It was not the reunion Celestia had imagined.
Above the Royal Gardens, almost hidden amongst the canopy, the stars shone brightly, a stark contrast to their Mistress's sorrow. In the soft glow of the moon, she watched the smaller form of her sister lying amongst the grass, head buried between her hooves. Before her sat a single gravestone, white marble with etchings of obsidian, carved with painstaking care into flowing letters.
The ancient mare had dreamt of this day, to welcome her only sister back with an open heart, and to no longer feel the regret of banishing one she loved so dearly. For so long she had wished for nothing more than to hold her in her hooves again. But now? She merely watched the pony from a distance, each heave of the dark body bringing more moisture to the white mare's eyes, each cry cutting like a knife.
As much as she wished to run to her, to comfort her, and tell her everything would be alright, she couldn't. Not yet. This was her time to mourn.
* * *
Luna's tears had long run dry, the coat on her cheeks matted, as she hollowly stared at the grave stone before her. Framed by the full moon's light, she could see each carving, each letter, as clear as day.
When she had wrapped herself within Nightmare Moon, the younger Alicorn had felt naught but anger and an unstoppable pride. Nothing mattered but her night sky, and those little ponies would worship it's majesty or they would pay dearly.
When she woke upon being struck by the Elements, her beloved sister standing before her with a hoof extended in friendship, her heart swelled with joy. She felt hope for the future, and for eventual forgiveness from her little ponies.
When she recalled her actions that night...
Another sob wracked her body as images once again flowed unbidden into her mind. The black pegasus writhing on the ground in agony as she tore into his mind, molding it to her desires. Forcing more magic into his body than any mortal could withstand, pushing aside his very lifeforce as dark energy took control. And then ripping that power, the only thing keeping his heart beating, from him without care. All to put her sister to sleep.
It was her fault. She'd killed him, and there was nothing she could do to bring him back.
"I'm sorry..." she whispered, her voice catching on those two simple words, repeated without end.
He'd always been there for her, throughout the entirety of recorded history, and for as long as Luna could remember. Jokes, pranks and tantrums all. A rock to share in her joy, and her pain.
Luna's head drooped, resting her chin on the newly upturned soil beneath her. The grave had been empty of a body for one thousand years, sitting alone in Celestia's private garden. A tribute to a stallion that had never, until now, actually died.
Hoof falls approached from behind, but the Night Princess didn't bother looking. She knew it would be her sister. Her wonderful, dear sister, who had never killed a friend in cold blood as though he was nothing more than an insect to be used...
A gentle wing draped itself over her body as a fresh wave of tears spilled from her eyelids, rolling down her cheeks to water the earth. Silence reigned for many minutes, both ponies just basking in the comfort of one another.
"You weren't yourself, Luna." Celestia softly whispered, breaking the muted night.
"It was still me, sister. I hurt him. I'm the one who killed him. I can... I can still hear him screaming," she replied, muffled by the wet ground. "He didn't deserve this."
A gentle nudge from the white mare's snout brought her head up, to peer into her older sisters own tear rimmed eyes. "I know he didn't. No pony does." Drawing closer, she entwined her neck with Luna's, holding her new smaller frame to her. "You never meant for any of this to happen. I'm sure he would have understood."
Sniffles turned to sobs, which in turn became a tortured wail, as the youngest sister darkened the elder's coat with her sorrow. Firm white hooves held her close to the warm chest, Celestia's soft voice whispering in Luna's ear.
"I know he would."
A/N: Finally finished this story, hope you enjoyed my first ever, of any kind, fiction. Not going to bother with getting a reviewer for the epilogue, it's too short, so have fun with that. Just glad the whole things done with.
And I still hate writing the start of chapters. They never come out right.