'Set up the triage over there, quick! If you can walk, help the wounded! Move!'
Shining Armor's commanding voice boomed clearly in the courtyard, and the battered guards obeyed his orders. Mere minutes had passed since the Warden flew away, but efforts to treat the wounded were well underway.
One guard tried to stand, but stumbled to the ground, unable to walk properly. Fluttershy and Applejack rushed over to his side.
'Don't move, we've got ya.' Applejack assured him, picking him up with Fluttershy's assistance.
'It's not that bad.' The guard argued, groaning as he was moved. 'I can help!'
'Oh, please don't move!' Fluttershy begged. 'You're definitely hurt! Please let us help.'
The guard, like any other pony faced with the impossible task of saying no to Fluttershy, relented and silently nodded in acknowledgement. He allowed them to walk him over to the triage, where several stretchers with the wounded were already placed. Upon reaching the station, a nurse came rushing up.
'I've got him.' She said, taking the guard with her.
Applejack and Fluttershy swiftly stepped back, getting out of the way of the rushing medical personnel.
After taking a moment to catch her breath, Fluttershy noticed Twilight and Cadence sitting nearby, next to Celestia. Nudging Applejack, she gestured in their direction. Applejack nodded, and they walked over.
As they approached, they could tell that both Twilight and Cadence were visibly shaken. They both sat in a somber fashion, watching as a doctor and a nurse finished stabilizing the wounded princess.
She lay on a stretcher, still unconscious. Her white coat was tarnished with dirt and blood. Her once brilliant mane was no longer sparkling, but was now messy and dirty. She was breathing, albeit with the help of an oxygen mask. The dart had been removed, and a large amount of gauze had been placed in the wound, preventing it from bleeding any further. Her eyes remained closed and her breathing was weak, but she was clearly alive.
The sight of the most powerful alicorn in Equestria in such a weakened, tarnished, and vulnerable state was sobering.
'Oh my…' Fluttershy gasped, putting a hoof to her mouth as her eyes grew misty. 'Is she going to be okay?'
The doctor nodded. 'She will survive.'
A collective sense of relief reduced some of the grief and shock in the atmosphere. At least there was some good news.
'How bad are her injuries?' Princess Cadence asked worriedly.
'The dart punctured her lung, albeit slightly. A concussion cannot be ruled out either.' The doctor replied, shaking his head. 'She's going to be in bed for at least two to three weeks, even with healing spells.'
Twilight sighed, and the others shared her sentiment. The sheer degree of danger that the Warden had posed had sunk in even more, now that the adrenaline had faded.
'We're going to move her indoors.' The nurse interjected. 'She's going to require an emergency procedure, so no visitors until we are done later tonight.'
All who were present nodded, understanding. The doctor and nurse immediately began wheeling Celestia indoors. Everypony they passed by stopped what they were doing and watched in silence. Even the wounded guards stood up as they were able, paying their respects to the incapacitated princess.
Once Celestia had disappeared from sight, Twilight sniffed and wiped away some tears that had gathered. Cadence gently wrapped a foreleg around her, doing what she could to comfort her.
'Come on, let's see how Princess Luna's doing.' She suggested.
Twilight nodded, and the four walked over to an open spot to the side, where Princess Luna was sitting with Rarity. A fresh bandage had been applied to Luna's wound, and several other bandages covered various smaller injuries.
As they approached, Cadence embraced Luna as Rarity did the same to Twilight.
'How bad are her injuries?' Luna asked apprehensively.
'She will be okay.' Cadence reassured her. 'If anypony can bounce back from something like that, it's her.'
Luna sniffed and smiled slightly. 'My sister has always been extraordinarily tough. Even I couldn't overcome her at my worst.'
'That damage to the Warden's Armor, was that Celestia's doing?' Twilight asked, moving closer to Luna. 'His mask was torn open and he had a gaping wound in the pit of his leg. He did not look nearly as rough when he confronted me and Princess Celestia in the reading room.'
'Yes.' Responded Luna. 'My sister did most of that. I was reminded today of how fearsome she can be when she fights. She hurt him badly, and did some feats of strength I doubt anypony would be able to match, myself included.'
Twilight could only imagine what Celestia could have looked like, delivering a fierce beating to the armored menace. It was not an image that she ever conjured up before, the princess being a warrior. It almost disappointed her to think that she never saw Princess Celestia performing in such a way.
Luna took a breath, and continued. 'But strength alone is no match for a sharp witted opponent such as the Warden. He had many tricks at his disposal, and he used each one to their full potential.'
'If Ah may, yer highness; did he absorb magic before we got here?' Applejack asked. 'Ah'm a tad curious, considerin' how he shot our magic back at us.'
'He did.' Luna replied. 'He could absorb magic as long as he could get in contact with it. He snatched my sword right out of my grip, passed through a magic shield, then used the absorbed magic to manipulate objects and even teleport. For a time, that is.'
'He could do that?!' Twilight asked, completely astounded. 'How could he perform such spells?'
'Through his armor, I suppose. It has some sort of unknown technology behind it.' Responded Luna. 'Still, I am completely in awe that he had managed to turn the Elements' power on itself like he did. That is no easy feat, and I should know.'
'We all were quite astounded.' Rarity confirmed, turning to Twilight. 'But you did manage to keep him from getting us. You truly went above and beyond, darling!'
Twilight shook her head. 'You say that like I did that all by myself. Without any of you, I would have just become another casualty.'
'Oh, stop being so modest!' Pinkie Pie's shrill, yet vibrant voice cut through the atmosphere as she bounded up to Twilight's side. 'After all, you stopped him from shooting the Elements' magic back at us and managed to talk him down!'
Twilight managed a slight smile for the first time since the Warden's first appearance.
'Hey, Pinkie! Don't forget who saved Princess Luna from that freak to begin with!' Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she flew over.
Luna nodded. 'Indeed, and I am indebted to you. You truly are representative of the Element of Loyalty.'
'Aw, don't make me blush, your highness!' Rainbow declared.
At that moment, Shining Armor strode up to the group, went straight to Princess Cadence, and gave her a quick kiss before making a report.
'Well, things could have gotten a whole lot worse.'
'How so?' Luna asked.
'Every single guard that took part in the fighting was injured in some way, but nothing was more severe than a broken bone or two.'
'That's all?' Applejack asked, looking astounded.
'Looks like it.' The prince replied, nodding. 'Nothing that a guard is not prepared to suffer in the line of duty. Honestly, I expected far worse.'
Cadence nodded. 'I did too. It would seem that the Warden kept his focus on Luna and Celestia, only doing just enough to keep the guards out of the fight without killing them.'
'He is not a mindless killer.' Luna remarked. 'He is very deliberate with what he does, and does not act without reason.'
'Yet he tried to kill you and Celestia.' Shining Armor interjected. 'What could have possibly possessed him to do such a thing, anyway?'
The whole group fell into an uncomfortable silence, and the prince began to sense that his question had struck something painful.
Luna closed her eyes and sighed, prepared to make a third confession.
'I think I killed his family as Nightmare Moon.'
Both Cadence and Shining Armor stared at her in shock for a moment, before looking at each other, wondering what they should say. Luna sighed heavily and looked downwards as Cadence wrapped a wing around her, trying to comfort her.
'Aunt Luna, why didn't you tell anypony before? We wouldn't have thought any less of you.'
'I know.' Luna answered quietly, a single tear falling from her eye. 'But my shame is immense.'
She looked up, gazing at the group of family and friends that had gathered around her.
'I'm so sorry for putting you all in such grave danger. It's my fault.' She murmured. 'You didn't deserve to undergo all this. Celestia least of all.'
Twilight then felt compelled to speak. 'You and Nightmare Moon are two entirely different personalities. You are not at fault for this, especially if what Princess Celestia told me is true.'
'She finally admitted her past mistakes to you?' Luna asked, now looking concerned. 'After that exchange between you and the Warden, I suspected that something happened between you and her. Do you… still harbor resentment against her?'
'No.' Twilight replied. 'You heard me back there, I forgave her.'
Luna's eyes widened slightly, the full realization that Twilight really didn't hold anything against Celestia had finally set in.
Twilight continued. 'She didn't deserve to be forgiven, but isn't that why true forgiveness is so powerful? It's as she told me back when we were in the reading room: When given unconditionally, there is really nothing more potent at healing great wrongs. Besides, we both stand to gain nothing if I harbor bitterness against her. If I remain unforgiving, how can I expect others to willingly forgive me when I inevitably make a mistake? All that we would gain would be nothing but suffering.'
Luna glanced downwards, looking like she was deep in thought about Twilight's statement.
'You mean suffering like the Warden?' Fluttershy meekly asked, looking saddened. 'He was not very forgiving. I don't like to imagine how badly he must be hurting for him to do what he did. His poor heart must really be broken...'
The others looked at her with a mixture of reactions. They hadn't really given that much thought to this aspect until Fluttershy brought it up.
'Now that you mention it, I suppose he really is suffering badly.' Rarity remarked somberly. 'It honestly saddens me to think about it. I don't know whether to still be angry towards him or feel sorry.'
'He doesn't have my sympathy.' Rainbow grumbled. 'After what he pulled, he deserves to feel terrible.'
Everypony present shot a glance at Rainbow, each one wearing a slightly different expression. Sensing that they disagreed with her exclamation, she felt the urge to clarify.
'What? He almost killed Princess Luna and left Princess Celestia for dead!'
'Yes, but he lost his family because of their mistakes!' Fluttershy scolded. 'How awful would you feel if your family was taken away by somepony?'
Rainbow nearly gave a snippy reply, but then the weight of Fluttershy's question sank in. She sighed, and looked downwards, silently admitting that she had perhaps been too harsh.
'The Warden's unforgiveness led to this.' Twilight remarked. 'Not only is he suffering as a result, but all of us are as well. That is one of the reasons why I stand by my decision to forgive Princess Celestia. Bitterness and resentment only lead to more suffering by all involved.'
'So what now, then?' Rainbow Dash asked. 'That freak's still out there.'
'Well, we ain't huntin' him down.' Answered Applejack. 'Sorry to disappoint ya.'
Rainbow immediately looked irritated, indicating that AJ had indeed given the answer that she did not want to hear.
'He's too dangerous!' Added Pinkie. 'If he could almost kill Princess Celestia, he can surely hurt us, badly! If Luna hadn't kept us from fighting him directly, we would have gotten all beaten up until we looked like jelly!'
'So we're just gonna let him go?' Rainbow Dash asked in an exasperated way.
'Yes, but we shall be on the alert.' Shining Armor declared. 'I will see to it myself that the guard is back in action as soon as possible.'
'We'll help!' Pinkie Pie declared enthusiastically.
'No, you all need a break.' Luna interjected. 'Especially you, Twilight. Having to deal with Chrysalis, the wedding, and now this, you and your friends need to rest.'
Twilight paused. 'Are you sure? We are capable of-'
'Twilight, I am telling you politely that you need to go home. Cadence, your brother, and I are able to fix things up.'
Twilight looked downwards. 'Of course, Princess Luna. My apologies.'
The princess sighed. 'Don't mistake my bluntness for anger, Twilight. You have shown no reason for me or anypony else to be angry at you.'
She strode over to Twilight, and lifted her head gently with one of her wings. 'Celestia will be very proud of you once she awakes.' She said, smiling a little.
Twilight's relief was visible. Luna was right. 'Thank you, your highness.' She said, smiling back. 'When should I return to see Princess Celestia again?'
'You shall receive a letter from me as soon as she is able to talk.' Luna reassured.
Twilight nodded. 'Then I will go pack my things.'
After bowing her head, she turned to walk off into the castle.
'Twily! Do you want help with that, darling?' Rarity asked, trotting up alongside her.
'It would be much appreciated.' Twilight replied.
'Woohoo!' Pinkie Pie cried as she zipped up to her. 'Twilight's coming home!'
Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor watched the rest of the six follow Twilight into the castle. Each of the royals dwelled upon how fortunate Equestria was to have such gallant defenders. After a few moments, Luna looked to Cadence.
'Was I too harsh towards her?'
'Not at all.' Cadence replied. 'You are improving by the day.'
Luna sighed. 'I know. But I'm still so flawed. I have blood on my hooves, and there's nothing that I can do to remove it.'
The three fell silent, now dwelling on this dark truth. Luna's expression fell once more, and Cadence could tell she was fighting back tears. Putting her leg around her adopted aunt's shoulder, she quietly offered some reassurance.
'Perhaps not, but there is always forgiveness.'
Luna shook her head. 'With the Warden? I fear not.'
She took a deep sigh, then spoke again.
'Not to brush you off, but I need to be alone for now. Would you be so kind as to leave me?'
'Of course.' Shining Armor answered, beckoning for Cadence to leave with him. Cadence was hesitant, looking to Luna in concern. But after a moment of deliberation, she walked to her husband's side, and together they walked away, leaving Luna to find solace in her solitude.
Three Days Later…
Twilight took a deep breath as she was led by a guard along the sprawling corridors of Canterlot castle. Earlier that morning, Spike had burped up a letter from Princess Luna, stating that Princess Celestia was finally awake and able to converse. Mere minutes after receiving the letter, Twilight was picked up by the royal chariot and ferried to Canterlot. As soon as she arrived, she was greeted by her brother and Cadence, and was directed to the room where Celestia lay.
The events that unfolded a few days prior had been weighing heavily on her since she returned to Ponyville. However, Princess Luna was right to send her off to rest, she needed it badly. Now that she had a few days to recuperate, she could think more clearly and reflect on what had happened.
As she worked her way along the glistening corridors, she tried to think about what to say to Princess Celestia. Should she give her a happy greeting, or should she apologize again for snapping at her?
This debate raged on in her mind, but it came to an inconclusive halt when the guard leading her stopped as well. In front of them was an ornate door, with two sentries standing vigilantly at either side. Upon seeing Twilight, one of the sentries gave a knock at the door.
'Come in.' Princess Luna's voice beckoned.
The sentry opened the door, and Twilight walked inside. The room was quite spacious, with a polished stone floor and a high ceiling. To one side a small fire crackled in a richly adorned fireplace, and to the other, a tall window flanked by luxurious purple drapes let in the late morning sunshine.
At the far end of the room, in a rather large bed, lay Princess Celestia, and her sister sat by her side. Celestia was attached to several machines and IVs by way of tubes and wires, and a large amount of bandages were wrapped tightly around her chest, covering her worst injury. Another small bandage was located on her face, covering the cut that nearly took her eye.
Twilight nervously stepped in, and the guards closed the door behind her. The sight of the princess in a hospital bed had thrown her for a loop, in combination with her indecisiveness in choosing what to say.
However, Princess Celestia's expression immediately melted away any nervous feelings. As soon as she saw Twilight enter, Celestia's eyes lit up and a joyful smile played across her face. She then turned to look at Luna.
'Sister, you didn't tell me that she was coming to see me!' She exclaimed, sounding quite a bit quieter and weaker than usual.
'I wanted it to be a surprise, Tia. Seeing such happiness from you is gratifying.'
Celestia looked back at Twilight, and motioned for her to come closer. 'Well? Get over here, Twilight!'
Twilight could hardly restrain herself from running over. After seeing Celestia almost die, the happiness and relief from seeing her alive was overwhelming.
With a massive smile on her own face now, Twilight walked to the bedside. Princess Celestia extended one of her forelegs in her direction, beckoning for her to come in for a hug. Twilight did not hesitate, and they shared a heartfelt embrace. Despite being in a weakened state, Celestia's grip was quite firm, holding her smaller student tightly. Luna, who was looking on, also could not help but smile in genuine joy.
After a few seconds, Celestia loosened her embrace, and the two separated. Twilight watched Celestia's smile fade, and her eyes turn sorrowful.
'Oh, Twilight.' The princess sighed. 'I am so, so sorry for violating your trust like I did. That was senseless of me, lying to you.'
Twilight listened attentively, somewhat relieved that the princess had broached the subject instead of waiting for her to do so.
Celestia continued. 'I should have just told you from the beginning and set the record straight. Instead, I kept you in the dark, and irreparably damaged your trust. I know just how highly you regard me, and believe me, I try my hardest to be the best teacher that I can possibly be for you. But I failed miserably.'
These words rang true for Twilight. Indeed, she looked up to Celestia greatly, and she understood that the princess wished nothing more but to be a good mentor for her. She had succeeded in doing so ever since Twilight came underneath her tutelage. But her failure to be truthful to Twilight was undeniable.
However, that was not nearly enough reason to hold resentment against the princess.
'Princess Celestia,' Twilight said, 'I don't hold any of that against you.'
'You don't?' The princess asked, looking hopeful.
'Of course not! I can understand why you tried to hide the truth.' Twilight explained, closing her eyes. 'In fact, I do have a confession to make, myself.'
After a brief pause, she started. 'Although I said that I know that it is impossible for anypony to be completely perfect, I'm sure that I made an exception for you. Part of the reason why I was so upset was because the realization that my perception of you that I had held since I was filly was false. It almost seemed as if all my time as your student was a lie.'
She took a deep breath, preparing to admit her own fault. 'That, in of itself, was very unfair of me. I held you to such an unrealistic standard, and I overreacted when that impossible standard was not met. To be honest, I feel terrible about it.'
Twilight fell silent, and Princess Celestia sighed.
'Twilight, I forgive you for all of that. Besides, I never really owned up to my biggest mistakes, if I am being honest. You saw me as being perfect because that was an effect of me keeping my bad choices a secret. Like this whole debacle with the Warden, I am the root cause of the issue.'
Twilight nodded, understanding what the princess was saying. She was admitting full fault for all of this, and she obviously felt awful about it all.
'Well,' Twilight gently said, 'I forgive you, for all of this. No need to hold on to bitterness.'
Celestia nodded and smiled, looking quite relieved. Her smile soon gave way to a thoughtful expression, and she asked her student a question. 'Now that you know that I am not quite what I seem, how do you perceive me now? I must know.'
Twilight pondered this question for what felt like a full minute. After a long silence, she gave her answer. 'I feel… Closer to you now, if I am being honest.'
'Closer?' Celestia asked, looking curious. 'Do elaborate.'
'I mean closer as if we are both imperfect ponies.' Twilight explained. 'You are not some perfect, flawless goddess. You are a pony, just like me, capable of mistakes. That means that it is possible for me to succeed as your student and perhaps even surpass you some day. That is one of your goals as a teacher, right? To help me eventually surpass you?'
Celestia nodded, compelling Twilight to continue.
'I will be honest, it was really stressing me out, thinking that I had no hope whatsoever of even getting close to meeting your expectations. But now that I have learned that you are imperfect, your expectations are achievable. It really puts my mind at ease to think of that.'
'I'm glad you have realized that.' The princess said, her expression falling once more after a moment. 'However, I'm afraid that not everypony will be as understanding as you.'
'How do you mean?' Asked Twilight.
Celestia sighed shakily. 'Twilight, Equestria needs rulers whom they can trust, and I failed them. By keeping the past a secret, I have curated a false image of myself that my subjects worship. What would happen if they found out?'
Both Twilight and Luna looked downwards, each reflecting on this question. There was no doubt in either of their minds that the princess knew just what would happen.
It would be a scandal of massive proportions. The status quo would be badly shaken, that much was certain.
'Sister, art thou suggesting that we should keep your doings a secret from the populace?'
'I am.'
'B-but Princess Celestia,' Twilight stuttered, 'wouldn't it be better to simply just come clean about this whole matter?
The princess looked Twilight dead in the eye and sighed.
'It would for me, yes. It would allow me to get that off of my chest. But for Equestria, I'm afraid not. Now, more than ever, our enemies are coming forward. Our nation needs rulers whom they can trust if we are to persist. If we go public with this, our trust and unity as a race will erode. If ponykind cannot trust their own rulers, how can we be expected to save ourselves when the next threat comes along?'
All three went quiet for a few moments, then Celestia continued.
'For now, the status quo must be maintained, for the good of the nation. At least, until a suitable replacement has been found for us. The sooner the better'
Twilight took a second to process what she had just heard.
'Wh- Hold on, wait. You think that ponies will call for your removal if they find out?'
'That cannot be ruled out, young Twilight.' Luna explained. 'Ponies are usually not content to remain underneath the rule of those whom they don't trust.'
She paused, glancing at her older sister.
'Whilst I understand that keeping this whole affair from the populace is the necessary action, I think that the right thing to do would be to come clean. Unfortunately, I believe that doing the right thing would be too harmful. Thus is the struggle of being a princess.'
Celestia nodded, turning to Twilight.
'Do you understand why I wish to keep what you found out about me a secret, my student?'
Twilight paused, then nodded in return.
'I... Think I do.' She said hesitantly. 'But I don't like it at all.'
'We don't either.' Celestia reassured her. 'Trust me, we don't.'
The three ponies fell silent, each reflecting on the events that had occurred earlier. Then, Twilight spoke up, changing the subject.
'So, what about the Warden? What do we do about him now?'
'There is not much that we can do now, I'm afraid.' Celestia remarked. 'I have an idea where he may be, but hunting him down would be a massive mistake.'
'But what if he comes back to try again?' Twilight asked. 'What then?'
Luna shook her head. 'He won't.'
Twilight tilted her head. 'How do you know?'
'I know how he used to be, young Twilight.' Luna replied. 'This may come as a surprise to both of you, but I remember visiting his dreams on more than one occasion.'
Celestia looked a bit surprised. 'Sister, you never told me that before! Why didn't you say so?'
'Because back then, he and his family were your enemies, remember?'
Celestia's expression fell once she remembered. 'Oh. Yes, I do remember.' She said with a sigh. 'You didn't tell me in order to protect him?'
Luna nodded. 'You are correct. He was but a colt back then, and I was not about to bring down your unjust anger upon him.'
Both Twilight and Celestia fell silent, thinking about this discovery as Luna continued to explain.
'The Warden was not consumed by hatred and bitterness then. Although, his drive to protect Equestria drove him to do things that are questionable, and he had a tendency towards anger, admittedly. He certainly felt anger towards you, sister, but it was not ill-placed.'
Celestia nodded, conceding that her sister was correct.
'In spite of his anger, he was a good pony, one of the best I have ever known.' Luna continued. 'He wanted nothing more than to protect Equestria and all who dwelt within. That is, until he started his own family. At that point, his primary focus became protecting them. They strengthened his morals, and helped him keep his anger in check. It was because of them that he came to you in your hour of need, on that night that I fell.'
Luna paused, her expression falling. 'Of course, it was also on that night that I- I took away his family and left him for dead. He somehow survived and came back, but after having lost his family, there was nothing preventing him from becoming a slave to bitterness and resentment, not unlike Nightmare Moon.'
Princess Luna sighed, looking down and away from her sister and Twilight.
'Then… Was it my reminding him of his family that caused him to back down?' Twilight asked hesitantly.
Luna nodded, still looking away. 'I can't see how it could have been anything else. When you reminded him of his family, his whole expression changed. For a fleeting moment, I saw myself in his eye. Regret, shame, pain, it was all there.'
Celestia then sighed. 'It sounds like his love for his family was even more powerful than his lust for revenge.'
Luna sniffed, wiping away a tear from her eye. 'It would appear that way, sister. But I have to live knowing that Nightmare Moon took away what he loved most.'
Twilight saw Celestia's expression fall as well as she noticed Luna's emotions beginning to surface.
'Lulu,' Celestia said gently, 'you do know that we forgive you, right? No matter what Nightmare Moon did, you are still Luna, and we love you for it.'
The younger sister nodded and sniffed again, regaining some of her composure. 'I know, Tia. Both you and young Twilight have shown me that you don't hold my past against me, and for that I am grateful.'
Luna took a breath, gathering herself before continuing. 'But I cannot forgive myself if the Warden does not.'
Twilight fell into thought, wishing that she were able to fully understand the pain that Luna was undergoing. Her guilt had been plain to see even before she realized that the Warden had returned. If she was struggling to move on then, there was next to no hope of her doing so now.
Unless…
'Princess Luna?' Twilight asked sheepishly. 'What if he is actually willing to forgive you? Would that help at all?'
Luna looked at Twilight, and her eyes glimmered a little, as if a spark of hope had been ignited within her.
'Do you think there is a chance he would do so?' She asked quietly.
'Luna, hold on.' Celestia interjected. 'You know I don't mean to squash your hopes right now, but he is going to need some time to recover before we go seeking him out. The last time I did that, he almost killed me. He's too dangerous.'
'What if you sent me?' Asked Twilight. 'If me and my friends could turn Discord from his evil ways, then who's to say-'
'Out of the question.' Luna responded, shaking her head. 'Not only is he far too dangerous, but this is something that I have to ask of him myself.'
Twilight nodded, and felt a little embarrassed that she had even thought of asking for forgiveness on Luna's behalf. It just didn't seem right, now that she thought of it.
'Still, I am very grateful you would be willing to do such a thing, Twilight.' Luna added, not wishing to come across as being too harsh. 'I know you meant well.'
Twilight smiled slightly, understanding what the princess of the night was saying.
'Well,' Celestia said, 'there is nothing more that we can do right now, I'm afraid. Until he decides to come out of hiding and forgive you, we can only wait.'
'Regrettably so.' Luna murmured, her voice growing quieter. 'I would have very much liked for him to put this matter to rest, but that would be unreasonably optimistic of me.'
The three fell silent once again, each deep in thought. The fire continued to crackle gently, and the rhythmic ticking of the clock added to the soothing atmosphere. Celestia yawned, and her eyelids briefly fell.
'Sister, do you wish to rest?' Luna asked.
Celestia opened her eyes, looking quite tired. 'Almost, but there is one more thing that I wish to say.'
She turned her head towards Twilight, and smiled gently.
'My dear Twilight, me and my sister owe you our lives because of what you did. Please, never doubt the fact that you truly are the best student that I could ever wish for. You are destined to do great things, things that will surprise even myself.'
Twilight smiled, her cheeks beginning to flush from the praise.
'Furthermore,' Princess Celestia continued, 'I think you are deserving of a reward.' Then, turning to her younger sister, she asked; 'Luna, what do you say to giving Twilight some of our books?'
Twilight's heart almost jumped out of her chest at this sudden prospect. Her face was smitten by surprise at first, then by a hopeful expression directed at Princess Luna.
The younger princess observed Twilight's reaction, and could not suppress a smile of her own. 'I think it is a splendid idea, Tia. Shall I escort her to the reading room?'
Celestia nodded, and an unsupressable squeal escaped Twilight's mouth.
'Ooooh! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!' She cried, embracing Princess Celestia once more.
The princess closed her eyes and laughed quietly. 'You're welcome, my dearest student.'
They seperated after a few seconds, and they exchanged farewells. Following this, Luna began to walk towards the door, Twilight practically prancing alongside her. Soon, the sentries outside opened the door, and the two mares walked out, leaving Princess Celestia alone to rest.