My Only Sunshine

by CoffeeBean

Nº 6: PURPOSE

Celestia's eyes wandered the dark hall beyond the confines of her room as she slowly and painfully made her way through the corridor, her three typical items in their usual places; her blanket draped over her back, Philomena stood atop said blanket, and her lantern shining brightly as it floated at her side. She had fallen asleep on the floor, much to the dismay of her back and neck, and woken to find herself in worse health than when the ordeal had begun. The pain burning in every part of her body was unbearable, and the invisible knives stabbing into her stomach twisted with every step, deepening their wounds. She was quite thankful for the basin in her kitchen; without the water magically flowing from the shiny, metal spigot, her stomach's constant rejection of its contents would be an even worse ordeal.

With a pained groan, Celestia paused her walking, slowly lowering to her belly to rest for a moment, her breaths heavy and quick. She wished her room was closer to the spa, making her way there had become such a horrible chore.

"Celestia?" inquired an all-to-familiar voice, Celestia not turning to address the voice and its accompanying hoofsteps.

"Aye."

"Are... you alright?"

Celestia looked over her shoulder, meeting Nightmare Moon's gaze with a scowl.

"I assume you're trying to get to the spa?"

"Aye."

"I could teleport you there... do you want me to?"

Celestia turned back around, a quiet groan accompanying her limb's movements as she struggled to her hooves.

"Nay. Thy help is more poison than elixir."

"You don't need to hurt yourself just to prove a point to me..."

Celestia scoffed, slowly continuing on her way, Nightmare following a distance behind her.

Nightmare Moon sat beside Iris, who had joined the two Princesses after coming down the same hall by coincidence. The two sat a distance from the spa's large shower, their eyes glued to Philomena, who stood atop the steamed-over glass panes as Celestia quietly conversed with her feathered friend, her words unintelligible over the hot running water. Occasionally, Philomena would flutter her wings, chirp, or squawk in response to Celestia, only making Iris and Nightmare Moon more curious as to what the two were conversing about.

"I'm glad she has someone to talk with that isn't her own mind." Nightmare Moon commented.

"She should probably spend her time talking with somepony that understands her," returned Iris, looking up to Nightmare.

"Philomena does understand her. You'd be amazed by how smart that Phoenix is."

"Miss Moon, I meant she should be talking to you."

Nightmare blinked. "I see... and you are right, but she doesn't want to talk to me. My visit to her quarters last night only proved that further."

"It doesn't matter. You two can't sit around avoiding each other. She needs to talk to you, and you need to listen."

"I did listen, but we... we simply can't see eye-to-eye on things. I doubt we ever really will."

"You could at least try to do something about how sick she is."

Nightmare lowered her voice. "The only way I could help her is by returning her magic. I'm convinced that her illness is linked with her lack of magic, but I can't help her without her trying to hurt me or hurt the nation. She has her mind set on it; she talked with Chef Cold Cut for quite some time a night ago, and that's exactly what she said. Bring back the day, and strike me down."

"Can you blame her?"

Nightmare looked to Iris. "No, I can't. I want to help her, and I want to see her happy again, but helping her means hurting me."

"One of you is going to have to make sacrifices, and it's not going to be her."

"It won't be me, either. I... I need to do what you've said; I need to show her the night isn't something that needs to be shunned away. I tried to show her that 700 years back, so I don't have much faith that it will work now... especially considering the circumstances."

"Would it hurt to try? Take her to your tower's balcony, or take her on a flight over Equestria. Show her the amazing places and sights that exist in the world."

"My tower's balcony sounds like a good idea, but I doubt she'd want to leave the castle with how she's been feeling."

"You've got magic; teleport her somewhere."

Nightmare remembered what Celestia said earlier. "I doubt she'd want me to do that, as well."

Iris sighed. "I'm out of ideas, Your Highness."

"As am I."

The two paused, the sounds of the steamy shower taking over the room. Celestia's speech with Philomena still carried on, however; her voice was a mere mumble over the water. Nightmare listened, trying to hear any single word from Celestia so she could get at least a tiny clue as to what she said. Her ears aimed perfectly forward, her horn glowing as she worked a spell to improve her sense of hearing.

"Oh, and hast thee decided on the decor for the festival?"

Philomena chirped, eliciting a hum from Celestia.

"Grand. Doth thee require assistance in the endeavor, our dear Gold Leaf? We shall assign thee additional help if that is the case."

Gold Leaf. Nightmare Moon felt a knot form in her stomach; Gold Leaf was the head of the castle's decor team and a friend to both her and Celestia all those years back.

"We understand. We shalt see to it. Oh, our dear Cloud Fall! By thy smile, we think thou bring us fair news!"

Philomena fluttered her wings as she squawked, Celestia chuckling.

"Aye, we do challenge their discipline in silly ways. The nation is peaceful; we must to something to keep our guard from slacking!"

Nightmare quit her spell, a pain now stinging in her heart.

"What are they talking about?" asked Iris.

The glass door of Celestia's shower opened, steam billowing out as Celestia slowly stepped from the running water.

"Dear Ink Scroll, shalt thee inform us of tonight's supper?"

Philomena chirped,

"Aye, such a menu tickles our ears." Celestia stopped, standing a distance from the still running shower, water dripping heavily from her soaked body. "Doth thee know what desserts might be served alongside?"

Philomena didn't respond.

"Nay? We shalt see in due time. Chef Sugar Flake always concocts the most wonderful treats; we doubt that his work would be lackluster!"

"Your Highness... wha... who is she talking to?"

"Every name she's mentioned... they're all ponies she and I used to know. I-I don't know what's wrong with her."

"Greetings, sister. Looking joyous this evening, thou art! Shalt thee join us for supper?"

Nightmare sat up, her ears perking. "C-Celestia?"

"Oh, aye; the day hath been quite kind to us." She continued walking, her steps still slow and shaky. "We would inform thee of the supper's desserts, but dear Ink Scroll hast not divulged the information to us!"

Philomena squawked, taking flight from the glass panes of the running shower and landing a distance behind Celestia as she began following by hopping along. Nightmare stood, walking in front of Celestia's path, crouching down as she looked into the blank smile on her face.

"Celestia, it's me..."

"Hast thee made arrangements for the night, sister? We know thy night often calls for thy attention."

Nightmare stopped Celestia's slow forward progress, her hooves coming up to her shoulders. "Celestia..."

"The stars above just now begin to peek past the clouds. So beautiful, this time of day is, sister."

Philomena gave a sing-song chirp, the sound causing Celestia to laugh gently.

"Aye, we do love thee. Now, shalt we continue on to supper?"

Nightmare's lips quivered and breaths shuddered as she began to cry, Celestia's gaze passing right through her. A surprised expression took over the smile on Celestia's face as she was pulled into a tight hug, a gasp escaping her lips from the sudden movement. Celestia began pushing away with her hooves, trying to free herself from the larger, weeping Nightmare as her mind crashed back to the real world, panic starting to take over.

"W-Wha... wh-where did... we-"

"Celestia!?" Nightmare exclaimed as she released her embrace.

Celestia didn't respond, stepping back as her eyes darted around the room, her front hooves shifting around nervously.

"Are you okay? What... what happened to you?"

"How do we go back?"

Nightmare paused, looking with sorrow into the now present eyes of her sister.

"What do you mean?" she inquired with a low voice.

"We were home. We were home, with our sister a-and our adjutant and Captain." There was a long break as Celestia stepped closer to Nightmare, her pained eyes like daggers. "H-How do we go back?"

Nightmare failed to bring forth a response, prompting Celestia to continue looking around, her eyes wandering to her rear as she saw the still running shower. She held up her hooves, seeing she was soaked, and standing in a puddle of water as she hadn't truly finished relaxing under the wonderful stream. She looked back up to Nightmare, who's bloodshot eyes looked back with incredible pain and guilt; so much so there was almost a weight to her gaze.

"We... we will continue our bath."

Nightmare still held her silence, looking on through her tears as Celestia turned and began back towards the open shower, Philomena standing by for a moment before taking flight and landing atop the thin glass panes of the shower walls. The door shut, Celestia still visible through the non-fogged door as she stood totally rigid beneath the stream, showing no emotion or intrigue in the warm water.

"You never once considered what total isolation for so long would to do her mind, did you?" asked Iris with an unusually angered tone.

Nightmare looked over her shoulder to see Iris stood a short distance away, her expression a scowl.

"I did... that's why I brought her back. I-I knew it would do horrible things to her... I-"

"That," Iris interrupted, aiming her hoof at the shower, "is not something that she needs to have happening to her."

"I-I know it's not..."

"Then help her! You are only hurting her by not truly working to fix her magic!"

The running of the water stopped, the door to the shower coming open to reveal an extremely angered Celestia.

"Thou hast not even made attempts to give us back something!? Hast thou sat idly while we suffer at the clutches of insanity and hatred!?"

"I-I can't give you your magic, Celestia! I-"

"We know well, coward! Fear plagues thy motives, as thou art too fearful that we shalt strike thee down!!"

"Celestia, you don't understand! I... I can't because I don't know how!"

Placidity fell over the spa, Nightmare Moon's words causing the angered scowl on Celestia's face to instantly fade. Nightmare's tears came harder as she looked away from Celestia.

"Thou art lying..."

"I... I wish I was. Celestia, I-I'm sorry."

Iris stepped closer, bringing her voice to a whisper. "You've never told me you couldn't restore her magic."

"I know I haven't. C-Celestia... if I could give you back your magic, I would. I-I know that it's hurting you, and I don't want to hurt you."

Celestia took a step forward out of the shower, her magic weakly lifting a folded towel from a little table beside the shower and beginning to dry herself off. Nightmare's tears had slowed, occasionally sniffling as she and Celestia stared at each other.

"There's not a thing in the world I wouldn't do for you, Celestia."

"Why hast thou not told us sooner? Why lie?"

"I wasn't lying... I-I didn't know if you'd be more upset with me if I told you that I couldn't help you. I never wanted to hurt you or make you feel like I hated you, I just didn't know what to say."

"Thou hast thy heart set on helping our illness, aye?"

"Yes, I do."

Celestia began walking towards Nightmare, her magic still working with the towel to dry her fur and mane.

"Let us return to our home. The reality our mind created... let us live there." Tears began rolling down Celestia's cheeks as she and Nightmare stared into each other's eyes. "Thou art the dream weaver; create us a permanent dream."

"Celestia... you can't live in a dream. I know you miss how things once were, but you need to live here, not in your mind."

"Why? We hath nay purpose in life."

"You... you do have a purpose-"

"To be thy sister?"

"Yes! And to rule beside me!"

"Then where art thy attempts to learn us of how the nation works? We hath not been invited to court, parliament, or anything of the like."

"Celestia, you've been horribly sick for the past few nights. I'm more worried with that currently."

"Sick because of thy hoof. Thy actions brought us to this state. If thou art so pained to see us like this, why put us here to begin with? Was it because of thy false claims of jealousy? Hast thou always held enmity for us? Were thy proclamations of love for us always false? The night thou spent in our tower so long ago, dropping kisses on our cheeks and lips, holding us in thy hooves as thy special somepony, was that all a simple lie to hurt us? That is why thou hast returned us; thou enjoy seeing us in pain, just as thee did the night thy hoof struck our crown from our temple, and proclaimed that the night would last forever! When we looked into thy eyes, the moment before thy horn cast us away from the lands we two had ruled, the ponies we two loved, and the home we two had built, we said that we loved thee. We find it hard for our heart to uphold that statement."

Again, there was a pause of silence as the two sisters stared at each other through teary eyes.

"Don't say that. Please, don't ever say that you don't love me."

Celestia drew her eyes away from Nightmare's, her expression turning to one of sorrow as her cries came harder.

"You don't ever have to say that you love me... but please, don't ever say that you don't."

"We... we won't." Celestia's towel, which now held most of the water her fur previously did, was dropped beside the shower as she shakily walked towards Nightmare Moon. "We know thou cannot help our magic... or thou dost not wish to... but thou could do one thing." Celestia dropped to her haunches before Nightmare, her gaze being directed at Nightmare's eyes, but seeming to pass through to something beyond. "Sister... if thou art truly there, then thou shalt let us return to the home our mind weaved. We... we want life to be something we love."

Nightmare couldn't respond, her tears coming back as her eyes darted around on Celestia's expression. She pulled herself forward, raising her front hooves to take Celestia into a hug, Celestia's own hooves raising to return the embrace. Nightmare sobbed, her head falling as emotion overwhelmed her; never before had Celestia hugged her back, or shown any emotion other than anger.

"Thou hast nay need to say nay to our request... we know the answer."

Nightmare's hug became stronger, Celestia's head being pushed into the fur of Nightmare's chest, her shaky breaths and sobbing heaves singing loudly into Celestia's ears.

"E-Every time I say no to you... it's a-another time I can't help you! T-That's all I want, sister, a-and I can't!"

Celestia's returning embrace came loose, her hooves sliding down Nightmare's large back and wings to their place between her haunches, her action only increasing the grip Nightmare had on her. Celestia wanted to push away, but the longer she sat while the much larger Nightmare Moon embraced her, the more she began to welcome the hug. Her hooves remained between her haunches, but her head turned to nuzzle the soft black fur of Nightmare's chest, the thump of her big heart overpowering the heaving breaths of her sobs. Her heartbeat was fast, fast from the emotion, concept, feeling, idea, and lie that was love.

Celestia groaned as she laid down on her stomach on the soft rug at the center of the strange little dining room Chef Cold Cut had served her in a night ago, the room currently empty and the door leading into the kitchen open, allowing the sounds of cutlery, pots, pans, and plates moving against each other to flow into the space. Her lantern was set a distance away and Philomena was dismounted, her wings flapping as Celestia's magic moved her to the floor.

"Dear Philomena, will thou fetch the Chef?"

Philomena began trotting her way towards the open kitchen door, her long tail bobbing side to side and her wings half-unfurled to serve as a means of balance. With a sigh, Celestia rolled onto her side as she rubbed her face with a hoof. Her departure from the spa had been a moment ago and had been quite some time after Nightmare Moon and Iris had decided to leave. She had given herself time to think about their conversation as well as time to think about the experience her mind had forced her into. One side of her mind thought to agree with Nightmare; she shouldn't live in a dream, and she should try to make what life she had a good one. The other was quite polar; she hadn't felt such a great joy or witnessed such wonderful scenes in 700 years, and it wanted for that false reality to be the only one, and the more and more she thought, the greater the wish to remain in a permanent dream became. Living in a lying dream was far better than a truthful nightmare.

Celestia's eyes were drawn back behind her as the door to the little dining space opened, Iris stepping in and shutting the door behind herself, performing a sound-blocking spell on the door as she turned to Celestia, who looked on with a raised brow.

"Why hast thou blocked the outside of our sound?"

"Her Highness has assigned the guard to spy on you."

Celestia scoffed. "That hardly comes as a surprise. We hath suspected that for quite some time."

"She knows of all the things you discussed with Chef Cold Cut, and she knows that you'd 'strike her down' if you had your magic, Your Majesty."

"We... said that we would not strike her down, and that we regreted ever having mentioned we would."

"That's not what the assigned guards reported, Your Majesty."

"They reported falsely. The Chef shall testify to that."

"Aye, ya call'd?" shouted Chef Cold Cut as she entered the dining room, Philomena trotting in front of her.

"Aye, we did call for thee. Dear chef, would thou be so kind as to bestow us with a meal? The stomach aches in hunger, and we think that it shalt hold up to food."

"Oh, I can cer'anly fix ya som'thin'. Wha' woul' ya like?"

"Anything."

"In a jiffy, Princess Celestia!"

With that, the cheerful Chef trotted back into the kitchen and out of sight.

"Maintain thy spell." spoke Celestia as she turned back to Iris.

"Understood, Your Majesty. May I ask why you're lying on the floor and not sitting at the table?"

"We hath been granted permission to sit where we please, aye?"

"Yes."

Celestia simply lowered her head back to the rug.

"I... think Her Highness wasn't totally truthful when she said she didn't know how to give you back your magic. She's never once mentioned to me that she couldn't, and there's not a single thing she's never told me."

"That is what thou believes; she has her secrets, we assure thee. We believe she hast not mentioned her lack of ability out of fear. She loathes the feeling of weakness as much as we do."

"I know she has her secrets... what I meant is that she lied to me. Her Highness has done nothing but say how she won't restore your magic because she's afraid you'll raise the sun; never once did she even hint that your magic isn't in her control."

"Thou art surprised the traitor lied to thee?"

"Considering it's the first time since I became her secretary 13 years ago, yes."

Celestia hummed, her front hoof coming from beneath her blanket to pat Philomena.

"Why exactly do we deserve to know we art being spied upon?"

"I didn't think it was right for her to do so. Having the guard keep a loose eye on you as they do with every other pony; maybe, but she has several officers of the Royal Guard track your every move and word."

Celestia groaned as she rolled to her belly and stood, her blanket being re-adjusted by her magic. "Thy sense of right and wrong motivates a lot. We think it odd thou art so willing to offer us information and help." She began making her way towards the windows that lined the wall to the rear of the tall, ornate dining table. "Why is that? Thou hast known us for a meager time, thy alliances art not with us, and thy eyes and being are one linked with the night."

Iris watched as Celestia paused before the window, her eyes locked with something off in the distance. "I... want to see the daytime."

"Thou art a Nocturn like our guard. Thy ancestors slept during the day, and paid it nay attention."

"And they knew what the sun looked like."

Celestia hummed, her eyes locked with the destroyed castle slouched in the distant Everfree forest. "And so shalt thee."

Author's Note:

I'd like to thank my consistent readers and readers anew who have shown such glowing support for this story through their comments and like/dislike bar. I always thought it was a bit BS when people would say "your support helps", but now that this story has gotten so much great criticism, whether it be in the from of someone commenting about how they felt after reading a chapter or commenting on a spelling error they found, I really do see how it's not BS. Part of what's been motivating me so heavily to continue so rapidly with this project is simply seeing how people react to updates.

Once more; thanks to everyone who reads this, and know that your comments really do mean a lot to me. Especially the ones about spelling/grammar errors. My brain sucks at catching its own errors.

Comments

[CoffeeBean]

7785388 Central. I'm like 5 minutes from the airport. Thanks for favoring the story, and giving me a watch! I look forward to hearing more thoughts from you on how you think the story is.

[Cursed Quill]

It's interesting watching this proceed, and alarming seeing the draw of insanity. I'm curious to whom Nightmare says sooth tells truth.

[Drake1703]

I thinks the story is currently at the feature box.

[CoffeeBean]

7785598 my god, it is! Thanks for saying something, I never would have known!

[Crusader688]

I've been liking this story so far. You've been doing a good job of creating a complex and often ambiguous situation here, especially with trying to portray Nightmare Moon's and Celestia's complicated feelings and motives.

Not sure how much Nightmare Moon thought out bringing back Celestia though. Celestia is being harsh claiming she only did so out of selfish reasons, but then again even though she has good intentions, the things she's said and done don't leave much room for Celestia to be much more than the pet sister kept around the palace out of pity and nostalgia. Certainly hypocritical of her to expect Celestia to simply adapt to and even embrace a world that rejects her day and Sun and regards her with uncertainty and suspicion, when she herself had a much more... negative reaction to the same scenario. Without some breakthrough in understanding between the two, Nightmare Moon would probably be better off sending Celestia away to the other side of the world where it's always day, a place where she'd be far more likely to find peace and maybe even some purpose.

I am looking forward to seeing how you move things forward between the two sisters. At this point I'd have to think that it's going to come down to Nightmare Moon, as it's kinda hard to say that Celestia needs to be more open to compromise or meeting her sister halfway when there really isn't anything left for her to lose or sacrifice.

[Dash32]

Welp. Celestia has gone insane.

Fortune, fame! Mirror vein! Gone insane but the memory remains!!!

[Carbon]

Still i dont understand why NM dont call even one doctor to help cure Celestia*s illness.

[Wroth]

While I'm glad to see that Celestia is getting some help, I would like to see the opposite opinion to those ones she's been speaking to about not letting the sun come up.

I almost wonder how she would feel if the ones she's speaking with is a very minority position and that the rest are actually against it, I mean everyone she's spoken to thus far and has been friendly with has been specifically pro sun which would be strange after acclimatizing to the night.

Though I kind of imagine that they survive in the darkness like how those of Fallen London survives in the Neath. Where Luna has figured out a way of using her magic to create enough heat for people to survive in. Though without replacing standard wheat and such with various types of mushrooms and the like.

[Matthewl419]

I think that Celestia is now going to leave the castle to find out how to get her magic back; and she will either discover the beauty of the night in doing so, or she will interview everyone she finds and gets NMM to see that her subjects miss the sun.

[CoffeeBean]

7787108 Someone finally caught onto the hint of her looking at the destroyed Castle of the Two Sisters in the distance.

[Wroth]

7787108 That's something I would find odd, because it's been 700 years, many generations would've passed by now without ever even knowing of the feeling of the sun.

[Satakieli]

"We... said that we would not strike her down, and that we regreted ever having mentioned we would."

I think it's "regretted"?

An interesting incarnation of Nightmare. I can see her being composed and reasonable, with her own share of wisdom (undoubtedly tempered by time), but on the other hand she is still, as someone else pointed out, "the bad guy"; she still seems to have pretty much the same mindset that drove her 700 years ago to kick out her sister, force constat night upon the land and take the rule all for herself - she now seems much more non-antagonistic, even apologetic about it, yet is still set in her ideas. (Though I understand her reasoning why raising the sun NOW might be shocking for the land on various levels. I hope the compromise can be reached on that - after all, what is the beauty of night without the beauty of day to compliment it? - but we'll see, probably won't happen before the sisters settle their more personal issues first.) If in next chapter Celestia runs away from the castle, somehow gets her magic back and raises the sun/threatens to do so, then they'll plow into the conflict right away, which might be the catalyst for progress or regress of their relationship. (*sigh* poor sisters really don't get a break, do they? On one hand Celestia was betrayed by the being closest to her in the world, who took away from her everything she had - home, the ponies she loved, the sun, her magic - and now must battle with hatred and bitterness, while on the other hand, it must be unbearable for Nightmare to watch the state her sister is and live with the pain and the guilt of it.)

Nightmare is still being ambiguous on the matter of Celestia's magic though, is she or isn't she capable of returning it? Also, I'm suspicious of the guards who were spying on Celestia Did they report wrong on purpose or not, or perhaps were just paranoid? Might be interesting if they did it on purpose to alienate her to Nightmare, if they are of those fearful/suspicious of Celestia's return and/or the possibility of day. Like those previously mentioned parliament ponies dead set against her return for she is, in their eyes, a threat. We might hear from them yet, but I'm guessing that for now Nightmare is protecting her from the politics. Which is as well, given how messed up in head Celestia currently is - she REALLY doesn't need that too.

And the question I'm wondering the most about: how does Nightmare view her actions from 700 years ago anyway? When Iris asked her in earliest chapters why she hurt her sister, her answer was "I don't know." Is there a more complicated story behind that statement? Just how much is she Nightmare and how much Luna, are they one and same, or neither? Somehow I imagine this as the question internally bothering Celestia most of all, the rage and hurt at betrayal + instability from isolation aside. I imagine she won't be able to find any measure of peace until that question is resolved, which might happen during the climax.

Sorry for the long rambling, so many questions and theories, I just had to get them all out
Anyway, very interesting, can't wait for more!

(Also, Philomena is so adorable! I love how you write her, in all the little actions she does it is apparent she is a character with her own personality. I am relieved for her presence; it must be a comfort to Celestia to have at least one old friend in this strange and lonely new world. I love that Celestia treats her as an equally intelligent creature, and that others note it too.

Plus: "How do we go back"?

"Her heartbeat was fast, fast from the emotion, concept, feeling, idea, and lie that was love." )

[CoffeeBean]

7790353 No, I love these long comments. It shows my work is paying off. I'm making people think and question my work, and that makes me happier than anything. I'm so glad to see you enjoy the story... but I'm scared at the same time. I'm a little dead in the water on how I'd like to end this... and seeing what people predict/hope for makes me even more nervous.

Also, I like seeing that Celestia's line "How do we go back?" caught your heart strings. I thought it was a good sign of just how hurt she is; she's just gotten done hallucinating, and instead of spending a moment to question what happen, she instantly wants it to keep happening.

EDIT: Another thing I was happy to see you comment about was Philomena. I don't think this story would be as good without her.

[Satakieli]

7790589
No rush, take your time! Theories/predictions are all good and well, but it's your story!

[Jolly Tune]

How the roles have changed, Celestia now wishing for day and feeling not understood.

I know Celestia's 700 years on an island trapped in no-sleep, no-food cycle much toy with her mentally, but I never saw her capable of being so cruel and set on her ways. Despite she claiming Nightmare Moon had not created anything but stolen everything is actually wrong. NM single-hoofedly helped the nation blossom in a state survival would be hard for many flora and fauna. She helped nocturn race blossom and not left to be forgotten, rules fairly and with a levelhead. She build a lot despite what Celly claims and I see Celly's actions very childish in someways, not even considering trying to understand the night NM is showing her. Bringing sun back now would hurt the eyes of nearly everypony and cause a lot of trouble in adjusting. There should be balance but Celestia should try to first work out how the ponies in this time would suffer the least rather than act on impulse.

Nightmare is being immature too, but she was honestly concerned for Celestia and tried to show her she had managed to build a thriving empire... without Celly's help.

Like the story, reading eagerly what happens!

[PixelatedPerson]

10584492
Yeah let's just forget everyone else on the other side of the planet whom are not part of equestria and are forced into eternal daytime without choice. Did they adapt? Did they have the ability to adapt? No. You can't use the adjustment argument either as nightmare did the exact same thing. Celestia has no obligation to be nice or to love nightmare in the slightest. She left her to essentially rot on a rock with no one to talk to but herself.