Wow... where do I start? This fic did surprise me more than a bit. It actually was very sweet. Though you mention about it being more inspired by things that where clarified after season1 than the pilot itself it still gave me a feeling of some of the early fics I remember reading from that time. Not that was your intention, but I guess with Season 1 Luna and the subject matter at hoof. This is a compliment by the way.
I really really like Luna in this. She seems more rational with her desires then I have often seen portrayed in other fics. While at the same time feeling child like.Perhaps 'rational' isn't the best word, but she is more reversed and calm and less self righteous and more fearful of her fate. I enjoyed how Luna was in more of silent shock/pain during the celebration at the end of Friendship is Magic (honestly to the point of almost wanting to make it a headcannon). It does fit very well. I really must stress that though perhaps it is simple and you feel like you are treading old ground, this is one of the best takes of Luna that I have read. I don't want this to come off as just blind gushing praise but I have read a fair bit of fics involving Luna around the time as Nightmare Moon and this maybe my favorite take on it.
>Friendship is Magic airs… >Behind the scenes of Friendship Is Magic >Over the episode, her illusions were ineffective to those little ponies, coming at her in the Castle of the Two Sisters. The only possible quip that I can find at this time with this fic was the use of the phrases that directly reference the event of Luna's return from the standpoint of it being episode one. It didn't bug me but I could see some being off put by it being referred as the media that we consume ourselves rather than something that stays in universe such as "Luna's return" or the "freeing of Luna". Though for me I imagined it as anon telling me it like a storybook, but that context doesn't exist within the fic itself. Still, this is just something that didn't really bug me in a fic I enjoyed.
