Celestia woke before she was due to raise the sun, intent on spending the time raising the sun and lowering the moon with Luna, as the regal sisters had so come to enjoy over the last week since Luna's return.
This morning, however, Luna was late in arriving to the dais overlooking the kingdom. Celestia decided to give it another two minutes to allow Luna a moment if she was indeed late for any reason.
She looked out over Canterlot laid out beneath her, yet her focus was on the door behind her. She expected it to click open and Luna to stroll through at any moment, but when the two minutes were up and another three had passed, Celestia's curiosity had been piqued.
Why was Luna running five minutes late? She had been on time every day up until now. Celestia decided it could wait no more and began lowering the moon to make way for the sun. Once the morning sun had risen, Celestia's spell would keep the sun in motion throughout the day as it passed over the land, only needing to be set once the spell's power waned.
She began to walk to Luna's bedchambers, her brow furrowed with concern.
Celestia’s walk there took her past some Solar Guards, and Luna's Night Guard as well; the stygian soldiers having been reinstated since Luna’s return. Both sets of guard politely greeted the Diarch with a courteous "Princess", accompanied by a short bow in her presence. Of course, she replied with a smile as warm as the rising sun, adding; "Good morning".
Normally doors that needed guarding, such as the ones to areas off-limits to the staff and general public, had a guard assigned to patrol the corridors to deter any would-be intruders. Whenever the castle played host to any important individuals, such as ambassadors, dignitaries, and nobles visiting from other countries, Celestia insisted two guards be stationed outside their door for security and protection. If one guard needed to leave for any reason, his comrade couldn't leave until the other returned, or a replacement was sent.
This remained true for the Princesses. Two Thestral guards stood stoically outside Luna's door, guarding it with pride and renewed purpose at having their beloved Princess back.
"Has my sister left her room at all this morning?" she asked, looking towards the Thestral on her right.
"No, Your Highness," he replied. "I've not heard anything. Although, she must've been awake to lower the moon." It was a fair guess on his behalf. He may not have seen Luna leave the room, but she could have teleported.
'I can't bear to tell them it was I that lowered the moon on account of her absence,' Celestia thought to herself. "If I may enter? I would like to check on her."
"Of course, Your Highness." They both gave Celestia a wide berth as she opened the door with her magic, closing it once she was inside.
Almost instantly, her eyes fell upon the bed, complete with a still-asleep Luna. She gave a small giggle, then bent down to pull the sheets up to Luna's neck.
"Take your time, Sister, I'll wait for you at breakfast," she said softly. However, it was just enough to stir Luna.
"T-Tia?"
"Somepony must be sleepy," she jested.
Luna's mouth transformed into a stupid-happy grin. "I love you..." she gleefully said, lowering her head to the pillow, shuffling around to get cosy. She relaxed, comfy with her position. It took but a moment for Luna to drop back off, falling asleep with the smile plastered from one ear to the other.
Celestia exited the bedroom, closing the door with a soft click. "Looks like she went back to sleep after lowering the moon," she confidently lied to the guards. They gave a curt, understanding nod at that, not saying anything in response. "When she wakes up, let her know I'll be in the dining hall, waiting on her for breakfast.”
"Of course, Your Highness." Nothing further was said, Celestia giving a smile and a grateful hum in lieu of actually saying 'thank you'.
Twenty minutes later, Celestia sat at the head of the grand dining table the castle used to play host to various functions. The room itself was ludicrously oversized for a dining hall, but the purpose in that was to give the guests present room to congregate in groups to talk about similar interests and so forth away from the table itself.
Celestia didn't really have a designated area that she ate breakfast in, so she often elected to have breakfast here. Sometimes, when Celestia felt like it, she would have breakfast brought to her room if she fancied breakfast in bed. It had certainly proved beneficial to use the dining hall before, though. Several times she had discussions with various nobles and dignitaries over breakfast and lunch, and used the table space to sprawl their papers and presentations on.
"Princess Celestia, your breakfast is ready," spoke one of the castle maids as she wheeled over a cart adorned with a large silver platter, covered with a lid to keep anything off of the food underneath.
"Ah, thank you, Sweet Leaf. I trust you made some of your well known tea?" Celestia asked hopefully.
"Oh, but of course!" Sweet Leaf happily exclaimed as she lifted the lid off the stainless steel plate.
On it lay two waffles, one with a square of butter and one with a dollop of cream and a thinly sliced strawberry, a small, two-ounce jug of maple syrup, and a sliced banana. Not what the common pony would expect a princess to eat, but the simplest breakfasts were often the tastiest. Off to the side was a steaming pot of tea, teacup, and some sugarcubes with small tongs.
"Perfect," Celestia said contentedly.
"You're welcome, your highness."
"You can just call me Celestia," she said with a smile. "I like to think of the castle staff as friends, but the newer members are so worried about offending me by not addressing me in a formal manner," Celestia finished with a small chuckle.
"Of course, prin- er, I mean Celestia," Sweet Leaf corrected. "Do you know where Luna is? Her breakfast is beginning to go cold."
Celestia wasn't quite sure what came over Luna to miss lowering the moon and thus cause her to sleep in. She found it mildly worrying, but wouldn't tell anyone lest they start spreading rumours. "She decided to sleep in after lowering the moon. I'll take it up to her when I'm done here." It would give her another opportunity to check up on Luna too.
"Alright then, Celestia." Sweet Leaf had to smile at that. It felt rather scandalous to be addressing the princess so informally!
She wheeled the cart back into the kitchen, bringing out Luna's breakfast and leaving it next to Celestia with the lid still on so it would keep the heat slightly longer.
It didn't take more than ten minutes for Celestia to finish eating. She levitated the tray off the cart and began to walk up to Luna's room. By the time she arrived, the meal had cooled only slightly, but Celestia used her magic to heat it so Luna would have a hot meal. Luna's breakfast was the same as what Celestia had, only with blueberries mixed in with the waffle batter.
With a smile to the guards, she softly knocked on the door, inching it ajar. "Luna, are you awake?" There was no response. "I brought you breakfast."
The tray was hastily yanked out of her magical grasp by Luna's own. A split second later, she heard the sound of the tray crashing on the other side of the room, its contents scattering everywhere.
"Luna? Are you alright? What was that fo–" The door was suddenly thrown open, Celestia being accosted by an extremely angry-looking Lunar Goddess. Luna used her magic to pin Celestia against the wall just on the inside of the door. The Thestral guards looked on with shock and mouths hung agape at the spectacle that had befallen them, unsure what to do. Their training didn’t cover what to do when one princess attacked another!
"You! Luna seethed venomously. "You sent me to the moon for a thousand years! Do you have any idea what it was like!?"
"Luna, I–"
Luna's put more strength behind her magic as the aura went from Celestia's chest to the base of her neck.
"A thousand years!" she echoed. "What did you think I was going to do for a thousand years!? Do you know what happens to ponies who get left all by their lonesome? They go insane!"
The guards began to step forward to intervene, but Celestia just waved them off with a hoof out of Luna’s view as Luna kept her deadly glare on Celestia. "A thousand years of loneliness... Dust... And..." Luna's aura blinked out as her face slowly transformed from one of rage, to one of sorrow. Celestia slumped forward, heart pounding, planting all four hooves on the ground as Luna fell forward, burying her head in Celestia's chest. "Can..." she began weakly, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "Could you ever forgive me?" she asked, looking up to her sister.
"Luna? What's the matter? Are you alright?"
"I'm so sorry," she blubbered, "for all the trouble I caused all those years ago..."
"Shh shh shh," Celestia cooed softly, stroking Luna's mane. "It is I that should be apologising to you, dearest Sister. Had I given you the attention that you deserved, I wouldn't have had to–" Celestia was cut off by more incoherent babbling and sniffles.
Tears matted Luna's fur to her face as she sobbed profusely into Celestia's chest, staining her fur with the salty liquid. It mattered not; Celestia could always take a bath. Luna was upset, nay, distraught about something, and Celestia would do her best to fix it.
"Why don't I bring you some more breakfast and we can talk about it, hmm?" she suggested, trying to lighten the mood. "It's your favourite too! Blueberry waffles!"
"Y-yes p-please..." she weakly said.
Celestia turned to face the guard on the door's right, clicking her tongue and tossing her head to indicate to him to go to the kitchen and fetch another tray of food. He quickly scarpered off, not wanting to disappoint the princess. She turned to the other guard and said; "See if you can delay my session of court for a while. Say an urgent matter has come up if anypony asks."
"Right away, your highness." He turned and began legging it towards the throne room.
In the meantime, all Celestia could do was hold and comfort Luna, hoping she wouldn't have another angry outburst. It was extremely peculiar—and worrying to say the least—how Luna went from angry and violent to sad within the span of about two seconds.