Celestia looked to the moon.
It was the prison of her sister Luna, turned Nightmare Moon. She could see the outline of her even now, emblazoned into the surface in the form of craters. Soon her sister would return to this realm, and they would be reunited once more, for better or for worse. It was her fault that such a thing had happened. She should have been there for Luna when she was hurting, she should have noticed the signs. Instead, she was too wrapped up in her own troubles to notice. Running the kingdom and raising the sun had taken up most of her time that she should have spent on her sister, the other small fragments had been taken up by something else. Something she could not tell anyone.
"Feeling nostalgic Celestia?"
Celestia sighed as the voice rang throughout her mind. Over the centuries she had been hearing it, the voice no longer surprised her. The voice was smooth and slick, and with each word it reverberated throughout her mind like a bell.
"Must you intrude and comment on every part of my waking day?" Celestia whispered beneath her breath. Even if she was on a secluded balcony it wouldn't do for her guards to hear the princess whispering to herself.
"In case you haven't noticed, the moon is out. You could hardly call it day."
"You are insufferable Void, the day you are out of my head will be the day I declare a national holiday."
"That sounds wonderful! When I am out of your head and at your side I would throw a party as well." The voice she knew as Void said.
Celestia shook her head and tuned her gaze down upon her kingdom. Her little ponies slept peacefully in the moon she had raised. Little did they know their ruler had a voice in her head.
"Something wrong dear?" Void snickered.
"What do you want from me?" Celestia already knew the answer, but she couldn't help but keep asking the question.
"You already know my sun. I want you by my side as we rule together. I would treat your ponies as you do now, fair and benevolent, the only thing you have to give to me is you."
The words struck a chord in her that made Celestia nearly grind her teeth together. As always it was the same words she always heard. Never in her life had she been in any sort of romantic relationship, her first would not be with some mysterious and sinister entity. She didn't know why Void was so adamant about his decision. It was the same one she heard centuries ago when she first heard the voice and it had been the same since.
"You will never enter this world, Void." Celestia growled. "Especially after what you did to my sister."
"I didn't do anything to her, darling. She was hurting and I offered her a little friend to help her out. In fact, you should be thanking me for making sure she had company on the moon for all these years. Poor little Luna, banished to the moon by her big sister. If only her big sister was smart enough to know a gift when she sees one."
"You corrupted her. You are the monster; you are the one who I will banish to Tartarus, along with the nightmare that is attached to my sister."
"Come now, we all know exactly how it all would have gone. Your sister was already on the path to Nightmare Moon. Even without my intervention she would have risen up against you. I suspect when she returns even if you used the elements of harmony on her she will still be bitter. After all, what is life while living in the shadow of the sun? I know the feeling myself you see. Your sister and I are kindred spirits with the pain you caused us. Why, I suspect that-"
"I am done talking to you!" Celestia snapped, "Leave me be!"
"As you wish my sun." The voice of Void faded from her mind. "Don't be afraid to call for me if you need me."
Celestia could feel her blood boiling. The things that could make her this angry were few and far between, but Void always managed to a find a way beneath her skin. She needed to be calm and collected. She was the princess and ruler of the kingdom; she must be in control of every situation. Celestia took a deep breath in and exhaled. She imagined all her anger and stress leaving her. It helped a little.
It was true though, was it not? If only she was a little stronger, a little more perceptive, if only she could have seen her sister's plight. Her gaze went to the moon once again. She wished she could say sorry face to face with her sister, maybe then things could change. That time would be coming soon.
The pieces were already put into play. Twilight Sparkle, her most faithful student, would be sent to Ponyville. She didn't know if her student would be okay, but she had faith. With a little luck Twilight would be able to make some friends and use the elements of harmony to purify her sister of the nightmare.
It was not right to play behind the scenes in such a way. Celestia knew that, but what other choice did she have? There was no universe in which she would be able to kill her sister. They had been together since they were foals. The bond they once shared had to be restored, otherwise.... Celestia didn't know what she would do.
It would be a good thing for her student as well. Twilight needed to make some friends; she was far too isolated from the rest of the world. It was just another one of Celestia's many mistakes. She should have pushed harder for Twilight to make friends; she was her teacher after all.
With a sigh Celestia turned around and closed the door behind her. The Summer Sun Celebration was coming up soon and she needed sleep. After all, she had to meet her sister. If Nightmare Moon did win, then Celestia would most likely be banished to the sun. At least while in the sun Void wouldn't be able to get out into Equestria. Every piece had been set into play with thought and direction, now she only needed to wait to see what played out.
Her room was warm, a fire was burning in the fireplace and her bed looked more welcoming than it ever had before. Gold lined the walls which swirled into a motif of the sun over the fireplace. What use did she have for romance anyway when the sun was practically her foal? She nodded to herself and laid down on her cushy bed.
Sleep eluded her for a time but eventually she was able to slip into dreams. That night she dreamed of failure and of a dark figure at the edge of her vision. The flash of a twin winged red amulet passed by. In her troubled dreams, dreams bordering on nightmares, she could hear a voice in the fog of semiconscious, words that would be forgotten upon awakening.
"Your promised me forever my sun, so don't you agree that is what I should get?"