Canterlot at night is a very peaceful place. There are a few lanterns lit along the roads to guide ponies to their homes, homes are lit only by the moonlight, and the castle has very few lights on in the windows.

This is especially true on the longest night of the year. In other towns, Nightmare Night is a cause for celebration, a chance for kids to stay up late and get free candy-- What’s not to love? But Canterlot is slightly different. Most of the adults there value their beauty sleep far too much to stay up and hand out ‘common carnival fare’.

It’s also the one night a year all of the servants in the castle get a night off. Only a few guards remain to keep everything secure, and there’s only one light left on in the castle. The candle that Celestia has next to her as she stays up on her balcony and watches the moon move across the sky.

“Princess?”

Celestia jolts a little from where she is sitting before turning around to see who is talking. “Twilight? Why are you still in the castle? It’s far past the time you should be home and asleep, isn’t it?” Celestia asks.

Twilight looks down at her front hooves with a blush, “I might have… fallen asleep in the library. Again,” she mumbles, ending in a near whisper.

Celestia chuckles and shakes her head, “Oh, Twilight, you really should stop doing that. What if you woke up and didn’t know where you were? The library is very large you know.”

“I know,” Twilight says, “That’s why I memorised the library’s layout! As long as I can find out which book row I’m in, I can find my way out easily!”

“The entire layout?” Twilight nods her head. “Well, that is very impressive, Twilight. But what about your parents? I’m sure they’re wondering where you are so late in the night.”

Twilight gasps, “Oh no! I didn't even think of that! I-I just-”

Celestia places a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, stopping the panic attack before it can start. “It’s alright Twilight. I will send a message to your parents letting them know where you are right now,” she says, bringing a piece of parchment and a quill over to her. “But in the future, perhaps you should pay attention to the time when you’re reading. You wouldn't want them to worry too much, would you?”

Twilight shakes her head as the parchment disappears with a flash. “Thanks, Princess. Sorry for troubling you like that,” she says, looking down at her hooves again. “Oh! Why isn't there anypony in the castle tonight?” she asks, ears perked.

“Because I sent them all home for Nightmare Night.”

“Why would you send them home for Nightmare Night? I mean, it is a holiday, but doesn't the castle need ponies doing things?” Twilight asks, head tilted to one side.

Celestia was quiet for a moment. “That is true, but I think that tonight is a night to be with the ones you love, your friends and your family.”

“But what about you? Why were you up here alone? If you wanted to be with friends, you could just come to my place!” Twilight says, grinning at the princess.

Celestia smiles at Twilight, “Thank you for the offer, Twilight, but I would prefer to stay up here for tonight.”

“Why?”

Celestia looks up at the night sky, “There are some ponies that can’t find their way home on the longest night of the year. I like to stay here with my candle to give those ponies someone to go home to, for when they can’t get to their own.”

Twilight starts looking around her, and Celestia chuckles. “Not literally, Twilight. Come over here,” Celestia says, waving her hoof towards herself. When Twilight is next to her, she turns towards the railing and points. “What do you see out there, Twilight?”

Twilight looks a little confused, but turns towards the balcony anyway. After looking for a few seconds, she replies, “I can see Canterlot, I can see the gardens, and I think that’s my house over there.”

“What can you see about it right now?”

“There aren’t many ponies outside, but that’s probably because it’s nighttime. Um… it’s pretty bright with the moonlight, but not many houses have lights on. And… that’s it, really.”

“So if a pony were to look at Canterlot right now, what do you think they would see?”

“They would see the castle. But it would be very dark because none of the lights are on. Except for your candle, but that wouldn't really be visible from outside of Canterlot.”

“Well done, my student. Now watch this,” as Celestia finishes speaking, her horn lights up, and her coat begins to glow. “Now what do you think they would see?”

“They’d probably see a small speck of light. How are you doing that?”

“It’s a simple illumination spell on my coat. I might teach it to you tomorrow. But only if you promise not to use it to stay up late reading again, okay?” she asks Twilight, with the barest hint of a smirk on her face.

Twilight nods enthusiastically.

“Very well then. You said they would see a small speck of light, yes?” Celestia queries, getting a nod in response, “So when they look up at Canterlot, they’ll see that someone in the tallest part of the castle is still awake with them, that they might be looking down on them, making them feel safe.”

“Oh… I get it now. Like a lighthouse,” Twilight says, nodding sagely.

Celestia looks down at Twilight and chuckles. “Yes, I suppose it is like a lighthouse.”

They spend a few minutes in silence before Twilight asks, “What about the mare in the moon?”

Celestia freezes. She turns to Twilight and asks, “What about her?”

“Couldn't ponies look up in the sky and see the moon? If the mare in the moon is looking over them, wouldn't they feel safe then?”

Celestia sighs quietly, but Twilight is too busy looking at the moon to notice. “I suppose you’re right, Twilight. The mare in the moon does like to keep guard over the night. Always has...”

The next few minutes pass by without incident before Twilight once again breaks the silence.

“I really like how the stars look tonight, Princess.”

At this, Celestia smiles. “I’m afraid I can’t take full responsibility for that, Twilight.”

“What do you mean? Don’t you raise the moon and stars every night?” Twilight asks, turning towards the Princess as she does so.

“While that is true, Twilight, I am hardly the first pony to do so. The ones that came before me had a much better sense of how things should look. The way they could arrange the stars… It was magical, Twilight. I’ve left the stars the way they are for a very long time, because I don’t trust myself to be able to make something as beautiful as the night sky. Anyway, on the longest night of the year, I make the stars shine ever so slightly brighter, so that they can be given the glory that they deserve.”

Twilight smiles, then turns around to look at the night sky again. “I’ve always liked the stars, even before I got my cutie mark,” she remarks, before turning around and looking at her cutie mark. “The way they always… well, sparkled,” a chuckle from Celestia interrupts her for a moment, “it seemed so magical. Whenever I was having trouble with my magic, I would just think of the stars, and it would seem just that little bit easier. Almost as if they were lending me some of their magic.” Twilight blushes, “I’m sorry, Princess, that sounded silly…”

“Not at all, Twilight. In fact, I've heard something very similar from many different ponies over the years.”

“Really? Like who?”

“Well, let’s see… Ah, yes. Starswirl the Bearded.”

Twilight tilts her head to one side, “Who is Starswirl the Bearded?”

Celestia blinks. “I haven’t told you about Starswirl?” Twilight shakes her head. “Well, he was one of the greatest unicorns of his time, and the greatest tutor I could have had.”

Twilight gasps, “You mean he was the pony that taught you magic?” She asks, eyes widening at the thought.

“Indeed he was, Twilight. And although he was rather… eccentric, he could always help his students out. He would always call magic ‘a gift from the stars’, because of the way the aura around the horn sparkles. So hearing you say that you feel as though the stars are lending you their magic, it’s not the strangest thing in the world.”

“So there might be magic in the stars?”

“Perhaps. There’s magic in a lot of things, when you get right down to it.”

“What do you mean, Princess?”

“Well, take this illumination spell,” she starts, gesturing to her still-glowing coat, “this works with the magic that’s in each hair on my body and makes it give off a very small amount of light. Even the mountain that Canterlot is built on has its own magic. If it didn't, I don’t think Canterlot could have even been built here.”

“So there’s a bit of magic in everything?”

“Exactly right, Twilight. There’s a little spark of magic in everything. Even in some of the things you can’t see, like friendship.”

“Huh? But how can friendship have magic? Isn't friendship just a feeling?” Before Twilight can ask any more questions, there is a knock at the princess’s door.

Celestia dims her coat down to normal levels, and brings Twilight with her towards the door. “You may enter.”

The door opens, revealing a guard and Twilight’s parents. “Your Majesty, Twilight Velvet and Night Light here say that they received a message from you.”

Celestia nods, “Very good. Twilight Sparkle?” Her young pupil looks up at Celestia. “Run along now. And don’t forget, stop reading so late. It’s not good for your health.”

As Twilight’s family is escorted by the guard back home, Celestia returns to the balcony, her coat shining brightly out into the darkness. She looks up at the moon and sighs. “One day, my student, I hope you learn about the magic of friendship. For both of our sakes…”

---

“The stars shall aid in her escape. That was the line, from that story, am I correct, sister?”

Celestia perks her ears at the sound of her sister’s voice. “Yes it was, Luna. Why do you ask?”

The princess of the night walks up to a softly glowing Celestia on her balcony. “I was talking with young Twilight tonight at the Nightmare Night festival in Ponyville and she remarked upon my stars. She asked me if I knew of any magic that resided in them. I asked her where she got such an idea, and she said that she remembered a talk she had with you long ago. How our mentor called magic ‘a gift from the stars’. She wished to know of any truth that might have been in that statement.”

Celestia blinks, surprised. “I’m surprised she remembers that. What of it?”

“She said that she felt that the stars aiding in my escape meant that the stars leant their magic towards the Nightmare to allow her to escape from her prison. At first, I agreed, but now, I’m not so sure.”

“How so, sister?”

“Her cutie mark. A star burst, representing magic, yes?” Receiving a nod from Celestia, she continues. “She told me that she felt a spark when she realised what the Elements were, not unlike those she received as a child when she felt as though the stars were lending her magic. I soon forgot that part due to a timely interruption from the screaming foals brigade, but it stuck with me on my way here. What if the stars lent their magic to Twilight, to free me from the nightmare? What if the stars aided in my escape?”

Celestia was silent for a moment, then replied, “When I first received that prophecy, a few days after you… left,” she sighed, “I thought much the same as you. the stars would aid in the Nightmare’s escape. But when I met Twilight for the first time, I felt something. A spark that I hadn't felt since using the elements with you against Discord. I then took her under my wing and taught her magic, to try and find out what it meant. Sure enough, a few days later, she was having trouble with her magic. I was about to lend her a helping hoof, but then I felt the spark again. Her cutie mark seemed to sparkle for just a moment, and then her magic started flowing. I don’t know whether you are correct, but I think it might be possible.”

“Perhaps it is just one of those things ponies were not meant to know, Tia.”

“Perhaps it is.”

As the royal sisters stare off into the night, the stars seem to shimmer brighter for just a moment, keeping watch over all of Equestria. A million small sparks of magic, lighting up the darkness.