During "Boast Busters", back in Canterlot...
Luna walked into her sister's room for the first time in... Well over a thousand years. It had changed in a number of ways, which was only to be expected.
Gone were the war trophies and the suits of armor and the skull of Blackstorm the Most Flammable. Instead it was simple, warm, and cozy. With a few paintings here and there, but the walls were mostly covered in pictures.
Photographs were the name, as she recalled. Luna studied them.
Many had Twilight, and numerous others had fillies and colts Luna assumed to be Celestia's various students. There were several of Cadance too, the young pink alicorn looking nervous in about a third of them, confident in the next third, and warm and smiling in the last third.
Naturally though, most were of Ryan. Luna traced her fingers over the various pictures.
Celestia with the infant Ryan, sitting for a royal portrait. The baby's eyes were so wide, his chubby cheeks so prominent. Celestia held him, her smile so very warm and happy.
Ryan sniffling as Celestia applied healing back to a skinned knee, the colt a bit older.
Ryan proudly holding up a winning science fair project, first place, with a proud Celestia behind him.
Whatever a science fair was.
And newspaper clippings, dozens of them. Luna read through them, and snorted when she came to one in particular.
"Sneak Peak's article?"
Luna looked to her right-Yup, there was Celestia. She smiled warmly at her older sister, and nodded.
"Why allow a free press if they're just going to insult you and your foals? The very idea that my nephew was your 'pet'."
Celestia sighed.
"Freedom is not freedom if you are not allowed to be wrong," she said quietly. She shook her head, eyes fixed on the photo of Ryan being healed by her. "I once thought that I should shield him from everything. Protect him. Make sure he grew up without pain or want..."
She chuckled, sadly.
"I was foalish, of course. He still got bumps and bruises and skinned knees... And a broken heart."
Celestia bowed her head. Luna reached out and took her elder sister's hand.
"Sister?"
"My own son... Thought he was expendable," Celestia whispered. She stared off, far into the distance. In the direction of a certain little town of ponies.
"He fought for Equestria," Luna protested, "he fought to protect Twilight Sparkle, all of us-"
"He thought his life didn't matter. That I valued my apprentice over him," Celestia murmured. She shook her head.
"What... What kind of a mother am I? If he came to that conclusion?" She sniffled, tears running down her cheeks.
Luna hugged her sister tightly, wrapping her wings around her.
"I too came to a terrible conclusion, Celestia, long ago," Luna murmured. Celestia's eyes darted to her, wide and filled with hurt.
"But I was wrong, Celestia," she emphasized, "it was not your fault."
"Not a day went by... An hour... A minute that I didn't think to myself, 'I should have done something else, I could have done something. I should have known,'," Celestia admitted, her pink gaze falling away out of shame. "I should have seen this coming. I should have... I could have..."
She sighed heavily.
"My own son, Lulu," Celestia murmured, "I love him so much, and he thought that... That I didn't...!"
She sobbed softly, as Luna held her up.
"He knows the truth, Tia," Luna said back quietly, stroking her sister's back, "I have seen his dreams. He loves you. He has no resentment, no hatred. You blame yourself because of how much you love him... Love me. Love all of us. But that doesn't mean it is your fault."
Celestia nodded, her tears still falling. She picked up the picture of her son and herself, just playing in the garden. How happy they both looked. Luna rested a hand over hers. Celestia finally managed to look Luna in the eyes again, still crying.
"Thank you Lulu," Celestia murmured, "thank you so much-"
"It has been a long time for you, hasn't it?" Luna murmured, resting her head against Celestia's. "Fear not. I'm not going anywhere. Neither is he."
She smiled at Celestia warmly.
"If anything, his sacrificial nature reminds me far too much of you," she stated, "between him and Twilight Sparkle, you seem to have a knack for bringing out the hero in your foals."
Celestia laughed softly, a few tears falling on the glass picture frame.
"I do not deserve... Such wonderful foals," she chuckled, "such... A wonderful family."
"Yes you do," Luna said, "now if only you would believe it..."
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