Luna’s eyes were tightly shut. She was scared, her entire body was shaking. Not just from the belief that she was probably dying, but the fact that if she wasn’t, she could be about to do something terrible if her dream had been more than just a dream. Slowly but surely she opened her eyes. She felt something soft and comforting around her. She looked around and saw one of Celestia’s wings wrapped around her, protecting her. But that couldn’t protect them from the fire, so how were they safe? Looking up more, she saw something else. It was golden, shining like the sun. A sphere was protecting them. Luna looked up at her sister and saw her horn glowing, and understood in that instant.
“Are…are you mad, Tia?” Luna asked, her voice filled with a deep sadness.
“Mad? Why on Equestria would I be mad at you of all ponies?”
“Because I’m a scaredy pony…” she replied, looking down.
“Luna, look at me. I could or would never get angry at you.”
“But Celestia, I-“
“Luna, just look at me.”
Luna raised her head and looked into her sister’s eyes. She didn’t see anger or hurt. She didn’t even see mild annoyance. Only love. Love and a desire to protect. Not just her, but Lancie, Equestria, and indeed all of pony kind.
“Tia…I-“
She was cut off again, but Lancie this time.
“Not to deny how awesome that shield is ladies, but that Dragon is gearing up for another attack!”
Sure enough, the three looked up to see the enraged dragon even angrier by the fact they were standing around talking, and not fleeing like scaredy ponies. Using her wing, Celestia ushered Luna forward as the dragon took another deep breathe.
“Come on Luna.” Celestia smiled.
Luna wiped a tear from her eye and nodded. A second later, the three of them broke into the fastest run they could as the dragon breathed its fire down on them once more.
They ran as fast as they could, managing to make it out of the cave relatively quickly. Thankfully, the dragon seemed more than happy to get rid of them and hadn’t pursued them.
“I wonder why it didn’t chase after and try to kill us?” Lancie mused as the three of them, worn out from the day’s events, made towards shelter for the night.
“I don’t know” said Luna, looking around, “Maybe it didn’t think we were worth killing?”
Celestia let out a small chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” asked Lancie, annoyed.
“You two. You’re both unobservant. Didn’t you see what it was guarding?”
“Yes! Gems! Lots of shining, beautiful gems!!”
“Well, yes there was that. But didn’t you see what was underneath it when it stood up?”
Lancie and Luna leaned closer to Celestia, eager to know. Some great prize? Some magnificent treasure perhaps?
“Eggs.” Celestia said simply.
Lancie looked disappointed.
“And there I thought it would be something grand and interesting.”
“You’re an idiot sometimes, Lancie. Anything else and it probably would have chased us, but it was a mother protecting her nest of eggs. Nothing more. She attacked us not because we were after her gems, but because she was defending her children. Simple and sweet. A mother’s desire to protect her children. Nothing more.”
“That’s so sweet.” Luna smiled.
“Oh yeah, I’m chocked full of gumdrops and ice-cream” Lancie said with a fake, sickly-sweet voice.
“You know Lancie, one day you’re going to meet a girl, and she’ll whip you right into shape. On that day, please come and visit me, because I really want to see that.” Celestia said calmly.
The three of them walked for some way before finding the camp they had left before going on their exploration.
“This should do.” Celestia said, setting herself down by their tents.
Luna’s horn glowed for a moment and the pit in the middle of the three tents erupted in a fire to keep them warm.
“We should get some rest.” Celestia said softly, heading towards the top tent. The others agreed and headed for the other two.
---
Night had fallen over Equestria. Lancie and Celestia were fast asleep in their tents. However, in the third, Luna was plagued by nightmares. Vision after vision came in an onslaught of her mind. The first were of Equestria’s past. How it was formed, and how it nearly never happened. Then it fast forwarded to her sister’s birth, and then her own birth. Then it fast forwarded and showed her visions of that horrific dream she had had. Next it seemed to fast forward to today where she saw the love and motherly kindness in Celestia. Then it fast forwarded, to events that hadn’t happened yet. They weren’t as clear. She saw the discovery of some kind of gems, not usual gems, but gems that seemed to carry godlike powers inside them. She saw ponies from all over found a new city called ‘Canterlot’. She saw Lancie and Celestia behind closed doors. She saw a threat to the entire world, and the three of them somehow put a stop to it. She saw Lancie and Celestia get into the mother of all fights, and Lancie transforming into something new…something terrible…She saw the entire kingdom fall under the reign of a terrible tyrant. She saw herself and Celestia put an end to it with the gems they had discovered…something about harmony and discord…She saw them discovering their cutie marks in the process. Even further still, she and Celestia being declared princesses for saving the world, and helping Equestria and ruling over it. But further than that, it got even blurrier and quicker. She saw herself become a horrible monster. She saw Celestia’s heart shatter for the second time. Fast forward an indefinable amount of time and there were six ponies…there were those stones, and she returned. From there though…things became too blurry to see. That was her limit…
Luna awoke with cries and screams that rent the night air. She had been plagued with dreams and nightmares since her birth, but this was the worst of all! The things she had seen…the things she had seen herself do, and Celestia for that matter. All for the sake of protecting the world. But beyond that darkness came a single glimmer of hope…and it was the seed that had been planted earlier. The love of Celestia, so grand and unquenchable it saved Equestria twice from the people she loved the most.
A single white hoof opened Luna’s tent. Luna was on the ground, doubled up in tears. How could she do those things to Celestia? To her own sister?!
“Luna.” Came a gentle voice.
Luna’s tears still flowed.
“Luna, it’s me, Tia.” Celestia said, sitting herself down beside her sister.
“Tia…it was…horrible…” Luna managed to make out between the tears.
“It’s alright Luna, everything will be alright.”
Celestia wrapped both her wings around her sister and embraced her in a tight hug. Luna gently placed her hooves around Celestia’s neck and gave her a tender hug.
“I’m sorry Tia…sorry I’m so weak.” She sobbed.
“Oh Luna. You really do underestimate yourself. You’re not weak in the least.”
“I’m not?” she sniffed.
“Not at all. For one, you were born when Azimuth and Vertio were aligned. I’m not much for astrology, but it’s said that whoever is born when those two are aligned is said to possess great hidden potential that will be released over time.”
“It’s just a story, Tia.” Luna said sadly, “Everypony knows it.”
“I know, but the story of Azimuth and Vertio still makes me smile to this day.”
“Me too.” Said Luna, managing a very weak smile.
“Come on Luna. Let’s get back to sleep.”
“Stay…stay here with me tonight, Tia?” Luna asked timidly.
“Of course.” Celestia smiled.
Luna laid back down. Under the comforting gaze of Celestia, she managed to get back to sleep, feeling the warm comfort of her sister beside her. Knowing she was asleep with her, protecting her. However, unbeknownst to Luna, Celestia had stayed awake the whole time, using her magic to ensure Luna didn’t have another nightmare anytime soon. Her own sleepiness was irrelevant to her if she could protect her dear sister from another one of those horrific nightmares that plagued her so. Celestia took comfort knowing that Luna would be able to face a new dawn under the warmth of the Sun.