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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
The Stars Don't Judge
As the moon crested high like a dove, Luna alone walked the empty corridors of the Canterlot Library, as was her habit of late. No torches were lit; none carried the light of the sun. But the moon cast its spotlight through the towering, thickly-paned windows.
In the silence of her thoughts and the musty air, Luna thought she heard a muffled voice, like a gutted moan. Nearing the nonfiction wing, she could tell it was the sound of weeping. She turned a corner and there, beneath a slender window at the end of the row, moonlight spilling over her, was Twilight.
Luna did not disturb her, but gazed on quietly, watching as the little princess’ shoulders shook. Her sobs were unrestrained, free from the fear of listening ears. Luna watched the fur on her pretty hooves become matted with tears as she wiped her eyes, over and over.
As the minutes melted away, Luna slowly made her way towards Twilight, whose back was turned. Luna leaned down and, as if to not even disturb the dust in the air, tenderly breathed a light kiss on the back of her head. Twilight froze, a snotty sniff cut short. She turned and peered in fright at Luna.
“My little lilac,” Luna whispered, her eyes gentle and round, “what is this?”
Hurriedly rubbing her nose, Twilight said, “I-I’m sorry, princess, I didn’t know you were here. I shouldn’t be here, I know, I’ll just—”
Luna flung her wings about her, saying, “Neigh, Twilight, please…you can tell me. What troubles thee?”
Twilight was silent for a long while after this, still as stone. Luna watched moonlight glint off the individual fibers of her mane, painting them silver.
Twilight began to whisper.
“It’s…Celestia doesn’t love me.”
Ah…Twilight was being Twilight, it seemed. Luna nearly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Twilight, what gave you such a thought?”
A resolution shown through the tears still in her eyes as she said, “It’s true.” She looked out the window. “It has always been true. I realized this today, and, well, here I am tonight.”
“Twilight,” Luna said with a nudge, “just how in the moon and stars above could you think that’s so? Celestia loves you deeply.”
Twilight gazed at her. “Because she judges me.”
Luna blinked. “Judges you, how?”
“In everything. She always has. Correcting my behaviors, my attitudes—judging what is good or bad within me. She judged that I was wrong for lacking friends before sending me to Ponyville.”
“Well, yes, so I’ve heard the tale go.”
“Princess, don’t you know that true love means acceptance? Total, complete acceptance. Judgement is not love. Celestia does not love me, because she does not accept everything about me.”
Luna rolled her jaw, saying, “But—”
“Can you honestly say you really love somepony if there is some part of them you don’t accept, some part you wish to change?”
There was a pregnant pause, until Luna finally said, quietly, “No.”
Twilight looked off to the side. “Well, there you go.”
They were quiet for a short time after that.
“You know…that also means my parents never really loved me, either. I realized that today too. Or…or,” her voice grew shaky, “my brother.” Fresh tears streamed down her face.
“Twilight…” Luna said, lifting her chin with a hoof to gaze into her eyes, “I love you, and will never judge you. I will never say a single thing is wrong or bad about you.”
Twilight smiled, relief un-weighing the corners of her mouth, and she leaned into Luna, the two of them lying there on the ground, breathing silently the air bathed in moonlight.
Twilight made it home that morning, grief still her shadow, to find Spike was not asleep in his bed.
She could find him nowhere in the castle, until coming to a closet. Opening it, she saw him atop a surprisingly large pile of gems, curled up, looking every bit as draconic as a full grown adult.
Adults which were controlled by greed.
She did not know Spike had been hording gems like this. It wasn’t healthy for him. She would have to—
No.
She loved him, didn’t she? Really loved him. And that meant…
No, she could not stop this behavior, she could not be so hateful as to judge him for it.
She would remain silent. She must remain silent.
Slowly she closed the closet door, a proud smile on her lips.
“I love him, I love him more truly than all others.”
In the silence of her thoughts and the musty air, Luna thought she heard a muffled voice, like a gutted moan. Nearing the nonfiction wing, she could tell it was the sound of weeping. She turned a corner and there, beneath a slender window at the end of the row, moonlight spilling over her, was Twilight.
Luna did not disturb her, but gazed on quietly, watching as the little princess’ shoulders shook. Her sobs were unrestrained, free from the fear of listening ears. Luna watched the fur on her pretty hooves become matted with tears as she wiped her eyes, over and over.
As the minutes melted away, Luna slowly made her way towards Twilight, whose back was turned. Luna leaned down and, as if to not even disturb the dust in the air, tenderly breathed a light kiss on the back of her head. Twilight froze, a snotty sniff cut short. She turned and peered in fright at Luna.
“My little lilac,” Luna whispered, her eyes gentle and round, “what is this?”
Hurriedly rubbing her nose, Twilight said, “I-I’m sorry, princess, I didn’t know you were here. I shouldn’t be here, I know, I’ll just—”
Luna flung her wings about her, saying, “Neigh, Twilight, please…you can tell me. What troubles thee?”
Twilight was silent for a long while after this, still as stone. Luna watched moonlight glint off the individual fibers of her mane, painting them silver.
Twilight began to whisper.
“It’s…Celestia doesn’t love me.”
Ah…Twilight was being Twilight, it seemed. Luna nearly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Twilight, what gave you such a thought?”
A resolution shown through the tears still in her eyes as she said, “It’s true.” She looked out the window. “It has always been true. I realized this today, and, well, here I am tonight.”
“Twilight,” Luna said with a nudge, “just how in the moon and stars above could you think that’s so? Celestia loves you deeply.”
Twilight gazed at her. “Because she judges me.”
Luna blinked. “Judges you, how?”
“In everything. She always has. Correcting my behaviors, my attitudes—judging what is good or bad within me. She judged that I was wrong for lacking friends before sending me to Ponyville.”
“Well, yes, so I’ve heard the tale go.”
“Princess, don’t you know that true love means acceptance? Total, complete acceptance. Judgement is not love. Celestia does not love me, because she does not accept everything about me.”
Luna rolled her jaw, saying, “But—”
“Can you honestly say you really love somepony if there is some part of them you don’t accept, some part you wish to change?”
There was a pregnant pause, until Luna finally said, quietly, “No.”
Twilight looked off to the side. “Well, there you go.”
They were quiet for a short time after that.
“You know…that also means my parents never really loved me, either. I realized that today too. Or…or,” her voice grew shaky, “my brother.” Fresh tears streamed down her face.
“Twilight…” Luna said, lifting her chin with a hoof to gaze into her eyes, “I love you, and will never judge you. I will never say a single thing is wrong or bad about you.”
Twilight smiled, relief un-weighing the corners of her mouth, and she leaned into Luna, the two of them lying there on the ground, breathing silently the air bathed in moonlight.
Twilight made it home that morning, grief still her shadow, to find Spike was not asleep in his bed.
She could find him nowhere in the castle, until coming to a closet. Opening it, she saw him atop a surprisingly large pile of gems, curled up, looking every bit as draconic as a full grown adult.
Adults which were controlled by greed.
She did not know Spike had been hording gems like this. It wasn’t healthy for him. She would have to—
No.
She loved him, didn’t she? Really loved him. And that meant…
No, she could not stop this behavior, she could not be so hateful as to judge him for it.
She would remain silent. She must remain silent.
Slowly she closed the closet door, a proud smile on her lips.
“I love him, I love him more truly than all others.”