Princess Luna sat at her desk, staring at the many papers in front of her. Usually by this late in the day she would have managed to finish, perhaps taking an hour before lowering the Sun to spend time with Twilight discussing her latest findings.
Not today though.
Today Twilight was on a quest to somehow make friends with complete strangers, something Luna, in hindsight, was beginning to think was a more and more terrible idea the more she thought about it.
As for her lack of productivity Luna had no excuse. The orders and bureaucracy were the same, some diplomatic tensions, but nothing she couldn't handle after all these years. If anything the Summer Sun Celebration had decreased her workload, as most ponies took the day off.
Yet still she found herself staring at the page in front of her as if it were a beast from Tartarus ready to attack at the slightest movement.
It made no sense.
It made all too much sense.
Yesterday paperwork had been just another task in another day, one that had passed almost exactly the same way for the last 900 years.
Today that same pile of paper seemed as insurmountable as the passage of time had a thousand years ago.
Forcing her mind to clear Luna turned over the paper, realising that if it hadn't registered by now, it was likely a lost cause, at least for today. It would have to wait under after..After the Summer Sun Celebration.
She moved onto the next document.
Following on from the latest general budget were the new proposals for increases to Equestria’s naval budget. Much as she hated the idea a strong navy was becoming more and more necessary, especially now.
Reading through she was pleasantly surprised to find Blueblood had put considerable effort in this time. Unusual but not unprecedented. Perhaps that latest lesson had finally set him back onto the right track. It was too bad she wasn't in the state of mind to appreciate it.
She put it aside.
Turning to file it away her eye caught the locked cabinet in the corner. A single scroll seemed to glimmer inside.
Gritting her teeth she forced herself to turn away.
‘One more hour, just one more hour.’
She went back to staring at the papers on the table, praying for something, anything, to take her mind off that locked cabinet and what it held.
‘What do I even pray to anymore?’ she wondered.
She looked back at the cabinet.
On the longest day of the thousandth year she shall return.
Perhaps it was simply nerves. One did not simply see one's long list sibling after a thousand years after all.
‘Especially when it was your fault in the first place.’
She screwed her eyes shut trying to force the voices out of her head.
They only grew louder.
And the Sun shall never set on her reign.
Growling she flung the papers off the table. An empty cup fell to the floor, shattering. She paid it no mind.
Turning from the room she strode down the corridor, eyes narrowed.
Ponies stumbled trying to get out of her way.
The words still refused to leave.
And the Sun.
‘NO! Tia’s strong she would NEVER!’
Shall never set.
She flew for Ponyville.