All Good Things

by Jasmine_Vonstarlight

Chapter 2

My sister placed part of her mane in front of my eyes, as to shield them from the sunlight.
I am looking at Equestria once more, could this actually be real life? Tia is here, my senses are with me, and surely if I knew I was dreaming, wouldn’t I wake up? All of this I remember, and even though we are flying above the clouds, it looks as if nothing has changed!
Tia’s sun is breaking over the horizon, causing a rainbow to extend from Cloudsdale all the way to the ground. Through brief holes in the sky I can spot a new settlement, one of thatch roof buildings and a community of peasants perhaps? Ponies I should say, how rude of me. And in the very far distance, I can see the glimmering outline our castle. My castle.

My castle...

I guess I really am free, after all. I don’t have to live in my subconscious anymore. My body is free, that’s fine and all, but I don’t have to live with my guilt and lonesomeness any longer. My mind is liberated! A thousand years... it can’t be over, right?

My pupils began to dilate back to their normal state, and I gently brushed Tia’s mane out of my eyes. Through the clouds I could see that we were started to approach Canterlot, our home.

My home...

What exactly is happening? I woke up one morning next to my sister, I am mysteriously off of the moon, and we are flying back home? Is our home even still there?
How could all of this be happening right now... not to sound ungrateful, I am ecstatic! I am finally going home! I just... I’m confused, that’s all. It feels like the past 1000 years didn’t even happen, and I am simply picking up where I left off.

I sincerely hope that there is no fan fare planned for my arrival. Well... interaction with other ponies would be nice, but everypony staring at me... Even if they are cheering, I’m not sure how I would feel.
My fear has dissolved, and it looks like an average day in Canterlot. It seems that the arrival and departure of my sister is an everyday happening. But these ponies, they look as if 1000 year have...

Oh wait.

Their apparel, the storefronts, even the streets and guards have changed. Almost as if this isn’t the same Canterlot that I left. I guess it isn’t so bad, I mean, after living in Canterlot during my early years and exploring most of it, there was not much left that was new and exciting. A fresh start won’t be so bad.

As we land, a group of guards circles around as we traverse the road to our castle. My castle. After being away so long, the castle looks even more majestic than before, even though it is one of the few static buildings in the new Canterlot. We ride through the front gates and into the grand foyer, but as I stretch out my legs and start to descend, I feel myself being hoisted into the air by Tia’s magic.

“Please rest, Luna, you’ve been on your hooves for too long”, she said with a smile. I release the tension in my muscles and allow myself to just float along.

“Surely I can fly, Tia, it really is okay”, I politely protest, not wanting to ask the world of Tia, but she only retorted.

“Non- sense Luna, your job is just to rest and get readjusted to the castle. Mostly everything should be in it’s place; we’ve been preparing for you”.

She beams happiness, and emits these feelings without coming across as over- enthusiastic, she really has forgiven me!

“What do you mean ‘we’ve been preparing’”?

“Oh, you will see”, Tia winks, implying some sort of surprise. She always liked to surprise me, whether it was to her benefit or mine. She was always the charmer, the out- goer, and bright an and shining personality of the castle. And I was the baby of the royals, not only to my parents, but also to Tia. Together, the two of us walked the streets of Canterlot (always under the watch of the royal guard) and were seen as the sweethearts of the city.
It almost feels as if I could of had another shot at childhood, why did I have to grow up on the mo...
Wait a sec...

I look down as my eyes finally begin to clear and adjust fully to the light, and my black, dark mane is gone, my long, lanky legs had shrunk back into my now pudgier frame, and coat my much softer now. What’s happened to me? Have I not grown up into a monster?

“Tia?”

“Yes, Luna?”

“Can you float me over to that mirror, please?”

She hesitated, but halted in the midst of the guards, and glided me through the air to one of the tall mirrors that were set into the walls in between thick marble pillars.

Who... is that? This isn’t... me, is it? I have none of these features, there is no way this can be me. This is obviously an enchanted mirror of sorts.

AUTHORS NOTE:
Luna should look like the season 1 version of the character, as seen in the second episode, not the mature season 2 counterpart.h

“Still playing pranks on me after all these years I see”, I tell her sarcastically, but she looks worried.

“L-Luna, that is you”.

What..?

“When you were sent to the moon, we think that the true Luna was, in a way, locked away, which allowed you to grow into Nightmare Moon. Now that balance has been restored, you’re back, as if you never aged a day”.

Then I do get another chance at childhood.

Warm tears rolled down my face, I beamed as I choked on my smile. I bawled aloud in my happiness. I couldn’t hear what Tia said, but the guards and some maids drew close to see what was the matter. It wasn’t until I looked up so they could see my face, did their worry disperse.
Tia brought me to her and held me tight. She stroked my mane and let me rest on her shoulders as she drew her wings and flew us to my chamber through the castle, through long corridors, tall marble ceilings, and into the familiar circular shaped tower spire. My old room.

My room.

I feel like I’m starting to fall asleep again, but I can feel Tia laying me down in what feels like my bed, and from the shift I feel, she sat down next to me. Yep, she must have, as now I feel her drawing the covers over me and a body laying down beside me and locking me in her soft wings.

This must be real life after all.

I guess I really am free.