by G. M. Berrow
Not that Princess Luna was supposed to know any of this, of course. As far as the ponies in Ponyville were concerned, it was still a big surprise. But today was also the day when all the secret work she’d put into altering the Winter Moon Festival would come to light. Would the ponies realize what she’d done? Would her sister be angry with her for doing so? It was all so unpredictable that Luna actually felt a bit excited to find out.
It was fortunate that Princess Luna had managed to catch a few hours of sleep after she’d lowered the moon this morning. She wanted to be alert when she made her entrance. Yawning her sleepy self awake, Luna sipped a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and idly trotted around her quarters, completing small tasks from her to-do list.
First, Luna got out her jewelry polish and shined each hoofcuff, her crescent moon neckplate, and her shimmering black crown. Then she nuzzled Castor and Pollux, feeling their soft owl feathers on her cheek as they snoozed away the morning. After that, she did some leg stretches with Tiberius.
It wasn’t until she was going over her Dream Register from the previous night that she noticed something odd. She pulled out the thread of the dream and projected it in front of her. As Luna watched, her jaw dropped. Right there, in the dream of a Unicorn named Lyra, was the Tarax Hippo! The transparent purple Hippo was chasing the mint-green Unicorn through a field, snapping at her as if she were about to become a tasty snack. Lyra howled in fear.
Returning the nightmare to the Dream Register, Princess Luna furrowed her brow in concern. How had it gotten there? Technically, since the Tarax Hippo had disappeared hundreds of moons ago, there was no way Lyra could even know what one of them looked like. Unless the pony had been studying the creature in a dusty, old book! That must have been it, Luna reasoned. Still, it was a strange coincidence, since Luna had used the Tarax Hippo as her reason for being in Ponyville a few weeks ago.
“Sister!” Princess Celestia exclaimed from just outside the door. “May I enter?”
“You may,” Luna replied, hastily closing the Dream Register. Why did she suddenly feel guilty?
Princess Celestia was dressed to impress. The tall, white Alicorn looked ethereal in a gossamer blue gown covered in tiny silver jewels. It draped over one shoulder and gathered around her waist with a string of braided silver rope. And instead of Celestia’s usual golden neckplate, her neck bore a delicate necklace made up of glittering stars. She was so stunning, Luna couldn’t even speak.
“What do you think?” Celestia lifted up her hoof to show how the gown sparkled.
“You look beautiful, Sister,” said Luna. And she meant it. Suddenly, Princess Luna wished she had something more appropriate to wear. Then her mind drifted to the thought of ceremonial cloaks, and she smirked.
“Here.” Celestia procured a shimmering white gown. “I had this made special just for you. It’s the color of your magnificent moon.”
“Wow…” Princess Luna admired the fabric. It was glowing! She was mesmerized. “Thank you.”
Princess Celestia seemed satisfied. When she departed the room so Luna could get dressed, Luna felt a mixture of anticipation and nerves in her stomach. She had wanted all her harmless pranks to go off without a hitch.
Not long after, the two sisters emerged in the Canterlot Castle square. As Luna and Celestia trotted toward their carriages, the line of guards watched in wonder at the regal siblings.
As Luna trotted past them, each guard bowed deep and said, “Gratias lunam et stellas.” That was her special phrase, given each morning to the moon and stars as a thank you. Now it was all directed at her. For once, Princess Luna was surprised! She felt very touched.
“You are of great importance to the ponies in Equestria, Luna.” Celestia smiled. “Now do you believe me?”
The Festival of the Winter Moon
What was I thinking? This has got to be the stinkiest, ugliest festival ever thrown in the history of Equestria!” Rarity cried out, shaking her head in shame. She was wearing a scratchy ceremonial robe made of brown wool. At least it kept her warm in the snow.
“You got that right!” snarked Rainbow Dash as she flew across the field. She had a clothespin on her nose to protect her from the stench of her garlic necklace. “These bat-snowponies Princess Luna asked me to make instead of snow castles look like The Smooze, but with wings.” Rainbow patted the side of the batpony she was working on, and the wing fell off. “Make that one wing.”
“Not to worry, I can help with that,” Rarity said. She shot some magic at the snowponies. It didn’t do much good. The thing still looked hideous. “Oh, drat.”
“Looooking good!” Pinkie Pie called out. She bounced over. Her fluffy fuchsia mane still managed to bob up and down underneath her cupcake-shaped winter hat. “Hey, they really match the decorations, Rainbow Dash!”
“Pinkie,” Rainbow said, touching her hooves down to the snowy ground. “There are no decorations, remember? They’re ‘invisible.’”
“Right…” Pinkie Pie replied, winking. “You got it.”
“Okay, everypony, let’s all take our places!” Twilight called out from the tent where her educational exhibit was set up. “Princess Luna will be here any moment!”
The townsponies looked to one another in excitement, scrambling to find a good spot to stand when she arrived. The Cutie Mark Crusaders made their way to the front of the crowd. Apple Bloom was a bundle of nerves. Nopony could see the fear in her eyes while she was wearing moonglasses. “Do ya think she’ll like it?”
“She better,” said Scootaloo with an anxious smile. “Because this stuff is all pretty weird.” She gestured to the scene. Ponies milling about in brown wool cloaks, moonglasses, and garlic necklaces. Snow Smoozes, the horde of Ug Bugs, and an educational tent. No pretty lights or decorations.
“I know.” Sweetie Belle bit her lip. “Plus, that banana peel pudding is the yuckiest thing I’ve ever tasted.”
“You two aren’t helpin’ me feel better, ya know,” griped Apple Bloom, frowning. She straightened up. There was one thing left that she had to be proud of. “At least I invited some special guests.”
“Who are they?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“It’s a surprise!” Apple Bloom reminded her with a smile. “Stop askin’ me! You’ll see.”
The hubbub of the crowd grew louder, and Apple Bloom looked to the sky. The princesses of Equestria were approaching in their carriages! In the front was Princess Celestia, her sparkling white carriage pulled by two royal guards of the sun. Behind her was the guest of honor herself, Princess Luna. Her two bat-pony guards, Echo and Nocturn, soared toward the field.
“There they are!” the ponies called out in excitement.
The princesses landed softly on a bank of snow and trotted over to the festival entrance. Twilight Sparkle and all her friends cantered over and lined up to greet them.
“Hide me!” cried Rarity, looking down at her cloak. “This all seemed better in theory!”
“‘Welcome, Princess Luna!’” Apple Bloom read from a scroll. “‘In-honor-of-all-that-you-do-and-the-moon-up-above, we-have-planned-this-here-First-Annual-Winter-Moon-Festival!’” Apple Bloom forced a cheesy smile. “‘A-new-royally-decreed-holiday!’”
“Surprise!” the ponies cheered. “Yay, Princess Luna!”
Luna stood, frozen. Her face was blank. She momentarily forgot that she was supposed to be acting surprised! Princess Celestia gave her a little nudge, as if to say, Remember our deal?
“My stars!” Princess Luna gasped. “Thou didst this all… for me?” She motioned to the snowy field full of bugs and garlic. She bowed, stifling a giggle. “Thank you, dearest ponies of Ponyville. It’s wonderful.” Princess Luna trotted toward the crowd. She took in the silly scene, admiring how flawlessly the ponies had executed her odd suggestions. Everything was here.
“Wow,” Luna whispered to herself, finally understanding what her sister had been trying to tell her. This was completely different than the Summer Sun Celebration or Ni
ghtmare Night. This wasn’t a holiday dedicated to her mistakes as Nightmare Moon. This was a party meant to celebrate everything she’d done right. Not the way she scared the ponies of Equestria!
Suddenly, a series of loud screams came from the back of the crowd.
A Lively Affair
STAND BACK!” Princess Luna barreled through the crowd. The screams were coming from a mint-green Unicorn wearing a garlic necklace. Luna recognized her as the pony from the Dream Register immediately—Lyra!
“What happened?” Princess Luna was on high alert, searching the horizon. “What hath terrified you so?”
Lyra was shaking. “It was a… a… a beast!” They weren’t too far from the Everfree Forest. It could have been anything. “A ghost-beast!”
“Over there!” shouted a purple Pegasus. “It’s coming back!”
Luna couldn’t believe her eyes. It was actually a Tarax Hippo!
The massive gray ghost was running right toward the party! The monster was almost like a normal hippopotamus, except with pointy teeth, and a shimmering, translucent body. And his prime objective was to terrify ponies. Princess Luna would not have that. “Everypony in that tent!” She motioned to Twilight to guard the townsponies.
Princess Celestia soared over and took her place next to her sister, ready for a fight. The Alicorns pushed their hooves into the snow, standing solid. Celestia looked to Luna. “I have not seen a Tarax Hippo in hundreds of moons. Why is he here?”
“I think it may be my fault!” Luna called out, remembering her little white lie to Princess Twilight weeks ago. “I must have accidentally summoned him awake!”
The Tarax Hippo ran toward them, letting out a low, guttural noise. He shook the ground. Sounds of shrieks escaped from the tent. The Tarax Hippo smiled in satisfaction. Then he began to grow.
Celestia fired a zap of pink energy at the beast to contain him. But the magic shot straight through and hit a nearby tree, melting the snow on its branches. “Luna! How do we calm him?”
The Tarax Hippo set his sights on the tent full of ponies. The tent rustled around, packed to capacity. The Tarax Hippo paused to smell the air before moving toward it.
“What does he want?” Luna whispered to herself, flying around to head him off. Then she saw it. A sack full of garlic necklaces. Luna called out to her sister, “It’s the garlic!”
“You are right, dear Luna of the night!” Zecora the zebra called out as she emerged from the Forest. “Throw the garlic! You must! It’s the only way to gain his trust!” Zecora advised.
Princess Luna swooped down, snatched the bag of necklaces, and tossed them at the Tarax Hippo. He opened his slimy mouth wide and caught them in one gulp. He chomped down in satisfaction. As he chewed, he became smaller. Luna smiled triumphantly. “Citizens! Throw your necklaces at the beast!”
“Be gentle, everypony,” Fluttershy warned. “He’s just a creature that’s lost his way.”
Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack ran toward the Tarax Hippo, unafraid. They created a circle around him, herding him just like Applejack and Winona did with the sheep back at Sweet Apple Acres.
“We’re not afraid of you!” shouted Rainbow Dash, tossing a garlic necklace. He caught it in his mouth and licked his lips. “Except maybe your breath later!”
“Wow!” Pinkie Pie squealed. She ran out of garlic, so she began to toss random items such as snowballs and bowls of banana peel pudding. “He’s hungry! Like… hungry, hungry!”
“Princess Luna,” Twilight called out, “what next?”
Before Luna could answer the question, one of the manticores from the swamp swooped down and landed in front of the Tarax Hippo. “RAAAAAAAWR!” he roared. The Tarax Hippo immediately fell into a trancelike state. Then he sat down with a big thud and fell asleep. Princess Celestia flew over. She bent down, used her magic to surround the Tarax Hippo, and gently whispered a spell. The beast floated off into the Everfree Forest, back to his sleepy cave.
It was over.
The ponies applauded, surrounding Princess Luna.
The bat ponies, the mountain dragons, and manticore joined in. They bowed to Luna and turned to the ponies. “Y’all came!” Apple Bloom jumped up and down with glee. “I invited ’em and they came!”
Zecora stepped forward. “Thanks to Luna, we’ve settled our score, and these noble creatures are no longer at war,” she explained. “Though it was many moons ago, it is to her, our peace, we owe.”
One of Luna’s guards, Nocturn, stepped forward. He bowed his head to Princess Luna and turned to the crowd. “And for this, tonight we celebrate our dear Princess of the Night—Luna the Great!” Everypony cheered and gathered around to hear more stories of Princess Luna’s trials. Looking to the happy faces around her, Princess Luna had never felt so loved.
Luna in the Light
After the exciting battle with the Tarax Hippo, the ponies were in the mood to party—even Princess Luna. While the festival was strange, it fit Luna just right. She was different than her sister and always had been. This celebration was proof of that.
Princess Luna laughed with the townsponies, who were dressed in their funny ceremonial clothing. They had put this all together, just to make her feel special. Even the manticore stuck around, making new friends and tasting the spicy rainbow juice. It made Luna feel warm and fuzzy, even in the snow.
“It’s extraordinary, isn’t it, Sister?” Celestia said, watching the peculiar party. “That we have the privilege of protecting and knowing such wonderful citizens?”
“Yes,” Luna admitted. “You were right. Thank you for allowing the festival, even when I did not.” She nodded to her sister and held out her hoof. Celestia shook it.
“Peculiar choice of theme, though,” Celestia marveled. She pointed to Rarity, who had turned her cloak into a one-shouldered gown. “I’m surprised they let the little ones choose all these odd details!” She laughed. “What are these strange outfits? Why are there bugs everywhere?”
“Well, I may have had something to do with that.…” Princess Luna admitted with a giggle. “I suggested some things while the ponies were dreaming. It turns out it works quite well!”
“Luna!” Celestia’s eyes grew wide in shock. “You didn’t!”
She sighed. “It was fun while it lasted. But it’s time for the real celebration to begin!”
Luna focused her magic. The whole field began to transform into the winter wonderland the ponies had envisioned. Celestia joined in as well. Soon, there were glittering snow castles, twinkling lights, and tables covered in constellations. Chocolate fountains and bubbling pots of hot apple cider hovered down next to trays upon trays of mooncakes and apple turnovers. The Ug Bugs floated up into the air, spreading their wings and glowing. They danced around like stars in the darkening sky.
“These invisible decorations are really starting to come alive,” Pinkie Pie joked.
“Princess Luna!” Twilight exclaimed, trotting up to the princesses with the rest of her friends. “This is beautiful!”
It was the true Winter Moon Festival, just as it was meant to be.
“I’m sorry that I altered your plans, dear friends,” Princess Luna said solemnly. “I was hoping to ruin the party because I did not feel worthy of one.” She turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and smiled. “I know now that that is not true. It is such a gift to know that you have ponies that care for you so much, as you all do for me.” She motioned to their surroundings. “So as my gift back to you, here is your festival!”
The ponies surrounded Luna and gave her the biggest group hug. Princess Luna felt so on top of the world, she could raise a thousand more moons.
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
CHAPTER 1
The Glorious Sun
CHAPTER 2
> Royal Business
CHAPTER 3
An Unwelcome Visitor
CHAPTER 4
Princess in the Shadows
CHAPTER 5
News from Canterlot
CHAPTER 6
Guardian of the Night
CHAPTER 7
Ponyville’s Big Secret
CHAPTER 8
Dreamwalking in a Winter Wonderland
CHAPTER 9
A Call to Ponyville
CHAPTER 10
The Tarax Hippo
CHAPTER 11
Royal We
CHAPTER 12
Dream Team
CHAPTER 13
Waking Up
CHAPTER 14
Of Great Importance
CHAPTER 15
The Festival of the Winter Moon
CHAPTER 16
A Lively Affair
CHAPTER 17
Luna in the Light
Copyright
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
HASBRO and its logo, MY LITTLE PONY and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2015 Hasbro. All rights reserved.
Cover design by Kayleigh McCann
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