A My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic short story written by Jordan179
in 2013. One night, when Twilight Sparkle is stargazing from the balcony of her library, Princess Luna comes to call. A rather intense conversation ensues.
Available here.
Tropes referenced include:
- Aborted Declaration of Love: Luna may have been approaching one, to Twilight, when she realized Spike was eavesdropping. It may have been for the best from both their POV's that this didn't happen, as Twilight had just realized who she herself had been in a former life and thus why Luna might love her.
- Agent Scully: Twilight Sparkle doubted the tales of an Age of Wonders, despite all the very strange things she's seen so far. Until Luna confirmed its reality.
- Advanced Ancient Humans: The ponies of the Age of Wonders, from the point of view of the modern Equestrians. They had nuclear energy, electronics and space travel. Though Equestria's well on the path back toward that level of technology, as Twilight points out to Luna at the end.
- Change the Uncomfortable Subject: What Luna and Twilight do after Luna's Aborted Declaration of Love. Back to the original topic of their conversation: Pony spaceflight.
- Easily-Overheard Conversation: Justified, as Luna didn't know she was going to say anything she'd regret anyone else overhearing, Twilight knew even less that Luna would do this, and neither of them knew that Spike was actually awake.
- Fan Verse: Much of the story is based on the concepts of the Pony POV Series of Alex Warlorn.
- Friendly Address Privileges: Luna explicitly gives Twilight these. Significant, because Luna is reserved with ponies she doesn't trust, and because Twilight is not yet an Alicorn at the time.
- If It's You, It's Okay: Luna is straight, but finds herself attracted to Twilight because Twilight is the reincarnation of Dusk Skyshine; she hopes that Twilight may reciprocate. Twilight is also straight and not entirely sure how to react to Luna's obvious emotions, because Twilight does NOT remember being Dusk Skyshine. Much Angst ensues with more probably yet to come.
- The Lost Lenore: Luna still loves the (over 4000 years dead) Dusk Skyshine, who was the husband of her earlier Aspect Moondreamer. She's spent many centuries hoping to be reunited with him. Twilight Sparkle is Dusk's reincarnation, something she does not know until this conversation.
- Past-Life Memories: Princess Luna (being an Alicorn) can easily remember her life as Dr. Moondreamer Finemare, which is the source of the story she tells Twilight. These memories include her happiness with Dusk Skyshine. Unfortunately for Luna, Twilight, who was Dusk, cannot.
- Reincarnation Romance: Twilight Sparkle is the reincarnation of Dusk Skyshine, the husband of Moondreamer, an earlier life of Princess Luna's. Princess Luna has known about this ever since the events of Nightmares Are Tragic; Twilight Sparkle figures it out in the course of their conversation. Importantly, Twilight Sparkle does not remember her past life as Dusk.
- Saying Too Much: Luna's key mistake that makes Twilight fairly sure that Luna thinks Twilight is the reincarnation of Dusk Skyshine, and that this is why Luna is behaving so strangely, even affectionately toward her?Luna: You saved me, Twilight Sparkle, and you have my eternal gratitude for that. You … you came ba...
- In context: Twilight saved Luna by unleashing the Elements of Harmony on her and purging Luna of the Nightshadow. But Twilight didn't "come back" — this was the first time they'd met. Dusk Skyshine came back, as Twilight Sparkle. Mistake, Luna — but then former Elements of Honesty tend to make poor liars.
- Ship Tease: Luna definitely has strong feelings for Twilight, who is the reincarnation of her old love Dusk Skyshine.. At no point, however, does anything more erotic than a warm hug occur. This is because Luna is uncertain if her feelings for Dusk-as-Twilight are sexual and also because this is the first Twilight Sparkle has heard of any of this.
