How Many Seconds In Eternity?

by Doctor Disco

The Redemption

“Luna,” Princess Celestia murmured. Princess Luna could only look away, not meeting the eyes of her sister. “Why?”

“Because a thousand years on the moon did nothing to truly punish me for what I did; for what I became,” Luna whispered. She was lying to herself, she knew it, and Celestia knew it as well.

“The Tantabus, Luna,” Celestia persisted softly, “Why?”

Luna looked downwards, crestfallen. “Is it too much to ask for you not to?”

Celestia herself looked on the verge of breaking down, a very rare sight to see. “With as busy I have been in the Solar Court and you as well in the Lunar Court, we have had no time to bond. No time to truly get to know each other again…

“It’s been over a thousand years, Luna,” Celestia’s voice broke, “I’ve had to wait a thousand years just to see you again and still we are separated.”

“Maybe tis for the better,” Luna lamented, “I do not truly deserve your presence. I am but a shadow to your goodwill and benevolence.”

Celestia could only look on at Luna sadly. “This is the kind of thinking that led to Nightmare Moon, Luna. This is what lead to the Tantabus-”

“Then maybe the Tantabus is better!” Luna finally faced Celestia again, her eyes red and stains on her cheeks. “I deserved everything it did to me and so much more! So much more, Tia!

“I threatened the lives of our subjects with an eternal night… I attacked you and caused a potentially world-ending cosmic event with an eclipse… and I even destroyed the very home we grew up in…

“How can I not blame myself for all of that?!” Luna cried. “I did so many things wrong, Tia! I’ve tried so hard to fix them… but no matter what I do, I can never forgive myself! I can never forget!”

Throughout her whole speech, Celestia remained silent, seeing Luna’s perspective on everything for the first time since her return. “That is why we keep trying to be better, Luna,” Celestia tried, “That is why we do everything in my power to become better than we were yesterday.”

“But what if I don’t get better?” Luna argued, red-hot tears flowing from her eyes. Her breath hitched with every other word, and she trembled from all of her emotions. “I w-would just bec-come Nightmare M-Moon again and k-kill off everypony I kn-now and love-”

“No,” Celestia said, and Luna looked quietly to Celestia. “You are a good pony, Luna. Why can you not see that? Don’t you see all the good you do? All the good you’ve done since you came back from the moon? Do you not see the ponies who stay awake through your night just to watch the stars twinkle and the night pass by?

“The ponies who stay awake to go stargazing with their special someponies? The ponies who leave home just so they can live under a roof like the starry sky you take pride in?” Celestia listed off, and Luna’s tears only grew in intensity.

“Y-yes…” Luna was able to get out, now crying fully. Her body racked from all the emotion, and Celestia moved beside her, bringing her into an embrace.

“So many ponies are proud of you Luna. So many ponies look up to you in ways you or I can’t even imagine. You are special, Luna, for you are strong. Stronger than I ever could be. I would never be able to feel what you have been taking on without breaking down more than you have… and for that…”

Celestia pulled away just a little and looked Luna in the eye. “And that I why I am proud of you… and why I look up to you.

“Please, sister,” Celestia pleaded, “Do not go down this path any longer. Forgive yourself, Luna, and live to be better.”

Nodding more for herself than Celestia, Luna finally saw. Pulling Celestia in for another hug, Luna broke down in more tears. “Th-thank you, Tia… Y-you always kn-know what to say to make me f-feel better…”

And they sat there, crying together only as sisters could.

“I love you, Luna,” Celestia whispered, “Don’t ever become evil again. Family must stick together.”

“I... “ Luna mumbled, not knowing what to say, before she finally did. “I love you too, Celestia.”

And the two sisters hugged until night fell and the morning came again, cherishing the other’s embrace and reminiscing to times gone by....

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading this fic that took two weeks to write.

I just had to.

This was heavily inspired by "Heaven Sent", the eleventh episode of Doctor Who Series 9.

I just thought: "Luna was up on the moon for a thousand years. What would she do? She's Nightmare Moon, evil and all that, but there was still Luna, the Luna that the Elements of Harmony saved... but if they didn't work the first time (banishment instead of purification), how come it did when Twilight and co. came along?"

And then came the Tantabus. Because she still felt miserable, and, obviously, it was because of her own guilt for it in the first place.

I just feel like the Doctor's situation would fit Luna's so very well, but instead of a literal trap, it was inside her mind. Her inner self constantly dying and returning, a self-imposed punishment for her own actions. Yet she wanted to get out. Ya know? And I think this can relate to the Tantabus because if you think about it, the Nightmare here could very well be the precursor to her Tantabus.

I am sorry for any feels you may be experiencing. Thanks again!

Comments

[Silver Inkwell]

http://fanzone50.com/Tales/Eternity.html
https://genius.com/The-brothers-grimm-the-shepherd-boy-annotated

https://what-if.xkcd.com/34/

[Camolot the Creator]

How much suffering wipes away a crime? The answer is all the suffering in the world, and yet none of it. No amount of pain or punishment may even begin to clean the stains off of one's soul: only forgiveness of the self may do that...

[IgnitedSage]

Oh, getting my Doctor Who Vibe!