All through her immortal life Princess Celestia witness the sonic rainboom only a few times. It was rare a phenomenon, and she was thankful to whatever force in the universe gave her the opportunity to see it with her own eyes. But out of all those times, this fourth one destroyed Rainbow Dash. It didn’t make sense to her. How could a sonic rainboom effectively kill Rainbow Dash? Then a more important question was raised. Who will take up her mantle? She thought about these things in her bedroom. After a long, emotionally draining day, she wanted to unwind and let the next day come.
She thought about Rainbow Dash’s funeral soon after. Many ponies have came and went in her lifetime. Rainbow Dash, however, was somepony different. She always knew from the few meetings they had that she was special, but she didn’t realize how amazing she was to those who knew her. It occurred to her that she didn’t know any of Twilight’s friends well enough. Listening to Twilight’s eulogy, and seeing all the ponies who came out on that day, brought her some perspective.
Princess Luna entered her room without making a sound, although Celestia could sense her presence. She had just finished creating the night. Without saying a word, Luna knew something was troubling her sister. Celestia glanced at her younger sister before gazing at the wall.
“I used to have the answers,” she said. “Everything used to be simple. Now it seems so long ago. Why is this happening?”
Luna didn’t have an answer. For the first time in nearly a thousand years Celestia was lost. Luna wasn’t sure if she needed anypony to talk to, but she can at least try. She joined her on her bed, looking around the room. The walls were decorated with shelves, and on those shelves were toys and dolls of all kinds.
“We used to play with those toys together, you and I,” Luna said. “We used to leave them in the halls for the maids to find. Mother and father would remind us to clean up after ourselves.” Celestia gave a questioning look at her sister. Why was she talking about silly things in a time like this? “Do you remember our first slumber party together?”
“... I don’t know.”
“I do. Around midnight, you told me a scary story. It was about a beast who had a taste for alicorn fillies. You said it roamed the castle at night, just waiting to eat us. I was so frightened that I couldn’t sleep. I was crying so much that I woke you. I’ll never forget that promise you made to me that night. You promise you will stay up all night and chase the monster away if it came to our room.”
“Why are you telling me these things?” Celestia sighed.
“I wanted to distract you from your troubles.”
“Luna, one of the bearers of the Elements have died. This is something I can’t ignore or take lightly.”
“Rainbow Dash wasn’t just a bearer. She was an important part of Twilight’s life,” Luna said. “She was a pony Twilight and her friends loved dearly.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to think of her as a tool. I… I just don’t know what to do. Without somepony carrying the Element of Loyalty, Twilight’s friendship is in a state of disharmony.”
“What can we do to help?”
“I wish I knew. All we can do is pray that the next bearer will be found soon.”
“I don’t understand. What do you mean by the next bearer?”
“When a bearer dies, the magic of their Element is dormant for some time. When the time is right, the magic will pass on to Rainbow Dash’s successor, if he or she proves themselves to be worthy of the Element of Loyalty.”
“There must be ponies as loyal as Rainbow Dash,” Luna said. “Is there not?”
“On the night of your return, Rainbow Dash passed her test and displayed the true meaning of loyalty. She never abandoned her friends when a greater opportunity for her desires presented itself to her. I know there are good ponies in Equestria, but they must show the same level of loyalty Rainbow Dash once did, if not greater.”
There was a glass window on ceiling. Next to the window was a large telescope. Celestia had always admired the stars of Luna. After banishing her sister, she had to raise the sun and the moon, which was a strain on her. During the millennium she spent without her, she gained an appreciation of the night sky.
“I remember the days when we used to wield the Elements,” she said, gazing at the window. “We used to defeat many foes, some much powerful than we are. We were heroes. When Equestria needed us, we were there in every step of the way.”
Luna thought for a brief moment. “What about us? We control the sun and the moon. Surely we can control the Elements once more.”
Celestia said nothing. She sighed. “I’m afraid that’s not the case. On the night you transformed into Nightmare Moon, I used the Elements against you. Whenever a bearer uses the Elements against a fellow bearer, the harmony that connects them is destroyed, and we no longer use them. I have neglected to tell you this. I am truly sorry.”
“I was afraid you might say that,” Luna said. Nightmare Moon was still fresh in her mind, no matter how long ago it was. She hated herself for causing the rift between them that affected the balance of magic and nature. On the first day of her return, Luna couldn’t look at her sister in the eye. The shame was too overwhelming. “Tia, you’ve done nothing wrong. All of it was my fault. We can no longer wield the Elements because of me,” she said painfully.
“I am to blame. I was the one who used all six against you. It’s because of me we lost our power over them. We all make mistakes, myself included. We must learn from our mistakes so we can prevent ourselves, and other ponies, from repeating them.”
“You make mistakes?”
“Yes I do. The biggest mistake I ever made, and one that I will always regret for the rest of my days, is sending my only sister to a thousand years of imprisonment.” Luna rubbed her head softly into Celestia’s, each wrapping their wings around each other. “So much happened during that night. The violence, the anger… it was too much. But from the moment I used the Elements on Nightmare Moon, I thought I heard a small voice. It was crying and begging for mercy. Then it screamed that it loved me. It’s a scream that still haunts me to this day. From that moment, I realized I sent my little sister that that cold, dark hell.”
“Stop it,” Luna tearfully pleaded. “It’s all in the past now. We both sinned and we both atoned for them. We’re both together now.”
“I’m sorry Luna.”
There was no doubt that Celestia had great love for her sister. They were as different as day and night, yet that difference will never tear them apart. It was a stab to Celestia’s heart when she banished Luna. Although the dagger was removed, the pain of the loneliness and separation they both suffered will never fully heal.
“If only I overcame my jealousy of you,” Luna lamented. “Then the Elements will still be in our hooves.”
“Then Twilight and her friends would have never came into our lives. They taught us more about friendship than we had ever known.”
“Celestia, my dear sister, promise me you will be strong. Promise me you will be the light in the darkness. Please… for me.”
“I will.”
Luna did not want to leave her sister alone. More than anything she wanted to stay with her and give her hope of a better tomorrow. Sadly, she had to watch over the night and give ponies dreams. She climbed out of Celestia’s bed, but she stopped her.
“Luna, do you remember the maze in the courtyard.”
“Yes I do.”
“Remember how we used to play hide-and-seek. One day you decided to hide in the maze, but I didn’t know. I thought you were inside the castle. I spent all day trying to find you, but I gave up. When I finally saw you, mother was holding you in her arms. You were crying. I didn’t know you got yourself lost.”
“That’s when father told us to never play in the maze,” Luna added.
“Of the thousand years since I banished you, I was lost in my own maze. Now that you’re with me, you led me out.”
“I love you,” Luna said.
“I love you, too. Always. Goodnight.”
Luna quietly stepped out of Celestia’s room. She laid on her back with her head on the pillows. She gazed at the stars from the ceiling window before sleeping. She wondered if anypony tried to count all of them.