Chapter Four
Dark Side of the Moon
Celestia ran through the palace as fast as she could to the tower that Luna’s room was in. She ran up the steps to her room only to find that she was not there. Normally Luna would be here resting during the day before she would bring the night. With her face still full of tears she shot back down the stairs to search the rest of the palace for her. Many of the royal guards fallowed her to see what the matter was. Seeing the princess run around franticly like this had them worried. Once they finally stopped her she ordered them to search all of the palace and Canterlot to find Princess Luna. The guards searched the whole kingdom for her, but to no avail. Princess Luna was nowhere to be found in the palace or the city below.
Celestia returned to her room in tears. How could she have let such a thing happen? How could she have not heard her sister’s cry? How could she have let her own niece die when she could have saved her? The death of a family member was on her hooves and now she would have to live with this the rest of her immortal life.
She stayed in her room the rest of the day, but soon it would be time for her to perform her duty and lower the sun. She got up, wiped her face, walked slowly over to her balcony and lowered the sun slowly behind the mountains. The night sky was dark for a while. Celestia felt as dark and empty as the night sky. The black night now a grim reminder of what she had done, of what she could never change.
“Oh my dear sister, I am so sorry for what happened. I wish I would have known. I could have…”
Celestia found herself in tears again just thinking of what happened. But just then a light grew in the night sky. A big full blue moon rose over the horizon and laminated the night sky. Celestia looked up in shock and awe at the beauty of the blue moon. It was as if something had changed about it. It seemed to draw her into it. As the moon got to its highest point she saw what seemed to be a light coming down from it. She looked out over the land and saw that it lead out to the far reaches of the forest.
“That’s it. She must be there. She has to be. It’s the only place she could be.”
Celestia then took to the sky and flew over the land. She made it to the forest and landed where the moon seemed to be right above her. As if it were leading her to it, watching her as she made her way to Luna. But then she came to a clearing where the light of the moon was its brightest and it lead her to the place of her now greatest failure, the old palace of the Two Princesses. This was the very place she fought and banished her sister and Nightmare Moon. Celestia made her way to the old palace gates and could hear a voice. She could hear singing echoing through the broken halls. Celestia followed the singing in hopes that it would lead her to Luna. As she made her way through the halls the song grew louder. The louder the song grew the more she could feel the pain welling up in her heart. The louder the song grew the more tears started to flow from her eyes. The louder the song grew the more she could feel her heart breaking. After running through the palace she finally made it to the old throne room where they had fought and there she was, Princess Luna. Celestia walked up to Luna slowly, listening to her sing, feeling the pain that was coming from Luna’s heart as every note escaped her lips and passed into her ear. Celestia sat and waited for her to finish, tears rolling down her face as the story played over and over in her mind.
Just then Luna stopped and looked back slowly over her shoulder at her sister Celestia. The light of the blue moon lighting her mane and tail bringing out its true night blue color. She walked down to her sister and stood in front of her. Celestia felt like a foal in her sister’s shadow, even though she was the eldest of the two. She looked at Luna’s face and saw her eyes were closed. Celestia began to cry even more.
“I can understand your reasons for not wanting to look at me. I wouldn’t want to see myself either. But please sister I beg you, look upon me with your eyes. Please I beg of you.”
Luna faced her sister and opened her eyes slowly. Her dark blue eyes looked down upon her. Her gaze shot through her like lighting through the sky, stunned like a foal in the face of danger. Celestia felt as if the life had been sucked out of her as she gazed up at her sister. Like a mortal looking in to the eyes of the Creators she felt unworthy. She could see the pain in Luna’s eyes. She no longer had that glimmer of hope for a better world in her eyes as she did a thousand years ago. Luna’s eyes were cold and lifeless like the northern wastelands, harsh and unforgiving. After looking to her sister, Celestia finally mustered up the courage to speak. She started with a whisper as she tried to fight back the tears.
“Luna, I know it must be hard to have me in your presence like this. To see your big sister breaking down like this. I must look a mess. But I need to know Luna, why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell me about Lunar Dawn? Why didn’t you tell me you were with foal all those years ago? My actions would have been different if I had known. I could have saved the both of you.”
Luna gave a smug look at her sister. It made Celestia step back and remember her place and why she had come. But then Luna turned around and walked back to the alter she was singing on.
“Luna wait. I’m sorry I spoke out of turn. That is not the reason I came out here to find you.”
“Then what is your reason for coming out here? If you already know of my loss then there is nothing more I have to say to you. So if you do not mind the night needs to be tended to.”
*Celestia had to sallow her pride as she was trying to fight back her tears but soon gave in* “I’m sorry Luna.”
“What did you say?” *she turned to look at Celestia.*
“I said I’m sorry!” *her face full of tears* “I’m sorry for what happened to you during your banishment. I never meant for anything like that to happen to you. I just remember seeing the carving on the Moon thinking that Nightmare Moon was still in control and could have freed herself. That’s the reason I cast the magic nullification spell. It was to stop her power from growing. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to hurt your foal. I never meant to kill Lunar Dawn. That is why I came here. I came here to bare my soul to you and apologize for my actions. I have come here bowed down at your hooves to beg of your forgiveness. I came here to seek redemption from you. I’m just so sorry for making you have to suffer like that. If I had only known I would have done everything I could have to get you and her here. I’m just so sorry for making you go through that. No mother should have to watch their foal die like you did. I’m just so sorry Luna.”
As Celestia wept before her sister, Luna walked back over to her. She then lifted her sister’s chin and looked her in the eyes.
“My dearest sweet sister Celestia. I see the pain the plagues your heart. It is that of sorrow and regret of your actions. And I understand that pain, it is the same pain I felt upon my banishment. But my dearest sister my forgiveness is something I cannot grant you. I can forgive you for banishing me. I can even forgive you for casting that spell on me. Everything you have come here to confess I can forgive. But the death of my foal, the death of Lunar Dawn I cannot forgive. Her blood will remain on your hooves for the rest of your immortal life.”
Celestia was stunned by her sister’s words. Her soul had finally broken. After everything she did to find her. After feeling her heart break over and over during that day. After feeling the pain of sorrow, regret, and remorse she had finally broken. Celestia had finally heard the Cry of the Moon. But as Celestia looked upon her sister with a blank expression on her face with tears streaming down her cheeks, she asked Luna one last question before Luan resumed her work.
“But Luna… Why?”
“Because my dear Celestia, what kind of Mother would I be if I Forgave you for Killing my Child?”