“After a barely averted disaster and over a year of silence, Princess Luna's reappearance is leaving ponies wondering: does the Nightmare still lurk? Most ponies believe Princess Celestia's assurances that her sister has made a full recovery, but our secret correspondent Pumpkin Pie, on the outskirts of Ponyville, has a different story to…”

“While just about everypony who's anypony has shown nothing but joy at the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle, economist Penny Wise has some reservations about the growth of the royal family and their lavish lifestyles…”

“Due to Princess Twilight's crowded schedule, some ponies have begun petitioning another pony to fund new educational institutions: Princess Luna. The so-called ‘Attic Owls’ go even further, suggesting that she run many of…”

“The secret legal advice nopony wants to hear: [i]go to night court[/i]. There's no reason to fool around with the solar bureaucracy when you can get personal assistance from our other, criminally underappreciated…”

“After Princess Celestia's [i]second[/i] complete failure to protect us from the changeling menace…”



Breakfast with Luna used to be a happy time, a moment's respite before a long day of playing perfect for my subjects. But now I dread it. I glance down mechanically at the newspaper my aide brings me, and a headline in the business section catches my eye.

“Equestrian Innovation: New Reflective Telescope To Make Debut”

I try to disguise my frown with a sip of hot chocolate, and nearly gag. Cocoa Swirl hasn't been able to find a new assistant since Square Measure got recruited to Luna's new astronomy lab.

“The planned public demonstration tonight marks another milestone in the revitalization of our scientific societies, as Lecturer Princess Twilight Sparkle will elaborate on in her opening speech…”

Luna's excitedly explaining something across the table, but I can't hear her. I push the paper away and hurriedly excuse myself.



But the morning doesn't leave me, and neither does last morning, or the one before that. So I find myself sneaking out of the castle just before dusk, trotting along the mountain road toward the laboratory and hoping that my sister won't wake up early this time, that nopony will come rushing into her room with another grand idea that would make her forget all about me for a while.

Or maybe that would be for the best. Then she wouldn't know I was here.

“My ponies still need me,” I repeat to myself. “They won't abandon me.”

I reach the side entrance and slide my horn into the keyhole; it unlocks with a chime. I want to be grateful for her efforts to include me. “It's just astronomy; it won't be so bad,” I whisper to no one as I slip in. I dodge past tables full of worn books, rumpled scrolls, and stale coffee, averting my eyes from my faithful student's hornwriting on the blackboard.

I hold my breath as I walk through the entranceway of the giant dome housing the telescope, ducking my head to get an eye up against the viewing lens. Just a peek. Everything's already been set up for tonight's presentation, aimed at a particular star which should become visible just about…

[i]Now.[/i]

I can barely breathe.

It's a [i]miniature sun[/i], coming into view with shocking clarity and a little circular fringe that just makes it look more spectacular. All these centuries I'd been treating the stars like dust specks, when each one must have its own individuality, its own possibility that I'd never been able to see. And she has thousands of them, when my magic will only ever know the one!

But at least my ponies need that one. They need [i]me[/i]. And they would never abandon me, even for all that.

[i]I'll make sure of it.[/i]

A wave of terrifying energy surges from my fearful heart and crests across my horn, and the true sun makes a hairpin turn and races to blot the source of the revelation out of the sky before I realize what I've done. It's brilliant. [i]I[/i] am brilliant, and shining, and the repurposed mirrors collect the true sun's rays and send them shooting in unison toward a notebook of star charts, where the open page begins to curl and smoke.

As I spread my wings to leave, I feel something inside me turning to ashes too.