“So… Vision-thing got mad at us for having donuts with Sparkle?” Luna asks, currently magically glued to her bed.
“Well, Discord’s on the loose, so we can't be sure,” I try to say, but I can’t move my mouth. When I entered the room to check on Luna after the chaos magic started affecting the castle, my entire body turned into complex clockwork, and I'm having trouble figuring out how to move or talk. I'm not even sure if I can breathe.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re both working in tandem,” Celestia says with a scowl, drinking tea next to her sister. She’s taking things a lot better than I expected.
“Are you sure this’ll be temporary?” Luna asks, pointing at me with her eyes.
Celestia nods. “Once Discord’s defeated, all of his magic will vanish, and everything will return to normal.”
“You seem rather calm considering Sparkle is facing Discord right now,” Luna points out.
“As much of a threat Discord is, I know hurting others isn’t amusing for him. At least not physically.”
“That’s certainly reassuring,” I think, still trying to figure out how to move my jaw.
"So, how have you been, sister?"
Celestia sips her tea. "As busy as always. Keeping things together with Raven's help."
Luna smiles playfully. "I see some things never change."
"Oh, I wish they did. Between bureaucracy and the visions, I can feel the life being sucked out of me. I could do with a vacation."
"Well, as soon as I'm not stuck to the bed, I can help with some of it," Luna offers.
Celestia chuckles. "There's no need sister. Just you being here is all the help I need."
Luna frowns at the words. "Sister, may I remind you that while I'm the youngest of us, I'm not a child."
Celestia rolls her eyes. "Oh, don't be dramatic, Lulu. I'm just saying that you're already helping me in your own way."
Luna glances at me, still frowning. "I've been told that. But I must insist, sister. The kingdom will surely be better with both rulers guiding them."
Celestia takes another sip of tea before setting it down. "Luna, you're still recovering from your exile, and there's a lot of things for you to catch up on. Do you even want to stay in the castle? Wouldn't it be better for you to just go see the world that-"
"Thou shall not patronize me, sister!" Luna shouts in the royal Canterlot voice. "We're disconnected from this era, but we're not illiterate. The labors of ruling don't change over time and neither does your resistance to the strain of it. We will help you, like it or not, so don't try to rid yourself of us!"
"Getting rid of you? Why in Harmony's name would I do that to you?!" Shouts Celestia, pressing a hoof against her chest as if the accusation had physically stabbed her.
"That's what I would like to know. Why do you keep me as far away from your problems and struggles? Do you intend to carry the burden of our kingdom for eternity?"
"'Carrying that burden is not easy, Luna! You're not prepared to handle all of it at once!"
"Not prepared? The kingdom's in peace! How is this a worse moment to rule than a thousand years ago?!"
"You just came back! I don't want to lose you again!"
Luna’s eyes widened, her anger vanishing for a moment. "What?"
Celestia moved closer to her sister. Tears falling down her cheeks. “Ruling together pulled us apart. We became co-rulers instead of sisters. And that led you to become a Nightmare.” Luna was about to protest, but her sister placed a hoof above hers, silencing her words. “You’re right. Ruling alone has been difficult. But I can do it.”
“Tia… you can't ask me to watch you wither and die holding everything together,” Luna pleads. Not with anger, but with worry.
Celestia shakes her head. “I won’t ask you for that. But I do need a few more years. After that, you and I can move on from all this and just be sisters again.”
“What do you have in mind Tia?”
“Do you remember Stars Swirl’s spell?”
Luna opened her mouth to respond, but no voice came out as her mind pieced together what her sister was planning. “Are you sure she will-”
“Not now. But soon. One step at a time.”
“Tia... that’s still a lot to put on a pony of her age.”
“I won’t just throw it on to her. I’ll make sure she’s ready.”
Luna turns away from her sister and looks at me. I don’t know if she’s looking for support, advice, or just checking if I could hear what they were talking about.
“And what would be my role in this plan? I won’t just leave the castle without you. Not for long at least.” Despite being glued to the bed, Luna did her best to grab Celestia’s hoof. “It... scares me a bit... With how different everything is now.”
“The Dream Realm is still in need of its protector. That’s something that will never change. Not even I can touch it.”
Luna didn't look happy with the proposal. “So, we’re separated again. Day and night.”
Celestia places her other hoof on Luna’s. “That will be the only barrier between us. I promise.”
Luna took a deep breath, mulling over her sister’s words. “Okay. I’ll return to the night then.”
“I’ll be just for a few years. I promise.”
“You already said that.”
I would be laughing if I could move my mouth. “You didn’t want me to interrupt this moment, did you? Now, you have both of them under your control.” Celestia was right. This thing is moving us to some goal.
We need to discover what it is. Maybe then-
“To have Equestria, and the lands surrounding it, united in harmony.” I hear in the back of my mind, and despite being made of metal, I definitely feel a shiver run down my spine.