A low, long groan emanated from underneath a sea of blankets as the midday sun blazed a trail through the sky. They slowly parted, giving way to a blurry-eyed mare who hissed as the sunlight shone down on her.

"Spike." She croaked out. The action sent a shockwave that pierced to her very core, painfully reminding her of the previous night’s activities. Her vision slowly came into as she tried to take in her surroundings. Closing her eyes as her sight fell upon the window, the dull throbbing in the back of her skull intensified. She gently laid her head back down on her pillows and tried to recall the prior night.

Twilight walked up to Sugarcube Corner as the town bell chimed, seven clear dulcet tones reverberating through Ponyville. The sound of wings in motion drew her attention as Raindrops lightly landed next to her, a smile beaming across her features. Twilight reciprocated the smile and greeted her new friend. “Raindrops, so glad you could make it!”

Raindrops returned the greeting, a light clack sounding as hooves met. “Of course, it’s also been such a long time since I’ve had a chance to attend one of Pinkie’s parties; I wouldn’t dare miss this.” She raised a hoof to her chin in thought. “I wonder if Pinkie got Berry to spike the punch again... Well, should be fun regardless!”

The door slammed open in front of them, startling both mares. Pinkie stood in the entrance, light spilling out from behind her, illuminating the darker street as heavy bass thumps greeted their ears. “Hey there, Twilight, Rainy! Don’t just stand there, come on in!” She grabbed one of their hooves in each forehoof and whisked them inside, and closed the door behind them.

Pinkie stopped as they came to the center of the cleared room. All of the tables and chairs were pushed up against the walls to make room for dancing. In the corner, a white unicorn bobbed her head in time to a heavy, thumping beat. "Welcome to the party!" She pulled out two party hats and strapped one on the head of each mare. "We're all so happy that Twilight is safe and sound, and thanks a ton to Raindrops for saving her! It's PARTY TIME!"

Twilight stifled a chuckle as she recalled Pinkie's enthusiasm for parties. None could match her, that was certain. She calmly recalled a specific spell that she spent a week researching after the first Pinkie Party with spiked punch, and brought it to the forefront of her mind. Using all of her concentration, she fought back the throbbing pain and let the wave of magic wash over her.

Now with a clear mind and painless head, Twilight got up and made her way to the bathroom, the blank spots in her memory continuing to fill themselves in as the morning progressed. After a hot shower, she recalled some more while combing her mane and tail.

The party had been going on for some time now. Vinyl was still on stage as the DJ, and Pinkie had joined her some time ago. Twilight was on her fourth cup of punch, and she was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. She still couldn't tell if it was Applejack's good reserves or some of Berry Punch's stash that had been mixed in, but at this point she didn't really care anymore.

She walked up to one of the many games that Pinkie had set up: pin the tail on the pony. With a pin in her mouth and a blindfold over her eyes, Twilight was twirled around until she was disoriented. Her stomach slightly protested at being spun around so many times, but she put up with it and began walking forward after the fifth rotation. Somehow, her snout bumped the wall before the pin found it, so she readjusted and placed the pin.

Removing the blindfold, her slight alcohol-induced blush dramatically intensified. She had managed to land the pin directly on the pony's nose, one of her worst performances ever. "Let's see... yup, that costs ya a drink!" Applejack spoke, looking up from a sheet of paper that had 'Drinking Rules' at the top of it.

Twilight protested at first, but grudgingly accepted the offered drink, downing it at the insistence of her friends and present company. She slammed the cup on the table surface, letting out a satisfied sigh. Nothing hit the spot like Applejack's reserve cider, even with experimentation, Twilight had yet to find a better alternative.

Finishing her morning grooming, Twilight left her room and walked downstairs, where an immaculate library greeted her. She saw Spike sitting down at the table, idly munching on a few sapphires while reading the Ponyville Enquirer. "Morning, Spike. Thanks for tidying up the library, it looks nice, as always!" She levitated some cereal from the pantry, adding a bowl, spoon, and milk to the mix.

Spike looked up from the paper with a small smile plastered on his face. "No problem at all, Twi. It really is nice being larger: I don't have to cart around that ladder now! Really cuts down on the reshelving time." He folded the paper up and laid it down on the table. "So, what are the plans for today? I noticed you didn't have a schedule made up."

Twilight munched on a mouthful of cereal while thinking what she could do today. Hmm, Pinkie's party did keep me from making a schedule, but... I really don't mind it that much anymore. I do have a lot of time, so maybe... An insidious grin crept its way across her muzzle between mouthfuls of cereal.

He took notice of her look and loudly gulped. "Twi, whatever it is you're thinking... something tells me I'm not gonna like it..." complained Spike. As he slowly getting out of his chair, Twilight thought he looked like a frightened (insert animal of choice here) getting ready to bolt.

Her predatory grin transitioned to one of amusement and she laughed. "Oh, Spike! I'm just joking, it shouldn't be anything too bad." He weakly smiled, remaining partially seated. "I'd really like to examine what caused your growth today, at least once I finish breakfast. I have a hunch, but it's going to take some field testing to prove."

Spike sat back down, wiping his brow with a claw. "I suppose that's not too bad, and I knew you were going to want to, so sure. Where are we going to go for this testing?"

Twilight spoke with enthusiasm, having anxiously awaited this chance for the last few days. "Once I finish up here, I figured we could go out to the fields just south of Ponyville, near the lake."

They finished eating their breakfast, and placed the dishes in the sink to be taken care of later. Twilight ran up to her room and grabbed her saddle bags, filling them with some parchment, ink, and quills in preparation of the tests she hoped to run on Spike today. As she walked back downstairs, Spike met her near the front door.

They walked out of the library, headed towards the field. "So, Twi. What's the theory you have?"

"Well, do you recall three years back when you had your episode and took off with Rarity and a lot of items from the town?" Twilight began, entering into her lecturer mode.

Spike sheepishly grinned as he walked alongside her, the memory very fresh in his mind. "Yeah... Definitely wasn't my best time, that's for sure. Learned a good bit because of it though."

Twilight nodded in agreement, recalling the friendship report she'd set to Celestia following his growth spurt. "Well, greed was the source of your growth then. When we cancelled it out, you shrunk back down to your previous size. Now, you grew shortly after learning about me being in the hospital, right? Do you recall what it was you were thinking and feeling?"

Spike thought for a moment, his mind drifting back. "Well, I basically see you as my sister most times, and other times... as my mom. I was thinking about how I wasn't big enough to do anything to help you, and this latest incident wasn’t the first time. Almost every time that something happened, I was only able to sit back and watch. I was just tired of being small, really."

"That's what you were thinking, Spike. Now, what about your feelings? Anything stand out over the others?" They had reached the edge of town now, and the expansive, wildflower-dotted fields came into sight.

"I was..." Spike trailed off, trying to put a label on his emotions. A faint amount of smoke escaped his ears in frustration, until his face lit up as he smiled. "Ah ha! I know, I was concerned, and worried, and I wanted to be able to protect you more than anything!" His smile widened, then moments later his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait, are you saying...?"

Twilight returned his smile, gladdened that he'd figured out her hypothesis so quickly. "Yup! I'm thinking that your growth directly correlates with your emotional state! When you got greedy, you grew in physical stature and became dead set on accumulating more wealth. Plus, if you look at the dragons you met during the migration that one year, they were all aggressive in nature. From what I've read, dragons are very competitive when put together growing up, and it seemed to reflect upon their actions! What I want to do today is try to confirm this, and if it's true..." A maniacal glimmer developed in her eyes. "I want to see if you can control it!"

They came to a stop in the middle of a field, the wind gently blowing as the sun continued to creep its way towards its apex. "So, here's what I want you to do Spike. Go ahead and take a seat, or lie down, and I'm going to cast a spell on you. It'll let me communicate with you in your mind. I want to try and guide you into a meditative state, where you'll focus on a specific emotion. From there, we'll see if you grow or change any!" She paced back and forth, a quill already raised to parchment in preparation for taking notes.

Spike took a quick look around, and found a spot where the grass was the thickest and laid down, closing his eyes. "Okay, Twi, ready when you are." He calmly spoke, already fighting off the urge to fall back asleep as the warm grass gently caressed his belly.

Twilight's horn lit up as she lowered it towards Spike's forehead. "Okay, I need you to try and clear all your thoughts for me, just for the next few seconds." Her spire met his head, and a brief flash was all that signaled that her spell was completed. 'Spike?' She thought, testing the spell's success.

'Yeah, Twi?' Spike lazily replied, half asleep already, basking in the warm sun.

'Okay, spell works, check. So, I need you to stay awake. Here's what we're going to do now. I want you to put all your effort towards focusing on... let's say the feelings you had of wanting to protect me as much as possible. It's a good enough starting point. During this, I also want you to take deep, calm breaths, and focus it all in one spot. Where doesn't matter, so long as you're focusing.' Twilight stopped projecting her thoughts and sat down a few paces from her assistant, patiently awaiting the results.

'Okay, Twi... here goes.' Spike began taking long breaths and started to follow the rest of Twilight's advice. Okay, here goes... I need to focus on wanting to protect my sister... no, my mom, as much as possible... Where to focus those thoughts, though... Oh, how about my back? It would really help to have wings! As his breathing slowed, so too did his heart rate.

Twilight watched, taking notes on what she felt coming through the spell and taking his vitals every minute. She noticed the drop in his heart rate, and the ever increasing time between breaths. Come on Spike, you can do this, I know you can! As the fifteenth minute passed, Twilight was about to call this attempt done, when she noticed a change.

Quickly picking up her quill, she felt the emotions that Spike had been gathering begin to have an effect on the young dragon. Slowly, wings began to form from his shoulders and he grew a small amount, with look of serenity on his face. Twilight gasped loudly, startling him.

As quickly as they had appeared, both the wings and extra growth disappeared. "Amazing, Spike! You actually managed to cause some changes!"

Spike's eyes lit up from the praise, a large grin plastered on his face. "So, what happened?"

"Well," Twilight began, "where were you focusing? Your back, correct?"

Spike nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, I was thinking that if I focused there, I could maybe grow wings finally! I'd love to be able to fly, plus I'd be able to better protect you, at least that is what I was thinking. Did it work?"

A large smile graced Twilight's face as she took down notes. "Well, you see... It did! You were starting to grow wings, and it looked like you also grew a small amount. It immediately reversed when I startled you though, but it's a great start!" She finished her writing and set the parchment down.

"Now, here's what I want you to focus on next..."

A sharp knock sounded on the door as Twilight was in the middle of compiling her third day of notes on Spike's growth. Setting the quill down in the inkwell, she got up from the desk and made her way to the door. "One moment, I'm coming!" I wonder who it could be at this late hour. The library closed two hours ago, and... Twilight mentally recalled her schedule. No, not expecting any visitors. Luna and Celestia won't be down until next weekend. Opening the door, Twilight was met with the sight of a stranger.

"Hi, I'm Twilight Sparkle, and I run the library. I'm sorry to say, but the library is closed now." Twilight began, addressing the pegasus that stood in front of her. "Unless you have another reason to stop by, Miss..." She trailed off, closely examining her.

Her light grey mane and tail perfectly contrasted her sapphire blue coat while her wingtips gradually faded to grey. Her cutie mark was partially obscured, but it looked to be multiple white stars in a pattern. Hmm, Ursa Minor, or maybe the Major.

"Sky Sight is my name, Miss Sparkle." Sight said, holding out a hoof in greeting while smiling. "I'm not actually here to use the library. I'm an astronomer, as you might be able to tell by my cutie mark." She twisted slightly, allowing her cutie mark to be fully illuminated by the light flooding the doorway. "I'd heard that one of the best astronomers in Equestria lived here, so I thought that I would stop by."

Twilight sheepishly grinned and accepted the offered hoof. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm one of the best astronomers. I’ve only spent some of my spare time studying the stars..." A hint of red came to her cheeks unbidden at the compliment as their hooves parted. "Well, what can I help you with, then?" She scratched the back of her neck nervously.

Sky let out a small laugh, noticing the blush she'd caused. "I was hoping to see if you were free to compare some notes and maybe study the sky some?"

Twilight pursed her lips in thought for a moment. "I didn't have anything planned tonight, so I suppose I've got the time to do some stargazing tonight." She smiled at her guest. "So, where're you from, Sky Sight?"

Walking inside and closing the door, Sky answered the question. "Just Sky, if you don't mind. I'm from Manehatten originally. The light was impeding my work too much, so I packed up and have been looking for a new place." She followed Twilight through the library, coming to a staircase. "I'd thought Appleossa was a good place for me to move to, but having been in Ponyville for a short time... it seems like the ideal place for stargazing." Sky's words sounded almost dreamy at the end.

Twilight giggled at her faraway expression. "Yes, this really is the best place for it that I've found. Ponyville doesn't really have much light during the night; there are only a few streetlights and that's it. We're also far enough away from any major cities to avoid the light pollution they tend to throw off. The only place I think that could be better is my old tower in the castle." It was Twilight's turn to get lost within her words, nostalgia flooding her thoughts.

Twilight's thoughts were shattered by laughter, Sky enjoying the role reversal. Twilight looked at her with a single brow raised, then broke out into laughter herself at the irony of the situation. Opening the balcony doors, they stepped out into the warm summer air, the moonlight bathing them. Held within her magic, a small table floated outside, followed by a telescope and some books.

"Well, here is where I do my stargazing most nights." Twilight motioned with a hoof towards the vast sky. "Although I don't have access to the full sky because of the branches, I still get eighty two percent of it. More than enough for any given night." She opened one of the books laying on the table. "So, where would you like to start?"

Sky looked at the various texts laid out, slowly reading the title of each one aloud. "You have a very impressive collection, Twilight.” She grabbed two books from the collection, both of them nondescript, and opened one up, carefully flipping through some pages. “I’ve been to the library in Canterlot, as well as the Astronomer’s Guildhouse there. They might be the only two places that have more material than you.” She closed the book.

Twilight sheepishly grinned as she set up the telescope, removing its lens cap and focusing it in. "It's not that big... I've just been collecting astronomy books since I was a filly, really." Twilight looked up to the stars, sighing longingly. "They, and the moon, have always captured my interest."

"Indeed, they are a wonderful thing. One must give thanks to Princess Luna for such a wonder, no?" Sky raised a hoof towards the constellation Ursa Major. "To think, part of her night sky is forever on my side. I wonder if the Princess knows just how much ponies love her night sky now?"

Twilight joined Sky in looking up at the stars. She's an interesting one. I wonder what got her into stargazing? To think, Luna, so many ponies love you now. I wish I could've been there for you, all those years ago... "The telescope is focused on Ursa Major. Now, let's see if I recall this correctly..." Twilight focused, her horn lighting up as she called on her magic. Casting the spell she had shown Luna just two weeks ago, it went off with a flash. Blinking the spots from her eyes, a circular display of the telescope's target hung in the air.

Sky stood next to her, her lower jaw loose and her eyes fixated on the image in front of them. "Wow..." She let out a deep breath, "what I would give to be able to do that!” She gleefully smiled. “I've never seen that before, not even the guild master knows such a spell!" She paused a moment before hastily adding to the end, "I think, anyways."

Twilight laughed as Sky simply stood there collecting herself. "So, we can start with discussing Ursa Major, if you'd like. I've found it makes for a good starting point."

Sky simply shook her head slightly, mane flying in all directions. "No thanks, that is one constellation that I am intimately familiar with." She let the light from the library wash over her flank, illuminating her cutie mark once more. "How about we start with your favorite star?"

Twilight fiddled around with the telescope, bringing its focus towards the edge of the moon. The milky grey color filled up one side of the spell as she adjusted the focus on the telescope, her horn faintly illuminated. A red star slowly came into focus as Twilight finished making adjustments. "This," she pointed to the red star, "is by far my favorite star."

Sky took in the details of the lone star that dominated the view. "It's really close, both to us and the moon. It looks to be a red dwarf class star at first glance too." She continued examining it for a few more moments, then turned to face Twilight. "Might I ask why it's your favorite?"

Twilight blushed slightly, a memory coming to the forefront of her mind, reminding her why she loved this star so much.

"Twilight Sparkle, I have something to show you this evening." Luna spoke with a mysterious glimmer in her eyes. "Please, direct your attention to my moon, then look to the sky in its upper right quadrant."

Twilight looked at the milky pale moon that hung in the night sky, casting its illumination over the astronomy equipment and two mares that were on the balcony. A pale glow caught the corner of her vision, slowly growing in intensity. In the night sky, a pale blue star suddenly winked into existence. The spell ended and the glow disappeared. "Twilight." Luna spoke, slight fatigue slipping into her voice. "I give you this star. I still have one more step, however." She swung her head around, bringing her graceful horn close to Twilight's. "I must connect our horns for this part. If I may?"

Twilight stood, awestruck, as the scope of Luna's action struck home. She mutely nodded her consent at the request, slightly tilting her horn towards Luna.

Their horns came together, and sparks formed between them. Twilight's magic surged up at the behest of Luna, mingling with hers at the focal point of their horns. A thin line shot from them towards the newly created star, grabbing it within their combined magic.

The feeling was nothing like Twilight had experienced before. She felt herself in two places at once, her consciousness flung out farther than she had ever believed possible. She felt Luna's magic slowly retreat, and her mind settled back into its vessel once more.

The last of the magic between them died, leaving Luna panting from the exertion, a small sheen of sweat visible on her coat. "It is your star, Twilight. You merely need to think about it, and it shall reveal itself. I have tethered it to the moon as a symbol of our friendship. Wherever my moon goes, so shall your star."

The recollection took but a moment, and passed with a gentle shake of her head. "This particular star is actually a blue dwarf. My spell still needs some work..." Twilight trailed off, blushing in embarrassment as a lone hoof scratched at the crook of her neck. "It still switches the reds and blues, and I haven't put the time towards tweaking it properly. Anyways," Twilight cleared her mind, Sky's question in the forefront of her mind, "this star is my favorite. It was a... gift, from a very good friend."

Sky looked at Twilight incredulously, an eyebrow raised at her. "A gift? How can a star be such a thing? It's... impossible!"

Twilight lowered her hoof, another sheepish smile crossing her face. "Not quite impossible... not for Luna, anyways..." Twilight was looking down at her hooves.

Sky's eyes lit up at Twilight's words. "Oh, you're friends with Princess Luna? I'd heard that you were Princess Celestia's student, but to also know her sister?" She paused, extending a single wing in Twilight's direction. "I must say, I'm jealous."

Twilight jumped as something soft brushed down her spine, startling her. She looked up and saw Sky's extended wing, as well as the smirk on her face. Putting the two together, she felt a small amount of anger mix with the embarrassment. "Hey! What was that about?"

Sky smirked, confidence exuding off of her. "Well, you seem interesting enough, you love astronomy, and you know the Princesses as well. I'd love to get to know you better." A thoughtful expression passed across her face. "Are you not into mares? That it?"

Twilight was dumbfounded, her anger momentarily pushed aside as the brazenness of Sky left her reeling. Trying to gather her thoughts, she began speaking. "I-I, no, that's not it!" Her anger returned as she turned on Sky. "I happen to like mares, thank you very much! It's that I just met you, and I already have a special somepony!"

Sky refused to back down at Twilight's words. "Oh, you don't believe in 'love at first sight?'" She circled around her, taking in her looks. "You sure I can't offer something that she couldn't? I'm a whole lot of mare, I can guarantee you that!"

Twilight sputtered, her cheeks flooding with heat as she circled in place to stay eye to eye with Sky. "I think it's time you left. You know where the door is, show yourself out." Her voice was dangerously level, all emotion drained from it.

Sky suddenly broke out into laughter, one hoof holding her stomach as her back knees wobbled. "Oh, Twilight! I must apologize." She contained her laughter and dropped her hoof back to the floor. "It was in poor taste, I must admit." Clearing her throat, she continued on. "We hath decided upon a name for thee: My Star." Smiling widely, 'Sky' planted herself in front of Twilight.

Twilight's jaw opened and closed rapidly. She settled for walking a circle around Sky, closely probing at the illusion with her magic. As Twilight came in front of her again, Luna dropped her illusion.

Twilight pointed a hoof at Luna, frustration dripping from her voice. "Y-You!" She was stuttering slightly as the words began pouring forth. "You show up in my dreams four night ago, and cut off our conversation about the fact that YOU'RE IMMORTAL! I've been second guessing myself and waiting for you to show back up, but did you? No!"

Luna withered underneath the verbal assault, backing off the balcony and moving back into the room as Twilight continued to advance on her. "Twili—"

"No, you will wait until I'm done, Luna." Twilight interrupted, closing the distance between them to a single hoof. "So, here I've been, insecure as can be, wondering about everything that could go wrong and why you hesitated when I asked you about that. If it wasn't for Rarity, I'd’ve probably done something really stupid by now." Tears began forming at the corner of her eyes as she continued venting. "And then, you show up, in disguise, and begin flirting with me."

Luna began thinking of a way out of the hole she managed to put herself into. She mentally kicked herself. What was I thinking? This was a terrible plan. What to do about it, though? Words probably won't be enough. I haven’t found it yet, but... I suppose I should go ahead and tell her. That should alleviate that fear she has anyways... Oh! I can also show her that. "Twilight, I—" Luna was cut off as two hooves encircled her neck, the weight of Twilight jumping into her unbalanced her slightly.

Twilight's muffled sobs found their way out of Luna's mane. "I'm sorry, Twilight..." Luna whispered as they held each other, laying on the floor in the middle of the room. The only sound that passed between them was the occasional whimper from Twilight.

Twilight's hooves slowly retreated from Luna's neck, her anger slightly dissipated. Luna’s ethereal mane slid beneath Twilight as she looked into Luna's eyes. "Don’t you ever do something like that to me again... please?” She took a calming breath. “Why must your eyes be so beautiful?" Twilight muttered, mostly to herself. "I can't even stay angry at you..."

Luna grasped Twilight's hooves with her own, carefully picking her next words. Her thoughts were scattered, however, as Twilight leaned in and their lips found one another, passion flowing through the connection they shared. Luna leaned into the kiss as her mane engulfed Twilight, the two coming together.

Slowly breaking apart seconds later, Twilight was the first to break the silence as they held each other. "Luna, I'm afraid." She looked down towards the floor, resting her forehead against her. "Sure, we may be fine, but for how long? Ten years? Twenty? How long will it take for aging to start slowly taking me as it ignores you?" She raised her head as a hoof came underneath it, and looked Luna in the eyes. "I don't know if I'm strong en—"

Luna placed a hoof on Twilight's lips, killing the words that came from her mouth. How to say this... "Twilight, do you trust me?"

Twilight looked at Luna, confusion etched across her face, eyebrows scrunched together. "Yes? Why?" She said hesitantly, wondering what Luna was thinking.

"Thank you. Please, close your eyes. I have something to show you." Luna held her hooves over Twilight's eyes and closed her own, envisioning her target within her mind. Her horn glowed, the power building up as the seconds ticked away. The air around them began to chill, and with a final surge of magic, they disappeared.

Making sure her hooves continued to block Twilight's sight, Luna took a moment to regain her bearings as they reappeared at her destination. Removing her hooves, she spoke. "Twilight, you may open your eyes now."

Twilight's eyes opened, and moments later she let out a gasp. She stood on an uneven grey surface, the darkness of space surrounding them. Dominating her vision was a large sphere of various blues, greens, and greys, the top and bottom capped with white. "W-W-We're on the moon!?" She blurted out, eyes wide in shock.

Luna let out a low chuckle for but a moment, then laid a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Welcome to my moon, Twilight. I do have an answer to your fears, however I felt that up here would be the best place to give you them." She waved a hoof towards the planet in front of them. "With Equus and my moon as witnesses, I need you to swear that what I tell you does not leave this place." Luna's voice was solemn, knocking Twilight out of her shock.

"I-How are we even able to breathe up here? Is there an atmosphere? Is it your magic?" Twilight was amazed, the studious part of her rearing up and taking control. The questions poured forth from her, causing Luna to raise a hoof to her head. The torrent continued, unabated, as the questions shifted to observations.

Luna, in an attempt to wrestle Twilight's attention back to her, went immediately to what she deemed drastic measures. "TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" The Royal Canterlot Voice shook the very ground, reverberating across the moonscape.

Twilight jumped in shock, her stream of words stopped abruptly. She took a moment to collect herself before looking at Luna, a sheepish smile etched across her face as she nervously rubbed her mane. "Eh, sorry, Luna..." She looked towards Equus, wonder in her eyes. "This... really is something..."

A hoof resting on Twilight's shoulder made her jump slightly. "Fret not, My Star." Luna sat down on her haunches next to her, looking at Equus. "It is indeed, is it not? This was the only sight I had for those thousand years, able to watch but not touch, as the ponies flourished underneath my sister's care. It was joyful, yet bitter, to see them prosper so without my presence..." Luna trailed off and lightly sighed, closing her eyes. A soft caress of her neck forced them back open.

Twilight finished nuzzling Luna's neck, pulling back with a smile on her face, a faint hint of sorrow and sympathy reflected in her irises. "When you're ready to talk about it, I'll be here." She leaned against Luna, their warmth mingling together.

Luna, her resolve strengthened, brought to bear the reason for their trip. "This is the first time I've been back. As well, it's also the first time I've brought another to my moon... I hope that this imparts just how important it is that you not speak a word of what I tell you here to another." She paused, trying to pick her next words carefully. Twilight hung off her words, only adding to her own growing nervousness. "Twilight, My Star. Brace yourself, for what I will be showing you here... is part of what lead to my insanity. Not even Tia has been up here since then. Please, follow me."

Twilight stood up, following Luna across the moonscape. It held an eerie sense of beauty, its surface illuminated by the light of stars and the planet that loomed nearby. I wonder what it is that Luna has to tell me... It must be something big, as she's facing her past to— Oh, my. That's huge. I wonder what it is?

Before she could ask, Luna spoke, a near whisper. "And I finally return..." A large structure loomed in the distance, spires reaching towards the sky. It was as black as the night sky, appearing to be one giant piece. Two large doors laid at the front of a drawbridge, the moon raised out on the doors.

"Luna, what is that?" Twilight questioned, pausing to point a hoof at the castle in the distance.

"That, dearest Twilight," Luna began, pausing mid-stride to allow her to catch up, "is the product of a thousand years of work. It is my Lunar Palace, carefully constructed during my periods of lucidity while exiled. I took the dying stars, and melded what remained into this structure..." She wistfully sighed.

Twilight drank in her words, amazement evident across her features. "I may not know much about architecture, but... it looks amazingly beautiful. It's a real shame that it's on the moon, and not somewhere where ponies can see it."

Luna lightly chuckled. "Tia always did say I had a way with art. Sometimes I wished I had personified it rather than the moon." They continued walking and slowly approached the castle.

The air was silent and heavy between them, a question coming to the edge of Twilight's lips, yet going no further, despite her best attempts to voice them. She steeled herself, working up her courage until she spit it out in a rush. Luna jumped, startled by Twilight’s sudden question. "What do you mean by personified, exactly?"

Luna looked at her thoughtfully, remaining silent for a few seconds before yielding an answer. "While we can become proficient and excel in many areas, as an alicorn, we draw our power from one source, and one source only. It also reflects how we are seen, to a degree. Cadance, for example, is connected to love, and draws power from it. So long as she is around, there is a guarantee that love shall be as well. It also works the other way, too." Luna looked up, taking in the looming castle that now dominated their vision. "And while Tia may be seen as the 'Princess of the Day', the truth is the sun is her source, just as the moon is mine. Even though I can craft such things as this, I will forever be associated with the moon and the night, thanks to that fact."

Twilight walked in thought, her mind picking apart each word that Luna had spoken to her. Unbidden, a thought made its way to the forefront of her mind, begging to be asked. "Luna, you said that your source was the moon. How exactly do the stars fall into that? I know that your sister only handles the sun, yet you do both the moon and stars."

A sad look crawled across Luna's face, a pained smile showing itself. "Truthfully, My Star... they were my mother's..." They paused in front of the bridge spanning a chasm, leading up to two massive doors, a crescent moon embossed across them. They crossed onto the walkway, the clopping of their hooves echoing from the depths they passed over.

Luna's horn illuminated as she shifted her focus to the doors standing before them. As her magic met them, the edge of the embossed image slowly lit up, turning a pale grey color as the crescent glowed brighter. "Hmm, I think a new addition is in order..." Luna muttered as Twilight stood in awe once more, her jaw dropping. As the insides of the image filled in, nestled within the crescent a familiar blue glow began to take form.

A star took shape, a mirror image of the one that hung in the sky next to the moon. Twilight found her jaw muscles and closed her mouth as she gently nuzzled Luna's neck in appreciation. "Now, open," Luna stated, the two doors cracking in the center, the illumination from the images remaining as they revealed a large antechamber. With a final groan, the doors stood wide open in welcome, the light of magic surrounding Luna's horn fading away. "Shall we go inside?"

Twilight followed Luna inside, entering into a large foyer. I keep thinking that I can't be more amazed, yet this just blows me away... How did she manage to make all of this? Greeting their arrival into the antechamber, a large chandelier hung from a massive ceiling. It must be at least twenty meters high! Small orbs of translucent light hung at the ends of the arms, illuminating the entire place. "What is the light made of, Luna?"

"Condensed moonlight, distilled into its purest form, then molded into a flame." Luna curtly replied, her focus on a hallway that lay off to the side, heading deeper into the interior.

Twilight followed her, mentally taking note of the numerous carvings of ponies lining the walls, every species represented in some manner. The statues were in various poses, from the calm and sedate manners to some that she found more violent and somewhat distasteful. However, regardless of which statue she analyzed, each one was crafted with painstakingly high levels of detail, to the point where they looked alive.

Twilight was broken from her reverie as Luna came to a halt, and she bumped into Luna's legs. Looking up, Twilight noticed they stood in front a smaller pair of doors that had the full moon embossed on it, splitting it in half.

"Welcome, Twilight, to my sanctum." The doors creaked open, light slowly flooding the dark room. Fully opened, Twilight got a glance of what was contained within. She stood in the doorway, staring into the illuminated room. "In here, all shall be revealed."

Author's Notes:

Author’s Note - Well, after a rather long dry spell, here comes the next chapter! Hopefully this long of a time between updates doesn’t happen again, I’ve already got a 1,200 word outline for the next chapter! WARNING! Next chapter will have some darker elements to them! As you might’ve inferred, I will be covering some world building, and one simply cannot look at history through ‘rose-tinted glasses,’ as they say.

Beyond that, not too much else to say. I hope that you all enjoy, and see y’all sometime soon.

Editor’s Note - Randomguy here. Spike’s growing up quickly, ain’t he? Soon the little guy’s going to be flying around and stuff. *tear* It’s so beautiful to watch them grow.

Who else want’s a castle made out of stars? Also... They’re on the MOOOOOON!!!!!

SHAMELESS PLUG - Cvbrony’s Rites of Ascension (For you Twilicorn lovers out there!) now has a group that will [eventually] have information contained for folks to write their own stories within his universe, once a little more information comes on his end. There will be quite a few open ended tales and characters for y’all to play with, so feel free to join up and take a peek!