The years had finally been good. Thanks to the efforts of six brave mares, the balance of the world had been restored and the family Celestia had resigned to be forever broken had mended. The curse of Nightmare Moon had been broken, and her beloved sister returned to her. Albeit with some reluctance.
The crowd in the courtyard cheered loudly up at the balcony, where royal orations had been given for centuries. From the curtain beyond, a single eye peered out at the crowd and quickly retreated.
Luna pressed herself against the wall, steadying her heart with a hoof on her chest.
“They’re out there! Since when were there so many ponies in this kingdom!?” Luna hissed.
“There are no more ponies out there than there normally was before,” Celestia reassured Luna. “Although, the courtyard was expanded about a hundred years ago to make room for a second fountain, so it’s conceivable that there’s a higher capacity.”
Luna exhaled loudly.
“I…I…” she huffed.
“You what?” Celestia wondered.
“I wish Rising Moon were here…”
Celestia felt she should have known. Rising Moon always knew what to say to steady anypony’s nerves with his cool head and cutting remarks. If anypony could have saved Luna on that day of her grand reappearance, it would have been him. Alas, he was long gone. Much like every other mortal pony, he couldn’t remain in the world of the living. But it was his spirit that made Celestia think that Luna could do this.
“Do you think he would have had a barrel of moldy tomatoes to throw at any hecklers in the crowd?” Celestia suggested.
“Almost certainly,” Luna nodded.
“Perhaps he might have served one up by saying, ‘Open wide! Vegetables are good for you!’”
“Now you’re channeling his spirit!” Luna said, almost laughing as she could clearly picture her departed husband saying exactly that.
“Don’t I wish,” Celestia lamented. “I’d say we need him now more than ever. But I think that some part of him and Moondust will be beside you when you’re ready.”
Luna bit her lip and nodded slowly. Moondust, who had been taken from her so early in her life, had been the hoof that guided her onward. Whenever she had no clue what to do as a ruler, she decided what to do next as a mother. It was a side of herself that she never would have known or learned from if her beloved daughter had never been. Instead of forever mourning her loss, she was going to be forever grateful for Moondust and Rising Moon.
Although, there were still doubts that lingered.
“Do you think anypony would understand? About Nightmare Moon…?” Luna weakly asked.
“I think you don’t give our little ponies enough credit,” Celestia said. “For as many who see Nightmare Moon in your face, tenfold more will understand that she was separate from yourself.”
“But she wasn’t separate. She was me! Every foul thought I ever had was manifested into her! And–”
Celestia stopped her sister from speaking by holding up her hoof.
“You’ll never know until you face it,” Celestia said. “For better or worse, it will be better than not knowing at all. Even then, there is so much more to look forward to. I mean, look around you. You’re back after a thousand years! Have you any idea the advances that have been made since our day? Food is safer for everypony to eat. Forget about going to the public laundry pool to clean your linens. You can do it right in your own home. And right after this, I’m taking you to the arcade in Ponyville.”
“The what in where?” Luna asked.
“The arcade. It’s where a vast collection of games are all gathered up in one place for ponies to play with one another,” Celestia explained.
“You mean like badminton and marbles?”
“You’ll see,” Celestia said. “And as for Ponyville, it’s that quaint little hamlet that you can see from our window. Just…over…there.”
Luna looked to where her sister pointed and saw a small village nestled at the edge of the Everfree Forest. She had already been informed that the ponies who defeated Nightmare Moon lived there and felt apprehensive about showing her face to them all once again.
She looked back at the eager crowd, which was waiting excitedly for their diarch to return. The hoof of her sister on her shoulder calmed her nerves considerably.
“Fear not, Lulu. I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Celestia assured her.
Outside the door, a guard leaned lazily on his spear. After dazing and daydreaming for so long, he was forced into action by the hands of the nearby clock. Without even a thought for ceremony, he simply raised his rear hoof and bucked the door behind himself a couple of times.
“Princesses! It’s time!” he called.
Luna looked at the door, astonished as she recognized his voice.
“Was that…?” she began.
“Cool Balm,” Celestia answered. “He takes very much after his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. I’ve never once seen him stand up straight.”
Luna couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Even after so much time, some things still hadn’t changed. And that gave her hope enough to face what was to come. She faced the curtain and pulled it back.
Beside her Celestia had pulled over a barrel of old tomatoes. Luna laughed at the sight, but politely declined her sister to bring them out. Before Celestia could go on without her ammunition, Luna magically levitated the barrel over to her side.
“I shall be the one to deal with the peanut gallery,” she said.
With those last words, she and Celestia walked out to face the future that laid itself before them.