to glow blue with power. The moon appeared on the horizon as it did every night, and one by one the stars appeared in the darkened sky. The crowd watched in silence as a couple shooting stars flashed across the sky. Celestia wasn’t sure what they were thinking, but she hoped for Luna’s sake they were impressed.

“And now, citizen of Everfree,” Luna said, her voice echoing across the square, “I present something that has not been seen in many years. I give you the Shining Aurora!”

The aura around Luna’s horn grew brighter still, and with a flash, the sky was illuminated with trails of green and blue light. The crowd gasped as the lights shimmered and shifted, lighting the square almost as though it were day. Even Celestia had to admit she was impressed. “Luna, where did you learn that?”

“From the archives,” Luna gasped. The spell had taken more out of her than she expected. “What do you think?”

“It’s amazing!” Celestia said. “I’ve never seen anypony do anything like this!”

Luna smiled and looked out at the transfixed crowd. Everypony’s eyes were glued to the Shining Aurora. It worked, she said to herself with relief. At last, they will appreciate my night.

“Is that it?”

“What?” Luna’s gaze snapped around to the pony who’d spoken. “What do you mean?”

“I was just wondering if you’re going to show us anything else, your highness,” the stallion said.

“More?” Luna repeated. “Are you not satisfied?”

“Oh, it’s very lovely, your highness,” the stallion said, “but I’m very tired, and I have to be in the fields early tomorrow to finish up the harvest.”

Luna could hardly believe her ears. And yet, she could see several ponies nodding their agreement. “I have given you the Shining Aurora,” Luna said. “Nopony has seen such a thing in nearly a thousand years!”

“And it’s quite nice, your majesty,” said a mare, “but as you said, we’ve been working very hard and just don’t have much energy right now.”

“But – but – wait!” Luna cried, but it was no use. The crowd dispersed, and in seconds the square was nearly empty. “I don’t understand,” Luna said.

“They’re exhausted, little sister,” Celestia said, trying not to let her own weariness show. “As are you.”

“But I worked so hard on this!” Luna protested.

“Well, I tried to warn you,” Celestia said. “I told you to let it be, but you just wouldn’t listen.”

“It’s not fair!” Luna cried, stomping a hoof on the ground. “Why do you get all the attention? What makes your day so special that nopony pays attention to the night?”

“Luna, it’s not like that at all,” Celestia said impatiently. “Now, come inside. You need to sleep.”

“No!” Luna shouted, her voice cracking as tears trickled down her face. “I’m going to the library! I’m going to make them love the night if it’s the last thing I do!”

“Wait!” Celestia cried, but Luna had already galloped away. Celestia could only watch as her sister disappeared in Everfree’s dark streets.

“Scrollkeeper! Scrollkeeper, open up!”

Luna stopped pounding on the door when she heard the lock slide open and Scrollkeeper’s tired face appeared in the doorway. “What is it, your majesty?”

“I need to come in,” Luna said half-sobbing as she pushed open the door. “I have to figure this out.”

“Your majesty, please,” Scrollkeeper said as Luna hurried towards the archives. “It’s very late.”

“I don’t care,” Luna snapped, yanking several scrolls off a shelf with her magic.

“You need your rest, your highness,” Scrollkeeper said. “You’re not well.”

“Not well? Not well?” Luna dropped the scrolls and rounded on the old librarian. “How am I the one who’s not well? I give everypony the Shining Aurora, which hasn’t been seen in a millennium, and they ask for more! They’re the ones who are crazy, not me!”

Luna pulled several more scrolls off the shelves and scanned them quickly before throwing them aside. Scrollkeeper approached her with caution. “Your majesty, please listen to me,” he said softly. “You have not slept in over a day, and your obsession with the night is becoming unhealthy.”

“My night is everything, Scrollkeeper!” Luna shouted, once again throwing the scrolls aside. “Are you saying I shouldn’t take pride in my work? Or do you just prefer Celestia’s day over my glorious night?”

“My lady, please, listen to reason,” Scrollkeeper said. “If you continue to push yourself like this, I fear you will become a danger to both yourself and the inhabitants of Everfree. Now, with all due respect, I must ask you to go home for the night and return when you are well and rested.”

Luna stared at him for a moment, unable to comprehend his words. “You think you can command your princess?” she demanded. “You think you can tell me what to do?” Scrollkeeper opened his mouth to speak, but Luna cut him off. “This is my kingdom. I will go where I please whenever I please, and I will stay here and study if I want. Is that clear?”

Scrollkeeper held her glare for a moment, and then bowed his head. “Yes, your majesty. I will leave you to your studies.” The old stallion turned and walked slowly to his room, leaving Luna alone.

“Commanding me to go home,” Luna muttered, returning one again to the archives. “I’ll show you. I’ll show everypony. I’ll just have to learn more of Starswirl’s spells. Then they’ll have to pay attention to my night.”

Yet try as she might, she could not seem to find the scrolls she was looking for. She opened every cupboard and searched every shelf, but for some reason, the Starswirl archives were nowhere to be found. “Where could they be?” she asked as her anger slowly gave way to confusion. “They were here this afternoon!”

She sat on the floor and took a couple deep breaths. Think, Luna, she said to herself. Where did you last see them? As her eyes wandered down the shelves, she saw a low drawer she hadn’t noticed before. Curious, she opened the drawer and examined its contents. A single ancient scroll lay inside, held shut with a red ribbon. She undid the ribbon, carefully unrolled the scroll, and began reading.

“Today is a day for celebration,” she read. “Commander Hurricane and his warriors have returned victorious over the centaur who sought to cover our lands in eternal night and brought with them the source of his dark powers. After much toil, I, Clover the Clever, have succeeded in sealing these powers in what shall hereafter be known as the Scroll of Eternal Night.

“I hope that one day, somepony may discover the means of destroying this evil power forever. For now, I have hidden it away within a magical box of my own design. I have recorded the spells protecting this box below, so that if anypony should break the Scroll’s seal and unleash its power, it can be sealed up again.”

Luna had already read the spells before she realized what they meant. This is the power sealing the Scroll of Eternal Night, she said to herself. Her gaze rested on the high shelf that concealed it, and an idea crept its way into her mind. If it was always night, everypony would have no choice but to appreciate everything I put into it.
She was already halfway to the shelf before she realized what she was doing. No! I can’t! she told herself. I can’t force anypony to appreciate my night against their will. I must find another way. Luna glanced towards Scrollkeeper’s room with a twinge of guilt. He’s right, she told herself. I can’t keep doing this. I should go home. She carefully returned the ancient scroll to its drawer and cleaned up the mess she’d made during her frantic search. She then extinguished the lanterns and left the library, locking the door behind her as she went.

Shieldwall took a deep breath as he entered the throne room. Princess Celestia was standing at the end, waiting for him. To the left stood Discord’s statue. Even though he knew the spirit of chaos was safely imprisoned, the image still gave him chills. To the right sat a chest that contained the fabled Elements of Harmony. Also to the right stood Scrollkeeper, Shuttleweave, and Color Wheel, all of whom looked preoccupied with something.

“You called for me, your majesty?” Shieldwall said as he bowed before the Princess.

“Yes,” said Princess Celestia. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. Captain Galeforce tells me you’re one of the best night watchponies he has.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” Shieldwall said, not sure what else to say. He had a feeling the Princess hadn’t called him here just to compliment him.

“Scrollkeeper tells me his nephew has seen you at the library during your patrols,” the Princess said. “He says you often stop to speak with my sister, Princess Luna.”

Shieldwall’s heart began to race. “Your majesty, I apologize if my actions have been out of line,” he said. “I only meant to give her company while she studied.”

Shieldwall glanced up and saw that the Princess was smiling. “It’s all right, Shieldwall. I haven’t called you here to reprimand you. I’d like to know what you have observed about my sister during your visits.”

Shieldwall blinked a couple times while he gathered his thoughts. “Well, your majesty, she’s a dedicated learner and a quick reader. She’s very smart and can find almost anything she needs in a heartbeat.”

“What does she study?” the Princess asked.

“The night, your majesty.”

“Does she ever study anything else?”

Shieldwall thought for a moment. “Not that I’ve seen, your highness.”

Princess Celestia glanced at the ponies to her side before asking her next question. “Have you noticed anything different about her since she conjured the Shining Aurora?”

Shieldwall again considered the question. “Well, she’s gotten quieter,” he said. “More reserved, almost as if something troubles her. Most of the time, she’s just as focused as always, but sometimes when I pass by, she’s just staring into space. To be honest, I’m a little worried.”

The Princess shared another uneasy glance with the others. “It seems all of you are in agreement,” she said.

Shieldwall frowned. “Agreement?”

“I, too, have noticed the change in Princess Luna’s behavior,” Scrollkeeper said. “The reception of her Shining Aurora seems to have affected her deeply.”

“Well, I don’t blame her,” Color Wheel said. “Everypony was rather rude.”

“She’s always stopped to chat with me when we meet during my nightly walk, but lately, she’s taken to ignoring me,” Shuttleweave added.

“I fear her obsession with the night has started to consume her,” Princess Celestia said gravely. “We must do something to lift her spirits.”

“But what can be done, your majesty?” Scrollkeeper said. “Everypony is overworked and exhausted as it is. We cannot ask them to sacrifice the rest they desperately need.”

“But what else will satisfy her?” Color Wheel asked. “The reason she’s so upset is because everypony sleeps through the night.”

“We could have a festival,” said a voice from the ceiling. Shieldwall looked up to see Cleansweep descending from above, cleaning supplies stuffed in his saddle bags. “The longest night of the year is coming up. It would be the perfect time to hold a feast in her honor.”

“Cleansweep! It’s very rude to eavesdrop!” Scrollkeeper said.

“What?” Cleansweep said. “I’m just doing my job, and it’s not like I can just turn my ears off.”

“A feast,” Princess Celestia said thoughtfully. “Do you think it would work?”

“You know, it’s really not a bad idea,” Shieldwall said. “The harvest will be over by then, and a festival would do everypony good.”

“And if we hold it at night, everypony will be able to see Princess Luna’s work,” Color Wheel said.

“It would be the perfect time to present her with my latest tapestry,” Shuttleweave said. “It’ll take some work, but I think I could finish it in time.”

“Yeah! We could have games and tons of food and everything!” Cleansweep said. “Oh, this is going to be awesome!”

“Then it’s settled,” Princess Celestia said. “On the longest night of the year, we will hold a festival in honor of Princess Luna. I’ll start the preparations immediately. The rest of you, spread the word. I’m sure it will be a night to remember.”