From the Eternal Love of a Sister

by Scootareader

When Sisters Reunite

Darkness is our home. When we are afraid, we seek out the darkness.

Is this who Luna has become?

“Princess Luna!” My sister’s voice, strong and commanding, snaps me from my catatonic state.

We gasp in surprise, my eyes opening as the reality of the world comes back to our senses. We once again have a body to call our own.

My sister seems angry—perhaps bothered may be a more suitable word. We know not what revenge she will exact upon us for leaving her to face so much alone.

Is it her right to be angry? Or ours? We do not know. We have lost track of morality, right and wrong... justice.

What has Nightmare Moon done to us?

My sister speaks again, her voice softer this time—cautious. She does not know her own sibling anymore. “It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this.”

I am sitting upon the floor, unsure of what to say or how to react. It has been far too long for words or actions to make any difference now. Begging forgiveness or demanding answers will provide us nothing.

My sister continues. “Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister.”

She has always had a knack of saying the right thing at the right time. We feel the tears welling up, unbidden and unwelcome, but unable to stop.

A life without sunlight is the life we led. We trotted under the esoteric pale Moon, expecting a warm embrace, but offered only shackles. Who clamped them upon us?

One may blame my sister for driving us to such drastic action. A ruler without a kingdom is without worth, and we would love to blame her for making us feel worthless. She is not, however, the one to blame.

One may blame destiny for forcing us into this role we are unsuited for. Never has being Princess of the Night been my choice; it is a station born out of position, duty, and an unwavering forcefulness that is my cutie mark. Perhaps we had no choice in the matter, but that is also not to blame.

One may blame the Moon for being so stalwart, so sure of Herself. She knows and holds the power to refuse even my sister, yet She could not stop the darkness from enveloping Her most devoted subject. One could say she cares not for the actions of ponies. I have felt Her love, however, and know that She is not to blame.

One may blame the darkness which whispered seductively into my ear such delusions of grandeur. Finally, a chance to truly rule a kingdom—and for what? Only a forsaking of myself. We can blame it for not being forthright as to its intentions, for its trickery and illusions which it produced in order to fool us. Much as it tempts us to do so, it is not to blame.

The only thing which can be blamed is Luna. Me. I gave myself over to the emotions I thought I had long ago mastered. I became weak, pathetic, pitiful Luna in the instant that I heeded the darkness. I welcomed the power. The intentions. The opportunity.

And, when things did not go as planned, I suffered for it.

The Elements of Harmony knew how to punish me. The Moon knew the reasons for my punishment. Now I know that I am to blame, and I have been punished for 1000 years due to my lack of control of self.

Yet, Celestia speaks to me as an equal. She apologizes, she offers the hoof to lift me out of the dark pit.

How could I despise her for this? I love her. She has always loved me. So caught up was I in my lust for power and responsibility that I lost sight of who is most important in my life.

Are we to devour the offal placed before us? To continue permitting ourselves to live a lie so we may feel validated by our subjects? I am no better than the Luna who gave in to the darkness if I do.

We will learn. We will grow. Then, we will be somepony worthy to rule.

“Will you accept my friendship?” she asks us.

Friendship. What an odd request to make of one’s sister.

Friendship is what fueled the Elements of Harmony and finally destroyed Nightmare Moon. Friendship is what brought a single group of friends together, against all odds, to defeat the most powerful foe Equestria has seen since Discord. Friendship is power now.

Not love.

Did I love my sister when I surrendered myself to the darkness? Did I have her best interests at heart? Or was I serving Luna?

I served myself. I loved myself. I became the self-important catalyst for the attempted destruction of a nation I once thought I loved; I no longer believe I had its best interests at heart, either.

Perhaps all I needed then was a friend to show me the way. Perhaps a friend is all I need now to help me learn something of myself.

By the Moon... she knows. She knows I need her, not as a sister, but as a friend.

She has become older. Wiser. She has 1000 years of learning that we lack.

It is time to learn from our sister. Our friend.

I leap to my hooves, dashing to Celestia, the tears flowing freely down my face. “I’m so sorry!” I nuzzle her breast, her head coming down to hold me close to her. “I missed you so much, big sister!”

We can feel her own tears streaming into my coat. After 1000 years apart, we are sisters again. “I’ve missed you, too.”

Perhaps 1000 years is enough for us to move on.

Or perhaps the darkness lies in wait for me to weaken once more. I will defeat it with help from my sister and new friend. Then all will love Luna.

Author's Note:

Maybe I have more to write than I thought. I never really know for sure when a story is going to end. It goes wherever my imagination takes it.

--Scootareader

Comments

[Scootareader]

3741339
Actually, it is 91 words away from being the last word in the chapter.

[Psychobogle]

3777704
Pfft. Technicalities.

[Psychobogle]

3778566
Btw, I meant supposed. After the dash.
So ha.

[PaulAsaran]

"I don't need a sister, I need a friend."

"We're sisters again!"

Umm... what?

Generally speaking, I appreciate what you're trying to do with this story. Even so, I just don't see how any of this justifies 1000 years stranded on the moon. Is Luna so preposterously slow a thinker that she actually needed that a millennium to form these conclusions? Or could she have been released in 10 years, faced similar circumstances and made the same conclusions? Maybe it's just me, but this all feels like a rather weak justification.