Chapter 19
The light was beautiful.
It was also almost blinding. At least, Spike had to assume that it was. For some reason he felt no need to shield his eyes, even as vibrant colors and flashes of white cascaded to every side of him. Everywhere he looked the ancient throne room was awash in light, scouring the shadows from beneath the pillars and rubble. It was almost as though two miniature suns had been born in the ruins.
Spike didn't have far to look to find the first of them. It was all around him and the five ponies that floated in his peripheral vision. A nimbus of pure white emanated from around them all, glowing especially brightly around the necks of the others. The light almost felt as though it were pouring through the unicorn, filling every cell of his body with warmth and energy.
The second sun was somehow even easier to spot, even though it was across the hall. A massive tornado of every color imaginable had consumed the point that, only moments ago, Nightmare Moon had stood. The last vestiges of her scream still lingered in Spike's ears, gradually fading into the strange white noise of the magic flowing through him.
It's over.
Those two simple words seem to ring through both Spike's head and the air around him.
"Yeah..." he agreed with a slow nod.
His eyes drifted closed as his head dropped to his chest. The warming sensation flowing through his body was slowly fading along with the light still penetrating his eyelids. He could feel the magic ebbing out of his body, replaced by an almost pleasant heaviness weighing at every muscle. The reporter could feel the extra weight dragging him back toward the ground. Around him echoed the clattering of five sets of hooves touching down just ahead of him.
His own legs reached the ground, hooves clopping gently against the aged marble. His legs trembled as they accepted their usual load once again. Spike let out a soft sigh as his limbs began to fold, his mind already fading to black as the last traces of the glorious light vanished. There was only the peaceful darkness inside his eyelids and the cool stone waiting to serve as his bed.
"Spike!"
A voice suddenly shot through the unicorn's ears, causing them to flatten in pain. His legs locked in a half-bent position as his eyes flew open. For a brief moment, he could see nothing but still-settling clouds of dust and five pony-shaped lumps laying around him.
A split-second later, his vision was filled with a purple, dragon-shaped blur.
"You did it!" the blur cheered in Twilight's voice as scaly arms locked around him. "You did it, you di... Spike?"
Spike couldn't answer with anything other than a strangled cough. His legs trembled frantically, trying to compensate for the additional weight of the baby dragoness. He had just enough time to register the concern in Twilight's eyes as she looked up from his chest before the world gave a sudden lurch around him.
WHAM
"... Ow..." Spike gasped out from his new position on the ground.
The unicorn let out a low groan, wondering just what had made the hard floor seem so inviting in the first place. All around him echoed confused grunts and moans as his vision swam in and out of focus.
"Ugh... wha...?" Thunderlane's voice grunted as a dark blob lifted itself from the floor.
"Oooh... tingly," Ditzy said from somewhere behind Spike, accompanied by a clattering of stumbling hooves.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Twilight's voice exclaimed.
The claws still linked around Spike released, and a fuzzy blob of purple stumbled back into his view. He could almost feel his pupils contracting as his vision tried to refocus itself. His sight sharpened as the purple blob approached, allowing him to make out the worried face of Twilight as she knelt next to him.
"I wasn't thinking," she said quickly, brushing over his side with one claw. "I was just so scared for a minute—"
"Twi..." Spike coughed as he cut off the dragon, his voice ragged and dry.
Still he managed to bring up a smile as he reached one hoof to her. Twilight leaned closer, only to burst into giggles as Spike tousled her head spines with a playful noogie.
"It's okay," he said his voice gaining strength as he lowered his limb again. "You're not hurt, are you?"
Twilight chuckled again, her face awash with relief. She shook her head, one claw wiping at her eyes as she smiled at the prone unicorn. Spike just smiled in return, his head flopping onto the ground and he squeezed his eyes shut. He slowly drew in a deep breath, letting the cold floor press against the ache on the side he'd landed on.
"How 'bout you?" a deep voice asked.
Opening his eyes, Spike found a quartet of red legs had joined Twilight. Following them up brought no surprises as he found Big Mac staring down at him. The earth pony reached out one massive hoof, offering it to the reporter.
"Ya feelin' alright?" Mac asked, leaning a little closer.
"Yeah, I'm—" Spike answered, hooking his leg over Mac's hoof.
The reporter cut off in a gasp as a light tug from the farm pony almost lifted him wholly from the ground. He stumbled, feeling his legs tangle and threaten to dump him back to the floor. The tiring sensation of weight vanished in a jolt as he barely managed to right himself.
"Ah-whoops," Mac grunted, quickly steadying Spike with his other hoof.
"Spike!" Twilight gasped, dashing up to his side.
"I'm okay!" Spike said, raising one hoof to his temple as he breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm... okay..."
His voice trailed off and his brow furrowed. His hat was missing, but he barely registered the fact. All Spike could notice was lack of pounding between his ears. No sense of pressure or heartbeat threatening to burst his ear drums. A broad grin began to cross his face, accompanied by a laugh as he looked to a slightly confused Mac and Twilight.
"I'm okay!" Spike realized, his voice raising into a cheer. "No more headache or... or anything!"
"Well," a new voice cut in from behind the unicorn. "I guess that makes two of us."
Spike spun around to face the speaker, his jaw immediately going slack at the sight that waited for him.
"Time Turner..." Cheerilee gasped in a soft voice.
The purple mare stood alongside her fellow earth pony, her eyes wide in shock and worry. Spike was hardly about to blame her as he stared at the tan stallion pushing off the ground next to her. Time Turner let out a low grunt as he arched his back, his body raising on bowed and shaking legs.
"Whoa there, TT," Thunderlane spoke up as he suddenly darted in from Spike's peripheral vision to the injured stallion's side. "Maybe you shouldn't be—"
The dark pegasus didn't get a chance to finish. With a sudden, delighted "WHOOP!", Time Turner launched himself into the air. Thunderlane stumbled back a step as the earth pony twisted awkwardly, barely righting himself before slamming back to the ground. Even as his hooves skidded, he looked up with a massive grin plastered to his face.
"Wow!" Ditzy cheered, her wings pumping hard as she hovered overhead. "Nice flip!"
"Wasn't it?" Time Turner cheered, looking to his back then to the others once more. "I'm good as new, just like Spike! It's like I never got hurt in the first place!"
The tan stallion's huge smile seemed contagious, as Spike couldn't help but join in as it spread to the others. Still his head tilted and his thoughts whirled, images of Time Turner floating through his head. Pictures of the earth pony stretched helpless across another's back, struggling to move his legs without pain. Now all contradicted by the laughing figure cantering in a circle around him.
"But... I don't get it," Spike admitted as he turned in place to keep up with Time Turner. "How'd we get healed?"
A light giggle answered him, and a purple limb put itself in the timekeeper's path. Time Turner stopped as Cheerilee's hoof gently tapped off his chest with a soft clink, drawing Spike's eyes down to it.
"I think these might have something to do with it," she explained, her hoof tapping off her own chest with a similar clink.
The unicorn's eyes widened again, heat rushing to his cheeks as the answer twinkled at him from plain sight. Time Turner seemed to be sharing the amazement (but not the embarrassment) as he put his hoof against the golden necklace that dangled from around his throat. Shaped like a pair of spread wings, it almost sparkled with a light of its own. Nestled between the two wings was deep purple crystal, expertly carved into the shape of a miniature hourglass.
"Well now," Time Turner said as he lifted the necklace to admire it better. "Isn't that something?"
"The Elements of Harmony..." Twilight gasped out, her claw tightening around Spike's leg.
Spike could see Cheerilee smiling as she nodded in confirmation. The pink flower in her necklace bounced against her chest a bit as she did. The purple stallion's gaze quickly turned to the other three, finding similar bejeweled accessories hanging from each of them.
"Oh cool!" Ditzy cheered as she landed, her eyes sparkling along with the sapphire bubbles she wore. "They look just like our cutie marks!"
"Yeah... I guess it's like Spike said," Thunderlane said, letting out a chuckle at his own orange lightning bolt. "Each of us represents an element. Right?"
"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed with a slow nod, and causing the red apple necklace now hooked to his yoke to shake a little.
Something warm swelled in Spike's chest as he heard the praise. A tingling bubble that swiftly pushed its way through his body, popping out of his muzzle as a chuckle. His hoof rubbed at the back of his head as five smiling ponies all turned to look at him, his cheeks flushing ever darker. With a smile of his own, Spike's eyes turned down to his own chest.
"Huh?" he muttered, his smile fading.
Only his plain, purple coat met him. No glitter of a gold necklace set with a vibrant crystal. Before his confusion had a chance to root itself, however, something gently tapped against his side.
"Looking for something?" Twilight asked, a broad grin on her face as Spike spun to face her.
He didn't have a chance to answer before Twilight pulled something from behind her back. Dried out as they were, Spike could still feel his eyes widen again. His fedora sat in the dragon's claws, still as plain brown as ever.
The band that encircled it was another story, however. The normal cloth band with his press pass and quill was gone. In its place was a circlet of pure gold, a feather-shaped shard of brilliant emerald sticking from it where the quill had once sat. The gem seemed to glow softly with an inner light of its own, highlighting the tiny runes etched into the gold circlet.
Spike tried to speak, only for a stunned squeak to come out instead. Twilight giggled again, dashing around to his side. His sides twitched involuntarily at the feeling of the baby dragon's claws clambering onto him. Twilight's familiar weight settled onto his back, followed closely by the feeling of the hat and its new band alighting onto his head.
"Looking good, Spike," Twilight congratulated, hugging the back of his neck. "Looking reeeeeal good!"
Smatterings of chuckles from the others joined with Twilight's giggles. Spike simply smiled, his own voice coming back with a laugh of his own. His horn sparked, gently tilting the newly adorned hat to a rakish angle as he looked to the five ponies around him.
No sudden, booming voice cut off their mirth. No encroaching shadows threatened from behind anypony. Somehow Spike could feel his smile only growing wider as the joy spread amongst everyone present. Ditzy was fluttering around in circles overhead, which only seemed to add to everyone's laughter (appropriately enough, he realized). Even Big Macintosh wore a smile that took up his muzzle, his huge body shaking with a slow chuckle.
"We did it!" Spike cheered, leaping into the air and causing Twilight's laughter to jump with him. "We stopped Nightmare Moon!"
"You bet you did!" she agreed, gripping him even tighter.
Everything was becoming a pleasant buzz of laughter and excited talk around him. He could make out Ditzy saying something about getting back to the hospital. Thunderlane and Big Mac's voices agreed. Time Turner's voice sounded content just to enjoy laughing as he performed some strange, joyful dance around the group. While Cheerilee—
"Wait a minute everypony!"
Spike pricked his ears up at the teacher's voice, his consideration of joining Time Turner's dance coming to an end. Cheerilee's green eyes were narrowed, one shaking hoof pointing beyond their little circle toward the other side of the hall.
"If... if Nightmare Moon is gone," she stammered out, swallowing hard. "Then who's that?!"
Spike's breath cut short as he spun to where the mare pointed. His horn ignited, green light quickly driving back the weakening shadows of the throne room. His lungs were chilled, but still he forced them to take in short gulps of air...
Something lay underneath one of the shattered pillars across the room from them. His heart hammering in his chest, Spike took a shaky step forward. He could hear the others following along on hoof and wing as he drew closer to the figure.
He could feel his heart suddenly stop as he got a clear look at what waited there.
Darkness.
Nothing but silent, suffocating darkness surrounded her.
Teal eyes, half-lidded from exhaustion, slowly panned from side to side. Occasionally a lock of limp, blue mane passed into her vision. The sound of her own choked breath carried around her, only to die out almost as quickly as it left her mouth. Otherwise the darkness remained unchanged.
Ineffectual, crushing, and ever present.
Exactly as Nightmare Moon remembered it.
The alicorn's eyes closed as she curled on the hard, invisible floor beneath her. Boiling tears stung as they rolled down her cheeks, while another strangled sob shook her body. Oddly enough, behind her eyelids there was light. A blinding multitude of colors flying from six smaller ponies.
"No..." she moaned, cringing tighter in on herself.
She could feel the rainbow's burn, inside and out. Scouring away at her very core, weakening her even as everything faded to shadow again. Leaving her smaller, drained, and (most horribly) alone.
Alone for another thousand years.
If she was lucky.
"Not again..." she whimpered, unable to lift her head. "Please, not again. I only—"
"She's so much... smaller," the voice of a familiar, brown stallion suddenly interrupted.
"Y-yeah," agreed a second, so nervous she could almost picture the purple stallion it belonged to trembling.
The mare's eyes flew open, staring out into her prison. Somewhere, out in the distant shadows, a glimmer of light floated. Her eyes widened for a brief second, straining to understand what they were seeing.
Just as quickly, any care for an answer was thrown out.
A deep breath drew itself into her aching chest. Nightmare Moon's throat wavered with a barely audible groan as she pushed back to her hooves. Her wings spread, struggling to assist her balance as she tottered on unsteady, blue-coated hooves.
"Um... guys?" A mare's voice spoke this time, accompanied with fluttering wings.
The alicorn pushed her legs harder, eyes locked on the light as the voices continued to float from it. Her breath gradually grew stronger as it seemed to shine brighter, her stride gaining speed with each step.
"Maybe it isn't her?" suggested the gentle voice of a second mare.
"She's got the same cutie mark!" exclaimed a third stallion. "Besides, how many other alicorns can there be?"
The light was getting so close, it almost felt like it was moving toward her as well. Nightmare Moon swallowed hard as she managed to break into a full gallop. The shadows trembled as they were driven from around her.
"Guys!" the flapping mare's voice broke in. "I think she's—"
The light suddenly burst, forcing the mare to reel away as her vision flooded with a blinding white.
"—waking up!" the exclamation concluded.
The alicorn's head throbbed, her thoughts swimming as she fought her way back to consciousness. The sensation of lying on cold, hard stone greeted her. Somehow she was flat on the ground again, her nose filling with the musty scent of centuries-old dust. Slowly, one eye managed to force itself open.
The other eye followed suit before she could even think. Her head raised slightly, turning to take in her surroundings. Cracked marble tiles lay beneath her. Ruined pillars lined the walls, framing the empty window arches through which she could see a slowly lightening sky.
"The throne chamber?" she realized, her confusion finding a thin and weakened voice. "Equestria? But how—"
The crack of hoof on stone cut her off. Her eyes spun down to the source, a lump catching in her throat as she found it.
Six ponies were gathered near her. Six almost painfully familiar ponies, two of which had put themselves in front of the others. She could feel her pupils shrink to pinpricks as Thunderlane landed alongside Big Mac. The pair of stallions glared down at her...
But her eyes were drawn to the crystals glinting around their necks. Dread squeezed at her heart as the alicorn's gaze flitted past the duo before her. Similar jewelry adorned the other four, each crystal seeming to sparkle as she laid eyes on it. A faint, but undeniable spark of power threatening to surge forth. Her mind froze in terrified recognition as four simple words rang through it.
The Elements of Harmony
Her head lowered, her hooves flying over her eyes. Blurred images of rainbows flashed before them. Tingling memories of burning light traced over her coat as her wings flattened to her sides.
"No!" she shouted, her voice cracking in terror. "Please, no! I don't-I can't—"
Her voice died, refusing to speak any further. Every muscle tensed, ready for an encore of her latest defeat.
"We..." a deep, slow voice spoke up. "Uh... we sure it's her?"
One hoof moved from her eyes. The mare looked up, finding the red stallion turned to his pegasus partner. Big Mac had an uncertain frown on his face, worried eyes darting back to her.
"She sure isn't acting like Nightmare Moon," the trembling voice from earlier spoke up.
The purple unicorn cautiously walked up from behind. Something leapt from his back, toe claws clattering on the ground as she turned to stare at the alicorn. The mare could only stare at the baby dragon in return as Twilight looked from her back up to Spike.
"But... I mean the moon cutie mark and the wings and horn..." Thunderlane stammered, his wings folding up as he face creased with insecurity. "Who else could she be?"
"Perhaps I can help answer that."
The blue mare's heart stopped all together as a new voice carried throughout the throne hall.
"Oh no..." she squeaked out, slinking back toward the wall.
The room's other seven occupants were too preoccupied to notice, their heads swiveling in a search for the speaker. The alicorn's mind was spinning as she pressed against the stone behind her. Horrible comprehension was dawning on her, the reason that she wasn't back in her prison suddenly becoming clear.
The sky in the window across from her was growing brighter. Traces of yellow sunlight began to reach over the trees outside, tingeing the horizon with a variety of red and orange hues. Gasps rang out from the others as they watched the sun slowly lift itself into view, its light pouring through the shattered window. Light which gathered into a single column of pure white. The weakened mare's leg raised, shielding her eyes as the room was filled with a blinding flash.
She simply wanted to keep her eyes covered. A part of her begged, pleading that if only she didn't look upon her punisher she wouldn't actually appear.
"Princ..." Time Turner's voice gasped out. "Princess Celestia!"
She winced inwardly at her own foolishness. Her hoof reluctantly dropped back to the ground as her eyes cracked open once more.
The six ponies and the little dragon had their backs to her. It was a small comfort, and only a slightly smaller surprise given who stood where the blinding sunbeam had fallen. The sun shining through the window played gently off the alabaster-white coat and wings of the newly arrived alicorn, and seemed to add an extra sparkle to her flowing mane. Her rosy eyes looked down at the smaller ponies between the two of them, all of them staring up at the returned princess of the sun.
For a moment, the blue alicorn found herself in awe as well.
Then the rosy eyes lifted to the darker mare, and Celestia's small smile faded. The younger alicorn's heart leapt to her throat, dread flooding its way back into her thoughts. One thought pounded its way through her skull.
They saved me for her.
She pressed tighter against the wall, sorely aware of her drained powers. Of just how little magic remained within her body, even if the elements hadn't activated. Completely at the mercy of Celestia, no more than ten feet away and brimming with energy. Their eyes locked for what felt like an eternity.
Then a blur of gray shot up between them.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Ditzy Doo stammered, wobbling in midair as she hovered in place. "Princess Celestia! You're here! You're okay! You... you..."
The smaller of the two alicorns felt her heart skip a beat at the mailmare's sudden excitement. Somewhere deep inside her mind, a small voice uttered its thanks for the unexpected stay of execution.
"You can help Dinky and... and all the other foals!" Ditzy continued, not seeming to notice her friends gaping up at her. "N-Nightmare Moon put a curse on them and—"
Celestia's hoof lifted, and was gently placed over the pegasus pony's muzzle. Ditzy fell silent as Celestia's gaze locked fully on her, a smile returning to her face.
"Calm down, my little pony, it's alright," she said, her gaze flicking back to the former Mare of Darkness. "I already know all about that."
The darker alicorn felt something twist inside at the words. A chorus of screams and horrified wails echoed down the corridors of her memory. Parents pleading their children to wake up from the enchanted slumber they were trapped in. She could feel her stomach cramp as her eyes darted to Thunderlane, flashes of the stallion trying to assault her cloud filled her vision.
Cold fear poured into her chest, her already haggard breath almost stopping all-together. The memories of her curse continued to twist through her mind, the thoughts of the foals trapped in eternal sleep—
She nearly retched at the sudden bitterness joining the cold inside. A twist of guilt filling her mouth as she tried to remain silent. To avoid Celestia's notice for only a moment longer. She forced her eyes back up, and let out a small breath at the sight of the white alicorn's rosy eyes locked back on the mailmare.
"You don't need to worry any more," Celestia assured her subject, gently removing her hoof. "It's already been taken care of."
Celestia's hoof lowered, gently tapping the blue gem set in Ditzy's necklace. A clear, musical tone chimed from it at her touch. The same note vibrated through the other five, filling the air like a series of crystal bells and drowning out the screams filling the trembling mare's mind. Her ears still flattened against her head though, her eyes widening as sparks of green energy floated around the emerald in Spike's hat.
"The elements?" Spike asked, his levitation spell carefully lifting the hat and hovering it in front of him.
"The power unleashed by the Elements of Harmony wiped away Nightmare Moon's dark magic," Celestia explained, nodding to Ditzy. "By the time we return to Ponyville, your daughter will be awake. And very happy to see you, I'm sure."
The mailmare's hooves were at her mouth. Her wings gave two more erratic flaps before seizing up, causing her to drop. There was a clatter of hooves followed by a soft thump as Big Mac hurriedly placed himself beneath her, his back serving as Ditzy's crash pad.
"Th... thanks goodness..." she croaked out between a strange mix of giggles and sniffles. "D-did you guys hear that? Dinky and the others... they're gonna be okay!"
"Eeyup," Mac responded, his deep voice sounding slightly choked as he wiped at his eyes.
Something unclenched in the younger alicorn's stomach. A slight lessening of the pain as she saw several of the gathered ponies visibly slump in relief. The chill leeched away slightly, her breath easing at the news of her...
Her victims.
The bitter taste was still in her mouth. A slow clop of hoof on stone drew her attention before she could dwell on it, however. Her eyes grew wide as she turned to the source, finding the slowly approaching figure of Princess Celestia filling her vision.
No...
"You've saved more than you can ever imagine this day, my little ponies," Celestia stated as she marched past the seven observers. "Not only the foals of Ponyville, but all the rest of Equestria as well..."
The white alicorn stopped before the blue. Teal eyes filled with tears before closing, the smaller mare lowering her head as she trembled in horror.
It's over...
The two simple words echoed through her consciousness, a single truth she couldn't escape.
"... and even my younger sister."
Silence hung, thick and heavy following the words. The night-marked alicorn opened her eyes to stare up to Celestia, her jaw falling to her chest.
"Sister?" a collective of seven other voices rang out.
"Celestia?" the blue mare said, her voice thin and reedy. "Wh—"
A soft, white hoof brought her question to a halt. Celestia carefully removed the appendage in question, shaking her head as she did so.
"Please," she requested in a soft whisper, her wings lifted slightly to block out the others. "I just... I just need you to listen for a moment, Luna."
Luna
The name hung in the air between them, her heart skipping a beat at the sound of it. She could only stare numbly as the sun princess turned to face six very confused little ponies, and an equally confused baby dragon. Thunderlane in particular appeared to have developed an odd twitch in his eye, his wings flicking in and out sporadically.
"Wait... wait, wait, wait," he said, shaking his head and pointing to Luna. "Sister?! That... she's Nightmare Moon, right?"
"There's so much more to this, Thunderlane," Celestia answered, her head lowered. "I assume you're all familiar with the story of Nightmare Moon?"
Luna bit down on her lip in the quiet that followed, her mind spinning as she tried to sort out why the question had even come up. Somepony among the group cleared their throat, and Spike stepped forward.
"Well..." he said, his voice trailing. "Yeah..."
"A thousand years ago," Twilight jumped in, her claws knit together as she stood by Spike's side. "Nightmare Moon tried to shroud Equestria in eternal night—"
"But do any of you know why?" Celestia asked, cutting the dragon off.
The silence was so thick she could taste it. The spinning gears in Luna's mind sputtered, and ground to halt in exhaustion. She simply watched on in a silent acceptance of her position as an outsider to her own story being told.
"It was jealousy... at least according to the story," Cheerilee said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "She felt she wasn't as loved as the Sun Princess, because the ponies always slept through her night."
"Exactly," Celestia confirmed with a slow nod. "Those feelings of envy grew into resentment, which eventually corrupted the Moon Princess."
Luna could feel the lump rising in her throat again, one hoof covering her mouth as she held back a sob. She tried to swallow as Celestia turned back to her; lowering her graceful, white-coated body to the floor. One feathered wing brushed over Luna's shoulder before lifting her chin, bringing her gaze to a pair of tear-filled, rose-colored eyes.
"I... I ignored your loneliness and envy, thinking you would simply grow past it," Celestia said, her voice cracking as she blinked back tears. "By the time I realized how bad it was, it was too late... and using the elements only made things worse."
The others in the room had gone silent. They could have been screaming at the top of their lungs for all Luna cared, though. Suddenly the entire rest of the world was gone. It was simply her and Celestia, facing one another.
"I'm just as much at fault for Nightmare Moon," Celestia said, her voice cracking as she visibly struggled to push the words out. "I've hated myself for so long for what I had to do..."
Luna's mouth was dry as she watched the tears roll down her sister's cheeks. Celestia's head lowered, past eye contact, almost until it touched the ground.
"I was so afraid that the elements would re-imprison you, or worse..." Celestia continued, her voice pleading. "Instead they've given us another chance and... Oh, Luna, can you ever forgive me?!"
Something shattered within Luna.
For what seemed like eons, the world turned on its head. The whole time, there sat Celestia. Her head bowed as she begged for forgiveness from her. All around floated images, flashes of memories and plans. A frightened Ursa cub charging ponies under her order, cliffs crumbling at her merest thought, crops dying in the field under cold moonlight...
Everything she'd tried to do.... everything she had done, all laid bare before her.
And Celestia was apologizing.
To her.
"S..." Luna tried to speak, the word feeling unfamiliar on her tongue as it came without malice. "Sister..."
Celestia's head lifted. Slowly the world was piecing itself back together, though for some reason it was becoming blurry.
"Sister please... you've no call to apologize to me..." Luna croaked out, shaking her head. "I... I..."
Parents crying for children, a pair of Ursas attempting to flee their cave, her own maniacal laughter as Spike wailed on the forest floor.
The moments of the night that had given her such joy suddenly only made her guts twist in disgust. And even after all of it, Celestia's eyes were still only looking at her with concern mingling through the tears.
"I was... I was a monster..." she realized, something hot dripping down her muzzle. "I shouldn't even be here... I don't understand why... how..."
The tears were coming too fast, her voice refused to hold steady any longer. A sob tore its way out from Luna's chest as a pair of feathery wings pulled her close to Celestia.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything!" she sobbed out, unable to notice anything beyond her own tears. " I... I missed you so much, sister... I don't want to leave again!"
Somepony was gently shushing in her ear. Tears were falling into her mane from the one holding her.
"Luna... it will be okay, I promise. You're not going to face this pain alone again," Celestia said, her wings stroking the smaller princess' back. "That's a mistake I made once. This time, I'm here for you..."
Luna sniffled, her eyes opening. Even though her vision was still clearing, she could still make out the six other ponies. While Thunderlane seemed to be the only one not wearing a semblance of a smile, all them were watching with sympathy in their eyes. Tears were brewing among quite a few of them as well. Ditzy Doo in particular kept wiping at her nose and sniffling audibly. All the while, the Elements of Harmony sparkled from their new bearers.
From the six ponies that had fought through every challenge she'd thrown at them.
The six ponies that had saved her.
"Thank you..." Luna wheezed out, a little smile coming back to her muzzle.
Whatever was to come was too far off for her tired mind to even consider. She could feel Celestia's embrace release, though one wing stayed draped over her back. Luna looked up to her older sister as she turned to the small group of heroes with a broad smile.
"You have my thanks as well," Celestia stated, clearing her throat as she bowed her head. "All of Equestria, myself included, owes you a debt that we can never truly repay..."
A soft, white light began to fill the room as the sun alicorn's horn shimmered. Luna smiled, an almost forgotten tingle running down her body as Celestia's magic surrounded her.
"Now gather close everypony..." the elder princess instructed as Luna closed her eyes. "And let's go home."