New Moon (My Little Pony)

09 (4/4) A Loving Family

Every pony had relinquished for the night after having their fill of dinner. Lazuli had left to spend the night with her family, though she didn't seem too enthusiastic about it. Bud gave Raven her old room to sleep in for the night, leaving Bud at the couch in the living with her foals. Raven was unsure about the arrangement, but her teacher assured her that all would be fine.

Hope picked out a comforter from a closet for her daughter and grandfoals to share. Nebula commented how gaudy it was with its heart-shaped patterns, but she still found herself snuggling comfortably in it once they were covered on the couch.

Bud had scooched herself farthest back upon the couch to provide room for her foals. Nebula leant her body across Bud's as Artemis lay flat on the cushion . Bud draped her hoof over them and had the sheet squarely beneath their necks as she watched them closely until both foals fell asleep.

Night had finally come as the moon floated bare at the open sky through a window. There, Bud could still see a shadow of a mare plastered to the moon as it had been her whole life. Bud figured something about it would have changed now that the creature that was supposed to be there was resting beneath her.

Bud looked down to check on her foals again. Artemis was already asleep minutes after devouring the container of mashed bananas. Nebula, on the other hoof, was still wide awake, quietly observing the moon like herself; as they did the last few nights until both of them were asleep.

"Tell me," Bud heard her daughter murmur. "Between the sun and the moon, which do you believe espouses the most beauty from the land?"

"I...," Bud was caught off guard by her daughter's sudden question. Usually, this would be a quiet moment between the both of them. "Well, I've never really thought about that before."

"I like to think Luna did the best. She worked hard to make the night a sanctuary that all ponies could revel in long ago. Can you at least give me your opinion of the moon? Don't you think it's a fascinating spectacle? Or have you not thought of that as well?"

"It is fascinating," Bud agreed. "I actually once thought of it as a friend."

"A friend," Nebula said curiously. "You will have to provide more context for me to understand."

"Well," Bud started nervously, somewhat adamant about sharing this. "This may come as a surprise, but before I became friends with Lazuli, I was kind of an odd filly."

"I would say you're still odd now, given what you are the offspring of."

"Anyways, I never really had friends of my own age. My interest in foal-caring was never helpful in fitting me with other ponies. I usually spent my time at the daycare center helping my mom and her employees."

"Can you hurry to your point," Nebula said. "This story is already getting rather plain for my taste."

"At night," Bud started again. "I used to write in a diary to talk about my day, but it got really boring since I wanted to tell it to another pony rather than just keeping it to myself. One night, I tried talking to the shadow on the moon and I don't know why, but I saw it always there and quiet, I believed it was listening to me. I was actually happy to find some pony besides my mom to confide to."

"You mean to tell me that you thought of the moon as some sort of imaginary friend," Bud heard her daughter chuckling. "My, that is pathetic."

"I guess," Bud tittered. "Looking back at it now."

"Luna would've appreciated that," Bud heard her daughter and was astonished to hear those words. Was that her first complement of Bud? "Did the stone truly chose you for such a ridiculous reason as that?"

"Stone? What stone?"

"Perhaps it's safe to confide to you. You did protect Luna's identity from the sun harlot after all."

"-"

"As you know, I desire to cover the lands under an eternal night to help ponies realize the magnificence of the moon. But that desire is not my own. Or I should say that I am a manifestation of that desire derived from Princess Luna. With the power of the stone, Luna's desire was given sentience and thus I existed.

"I still don't understand. What is this stone?"

"It is known as the remnant stone," Nebula answered. "It is a stone that holds inconceivable power; crafted by the Thestrals. They made it to see the fruition of Luna's dream; however, for some odd reason, you now bear it. It is the only way I could understand the connection we have."

"Wait, but wasn't it with you on the moon? Did you escape somehow?"

"I did nothing," Nebula forlornly answered. "I was certain Luna and I died on that moon. Perhaps the stone performed an act to save the both of us. No, that's definitely what had to have happened. But why did it lead us to you?"

Bud looked again at the moon. The shadow shaped as a mare, the mare in the moon, was still present for all creatures to see. "Then why is that shadow still there?"

"Am I to assume that you believe that the giant mark on the moon was me?" Nebula deadpanned.

Bud wanted to answer yes but was hesitant out the off chance that she might say something ridiculous. Or in the worst case: offensive.

"Well it's not," Nebula continued. "What you see is simply proof that the barrier that sun devil cast is still intact. I spent centuries trapped within its bound, endeavoring with no success to break through. I wanted to lift Luna's spirit by achieving the task myself, but it would seem the stone succeeded where I failed."

"That sounds unbelievable. How did it even manage to do it?"

"I have some theories, but I can't know for certain. Perhaps when we died, the stone sapped our soul and left our dead carcass behind for the barrier to hold. Or maybe, just before we met our end, it discovered a fault in the barrier and slipped through that way. The only thing that knows the truth lies inside you."

"You mean the stone inside me," Bud looked at herself. How on Equestria something so strange could find its way inside her? It was difficult to take that part of Nebula's words to heart, but she could see the logic in it.

"Regardless," Nebula said. "It's evident that Luna and I will have to rely on your care. In my current state, I can't even hope to protect her as well as myself."

"You're both my foals. Of course I'm going to protect the two of you."

"Don't let our roles get to your head," Nebula warned her. "I refuse to call you my mother."

"Why not," Bud was a bit disappointed by her daughter's refusal.

"Don't let my appearance fool you. I may look like a foal, but my true age is centuries beyond yours. I can allow you to refer me as Nebula, but I won't demean myself further by acknowledging that I have a commoner as my...you get the point."

"I get that my daughter has a potty mouth," Bud nonchalantly said as she pulled both her foals closer. "But I'm happy to know that you feel that you need me."

"Don't treat me like a baby," Nebula complained and then yawned. "Uh, forget it. I need rest." Nebula leaned her head on Bud.

"You're not afraid of sleeping anymore?" Bud asked. Her daughter did not have another breakdown like the first time she woke up but worry still waned in Bud on the last few nights while she was observing her daughter.

"Perish the thought, you oaf," Nebula grumbled. "Your dumb face is assurance that I will wake again. I have nothing to fear, knowing that. But don't you dare take it as a compliment."

"Good night my Nebula," Bud happily said as she laid her head atop the arm of the couch.

"...Good night."